Funny story

THis is one of those stories that Aidan would DIE over if he knew I was sharing it...but it's just too funny not to share :)

So I was getting ready to have a shower one morning and Aidan decided he wanted to come with me. Fine, whatever...this is a first though.

So we're getting undressed and he looks up and says to me..."Hey! Where's your penis?" LMAO...I told him "Mommy's don't have penises, only Daddy's and boys have penises." He seemed to think about that for a few minutes.

Then we're in the shower and he looks up and says to me "Daddy has your penis?"

Oh man!! I was sooo LMAO!!!!!!!!!

I guess technically, he's right :)

~Lisa~

Home Sweet Home.

We made it! And had a great time too! Got back on Wednesday afternoon(Happy Birthday Julie!!!!)

The trip up to Timmins was pretty uneventful. Took 8 hours though :P Darn kids...think they're hungry! :) We did find the best truck stop though! Butler Lake Truck stop. They were SO nice to the kids, and the food was amazing!! Great Coffee too!!! You know, in case you ever feel the need to travel on boring Hwy. 11 all the way to Timmins some day :)

We stayed with Al's sister Noreen. She's awesome. And her boyfriend/partner/significant other...whatever, is HILARIOUS!! Aidan was thrilled. He kept walking around the house calling for "Uncle Denis!!". :)

Speaking of Aidan, my best sleeper became the Worst sleeper EVER! Ugh!! I had to lay with him every night/nap to get him to go to sleep and then he was up in the night every night except our last night there...of course. Made for a very sleepy mama!

Christmas Eve was spent at my other SIL's apartment. It was alright. But, loud, and Mason wouldn't sleep, and too many people were drinking. And the kids were being hooligans. LOL It was a lot of fun when Al brought out his guitar though! He and his sisters sang Christmas Carols :) You should have seen the look on his mom's face :) It was so beatiful to see the pride there.

Christmas was Wonderful!! not quite the same for me, since it wasn't at my Mom's like I am used to, but great none the less :) Everyone was spoiled!!

Aidan's favourite gifts were his spiderman action figure, and his Leap Frog alphabet fridge magnet thingy. It teaches the letter sounds, alphabet and numbers 1-10...we both love this one :) The Tonka dump truck was a really big hit too.



Jenna's favourite were a simple princess colouring book and markers, a new Barbie, and her first (of many I'm sure) Polly Pocket set :)



She Lights Up!!

Mason was thrilled with all the paper his presents came in...probably more so than the actual presents...but then, he is only 4 months old :)

I got a wicked cool denim jacket!! Thanks go out to Stacey and Clinton on TLC's What Not to Wear, for teaching my husband about what will look great on my body shape! lol


I also FINALLY got the bucket that goes with the mop I bought Months ago! Jenn(Mac3Mom/tales from a mom of boys) raves about this mop/bucket set, and now that I have used it, WOW!!! Best mop I have EVER used!! Never will I use a sponge mop again! Ever!!



I surprised Al with the Rush DVD he's been drooling over. It was so funny. We were driving up to Timmins and he told me (for the second time) that his favourite band has a new DVD out, and that he Really wants it. I of course, played dumb, and asked the name of it. R30. I knew this of course, since I'd gotten it already!!! But, played even dumber and asked if it was R30 or Rush 30 LOL....he he he...I'm so sneaky. You should have seen me trying to keep a straight face!! If any of you are Rush fans(they're a Canadian Band) this is a great buy. It comes with 2 DVD's, 2 music cd's and 2 autographed guitar pics!! I'm sooo happy to have been able to get it for him :) he also got a shirt, and a couple tools. Spoiled isn't he :)


So, that was our Christmas morning.

I got to go out Boxing day shopping with my SIL's and my MIL. Got some wicked deals!! a $9 sweater, black cable knit.


And a $4 shirt for Jenna...it suits her perfectly, i must hear this about a kazillion times a day!


Some $.99 socks for Aidan that have fire trucks on them. A HUGE hit with my boy :) I got a new winter jacket too! Get this: FOR $10!! I love it too!! it's bugandy, and has sewn in scrollwork, a fur trimmed hood, so nice :) And the deal of the day, a beautiful white a-line skirt from Wal-Mart FOR TWO DOLLARS!!!!!!!!! WooHoo! Go me!!! oh, and some pants for $12.

I found out that my SIL's house is haunted. For real. Oh man it freaks me out! LOL The first night we were there I was up in the night feeding Mason. And I heard footsteps in the hallway. You know when you have dry feet, and they kinda catch in the carpet? That's what it sounded like. And walking real slow. At first I thought it was just Jenna getting up to go to the bathroom. But then no one went in to the bathroom. So my mind started working overtime. I put Mason back in his bed, and grabbed a shoe off my SIL's shoe rack(go ahead, laugh, everyone else did :)) And poked my head around the door. Nothing there. So, I figured I was imagining things, being in a strange house and all. Until the last evening we were there, and I mentioned it jokingly to my SIL! She said "Didn't you know that? We think it's a little boy." ACK!!! They have heard the exact same sound, and seen some sort of streak going into the bathroom late at night. I could NOT get to sleep that night!! I'm still getting shivers just writing about it!

Well, i know there was more(I kept thinking the whole time there "I have to blog this!" and now can't remember half of it! LOL)

anyway, we're home, safe and sound, with a few mountains of laundry to do :P a lot of smokers up there. Makes for Stinky clothes!!

It's nice to be home :)

~Lisa~

In the home stretch...

The shopping is pretty much all done(Why does Christmas have to cost so much!? LOL....it's totally worth it though :)).

The packing has begun.

One more day of work/school and we are off to Timmins. Jenna has been counting down for this FOREVER! It's so funny to listen to her... "So, tomorrow I have school, and then we stay home and then there's another day of school and then we go to Timmins...Right??" on and on and on! Everytime we get in the van Aidan says to me "Go grandma's house? Go Timmins?" It's so cute.

I'm sooo glad that my kids love their grandma so much. She's such a good grandma to them...and I am pretty sure they bring her so much joy. It makes an 8 hour drive totally worth it when we get there and everyone is thrilled to see us, and there's tight hugs and grins all around.

I am so lucky to have really great in-laws. (Except for one BIL...I could certainly do without him...)

I think the kids excitement is starting to wear off on me :) I can't wait to get there and chill for a week.

Yeah, that's right. A week. No blogging. ACK! I'll try to remember it all!! for my faithful...what..3, 4 readers? LOL

Mason had his 4 month well-baby check up today. He's perfect :) All 17 pounds of him!! His clogged tear duct has unfortunately turned into an infected tear duct, so we got a prescription for that. He got his immunization too, you'd never know it. The boy didn't even flinch!! Big tough guy he is :)

He is being a bit of a stinker. For the past three nights he's been up wanting to eat every one to two hours. UGH! As i said to my mom, I was prepared for that when he was a newborn. Geared myself up for it, and accepted it no problem. But man...he is 4 MONTHS OLD!!! Sleep boy SLEEP! The doctor said to feed him more. HAHA Apparently he's wasting away to nothing.. ;P Oh well, I am praying that it's just a growth spurt and he's going to get out of this habit in a quick hurry. Wish me luck.

Anyway. i have a lot left to do to prepare for our trip, so I'd better sign off now.

Sweet dreams to all

~Lisa~

I have seen the most beautiful thing...

I saw life.

Karen had her baby boy on Friday. And I got to be there with her!! I still haven't come down from the high of it all. Karen had Evan Palmer L. at home! She wanted it that way so that she could be surrounded by her family and friends. She had a pretty quick labour. It started about 6AM, and Evan was born at 3:06pm! I am just amazed at the process. It did get very scary at one point. Because Evan came out so fast, his lungs didn't get that one or two good squeeze's to get the mucous out, so his breathing was laboured. He had to go in the ambulance and stay at the hospital over night for observation, but he's fine. In Perfect health!! He was 7lbs 1 oz, and 19 3/4" Long :)

Here's some pics :)








~Lisa~

Recent funnies from my Children.

Aidan is all about pretending lately. The other day he put his pants on his head, and said to me "I'm a pirate ship!"(Meaning pirate) He had one eye covered and the other was all squinty. And Then he says to me..."Hey, Where's my Boat!?" In this deep gruff voice. LOL It was so hilarious.
Jenna experienced her first Lindt chocolate on Wednesday. She popped it in her mouth, and I'm pretty sure I saw her eyes roll back into her head. She then declared most confidently, "THIS is the Best chocolate in the WORLD!!". That's my girl :D

Aidan tried to send Jenna to her room yesterday. Picture him, one hand on his hip, the other ramrod straight pointing to the stairs...saying, "Jenna! Room! Now!". LMAO! He's his father's son.

