The BIG prepare for HALLOWEEN....

Halloween is right around the corner....are YOU ready?? With THREE kids, its kinda hard trying to find that perfect costume.....perfect costume for THEM! They want what they want. You can try to persuade them to be something else...sometimes it works and sometimes it JUST DOESN'T WORK! Thankfully cause Alex is not yet two...he will be at home, hopefully handing out candy to those who come knocking.....hopefully he doesn't eat all the candy either!! And hopefully he doesn't get scared!!

Josh wanted to be a character from Lord of the Rings(not sure which one...didn't really pay attention to that film). Then it was Buzz Lightyear(the   $60 costume at the Disney Store) and now its a ghost of sorts. I saved the costume from last year, the Ghoulish Ghost from the Scary Movie...but tossed the mask. I hate masks, he cant see properly, let alone breathe properly. I like to do makeup on his face...we make it scary and think of a scary names. Last year it was the Bloody Ghost of Barrie. This year we are still working on a name.

Last year's costume......

With Katie...who knows what she wanted to be....she didn't know. I suggested various things, all pretty and dainty. Finally she wanted to be Tangled, do you think I could find a costume that was her size?? NO!! I found one that was 2X...I hid that quickly at the back of the rack. She would have cried seeing it and not believe that she couldn't fit into it. There was one in the Disney Store...again, I am not paying $60, for ONE NIGHT!! Finally....she saw a costume, a Princess with various things(ring/necklace/cloth shoes...seriously?) DONE!!



Last year's HOMEMADE Princess Costume...of sorts... this year it will be better!



The thing with living in CANADA...and slightly northish....it is ALWAYS TOO COLD to just wear your costume. As a kid, I wore my costume underneath my winter coat....neighbours would ask "what are you?" I would unzip my coat to reveal the costume of that year. Its not fun!!! So...with my kids, I buy LARGE costumes....dress warmly underneath, costume over top and everyone will see my Bloody Ghost of Barrie(or whatever we call him this year) and my Princess!!

As a parent....I now understand the reason behind parents checking out the candy. Yes..yes...we check for safety...but we also get the first PICKINGS!! I have a question for the Cadbury Company....how come you took away the Crunchie Bar in the boxed candy?? I LOVE Crunchie....and now its GONE!! I think I will have to take my business elsewhere. And when you say Trick or Treat...don't you just hate those neighbours that say TRICK!! Seriously...just give me the candy and no one will get hurt!!

So...I hope everyone is ready.

Costumes are bought.

Candy is secure for the trick or treaters and hidden from the husbands...cause we wives have better self control!!!! 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

Lying....You know you ALWAYS get caught!

As a kid,  I lied about this and that...something simple, a white lie so I wouldn't get into trouble. Or a lie that I thought was simple to get out of...but made things worse. Being a girl....we have tried on our Mommy's things....once I tried on her black, fashionable boots that went up to my knees....it was the 80's...I thought I was cool. I played around in them, pretending to be Mommy. I took them off later and left them in the basement. I didn't put them away. Later, my Mom asked who moved them. I denied it through and through...it was not me...she believed me. My brother got into trouble for playing and leaving them in front of an entryway, where someone could trip on them. He pleaded that it wasn't him. She didn't believe him. I felt awful. But I couldn't come clean now....or I would get in trouble for lying. So it was him. Even today, we will joke about that...I don't think he was traumatized....

So this morning, again I was upstairs, getting done quickly while they ate. It was the same routine, eat, plates to the counter and watch shows till it was time to go. Ten minutes later...there was banging..loud banging. I yelled downstairs "who is doing that?" I knew the answer, Katie doesn't bang and Alex cant bang that loudly from his chair. I knew it was Josh, but wasn't sure what he was banging.  I asked again, "who is doing that?" Josh said "its not me, no one is banging." GUILTY....I knew it was him. MOTHERS can tell in their childrens' voice when they are lying, they don't need to see their faces...voices will do! I didn't understand that before...but being a Mom now...YOU know...YOU just KNOW! Its like an internal switch gets flipped...and we MOMS know everything!!

I asked Josh to come upstairs. He thumped and banged, basically spaszed out and started to cry.....again...he is guilty. Normally he wouldn't do that dance of guilt. In his room, I asked him if he was the one banging about, loudly. It sounded like something was crashing, something broke. He denied it through and through. I said don't lie. He denied doing anything and asked to play computer games. I left him in his room, went downstairs and asked Katie casually what happened. Nonchalantly, while munching on toast, she said "Josh was banging on the basement door, wobbling it back and forth." The door was opened, and the light for the basement was on. That's all I needed to know.

