Holiday Cheer

Owen playing hockey Christmas day with the H's
Ty talking pirate at Montana's

Pure Joy

Finn the Giant, ruler of Fernwood.

Great Christmas!

We gave the boys their C'mas Eve gift (HeroScape) from us around 2:30, and they played with it for 5 hours.
Pretty calm considering all the presents behind them.
A true smile from Tyler, thanks to Santa.

Happy Birthday Terri!

Wow, you're 40. You've always had such great fashion sense. Nice sweater set!

(Good luck with the hangover)

Finn had his first concert

There were only 4 boys there, all of whom looked a little dazed while the girls annunciated and projected. I thought at one point that Finn was going into a coma from staring off into space. It was also really bothering him that a little brother of one of his classmates kept trying to climb up and sit with them. He is definitely one of those kids who stops everything he is doing to stare obviously at people in public. Hilarious.

Thank-you Mike!

Mike is so sweet that he understood that this is what I really wanted for Christmas.

Ter, check out what I did with Mom's antique Christmas balls.

Owen's Homework

Don't let it break your heart. He just doesn't want to have a best friend as he is picky. Like his gifts, he only wants "quality" friends. He also doesn't like hurting anyone's feeling as you can see from his answer for #4.

Visitors

Strong-man Dan. Dan the Man.

That Dan the Man, that Dan the Man. I do so like that Dan the Man.

Do you like him at the house?

Do you let him catch a mouse?

Is he the brother of the bopster?

With the fingers of a lobster?

We do. We do. We do like Dan the Man.

We like him as a Dad, as a Brother,

as a Husband, and as a Mother.(huh?)

We think he's funny, and he's nice,

Plays with kids, buys a slice.

We like him when he's laughing,

We like him when he's sad,

We like it when he drinks a.m. coffee,

and avoid him when he's mad.

And so, we like Dan the Man.

For all the fun he brings,

And surely it is evident,

He makes his girls' hearts sing.

Bought at Kardish

Let's hope. I need all the help I can get in the morning.

All I can say is.......

Finn & his flames belt are way too cool for 2006.

Another list

I posted a list I had written a couple of years ago on the benefits of staying home with my kids. And now I shall post the benefits of working:

1) The kids are with someone else.
2) My children are spending time at another house.
3) My kids aren't with me.

* I say this coming for a very healthy place, just wishing for some space.

This is our singing one, our dancing one, and our hockey one.

Colouring boys and new chairs

Before (I actually kind of like the red velvet minus the dust & cat hair)
After, new foam & material. I had to use something with a pattern to hide all the food stains to come.

Simple things make me happy

Thank-you Terri, Scott, Matt, Kevin & Hannah!

Finn loves his new playmobile because

1) he loves anything with little men, and

2) the abundance of swords, cannonballs, axes and overall weaponry.

He carried them in a little tin lunch box. So cute.

We had a great mini-break to Perth

(I'll post pictures on Flikr later.)

Newest reno

I went to the Habitat Restore and picked up this wood (not hollow mdf) door for $70 w/ the doorknob already included. Just needed to pick up some hinges. Up and actually completed in one day. Now if I could just finish all the other partial jobs in the house.

~ notice the beer cases on the floor. I don't know why I have an extra 10 lbs on my gut ~

Wolf-man, Sam (from LOTR) & Venom

Chocolate anyone? (not for the faint of heart)

That would be regurgitated Hershey Chocolate Factory chocolate chips. It ended up being a $250 bag of chocolate. The vet wanted $800, but we took our chances. Molly's fine now....I'm still recovering.

Are you gagging right now?

Finn is Four

Does he look like he just had a comfortable birth? 11 lbs, 6.3 ounces. This pregnancy I deserved to complain.

One day we will own a house where I don't worry about the re-sale value and instead decorate exactly how I want. Eclectic, warm, soft, inviting and not 'house and home'. Old wood bookcases, lots of coloured glass, organic dishes. Big windows with the view of trees, deep window ledges, wood screen doors, mudroom. Quiet reading corners, low windows in the boys' rooms. Lots of kitchen counter space but not a big kitchen, great lighting options. A yard for the boys with climbing tress, a garden for me, a garage for Mike.

You can do it Scottie-Man, good luck in Vancouver! Owen (& family) has total faith in your talent.

Even though he isn't smiling I love this picture because it shows his freckles and red eye-brows.

Little hockey dude

Not sure if you can see, but Owen has hockey hair. And no, it's not a mullet, 10/90, or business in the front-party in the back.

Visit at Missy's house

Finn refused to pose with humans.
Instead he chose to pose with the homeowner.
Owen loves Missy, Tyler cried himself to sleep last night because he misses her. Finn just cares about food.
Really nice picture of Missy's cook and Finn.

This is why I bought the chair.

Owen and Finn immediately went into their room, shared suckers and discussed how the Terry Fox Run went at school. Owen then taught Finn some of the provinces, quizzing him as he went.

F's school drop-off did not go well again today. It involved clinging and crying and begging. But eventually he did go. From my peripheral vision I saw wrestling, but I high-tailed it out of there.

So before supper we had a discussion w/ all 3 boys about the necessity of attending school without giving me a knot in my stomach. (after all - it is all about me) So then I talked to Finn about how he went to school nicely today (I figured I would focus on the positive ie. he didn't run out of the school and all the way home).

So he said "no I didn't". To which I responded "the teacher told me you were fine once you were inside". And he said, with a shadow of guilt on his face "but I hit the teacher".

Nice. Visions of the teacher slapped across the face dancing in my head. Turns out he hit her in the shoulder as she was pinning him to the ground like an alligator.

F-wild man of Ottawa. Refusing to be educated.

I found this list that I wrote 2 years ago....

Top 10 Reasons Why I Stay Home with My Kids

1) Out of the 12 hours they are awake daily, 9 hours are not spent in daycare but with me.

2) I am aware of all their "firsts" and can then tell my husband myself.

3) They know Mommy is always around in case they need a hug and kiss.

4) They can eat or sleep when they want, not only a the "slotted" time.

5) They can play with their own toys and just have to fight with their brothers over them. Not other children.

6) They learn morals and values by our example, so we can only blame ourselves in 10 years!

7) They get a true representation of how family once was. No guilt spoiling because I was at work all day. Quantity time and quality time. Not just power playing and creating needy children.

8) My children can sleep in, instead of being woken up for their 'job'.

9) They get a true summer vacation of lolling about their home.

10) They get a cosy, messy, chaotic loving home.

And I will now add # 11) They get yelled at only by their mother during the day. And often.

Requested "first day of school" picture

does F look like he is about to cause trouble?

I made this for O

I used a pillowcase Mom gave me. I also painted their room last week to cover up the snot.

Gourmet Birthday Dinner

Otherwise known as Swiss Chalet

We are getting along well

(in case you can't tell, we are pulling each other's hair and terri started it. mom is in her happy place.)

I tried to post pictures today, but it wasn't working. So I have no thoughts for the day. I am void of all thought.

Not feeling too happy with my kids today. The "angel" of the three chose to say "f*&*^ idiot" in front of little ears.

<-- Who me? Not this hobbit.

A bungalow is just a glorified trailer.

Have they grown much over the last year?

The boys did a lunch time program. Their lovely locks just got a trim and they aren't too happy about it.

He's trying to steal my unopened Coke. From tippy cup to coke.....