Jenna has fallen into the comercialism lap. For the past three days now, she keeps singing "Hand in my pockect, hand in my pocket, In my pocket". Think she'll be a Capitol One card holder some day??

Aidan's favourite saying now is "I'm very sad".


Jenna's is "It's not FAIR".



Mason is sticking with "Ah gooo" for now :)

~Lisa~

10 Random things that are bothering me!

1. I am sooo not even close to being done with Christmas shopping yet, and it's Really bothering me.

2. When people seem to shun you just because you work part time, that bothers me.

3. It bothers me when people don't understand that children make noise...even when in a boring government office.

4. I get bothered when my husband doesn't use his words with me.

5. Clutter bothers me.

6. The one stupid piece of hair that keeps falling in my eyes is Really bothering me!!

7. My daughters whining bothers me a lot lately.

8. My very pregnant and 1 day overdue best friend/neighbour's whining about being pregnant and overdue BY ONE DAY is bothering me.

9. Being in a room without a clock bothers me for some reason.

10. The voice of the Old Navy spokeswoman bothers me.

~Lisa~
(Who, believe it or not, is actually having a pretty good day! LOL)

He Took it!!!

Al got the job!!!! WOOHOO!!! Ladies and Gentlemen. I can't even begin to express my relief!! His NEW BOSS (woohoo) is incredibly nice. Al's hours will be 10-6! So, he'll be able to take Jenna to school in the morning if he wants. And there's a benefits package! We'll have to pay 50%, but at least it's better then what we had! WOOHOO!

I am so psyched(lol, 80's anyone?). His official title will be "Operations Manager". He gets his own office, a pretty raise, a cell phone, and a lot of power and responsibility. And one day a week he'll be in their Orillia office, which is about 30 minutes North of us!

He's really nervous about it...which is understandable. He'll be overseeing a few different departments, and a few employees. His boss is training him to be his "Right hand man"...like, he wants a clone of himself to run the complany! ACK! I'd be nervous too!

But I know that Al can handle it. He's so brilliant. And I know he can do this. He's worked for a large corporation before and was pretty successful with it. But this is better :) More up his alley. Not so much competition here.

I'm so relieved that he's getting out of Res-Q-Tow. I can understand his sense of loyalty to the company, they helped him out when we needed them. But they have really run their company into the ground, and I'd Really rather they didn't take my husband with them.

Oh my goodness. This is such great news!!

But, I'll relax now, stop bragging...I hate bragging, makes me feel silly LOL....I'm such a nerd.

Yay!!
~Lisa~

Things are good :)

We went to My George's side of the family's Christmas party yesterday. It was actually a good time. My cousin Sherri wasn't half as annoying as in years past. I guess motherhood softened her somehow. And the fact that we have a lot more in common now. I was actually excited to see her there :) It was nice. Her mother, Barb, on the other hand...just as annoying as always LOL...there's one in every family. It's always a pot luck dinner...Barb brought Squid Ink pasta(I kid you not, it was Black!) and some Nasty seafood marinara sauce. EW! Blech blech blech!!!! I mean seriously, we're all Macaroni and cheese kind of people. And I really am seriously considering taking a couple boxes of KD next year. :) Why not right??

Al has decided to take an unbelievable offer of a new job. I don't have a lot of time to go into details right now, but it's a great offer :) He won't be driving a tow truck anymore!! He'll be (GET THIS!) Operations Manager for a transport leasing company!! Overseer of many departments, and about 12 employees!! this is a chance of a lifetime! He's scared, but I KNOW that my husband is going to KICK ASS in this job!!!! He so deserves it. AND THEY HAVE BENEFITS!!!!!!

We're off to my Dad's house today. Another Christmas party. I can't wait to see what they got us...I have a feeling it's a carpet cleaner! WOOHOO! LOL...I'll keep you updated.

Oh! I forgot, I got my hair cut and coloured on Thursday. It's taking some getting used to. I always tuck my hair behind my ears, and one side is a bit too short for that. But i do like it...as does my husband, who has said for Years that he wants me to have short hair :) Here's a pic...although not a great one :)


Aidan got a haircut too! I like it MUCH better!! Seriously, how cute is this boy?!


Okay, I'm so running behind now :) Better go run through the shower before I loose my chance!

Love and Hugs,
~Lisa~
P.s. Things are ALL good. My best friend/neighbour Karen's Dad had a stroke yesterday. He's paralyzed down one side, and is going to be in the hospital for awhile. I wouldn't mind some prayers going thier way right now. I can't imagine having a loved one in the hospital over christmas. His name is Roderick. Thanks!!

I should have been a bear.

Then I could hibernate through this entire dumb winter thing. DAMN MY ANCESTORS!! Why couldn't they have landed in Florida!?

We got snow last night. About 6 inches. While we have a rather archaic snow blower nestled away in the garage...I DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE THE DUMB THING!! Al gave me a tutorial the other night...It went like this..."You just pull the thing, and the thing, and it goes." Yeah. Thanks Honey.

So this morning. I talk to Karen(My very pregnant, best friend/neighbour) and she's telling me that the snow plow driver has yet again targeted her and my driveways for dumping ALL the the streets' snow into. GREAT. So i decide to wait until Mason is down for his next nap and then I'll bundle up Jenna and Aidan and they can have a grand old time in the snow while I shovel. Ugh.

Fast forward, the baby is asleep. I scoot around and gather up all the winter gear. Man, 2 kids wear a lot of winter gear. I referee a few fights, threaten no outside time a few times, and out we go. I get the section of driveway below the sideawalk shovelled. In between snow in sleeves, a couple slips(the kids, not me), and one lost in the snow mitten crisis. And wouldn't you know it, Mason wakes up. In we go. Amidst screaming and tears. Isn't winter fun!?

I feed the baby, and bundle him up, because I am on a MISSION now. I WILL get the driveway shovelled, if it's the last thing I do today. Back out we go. Aidan plays in the little tykes house we have. The same place he played all SUMMER! hello? We're in the SNOW...lol...oh well, he was playing nicely in there, having a grand old time pretending to serve cheese sandwiches. Except that he kept taking off his mittens GRR.

Jenna was lovely. Climbing into all the snow I just shovelled...making it spill onto the freshly shovelled driveway. like I said, lovely :)

I just KNOW all the neighbours were watching me from behind thier cozy curtains. Laughing at that silly woman who keeps having babies. And LOOK! She's got the BABY out in this cold weather. What a foolish girl. and she's stiiiillllll shovelling!! BWAHAHAHAHA

Ugh. I am sooo moving to Florida ~:-P

~Lisa~

Blah De Blah

Al is having trouble at work again. They weren't going to pay him on Friday. Not because of anything Al did, but because they fired the woman who works in the office. From what I gather, they fired her for pretty much letting them get so deep into the hole, they are having trouble seeing the light of day at the top of it. Al demanded cash, and got most of his pay that way, but I don't think anyone else got paid :( He's talking with the owners, to see if they will let him move into the office manager position. I hope they do. I know he'd do So well in a position like that. Here's to hoping.

I had to see the dentist again. I have another infected wisdom tooth that has to come OUT. :'( I thankfully got in with Jenna's new dentist. He's SO nice. Unfortunately though, he did two x-rays, and I really only wanted one. So, my appointment ended up being $98. :'( He wrote me a prescription, but isn't sure if I can take it while breastfeeding, so I have to wait to get it filled until I can talk to my doctor, who, of course, doesn't work on wednesdays. Not that it matters much...I don't think we can afford to get it filled until Friday anyway.

Why does all this crap happen around Christmas?? We were doing pretty good until we had to get $400 snow tires, host my family Christmas, Al spent too damn much on my birthday(Although I Adore everything he got me :)), and now this $100 appointment.

I'll get a couple hundred for working with Henry tomorrow...but it's not much when we're supposed to be getting Christmas presents and going to Timmins for a week.

Hang on, Aidan wants to try....

nfnhhhagghyewywyeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyshhfjujrdmdmnm ...v.vv

hmm...okay. Now he's mad that I am taking my turn LOL.

Anyway. I just needed a place to vent that out. I'm so grateful to have this blog!

~Lisa~

I got spoiled :)

Al was so good to me yesterday. He took the day off(Finally!!) and catered to me :) And showered me with gifts! I got new wipers for my van(Such a man gift LOL...but I reallllly needed them.) a new book, the new INXS CD, which I am SO excited about!! AND $10 in Tim Hortons Gift Certificates...to replace the change he keeps sneaking from my wallet for HIS coffees! LOL OH! And some new stripey socks :) Can't forget those!

My Dad came up with my shelves. HOLY MOLY!! I asked for the Trofast shelves from Ikea(As pictured in my previous post). He gave me something so much better!!