Back upstairs I told Josh what I learned from Katie. He looked at me, "sorry, I just didn't want to get into trouble." "You know, Mommys' always know when their kids are lying. Lying can make things worse, you could get into more trouble. Just tell the truth. Be honest, you might not get into that much trouble. You know what to do, you know how to be good. No more lying. Cause you lied to me and I knew that you lied, you don't have games tonight...ok!  The truth always comes out.."
We hugged...and he told me that he would never lie again cause he didn't want to get into trouble. "As long as you tell me the truth, I wont be that mad...I just need to know the truth. Don't lie to anyone, ok...just tell the truth."
"I'm sorry Mommy."
We then joked about, and got ready to leave for school. Hopefully, he wont lie again...fingers crossed!

"Austin's Leaving My Heart" according to Josh!

Josh came out of school one night, all sad and depressed. I knew he was not well, he didn't want to eat, and after giving him choices for dinner, he didn't want anything. He just hugged me and said "Austin is leaving. He is going to a new school. He was my best friend. We played and talked all the time."
He started to cry a little and said "Austin is leaving my heart."
After hearing that, I had to keep back the laughter...it was something that I thought I would never hear from Josh. He is 6 and can be sooo emotional over things. I think in the future I might have trouble!! Heart break is part of life and he will have his share. I told him that friends will come into your life and some will leave and some will stay forever.
He then told me not tell anyone that "Austin is leaving his heart." He didn't want anyone laughing at him.

He then started to talk about death. My one Grandfather died two years ago...and Josh still remembers it like yesterday. There will be some days, when out of the blue he will say and sigh, "I miss Dave." 
"I know you do sweetie, but he had a long and happy life." 
He then looks up at me and says "I will miss you when you die. I will bury you in the backyard, so you are close to me."
I chuckled..."well that's nice, can I be with Daddy?"
"Yes!"
Rubbing his head, I said "you know...when I die..you will be sooo old that you wont miss me that much...you'll be tired of me nagging you to do this and that. Plus, I'll be near by...right....I'll be in the backyard!"
He smiled.

School Mornings.......

There are some mornings that we are rushed, I dont start off that way, but it ends up that way. Spilt cereal, to zipper issues to twisted backpacks to last minute potty breaks or diaper changes. Mister Alex decides that NOW, right before leaving, when shoes are on, he has to poop in the corner...and you know he is doing it cause his hands are firmly planted on the table and he doesnt move. He ignores everyone. If he was playing a game of freeze tag, he would win...hands down!

This morning, they were all eating breakfast at the same time(like most mornings), I went upstairs to get dressed and fix my face....I was not going to give into that sweat pant/hair tossed up Mom stage....I leave the house showered and mascara on...its a MUST! It makes me feel better about myself. I then heard a commotion...I told them to be good and just eat, when finished, take your stuff to the counter and watch shows quietly till its time to leave. Seconds later I heard Josh, "Alex you made a mess, now Mommy is going to be mad!" Katie then chirped in, "I'm going to tell Mommy!" Before she could get up, Josh answered quickly "NO, I'll clean it up! I have to get the broom." I figured he wanted to clean it up before I came down. So, I stayed upstairs and listened to their conversation. I was done, but I just sat on my bed...listening!

"Watch out Alex.  You made such a mess. (sighing) Wow...I'm tired, I need to sit down and sweep. Katie when you are done your toast, you can wash your hands and hold the pan for me."
Katie got up quickly,  I heard the stool being dragged across the floor(yikes), water on and off. "I'm done! Here, I got the pan."
"Good job Katie!"
"Which bin do I put it in?"
"I dont know...just put it in one, do the white one."
Josh moved to the livingroom with the broom. Katie yelled from the kitchen, "Mommy always puts it in the green bin...Josh are you listening?"
"OK then, put it in the green bin. There we are done. Mommy is going to be happy with us!"

I figured that was my cue to come down. I came down, acting normal, like nothing happened. "Mommy, see what I did, we cleaned for you. Alex made a BIG mess! Are you happy?"
"Yes, I am....you guys are AWESOME!!!"

Hugs all round!!

P.S. I just need to clean the floors after taking them to school. By sweeping up the WET Cheerios, they smeared some into the floor. So, right now there are clumps of dried Cheerios about in the kitchen!!
But its the thought that counts!!

PICTURE DAY!!!

It was a strain this morning...getting a 6 and a 4yr old ready for school and ready for Picture Day. As a parent, you want your child looking their best. We all took the extra time, finding that "right top" to go with their chosen background colour.
Josh wanted his hair spiky. This is achieved with gel and hairspray. I had to break it to him that  the hold would eventually wear off. He looked mad. Then he wanted to know what time was his picture going to be taken at. I didn't know. I just told him not to play rough, don't mess up your hair and don't get dirty..LOL...funny to tell a boy that!!
Katie wanted her hair in two pony tails(as she calls it)...pig tails.  We washed her hair last night...and as we ladies know...hair can be puffy the next morning! Hers was puffy and a BIG knot was at the side of her head. Tears were shed. She cried that I was not her friend anymore. She bent over. She squirmed. It was all fun!! Finally she was done.
Walking to school....I kept reminding them that it is PICTURE DAY...please try not to get dirty or mess your hair....stay CLEAN and TIDY!!
Fingers crossed that it was an EXCELLENT session!! I'll find out in a few weeks!! 