And here they are FULL of toys!! Thank GOODNESS Christmas is coming, these children are so deprived! LOL


Here's the toys on a normal day. And Here they are when they've been 'cleaned up'.


I definitely like they new way better :)

Off to get ready for work. have a great day.

~Lisa~

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Yep! It's my BIRTHDAY!! Big ole 26 today. Seems weird. I liked being 25. It's a good number. Not too far from 20 to start feeling like I should be dreading 30, and not to close to 30 to be worried about aging. :) Not that I am dreading 30, because I'm really not...I just can't imagine being old enough to BE 30 LOL. Anyway...

I convinced Al to take the day off today :D He had worked 12 days in a row...I figured it was time for a break! And what better day than today? Of course for some stupid reason HE is still in bed and I am up with Jenna...but whatever, I'll get a nap later...I hope.

My Dad is coming today. He BUILT me the Ikea Trofast stoage unit for my kids! I'm SO excited to see it!!!

We had my Mom's side of the family over yesterday to celebrate Christmas together. I was stressing big time, but, as always, everything went fine!! There was SOOO much food!! I wish we had gotten a picture of it. But two tables of food!!! For only 15 people. And I actually FORGOT to put out the Scalloped Potatoes that I was up at 11:30 getting in the crock pot. I also FORGOT the salad AND the mixed veggies. Not too sure where my head was?? But they weren't missed too much! THAT's how much food there was! LOL

We got my grandpa a cool knick knack(Hmm...is there a "K" in those words...?) it was a railway tie with a pewter train on the top...he Loved it!!! I honestly can't say i have ever seen him so excited over a gift before...he's IMPOSSIBLE to buy for. I got my grandma a pretty glass pendant on a silver chain. She raved about it to everyone. She too is impossible to buy for!

My Grandma gave me a porcelain doll for my birthday :) I'll have to take a picture of her later. When we were little, we used to go with my grandma when she was cleaning houses sometimes. No big deal, we were usually pretty good kids. Well, this one time we took a couple of the dolls she had made to play with. We PROMISED not to take them out of the house...well, the tempatation was too much(I think we were 6 and 3??) and off we went, it was such a beautiful summer's day. And, of course, we were careless and one of the dolls got broken...although, I seem to remember that it was my Brother that broke her. Whatever. My Grandma got her fixed for me :) She's beautiful!!! She's called Dream Baby, but for some reason, I have always called her April. I'll have to ask grandma why.

My Mom and George gave me Tinker Bell PJ's!!! I looove them!!! So cool :) And my aunt Karen gave me some stinky bath stuff. LOL Like a mother of three has TIME for a luxurious soak in the tub! HA. She's a terrible gift giver :)

Well, The family is stirring, I'd better be off. Hope you all have a great day :)

~Lisa~

Rough Day, with a Twist.

Henry's not feeling well today. Which made doing his Therapy...interesting...to say the least. Since I started back he's been really aggressive...which is SO not like him. Well, today was no exception. He hit me in the face, and sent my glasses flying. This is not the first time it's happened. He also scratched me...on the face. At least I was fast enough to dodge all his bites today :(

I wish I could figure out what the heck is making him so angry!! I mean, I KNOW that he's having a hard time in school with his EA, and that is no good. And now here I am back, making him do his work...so he's not having any easy days. But there's no reason for all this aggression.

Well, at the end of the day I took my glasses off to get an eyelash out of my eye. And when I put them back off, they came apart in my hand. I guess they took one too many falls on the floor :( I felt SOOO bad. As did Jenny. She appologized so many times, and offered to replace them.

I luckily had my prescription sunglasses in the van with me, so off to Wal-Mart(where I bought them) I went. Can I just tell you....BEST place for Customer Service. They no longer make my frames, and no other frames will hold my lenses in place. I was Really not wanting to present Jenny with a $300 bill for new glasses when there's nothing wrong with my lenses. Then another lady came out from the back and asked which frame I needed. HALLELUJAH! She had a front to the frames I needed!! So, 15 minutes, and I was good to go!! They don't exactly match the arms to my old glasses, but you know what, I'm thrilled about that!! When Aidan cracked my glasses a year ago(When they were still under warranty) I had them replaced, but they told me they didn't make the colour I had anymore. And they gave me an orangey brown frame, that I did NOT like! WELL!! the new frames I got today are the old colour!! A deep burgandy :)

And the best part!?? NO CHARGE!!!!!! Nope, nada. Not even labour. They said "It's just parts. Absolutely no charge!!" I will DEFINITELY be going back to them when I need new glasses.

So, that was my day. I think I go lay down, nurse this headache I have, and try to decide between sloppy joes, or nachos for dinner :)

Ciao Bella's!!

~Lisa~

The Mom who saved Christmas.

My mom that is!! She called me Monday night and invited me down to her place so that we could do a HUGE amount of CHRISTMAS BAKING Together!!!! WOOHOOO!!!!

It took all day, but we laughed together, we cringed together(when Jenna was covered from head to feet in flour), we figured out what was wrong with my shortbread together(Not enough flour). We mixed and poured and decorated and drizzled.

We made so many memories.

And the treats....

Shortbread(Which Aidan helped me decorate..."Pinkle Pinkle Pinkle" he said with each one :))
Nanaimo Bars
Rocky Road Bars
White Chocolate fudge
5 Minute Fudge
Peanut butter rice Krispies
Gum drop cookies
Chocolate surprise squares
Magic Squares.
Oh! And Jenna made and decorated Gingerbread cookies. :)

Quite the impressive list eh? We've decided to make it a yearly tradition. Next year she'll come and mess up my kitchen with me.

I will never be able to convey how grateful I am for my mom :)

~Lisa~

Christmas Cookie Whines

I LOOOVE Christmas. I love Presents(Seriously, who doesn't love presents?). I love decorations, I love the get-togethers, I love the crazy shopping...sometimes...when I get a good deal...when no one has stepped on me...or crashed into me a hundred million times with a cart....anyway.

I especially love Christmas baking. I was mentioning to my mom the other day that I always knew Christmas was close when she brought out those candied red and green cherries, and mixed fruit. When she spent hour upon hour in the kitchen whipping up the most wonderful of treats. On friday she brought me some red and green cherries, and the mixed fruit, and two cans of Eagle Brand milk :) I love my mommy. But I am lost as to what to USE those ingredients for!

Now, I come from a very long line of bakers. I pride myself on knowing how to make terrific baked goods...usually.

This year however, is becoming an exception to the rule. I can NOT find any inspiration to bake a damn thing. And what I do bake is leaving me even more discouraged. I made cookies called Snowballs...they aren't as sweet, or soft as i wanted them to be. Then I attempted squares. Caramel Shortbread Squares, YUM Right? sure. They taste Delightful. But try cutting the MoFo's!!(sorry...see? SEE? This is what Christmas baking has done to me!) The chocolate top cracked into a bazillion pieces. WAH!!!!

And seriously. Why can't recipe books all come with a description AND a picture of the finished product??? how the heck am I supposed to know if I REALLY want to make those cookies if they aren't going to look slightly festive? And how am I to know if my guests are going to be BEGGING me to make those squares EVERY year if you don't TELL me they are mouth wateringly delicious and OH SO EASY to make!!??

Ugh. And don't even get me STARTED on presents this year...NO IDEAS...NONE!

~Lisa~

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'!!!

That's right, my baby is officially mobile :) He rolled over from Back to tummy this morning, and then as soon as I put the camera down, he rolled from tummy to back!! He's an over-achiever I guess! LOL

At his 3 month check up last week, he was 15lbs 12oz.!!! CHUNK-A-MONK!!! You should see his Man-Boobs! LOL

Anyway, here's the momentous occasion, captured in real time LOL.

~Lisa~

Miss me?

Notice I was gone :)? Well, i was. Stinky Stan(the moron garbage horder from downstairs) decided that he would play with the cables in his apartment, and unplugged our internet connection. AND THEN WENT AWAY!!! Grrrr!!!!!

Aidan is finally getting over his croup. We went back to the hospital Tuesday mornng for more steroids, and that seemed to knock it out of him. Thankfully.

Then Thursday, Jenna came home from school, and had a tummy ache. And after dinner, proceeded to throw up all over my living room carpet!! Lovely. I will be eternally grateful for My neighbours help and carpet cleaner. Man, I reallllly need a carpet cleaner!!

My Mom and SIL and nephew were here Friday. While waiting to get Jenna from school my van died. BIG thanks to the Dad I flagged down. He went home, got his cables and came back to give me a boost. Luckily I just needed a new battery, and not an alternator!

And now, to top it all off, Mason is sick. I think he's got mild croup. Poor baby. It rips my heart out every time he coughs. For the first time in a couple weeks he was up in the night. He didn't eat much, just had a big cough and then wanted to cuddle. I've been putting him in he car seat to sleep, hopefully that helps. He's been coughing up phlegm occasionally, I'm hoping that's a good sign.

Al worked CRAZY hours this week. I tell ya, I was NOT meant to be a single parent. I think I may have convinced him to take off next Monday(which just Happens to be my birthday :)). He worked every day this week, including the weekend. :( I hate his boss. grrrr.

I have other big news, but it deserves it's own post, so watch for it!!

~Lisa~

Liar Liar pants on FIRE!!

Here's how a recent conversation went between Aidan and I.

ME: Okay Aidan, you can use a marker, but DO NOT colour on yourself, only on the paper. Okay?

AIDAN: Yes.

ME: where does marker go?

AIDAN: on Paper.

ME: That's right. Good. Okay, make me a nice picture Buddy.

Go to kitchen to make lunch.

Aidan soon follows.

The conversation continues,

ME: Aidan, did you put that marker in your mouth?

AIDAN: Ummmm...No?

This is what I was looking at...

I miss my Husband.

He works so hard for his good-for-nothing, in-it-for-the-wrong-reasons boss. And these past two days have been no exception. He got home this morning at 4:30AM after doing a big fiery wreck(He drives a very big tow truck :)). He slept for 4 hours and then went right back to work. And now, because he's on call tonight, he's in Brampton, doing yet another call at 9:15PM! A call that the aforementioned boss is QUITE capable of doing!!

I know he got about 1 1/2 hours sleep this afternoon, but still...6 1/2 hours isn't much to get through the past 38 hours :(

I worry about him.

I miss him so much.

~Lisa~

For the briefest of moments...

I was sneaking a couple of smarties from the box I confiscated from Jenna at Aidan's birthday party(with the intention of giving them back later...but I forgot :)) And I caught a glimpse of my reflection in the china cabinet glass.

I was struck by something. My very first thought was, "what a pretty face". I found myself taking a moment to study the 1/4 of my face that was staring back at me. I like my eyes, always have. They have a nice shape, and are a great blue. Although, I have noticed that as I get older, I get less and less compliments on them. Perhaps from my constant desire to sink into the background of self-consciousness.

I also noted that the shape my face takes from my temple to just below my cheekbone isn't that bad. Not as chubby as I always imagined. But then, I couldn't see my cheeks :)

My skin is blessedly clear too. And in the right light(In this case from a $14.97 floor lamp from Wal-Mart) is a nice smooth creamy colour.

Perhaps it's time to stop shrinking away from strangers rare glances my way. Time to live a little more freely. Time to be aware that not Everyone is staring at my weird shaped nose, or my "Yes, I've had three babies, one recently" pooch. Time to face forward.

Perhaps. But not likely.

~Lisa~

Croup

Aidan has croup. He's been barking since late Saturdy night. It seemed to come in fits and starts all day Sunday, along with a fever off and on. Finally around 8:00 Aidan's fever was up to 102.3, and he couldn't catch very much breath in between. Al ran out to get some Tylenol for him. I had to run him outside so he could get his coughing under control.

After listening to him for awhile longer, we decided there was no way he'd be able to sleep with the way he was coughing and breathing, so I took him to the ER.

Fastest I've ever been in and out of an ER! We didn't have to wait to be seen by he nurse at all. And I bet we saw the doctor within 30-40 minutes of being put into the isolation room. They gave him some cool mist/oxygen to breathe in while we waited, and then a steroid orally, and in a breathing treatment. He did really well the whole time. Just freaked out a bit when he woke up and I was holding the mask over his face. He kept telling me over and over that he's "Very sick", poor guy :( The nurse taking care of him said that he was working really hard to get his breath. His chest cavity was pulling in, as was that little spot at the base of his neck, where the collarbone meets.

All in all we were out of the ER within 2 hours. That must be a new record.

He seems a little better today. The coughing has gotten a lot better, but is still there. His breathing is remarkably better too, unless he's crying, then it seems to be worse. Hopefully this is short lived. I hate it when my babies are sick.

Anyway, off to administer more cuddles.

~Lisa~

Heard from the Dentist...

I think I forgot to update after our last experience with Jenna at the Dentists. It didn't go so well. I took her this time, and discovered she is much less brave for Mommy than Daddy. The nurse(or whatever you call them) manage to put on the numbing gel okay, but the dentist wasn't able to give Jenna the needle of freezing. He recommended that we book her in for anesthetic, since a few of her cavaties are deep, and she'll need to be incredibly still for the procedures. So, we left that day, with no work done.

So, the dentist office called today with good news...kinda. Jenna has been approved to have all the work done while asleep. Not all is covered though, so we will end up paying about $250.00...not bad compared to the $3800.00 the other guy wanted. The bad news is, the appointment isn't until December 21st. Long time to wait, when she's in pain again(they called in another prescription for an antibiotic to get rid of the new infection. Yay!)

So, after talking to the nurse for a few minutes, and her confirming with the dentist, we've decided to give it one more go with Jenna awake. Al is going to take her again...hopefully she'll be braver for him, and we won't be wasting another appointment. She goes next Saturday, for their last appointment of the day, I'm guessing so that the dentist doesn't feel rushed, an can take the time to comfort her, and ease her through the process.

I'm going to talk to my doctor on Monday. I want to see if there's some kind of anxiety medication she can take on the days she's having the work done. That way she isn't so nervous going into it all. I'm normally against this kind of thing, but I really feel it's for the best this time. I'll maybe just give her some Gravol before she goes. That'll make her sleepy.

So, that's where we are with that. I am SO pleased with this dentist.

~Lisa~

these eyes...

Are going to break hearts some day.

~Lisa~

(here's the original...I couldn't resist :))

Shaking my head. and updating.

Sometimes, all you can do is shake your head, smile, maybe even give a little chuckle, and move on with life. Let me explain.

After getting my kitchen cleaned up from the near fire, I could still smell smoke, so I decided to wash the curtains. I get them washed, dried, and re-hung. Only to discover THEY SHRANK!! By a good thre inches!! Lordy...windows are not meant to wear capris. I made the curtains my self, from a table cloth(Which apparently I should have washed BEFORE sewing), so now all I can do is hope that I have enough material to make them into Tab Panel curtains, so the gap is at the top of the window, and hopefully looks deliberate! Like I said, sometimes all you can do is shake your head.

Jenna is sick again. She has a real congested sounding cough, runny nose, and until I made Mac N Cheese, no appetite. I took her to the clinic this morning and after waiting there 2 hours, I was told it's probably just a head cold, and I have to let it run it's course for a week. Let me tell you how much I love my boss. A LOT. When I called to tell her I couldn't come today, she offered to meet me at the clinic so that she could watch the boys for me, while I waited with Jenna. And she wouldn't take no for an answer!!! She has a DVD player in her van, so Henry and Aidan just watched a couple shows and hung out together, and Mason slept in his car seat the whole time. How lucky am I to have such a caring, giving boss. I really need to find a kick ass Christmas gift for them. I am SO grateful.

My kids are going through a weird(for them) stage. I can't make anything remotely different for dinner, or they won't eat it!! For example, don't dare add meat and vegetables o macaroni and Cheese. NO! Vile!! And don't make cheesy rice(It was hamburger helper, can't remember the name of it) NO! We want PLAIN rice! WHITE rice!! I made white rice the next night, and Jenna had to helpings! UGH! It wouldn't be so bad, if both kids weren't both going through it at the same time. Little hooligans.

Aidan is being so funny and cute lately...well, not that he isn't always :) I was changing his diaper the other day, and he was standing, instead of laying down, like usual. he looks down and says "OH! My pemis!!"(Yes, with the M) I said, "Yep, there it is" and he gets all sad and says to me "Oh NO! It fall down" LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!! that's one of those stories that he would die over if he knew I had told anyone hehehe...one to hang on to for the girlfriend years :) He's also become a champion begger. "Candy please Mummy? Please please please please pleeeeeeeeease????" While jumping up and down and looking cute. Little Bum! He's also started to say "Thank you Very Much" when he gets something. I swear, I beam with joy every time he opens his mouth.

Mason is about thisclose to laughing I think! he did it in his sleep the other day, and hasn't done it since, but I know it's in there!! I can't wait!!!! I can't believe that he's going to be 3 months old in a week. No freakin' fair dude. It seems like sometiimes he's been here forever, and sometimes like he's only been here a week. Babies amaze me.

So, for one last update, I weighed myself at Jenny's on Tuesday. When I left there the week before having Mason I was about 196...when I weighed on Tuesday(Drumroll please....) 157.5!!!! WOOHOOOO!!!!!!! And I haven't done a darned thing to lose it. Well, except breastfeeding. Jenny and I agreed that if I breastfeed for 2 years then I should be back to what I weighed in the beginning of college! LMAO riiiight. I think it's time to start working out. HAHA

Okay, so that's all.