MAGIC ERASER...

As a parent, you know that time when the kids are finally in bed, you walk down the stairs, after saying Good Nights, kisses and hugs....you sigh as you hit the lights, turning them off.....another day is done. It is now OUR time as a PARENT to regain our SELF...relax, unwind, and perhaps prepare for the next day. This is what I normally do..until I went down to the basement, to the family room to turn off the lights and shut down the computer. As  I reached the end of stairs, I noticed GREEN CRAYON on the walls and the door to the bathroom. As I entered the family room, there was GREEN CRAYON and BLACK CRAYON on the walls, chairs, and television(thank goodness its was an old clunker of a tv). I was mad and felt defeated.

I was mad at the kids for not putting the crayons away. Mad at myself, for I should have been down there....when its too quiet, you know they are up to no good! The kids would have been thankful that they were in bed when I saw it all. ALL I have to say is "thank goodness for Magic Erasers!!" I went through the room and hall cleaning away. The only problem...it kinda smudged the BLACK CRAYON into the wall....so this afternoon I cracked open the paint can and dipped my brush.....repainting the walls...such fun!!!

The guilty person....a young BOY not yet TWO, named ALEX. How do I know, he came upstairs last night with a BIG, THICK BLACK CRAYON....most likely looking for something else to decorate!




The ARTIST in residence!!



Something more.....

Do you ever feel that there is something more to you.....but you cant turn the key? Perhaps you lost the key?  Or you keep stumbling and fumbling with the key? I love  being a Mom and everything that goes with it...well most times...but there are times that I kick myself and ask myself "why didn't I do that?"

Putting Motherhood aside, I love to find bargains and fix them up. Right now I am having a love affair with Kijiji(don't worry, my Hubby knows...much to his chagrin). I love the thrill and excitement at finding something that I know I can fix up and add to our HOME. AND the most I paid for something was $60. Just recently, I have my eye on an antique coffee table for $15(perhaps I shouldn't mention this, I don't want YOU taking it from me). It excites me that I might be able to claim it on Monday. With all this searching...I recently watched an episode of "Picker Sisters"...basically they are driving through the States, finding bargains and turning them around into great pieces to sell.
NOW, why didn't I think of that!? I almost thought of starting a site, "how to furnish a HOME through Kijiji"!

Secondly, I love baking/cooking....mostly it is all done for my family and some friends. I sooo enjoy it when someone tells me "wow...that's great!!" My husband and I even tossed about moving to PEI and setting up a B&B. Perhaps we will do that....when the kids grow up and leave us(they do leave, don't they??)  I try new things, write things down and collect cookbooks from my favourite chefs.  It makes me happy to bake something, especially after a rough day...there is nothing better than something chocolaty baking away, aromas drifting through our home.........

So...with finding gems and baking/cooking..and obviously writing.....why cant I find my niche? Perhaps I haven't tried enough? Or hard enough? What about you? Have you found your place? Your joy? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a MOMMY...but don't you yearn for something more at times?? Something for YOU!?

PS. Once I wrote a story...I didn't like it, I tossed it! A year later, Peoples Jewellery came out with a ring with THREE DIAMONDS(past/present/future), I wrote that in my story that I THREW OUT....just saying......

Things that linger with us...for better or not!

Its amazing how by viewing or reading something, we can as a society or as an individual change. Even if its for a day, an hour or a personal goal to change to become better.  Better to our self and better to those that we love and care about. Now, I am not getting all political, or environmental on you, my dear reader...its simpler than that, its from watching/reading things  that I hold dear. I love Pride and Prejudice...always have, always will. I love the book. I love Jane Austen. I love England. AND I love Colin Firth portraying Mr. Darcy(did you hear that...thump thump..that's my heart beating faster...). After watching a clip here and there, or the WHOLE film, I feel and become an English lady, yearning for her Sir or Lord! I want to have the tea in my Great Grandparents China, have a scone, have an accent, wear those bosomy dresses...and even move to England....its just all divine! Ms. Austen has changed me!!


Colin Firth...as the HANDSOME Mr. Darcy....

Another film which has me thinking about change is 'Julie and Julia'. I have a fondness for Julia Child, mostly because she was a lady, ahead of her time and QUITE TALL....which I LOVE since I am over 6 feet( I know..). Every time I watch the film, I am lost in both worlds. During it and after the film I want to become Julia and cook up a storm and then become Julie and write a blog and cook my way through a cookbook. BUT I wont do that...its been done before! But I did start a blog!! I do believe that "there is nothing better than butter", like the two women above mentioned stated.

I love to cook/bake...sometimes with a recipe, and sometimes just experimenting....its more fun to experiment..cause "you never know whatcha going to get!" I have taken a simple biscuit recipe, which I read about years ago from my Grandmothers Church Cookbook, and have taken it far. I use the basis and add soo much...I have made cheddar/garlic biscuits(that taste like those from the Red Lobster), Blueberry Lemon Scones, Cinnamon Scones(for Katie), Apple Crumble Scones....I just keep changing it up. But the fact remains...it all has to start with BUTTER. Margarine just doesn't do. I know that there are "health experts" out there that say, butter is bad etc etc....but come on, if we give up on everything that makes us happy, makes us sing with life...whats the point. Live a little and bake with butter...mmmmm...butter!!!

Anything or anyone can influence you, good or bad. Its your choice whether you let it or not. So much in my life has influenced me, mostly it has been all good. Somethings have made me become a better person. I want to be the best that I can be, sometimes by doing that, I hurt those around me. I try to take over and do it all...when in fact, I should take a step back, allow that person to help me. I might learn something new.

I know that I have just mentioned two films and I might appear to be shallow...I dont think I am? There is sooo much more that I could write about my influences, either viewed or read...but I dont want to bore you with my long stories....I'd rather have you ponder about your influences, how you could become a better a person. There is so much out there. But remember, as you ponder, have that biscuit or scone....made with BUTTER!!

Giving Thanks...

This past weekend it was the Canadian Thanksgiving. Normally a few days before I am rushed, cleaning, baking, making lists and trying to get everything organized and ready...so at least I can have the day before to relax(somewhat, remember, with three kids you can NEVER relax). This year, the week before we decided, collectively, to hibernate...of sorts...and just be together as an immediate family, and celebrate the weekend however we wanted to. As Josh told me, "turkeys are for Christmas, not Thanksgiving." I guess that started the whole idea of changing our traditions. The weekend brought warm, even humid temperatures filled with blue skies and sunshine. 

We first went to the waterfront and spent a few hours there. It was gorgeous, the water was calm, the skies bright, and the trees cornering the water were bright orange, red, yellow and gold. It was more like a July morning. We sat on the playground sipping our Tim Hortons, as the kids ran about exploring.

We did a little Kijiji shopping(bought a wooden futon frame for 10$), then the Hubby hit the local LCBO store and got some wine and beer. We spent the afternoon, sitting on the back deck...enjoying and being Thankful for everything that Mother Nature gave us that weekend.

It was soo peaceful at nap time....no noises, no rushing, no fretting over the turkey if it was cooked or not. We were just being, living in the moment. After all, that's what Thanksgiving should be about. Giving Thanks to this great place we live in, our family, friends, and thankful that I reconnected with my friend from school, and eventually marrying him. Together we brought three great kids into this world and it is a better place for having them.

I could not have asked for a better Thanksgiving Weekend. It was awesome. And we did start a new tradition....Mandarin for dinner!! Josh asked, "can we do this every year?" I think we can......

Josh's Hand print...turned into a turkey..gobble gobble..

Homework.....

I thought that I was FINISHED with homework when I graduated from University...all done...time to have that party where you burn various things! Then I had kids!! Josh is in Grade One...and so begins HOMEWORK...all over again!! He has weekly Spelling Tests, the lists come home on Friday and he has a week to get ready..or shall I say...a week for ME to get him ready!!

From reading various books and listening to those "parenting experts" on TV(no comment please), I allow him to unwind after school, we will chat about what happened during the day, make dinner, chat some more and then after dinner...its all over, no more NICE/FRIENDLY MOMMY....its NASTY/CRITICAL TEACHER! It all starts off with me saying, "OK, get your paper and pencils...its time to test you on your words...lets go...." After the test, we go over the words. With the ones that he got wrong, he will write lines...LOL...I am sooo mean....but by the end of night he gets better. We only spend a GOOD half hour...thats all I can take. Come on....I cant miss Prime Time Television and bedtime for them is 8pm.....its a small window. BUT it must be working, so far he has gotten perfect on his tests!!

Now, if we mention MATH....well...thats another story altogether. For some reason, if your write subtract, he'll still add, if you write 'count from 19' he'll start counting backwards.....if you add 0 or subtract 0 from a number he looks puzzled....ugh....its a learning process. I'm afraid for chemistry/fractions etc etc.....I'm screwed!! BUT then the better half says he can do it all....and believe me, he will!!!

I now understand while working at a Liquor Store, years ago, a lady came in just before 3pm and bought an economy size bottle of wine and replied to me "its to help me with the kids and their homework!"