Have a great day.

~Lisa~

All I wanted was a cup of Tea.

And i nearly burned the house down!! Okay, well, it wasn't Quite at the point yet, but not far from it I imagine.

I turned on the wrong burner again. This time there was a plastic bowl on the burner. In my hurry to get things together for the three kids, and me the night before going back to work, I didn't get to the dishes. Al cleared the table for me, but I didn't make it to the kitchen before falling into bed last night. And then when I got home yesterday afternoon, I was so tired that all I really wanted was a cup of tea. I put the kettle on a different burner than normal, and just flicked the switch. Out of habit I turned on the burner that I use most often. And of course, the only one that had something other than the kettle on it.

My kitchen was FULL of smoke. So much so that I had to bend down a bit to get a good breath. luckily it happened just a few minutes before we were due to leave to get Jenna from school anyway, so I got the hazard out of the way, and got the boys out of the house. We got Jenna and went immediately to Wal-Mart for a new electric kettle. I figured enough was enough, if I can't get it through my brain to check the stove, then it's better to spend the money to protect my family. I also got some Lysol Nuetra Air stuff. I like how it sprays, but it's not the best for eliminating a smoke smell. (Just a little product review for ya :))

I'll be spending today washing my curtains, and every other surface of my kitchen.

Try as I might, I can't help but think over and over of what Could have happened. I'm sooo grateful that we are all okay(Just a headache for me), and that I went to check on the kettle when I did.

I need to be more organized. I need to be more attentive. I need to pay attention to the world around me. I need to run the dishwasher. I need to have more sleep. I need to give my head a shake.

~Lisa~

Changes...

Well, today was my last day home with the kids...kinda.

I'm going back to work tomorrow. I'm really nervous about it though. I know it will be fine. And we kinda need the money...who doesn't?

Jenny has been so awesome at agreeing to watch Mason while I work with Henry. And she's promised that if it doesn't work out well with him there, that we can try again in January when he's a little older.

Jenna is going to have a hard time with it I'm sure. But she's a pretty good kid for being able to adapt. I did warn her teacher that this week might be tough for her. I won't be able to walk her to school in the morning anymore.

Aidan is going to have trouble too I imagine. Normally on a school day I give him lunch at 11:30, and he goes down for his nap between 12 and 12:30, and he sleeps until 3 when we go get Jenna. But now he'll only be getting to sleep from 1:45 to 3. Hopefully he adjusts okay, and doesn't turn into a total bear. But, he won't sleep at the babysitters for some reason(he used to) so I'd rather him have a short nap, than no nap at all.

I got some new pants today. Wicked deals. I went to Old Navy and got a Khaki pair, and a Black pair. the Khaki's were $6.97, and the Black ones were $9.97!! I wish we had more money, I could have bough SO many nice things today! Figures doesn't it? You go, with the intention of getting a few things, and find nothing...you go and aren't able to spend much, and find tonnes! c'est la vie!!

Man, I'm not sure I'm ready for this. Here's to hoping.

~Lisa~

My appologies to you Helen...

I'll probably be away from blogging for a few days. I know, I know...it's my responsibility to update EVERY DAY...but alas...the time has come for me to have company, limiting my bloggable hours to nil.

My MIL and FIL are coming for the weekend. This is a pretty big occasion for us. They have never been in our home at the same time. Dale(MIL) came down once for the funeral of her Aunt. Charlie stopped in once on his way through our city for work. They didn't come the Christmas we invited everyone down after having Aidan. that broke my heart...I was hoping they would come to meet their grandson, but they begged off...and we never really found out why.

They promised they would come in September, after Mason was born. But never came, and never came, and never came. i had honestly given up hope that they were coming to visit. BUT! They are actually coming here, this very weekend. they'll be here soon.

Not only are they meeting Mason earlier than they ever met Jenna or Aidan, but they are finally coming for one of our kids birthday parties. I'm SO happy about that....despite the pressure! LOL

Don't get me wrong. I Love my mother-in-law. We get along well, laugh at the same things, shake our head at disbelief over the same member of the family. I completely disagree with how she raised her children. But, she makes a much better grandmother than mother, and I applaud her for that.

My father-in-law is the kind of person who should be about 782 years old, for the tales he tells, but he's funny. He tries hard. And he makes Dale happy.

Anyway...they're coming today, Aidan's party is tomorrow, my Dad and Step-mom are staying over Saturday night to help lay the (FREE!!) laminate floor they got us for Jenna's room, and the in-laws are here until Monday...like I said, seriously cutting into my bloggable hours.

I'll do my best to post some pictures of Aidan's party....but please don't hold your breath...I'd hate to feel responsible for any injuries that may cause :)

I'll miss you all, my faithful...albeit few...followers :)

~Lisa~

Aidan. A-I-D-A-N. Aidan.

How hard is that? How impossible is it to spell the number one name of 2003? All this week, I have been getting cards, and emails wishing Aidan a happy birthday. NO ONE has spelled it right!!!!

This is FAMILY and close FRIENDS I'm talking about.

Card from my Grandfather, ADEN

Email from SIL, Aiden

Emails from 3 different close friends, Aiden.

Email from my SISTER, Aiden.

I didn't know that Aidan could be spelled with an E until after I named him. Apparently, I live in the woods, and never come out into civilization to know that AIDEN is the more popular spelling. UGH! It doesn't look right to me, not as smooth for some reason.

How do I tell my friends and FAMILY that they are spelling his name wrong all the time? I can forgive my Grandfather, as he is old, and also got our postal code incorrect. But still...

I even replied to my sister's email with the correct spelling of Aidan in the email, and she STILL replied back with the WRONG spelling!!

I'm not so worried about it now, because well, he is only two, and can't spell yet. But if I let this go on for years, he's eventually going to get just as annoyed as his mother that no one cares to know how to spell his name. And that's what bothers me.

All my kids have an A and an N in their names, and are 5 letters long. Jenna is the only one with an E.

I am soooo annoyed.

~Lisa~

but not too annoyed to attach a picture of my boy :)

Someone come and kick my ass okay??

I really need to get it together. My mom is going to be here tomorrow. And Al's mom and step-father are coming from Timmins(7 hours away) for the weekend. Aidan's party is Saturday. My Dad and step mom are staying over Saturday night so they can help us lay the laminate floor in Jenna's room on Sunday.

And what did I do to get my house in order today. NADA...NOTHING...ZIP...ZILCH. Ugh. I am so annoyed with myself. Well, actually, I moved some things around in the baby's room...which no one is going to be looking at, and the baby still doesn't sleep in...don't ask.

Granted, I still feel like a great big pile-o-poop...but I really have no choice in this process. it HAS to be done.

I think my biggest problem is that I don't know where to start. I'd LOVE to just get a great big garbage bag and toss it all in. If only I had the will power.

So anyway, if anyone wants to come and give me heck for being so stinkin' lazy, and kink my butt into gear, that'd be GRRRREAT!

~Lisa~ who is hanging her head in shame.

Aidan's (Belated) Birthday

The Newest 2 year old :)


Telling us he's TWO!!


He did his candles on his own :) Two blows for each one.

Well, we had a pretty low key day yesterday for Aidan's second birthday. I have some kind of cold/flu/sickness, so I wasn't up to much of anything. I feel so bad about that. But, I'll do my best to make up for it at his party next weekend.

Aidan was so cute. He woke up and when I went into his room to get him I said "Happy Birthday Aidan!!!" He goes "Thanks!!! Is there Birthday Cake?" and then "Mmmm Birthday Cake...ALL DAY..." LMBO Nice try son.

I made him a little cake, and we gave him a couple gifts and that was about it for his birthday.

My mom is coming on Wednesday to help me with his firetruck cake. I'm SOOO Excited about that! Except that my SIL and her baby are coming too. Don't get me wrong, I do like her. I was just hoping for a day with my Mom, ya know? And I don't quite understand why she Still can't stay home alone with Damion?? She goes to work with my family(mom, George and Brian all work in the same place) every day. Weird. Whatever, this post is about Aidan.

I'll attempt his birth story...

Because of my c-section with Jenna, my doctor wanted to do another c-section. But I was adamant that I wanted to know if my body could do it on it's own this time around. He agreed and that was that. We went 9 days overdue before going in to be induced. Luckily, all they had to do was break my water, and my labour started. And then the walking started. and the walking and the walking and the walking. We got to the hospital at 7:30, the walking began at about 8. The nurses chased me out of my room everytime I tried to sit or lay down. WALK they said. So we walked. One nurse told me I must have had a lot of water, as she could see my belly size really going down. Looking back, I am pretty sure that I probably just lost about 5 pounds from all that damn walking. I finally refused to take another step out of my room at about 7pm. That's right. I walked for 11 hours. I continues to walk around my room for awhile. Doc checked me at 8:30ish. I was 5, almost 6 centimeters!!!! I wanted to jump for joy. I only got to 4 cm with Jenna after 12 hours. I had one of those classic only on TV labour moments. I grabbed Al's shirt and said to him "You need to get me that Epidural RIGHT NOW!!!" He found the nurse, and the epi-man YAY. So, the labour continues. I laid in bed, watched TV. the contractions were coming every couple of minutes when the doctor checked me at 10:30. I still had so much pain in my crotch it was unbelievable!! I was still 5, almost 6 cm's. I was so devestated. And SO exhausted by this time. So, they gave me the option of pitocin, or a section. I couldn't decide. Pitocin meant stronger contration, probably another couple hours of labour, and an increased chance of rupture, and pushing. The c-section meant 6 weeks of recovery. I hated to make the decision. Dr. Moreau left me to think and Al and I talked it over. I decided that I didn't think I would have enough strength left after another couple hours of labour to push. So, c-section it was.

They wheeled me into the OR and I pretty much slept through everything!! Al kept telling me to wake up! lol

He came out peeing, but so quiet. I really thought there was something wrong. But then he let out this cry that melted my heart :) He was a big boy, 8lbs 11oz and 22 1/2 inches long!! And just SO perfect!! nice round head, perfect creamy skin. So handsome.

I was SO relieved to have chosen a section when I heard of the distress Aidan was in. The cord was around his neck TWICE, and he had already passed some meconium :( No way would I have been able to push him out.

When we were in the recovery room, one of the nurses said that Al was bringing our son to see me. That struck me as soooo funny. For 2 years and 5 months i had been saying daughter...and now I had a SON!! Everyone laughed at me when i said it out loud :)

So, that's how Aidan Alvin Joseph McAlendin came to be.

and he's the Funniest most delightful boy I have ever met :)

~Lisa~

Rock 'em Sock 'em

Jenna and I came to blows yesterday. Well, more accurately, Jenna came to blows yesterday. I guess with being sick for a couple days, getting up at 4:45 and going to school all day, she just couldn't hold it together anymore.

It started when she came home from school. No one could go near her, look at her or speak to her. She was snapping and yelling and just one big grump. So we left her alone. As much as a 2 year old will leave his sister alone anyway.

Dinner was a disaster. I made something new. Heaven forbid. I thought it was good; Chilli cheeseburger macaroni. She wouldn't touch it. She wanted PLAIN macaroni and cheese. Not hardly two bites passed between her lips. Despite constant warnings and threats that she would go to bed with nothing at all.
I eventually caved and gave her half a peanut butter sandwich and a yogurt. But life did not get easier.

I asked her to clean up her Barbie things that were scattered all over the place. She refused! "I'm watching TV instead" she said to me. I told her she was more than welcome to watch some more TV after her things were cleaned up, but right now she was going to get them cleaned up. Nope. She plunked herself on the floor when I went into the kitchen.

So, I very quietly picked up all of her Barbie things. And put every single thing into a garbage bag. And into the garage they all went.

She didn't make as big of a stink about it as I expected, not at first.

And then she got RUDE. Demanding to know where they were. Telling me I could not take HER things away. Saying she knew where they were and was going to play with them anyway. And that was enough for me. I told her to get to her room. She said NO. I couldn't believe my ears.

That's when I lost it. I half pushed, half carried her up the stairs(She was making herself limp, and wouldn't walk). And then the fight. She tried very hard to get away from me. I had to wrestle with her to get her dress, shirt and tights off. And I had to wrestle with her to get her pajamas on. That's when she really lost it. She was hitting and swatting and kicking. She even got me with her foot on my cheekbone.

And I never said a word. i didn't show her I was madder than mad. I was very grateful for my job...where it's at your own risk to show any emotion during an altercation like this.

She came out of her room a million times, and every time I just took her right back in. Never said a word, just made her get back into bed, and pulled her blankets up, and left the room again. the whole time she's crying and saying over and over "You can't do this to me!!"

It took at 30 minutes of that before she finally gave up and fell asleep.

I know that it needed to be done. But I still feel terrible. My Mrs. Nicemommy routine just isn't enough. Talking through it wasn't enough. warnings weren't enough. Both Al(Who was working late) and my Mom said that it was high time I got more assertive with her. That she was getting close to walking all over me. But I guess I had been holding out hope that her and I could have some kind of understanding, and I would never have to really be the bad guy. Which is stupid, I know.

I guess i worry most that I have made her think I don't love her. I worry that I have broken that bond that only mothers and daughters have.

She was very quiet this morning. But still dawdled and balked at eating breakfast. So really, I have no idea if being the bad guy worked at all.

Sometimes, I really hate being the mommy.

~Lisa~

Opps!!

Ugh. I broke a plate. In the most ridiculous way!

First of all, our electric Kettle bit the bullet a couple days ago. So, we've had to revert to the pioneer way, by boiling water in a kettle on the stove *Gasp!* not a huge deal really. Unless you're a dunce like me apparently.

I turned on the wrong burner. On top of it, waiting to be washed, was a cookie sheet, on top of which was a dinner plate. A green one. I like the green ones a lot :( When I realized what the smokey smell was coming from, I foolishly put on an oven mit(Okay, well that was actually about the smartest thing I've done all day) and attempted to move the cookie sheet off the red hot burner(that's the foolish part). Instead of letting everything cool down on it's own. In the process the plate broke in two :(

darnit! I LOVE my dishes SO much, but they are slowly dwindling down. We've got 6 dinner plates, 7 small plates, 4 bowls, and I think 5 mugs left, from two sets of four originally. I love the earthy colours, a golden/mustardy yellow, a sage green, a burgandy and a purple(which I always wish is blue.) We got them at Costco over 2 years ago, so the chance of replacing the missing pieces is uh....NONE. WAH!!

Darn me and my absent-mindedness.

~Lisa~

Busy Busy Busy!

Wow, seems like life is never going to slow down around here!!

Saturday we met up with Julie and Jenn for some shopping!! What a very very long day. But so much fun :) I didn't get half what I was hoping for, a sweater, a pair of pants and a PINK shirt...which is too big and I have to return =P

Sunday my nephew Damion was Blessed. Great little ceremony. Al and I were asked to be his God Parents. I am SO honoured.

Damion is doing well. Up to 7lbs 14oz now, at 6 weeks old. He's still such a peanut though!!

Sunday night things started going downhill. Aidan woke up at 1:30. Al got up with him. Poor kid has an ear infection. So, we spent a good portion of Monday morning in the clinic waiting for a prescription :P But, except for some extra crankiness, it hasn't slowed him down too much!

Halloween didn't really go as planned either :( Al was supposed to get off early, and ended up getting home at 7 pm. So he missed out on the kids trick or treating :( Not his fault at all, but still lousy for everyone. My mom was late getting here too, so i had to bundle Mason up and take him out for a bit before she got here. The Pizza I made for dinner burned on the edges. And Jenna started feeling sick too. But, I managed to get the two kids dressed up and out the door on my own (Yay me).

Jenna was a very beautiful Cinderella!!


And Aidan was a reluctant(But super cute) Franklin the Turtle




He was so cute. It was so nice out, that a lot of people were outside sitting in lawn chairs. But Aidan would only focus on the door, and it was a total struggle to get him to turn his attention to the person with the candy! LOL He would also hold out his bucket a second time if he thought he'd gotten something to his liking! LMAO! That's my boy!!

So, after all that excitement, I got the kids into bed. for a few minutes. Until Jenna came downstairs saying she couldnt sleep. i took one look at her and realized just how sick she really was. Poor kid. Bright red face, and a fever of 101.7 :( Doped her up with Motrin, and she climbed into bed with us for awhile, until she decided we were making her too hot, and went back to her own bed. She threw up at 2. :( So, change the sheets, get her showered. I put the bucket in her room then. And my girl, my little girl, threw up in it, on her own, and didn't come to get Mommy :''( How can she be so grown up that she doesn't need mommy when she's sick?? *sigh* SO, no school for her Tuesday.

It's wednesday now, Jenna is still fevered, but not nearly as bad. It was about 100-102 all day yesterday. Highest so far today is 99.7.

here's to hoping she's better for school tomorrow. She's a lousy patient LOL.

Anyway, that's what we've been up to.

~Lisa~

Lisa Needs...

I am such a copy cat :) thanks to Julie and to Helen:)

Lisa needs a family that can provide stability, love and structure for her (What mother doesn't?)

Lisa needs someone to reinforce the fact that she is not a loser (yep. not that I am all that worried, but still...)

Lisa needs a sub (heck ya. Ham and Turkey...Lots of meat, not much lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, sub sauce.....)

Lisa needs a fair amount of exercise and plenty of company (Ain't that the truth!! Although, preferably not at the same time.)

Lisa needs a tree (Not sure what for, maybe a swing? Somewhere to keep a squirrel?)

Lisa needs braces (hmm, I thought my teeth were fairly straight. What do I know?)

Lisa needs to handler lower conditions (okay.)

Lisa' needs a bigger grin and lots more warmth from an overly conscientious Julia Roberts. (DARN RIGHT! I Love her!!)

Lisa Needs Help! (I hope she gets it!)

Lisa needs to find more (more what? I'll look, but more What?)

That was fun :)

~Lisa~

Some things are meant to be done the hard way.

Such as Peanut Butter cookies.

In my infinite Mom wisdom, I prepared a double batch of cookie dough before Mason was born. And froze half. In my mind I figured, "I'll look like supermom, bake the premade cookies just before the guests arrive, and they'll be amazed! Pure Genius!!" sure. in theory.

If you're not me.

Twice now, I have had company coming. Twice now I attempted this master cookie plan of mine. Twice now I have not had time to bake the cookies until my guests have left. And twice now, I have over-cooked every last cookie!

I thought I might have improved my chances with the last batch today, but no. I put the cookies back into the oven "Just for a minute" since they weren't quite done.

uh huh. 4 minutes later, they were over-cooked. UGH!

I give up. Apparently, I need the measuring and mixing and mess to remind me that there are cookies in the oven.

~Lisa~

3 Down

Jenna did AMAZING today at the Dentists!!! She got three fillings done, two in one tooth, and one in another. Al went with her, and said that the only time she cried was when the grinder was on her tooth, and that was just because of the vibration. No pain for my brave girl :)

So, she has more appointments on the 9th and 16th to get some more done, but she will NOT need to be put under! I'm so relieved about that.

I can finally breathe a very big sigh of relief. No mother ever wants to think that she has failed her child, or caused them pain(well, not the good ones anyway :)) So now, knowing that she can get the repairs done without pain, such a good feeling :)

~Lisa~

APPROVED!!

Wow, 2 blogs in one day!

I called the Dentists office, Jenna was approved by the Health Unit to have all the dental work that she needs done!!

i can't even begin to tell you how relieved I am. We go for a trial filling tomorrow. The dentist said that because she was a little nervous, he wants to see how she does with one filling, and go from there.

If she does okay, then they'll do the work with her awake. If she's too nervous, they are going to put in a secondary application to have her put under in the office. Lets hope that whatever way they go, she'll do okay.

I'm so nervous. I won't show it.

~Lisa~
p.s. Funny Jenna story. I got my flu shot yesterday. Jenna promised me that she would be brave, and stay by my side the WHOLE TIME!! And told me not to worry. She's be right there. HA!! As soon as the needle came within 6 inches of my arm she took off and hid behind the door! LMAO...thanks for being so brave for me babe!!

how much!?

Excuse me? pardon? Was that Really 13 POUNDS you said?! Not my Baby! Not my tiny boy. Can't be. Let me see that scale. hmm...yep...right there in Black and Grey. My tiny baby. Smallest of my three children, has gained 3 ounces short of 6 pounds in two months!! 13 pounds 6 ounces. Wow.

I was having a hard enough time with the realization that my last baby is already 2 months old. And now I have to deal with the knowledge that he's 13 pounds! I don't know where he's hiding it. He's certainly not a roly poly baby. Just solid I suppose. Doc measured him at 23 inches, but I have a feeling he was off with that. Not that I blame him, a wiggly baby is hard to measure!

So, that's the 75th percentile for weight, and between 50 and 75th percentile for height.

Jenna's stats were 9.3 at birth, 13.9 at 2 months. (gained 4.6)

Aidan's stats were 8.11 at birth, 14.12 at 2 months. (gained 6.1)

Mason's are 7.9 at birth, 13.6 at 2 months. (gained 5.13)

He dropped to 6lbs 13 oz. in the hospital, with multiple signs of dehydration. He went 7 1/2 weeks with ONLY breast milk. He smiles at me all the time now. He's just starting to get hair on the top of his head. His baby acne is cleared up. He's got my blue eyes. And he never misses a thing.

I am so enthralled with this last baby of mine :)

~Lisa~

P.s. He slept through the night last night :) 10-5:16!! Ofcourse, now I could feed a small countries babies with my rather engorged right breast, but I'll take it!!!

Blogables.

Kattie's party went really well. It was so wonderful to see all these little girls practically knocking each other over to come and greet my little girl when we arrived!! And to see her laughing and playing. I was always worried(for no apparant reason) that she wouldn't make friends at school. But that is SO not the case.
I was the one out of place at the party. We're so used to family parties I guess. I was the only mom that stayed with Jenna. And of course, I didn't realize it until I had taken off my coat. And of course, it was the first time I left Mason with Al during the day...so I didn't even have him there to make myself look busy with!! Oh well. I survived, and now I know for next time.

Aidan is sick :( He was up off and on for about 4 hours last night throwing up :( he's such a trooper though, and just went with the flow everytime he threw up. He even told Al and I to go sit on the couch when we put him back in his bed once! I guess he'd had enough of us fussing over him LOL. Can i just say, I am SO grateful for a plastic firetruck bed!! It's SO much easier to clean!!! And can I also say how grateful I am to my husband!? He laid with Aidan on the couch until about 2AM. And then got up at 6 to go to work like always. Just so I could sleep. I am SO in love with him. Aidan seems to be okay now. Just a little fever.

I'm not sure what I did, but Aidan keeps coming up to me and saying "Oh mommy, I'm so proud of you!!" I'm happy I can meet his expectations...but I'd like to know what wonderful thing I have accomplished!

Today is my friend Karen's big 3-0!!! I filled her car with 28 balloons last night(I did get 30, but Jenna and Aidan claimed two :)) You should have seen me, 10:00 at night, in my jammies, in the rain, reaching through the hatch at the back of her Honda Civic trying to get the balloons into the front seat! hilarious!! She was SO surprised :) And, since her other friends didn't do anything to celebrate her birthday, and she was feeling pretty bummed about it, I think, and hope, it cheered her up :) I had to get her back for my surprise party last year!!

Well, I know when I started out writing this that I had more to blog about, but I seem to have forgotten them, and now my BOOligans (HAHA! That's for you Julie!!) are screeching at me for attention.

have a great evening!!

~Lisa~

One party down, One to go

Well, Ethan and Emma's party wasn't so bad after all. A few moments where I wanted to rip out mine, or someone else's hair, but that's all :) It looked like a daycare with all those kids in there! lol

You should have seen the pile of presents!! Even taking into consieration that they are twins, so everything is doubled, WHOA! There were more gifts there than would fit on a queen sized bed! I'm so happy that Carry has babies that are loved so much!!

Her Mother-in-law drove me CRAZY!!! Nothing completely new. She's the kind of person that pretends to care, pretends to be nice, but really couldn't give two craps about you. I think the thing that bothered me the most was during the gift opening...Aidan didn't get a nap yesterday, and was pretty tired and hyper my the time the twins started opening their gifts...at 5pm! I tried my very best to keep him on my lap and out of the way of the cameras...but geez, he's almost 2, and he's a very active boy. I finally let him go, and told him to go play. On his way back to me Jane(MIL) grabbed him from behind and tried to sit him on her lap, and Hold him there!! Seriously, I was sitting right beside her on the floor. I reached over and took him from her, and she GLARED AT ME!! Anyone that had been watching us could see that I was doing my best to keep him contained. You'd think she'd never had two boys before!! UGH! that woman. Sooo glad that she's not my MIL!!

My meatballs were a huge hit!! Thank you to my SIL noreen for her secret recipe!!

So i guess, over all, the party was a success!

~Lisa~

Party party party!

Well, just party party really. My best friends' twins turned One yesterday! So hard to believe. I can't wait to see them today. Although, I am a little anxious about the party today. Carry said there are going to be about 40 people there (Carry's a total over-achiever, and can never NOT invite someone). That many people in one small house makes me nervous for some reason. I guess having two small hooligans and an infant can do that to a mother. If if wasn't a dinner thing too, I would probably just stay for a few minutes. But, she is my best friend, I can't do that to her.

And tomorrow is another Party! Jenna got invited to a classmates McDonald's party. While I am Thrilled that she's making friends, I am a total McDonalds party virgin, and have no idea if we pay for her meal or not. I tried to ask in a roundabout way when I RSVP'd, but the mom wasn't really clear. Not that it matters all that much, I just like having all the information before hand.

We still haven't gotten gifts for anyone!! You'd think after having two kids go through their first birthdays that I would know what is a great gift for a one year old. Nope. No ideas. Except a book each. I love giving books. You'd also probably think that having a girl the same age as the birthday girl that I would know exactly what to get her too. HA! Polly Pocket is so freakin' expensive, and I refuse to spend $25 on a person I have never even met before. Oh well, i am sure we'll find Kattie something just lovely. I'm more worried about buying for the twins. There are certain unspoken of expectations there. Not from my friend so much, as from the grandparents. And darnit, did she have to go and have TWO babies at once!? LOL Just kidding.

Well, I ought to go make my meatball sauce before we have to go shopping. I totally cheated and bought pre-made meatballs hehehe...that certainly goes against the unspoken of expectations! but I figure WHO CARES MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Oh yeah, I'm in FINE party spirits today for SURE!!

~Lisa~

Never been in love with a Bag before!

Until I saw this one at Wal-Mart!! How perfect is this for me!? I saw it, and had the overwhelming sense of frivolous NEED! And my husband, whom I love and adore, handed me the money and made my day!!

It's just so fun, and ME!!

I feel weird about being in love with a bag, but really, I am. And I'm proud of that! If people think me strange for being 25, almost 26 with a Tinkerbell Bag, well that's just fine. I like it, I will carry it forever, and I will not care!!

:P

~Lisa~

Quite the adventure.

On the way home from taking Jenna to school this morning I was chatting with one of the other moms (Yay Me!) and this strange dog came running up to us. Totally friendly, but almost knocked her little girl down to get the dog biscuits in her pocket! We caught hold of her, and read her tags. Of course, there was no address, just a phone number. Dina(the other mom) luckily had some rope in her van (As if there are people really that prepared for everything! lol) So, we put the dog on the rope, and attempted to walk her, so I could bring her home and call the number on her tags. HA!! The dog was clearly NOT used to being walked. All she wanted to do was play tug...which was a little scary...the way she was jumping and growling at the rope, and me.

Luckily Dina knew a lady that lived on the street we were on, and we called from there. Sheila, the dog, hadn't gotten far, and lived only about half a block away.

It certainly was quite the adventure!!

~Lisa~

Make him slow down!

My Aidan is growing up Way too fast!!! Every day he astounds me with the words and sentences that come out of his mouth.

Last night in a span of 15 minutes, he brought me a pencil, and clear as day said "Mommy, this is broken." WHAT!? He's not even 2 yet, and he's saying sentences like That?? Right after that he decided he didn't want to watch Tarzan anymore and sang(think Bear in the Big Blue House) "Where oh where oh where is Mote?"(Meaning remote) then he turns to me and holds up his hands and says "Hmm, din't hear me" And then repeats that about a hundred times.

Last week he and Jenna were fighting, and he turns to her and says "I'm telling Mommy!!!" and he stomps over to me, elbows out and swinging with such purpose and determination it took ALL of my willpower not to laugh.

While trying to find a winter hat for his big ole noggin yesterday, he was getting very annoyed, and kept insisting everything was "too small me".

When he was looking at pictures on the weekend, he say one of himself and said "OH! ME!!" Up until then he had been saying "Mine" when he saw himself.

He roars like a dinosaur, he pretends to be a robot. He insists he's not going to be Franklin the Turtle for Halloween. He hates to wear socks, he has perfect milky skin, eats me out of house and home, and trys he tell knock knock jokes.

And he's all MINE.


Here's how I found him when I got him up the other morning.


Playing the organ and singing his alphabet at my dad's.

They Fit!!

After a grueling search far and wide across the land...okay, so, after going to two different Wal-Marts in Barrie, we managed to scrounge up the essential light-up-when-you-dance Cinderella slippers for Jenna's Halloween costume.

And even beter news, THEY FIT! I was so worried they would be too small! I don't imagine she'll be able to wear them for very long, but at lest they will work for Halloween. Now all that's left is to decide between the classic Cinderella Headband, or the tiara. I'm thinking she'll want the Tiara. Whatever :) I'm also going to attempt to make her a white cape. Canadian winters do not support frilly princess costumes that do not fit over warm clothes!

Here's a sneak preview :) The dress was her flower girl dress from my brother's wedding this summer.



~Lisa~

Ohhh the Pain!!!

I had a Migraine yesterday. I thought I'd had Migraines in the past, but they were NOTHING compared to this! I couldn't walk with my eyes open, or sit with them open Or closed, the children's voices sounded like fingernails on a chalkboard, the baby seemed to weigh a million pounds, I wanted to vomit and pretty much just die in general.

I am so grateful to Al for getting home as quickly as he did. I suffered for about 5 hours before he got home, but once he got here, I took one of the Tylenol #2's I had left over from my section and went to bed for a couple hours. I woke up feeling pretty fuzzy, but mostly pain free!

And while I was sleeping, he cleaned the whole house!! Did ALL of the dishes, cleaned up from the kids crafts from the day(A chore and a half in itself!) and tidied the livingroom too! I am SO grateful. He even gave Mason his nightly bottle despite being sooo tired from working crazy hours on the weekend.

Yeah, they made a schedule at his work. He's now on call every other weekend, and some nights during the week :( I HATE that company :( I mean, the commission he'll get is going to really help us out, but I miss him when he's gone. He worked on Friday night, and did an over-night call to Niagra Falls on Saturday. That sucked Huge!!

I got the kids some watercolour paints yesterday. That was fun, until Aidan painted himself, his sister, and dropped the cup of water on the floor! Yeah, file that under "Seemed like a good idea at the time!"

I feel like I'm running on empty today. After the migraine yesterday, and getting a whopping 4 hours sleep last night, I'm so drained. I don't know how you do it Helen! I need a solid 8-9 hours to wake up feeling good. Pray for me that the boys nap at the same time today!!! At least it's a school day.

~Lisa~

How do you ever really know...

How do you know when you're done having children? Does the ache in your arms go away? Does the longing in your womb fade? Does you mind stop wondering is what we have, enough? Have all the cards been dealt? Are the chips as they lay?

Al booked his Vasectomy. November 11th. Seems oddly ironic that his procedure is on Remembrance day. A day to look back, reflect on the past, think of what others gave up for us. When I know that all I will be thinking of that day is the future. The what ifs. The what could have been.

We never imagined 3 kids. We never imagined boys.

3 kids isn't that bad. Having boys is wonderful.

I couldn't go through with a tubal. And I can't justify anywhere in my mind why not. The scalpel

was there, I was opened up. A mere 30 seconds more, and the procedure would have been complete. But I just couldn't do it. In my head, every time I thought I was ready to take that step, I just kept hearing over and over, "It's just so permanent." Permanent.

Now the decision is out of my hands. Logically, my head knows that we are going to have our hands full, and our wallets empty with 3 kids. My head knows that I would probably need medication to control my stress if there was any more. I know that I the luxury of only working a few days a week is only a luxury I can afford with what we have now. I know that no matter how I try to do it, I have a hell of a time delivering the babies I so adore.

My heart knows it will always have room for more. My arms still ache. My womb feels empty. And I can't stop wondering....

I'm sure that once the procedure is over that I will be fine. But until that day...I will weep for the children I will not have. I will wonder if my children will be happy as they are. I will worry that this is the right decision for us.

I never honestly thought Al would go through with it. Despite my own words. Despite telling everyone that I was still trying to convince my husband that it was his turn at bat. That "I carried three babies, now he can go under the knife." Despite all that, I never really believed he would do it.

I felt my knees go weak, and my vision blurred when he quietly handed me a piece of paper with his procedure date and information scrawled on it.

November 11th. It's hurtling at me at an ungodly speed. And the decision is out of my hands.

~Lisa~

Added some MOM points today!

You know the ones...where you get bonus points for going above and beyond the usual feed, clothe and read a story requirements???

Oh yeah, that's me. I MADE play dough today!! Not only that, but I made TWO batches!! One in Orange and one in Green!

Yep. definitely in the cool mom good book today :)

~Lisa~

She said, I heard...

She said "I got the scissors to cut that paper."

I heard "Your favourite picture is in tatters on the kitchen floor."

I said "What paper would that be honey?"

She said "My snack at school today".

I heard "No one was supervising me at school". lol

She said "Because you weren't there to do it".

I heard...my little girl grow up.

I heard...my first born gain some independance.

I heard my heart break.

~Lisa~

The bruise today :(

I hate how bruises always get worse before they get better!!!

(He looks so stunned because his most favourite movie IN THE WORLD was on. Meet Strawberry Shortcake. LMAO! Between Jenna and Aidan, the tape is getting worn out!! Hopefully Santa hears that!)

~Lisa~