shane's second haircut

I finally caved and took Shane for another hair cut.  He never complained but I knew the front hanging in his eyes just wasn't good.  So, we walk in and he starts being all shy and wrapping himself around me.  I explained what we were going to do to him and after the promise of a treat when he was all finished, he jumped up onto the chair and did not say a peep the whole time.  In fact, he was grinning and cutting his eyes over at the other hairdresser and I think he was actually enjoying himself.  Oh, what the promise of a treat can do...

Here is the before and after -

Still longish...but really, it is much shorter than it was.  Cute.

wonderful weekend

Some would say that a full Saturday spent cleaning isn't such a great way to spend half of your weekend but I have to disagree to a point.  As much as you rather be doing something else...anything else, when you are working away and your kids are happily playing and hubby is painting, there is a real feel of accomplishment and of course, the end results are worth the effort and time. 

Do I miss having a house cleaner?  Oh yes I do...very much!  But now that I am sitting here on my Sunday morning in my very clean house (well, all of the main floor anyway) and a few extra bucks in my pocket, I'm content.

Even more so that my two year old slept in until almost 9 am this morning!!  You read that correctly.  Almost NINE A.M.!!  Funny, I woke up at 4 when I heard Shane whimpering...went in to check on him and went back to bed, only to find myself thinking how awake I am now.  Thought about sneaking downstairs to pick up my book where I left off and enjoy the total peace and quiet.  However, I guess those thoughts dwindled quickly because next thing I know, J's alarm is going off at 7 for a Sunday morning Outage meeting.  The same thought came back as I knew my book was waiting for me and a yummy cup of coffee.  And again, I fell back asleep, this time cuddled up to Nicholas who came in around this time.  And, well...another couple hours later, I'm looking at the clock in shock!  Thanks Shaney....what a wonderful, much needed, good nights sleep.  Let's see if we can pull that off again next weekend!

Back tracking a little, we had our usual poker game Friday night.  Johnathon the big winner this time around...and again, a few extra bucks in our  his pocket.

Oh, I should write that with all the cleaning yesterday, I also ventured out into the freezing cold to pick up some groceries....only to come out to a truck that wouldn't start.  I called J...and he was off to start getting the boys all geared up to come and rescue Mommy.  But a few moments later, I thought why don't I just walk home instead of dragging the boys out into the cold.  So, I did.  And if I didn't think it was cold before that, OMGosh...!  Yes, alot of thoughts of sunning on the beach in Cancun were running through my head.  Two more weeks, two more weeks!!

And here we are - Sunday already.  I'm off to play a game of Trouble with Nicholas and watch a little Thomas with Shane.  We have a birthday party at the pool later today that I know Nicholas is looking forward to.  And my book...still waiting for me.  I wonder if I can sneak another cup of coffee and curl up on the sofa, even for 15 minutes or so??  It certainly won't hurt to try....

false alarm

Another weekend closing...ho-hum.  A good weekend though....aren't they all?

We played some poker Friday night...my honey won!  Took the always good time trip to Walmart on Saturday evening ;0)....this time without Nicholas.  I quite think Shaney enjoyed this outing sans brother.  Up and down all the aisles..so much to look at and once we got to the toy section - pure glee!  Especially when we asked him to decide on an engine from Thomas or another 'nump' truck.  No idea he was getting something, just happy to now have a choice and it was all Thomas, well Arthur actually!  He held that engine with all he had until we got home and he could finally open it! 

Nicholas had spent the day with his cousins and the plan was to pick him up on the way home...it got a little late and he ended up calling me on the cell to let me know he was ready to come home.  He had a great time...but was just ready for home. 

So, on the way home, we talked about his visit and then that led into bed times.  Nicholas has three bedtimes - 730pm on school nights, 8pm on daycare nights and 9pm on weekends IF he has had a good day!  Well, of course it was Saturday and he stressed that point and built his case as to why he should be able to stay up until 9.  And then the yawn, a big one.  Before anyone could say anything, he said to Daddy and I that we should just not pay any attention to that - It was a False Alarm!!!  LOL.  We let him stay up until 9.

Big pot of chili started brewing this morning....I knew it was going to be all about football today so what goes better?  Hmm...think I'll go enjoy a bowl right now!

sweet babes

So, it appears our Nicholas has a little admirer at school....and her name is Trinity!

Last night, Auntie Cheryl and I were looking at drawings Nicholas brought home from school....and what was in there you may ask????  First, a picture with flowers and a hand and foot (??? - don't know)...but lovely.  And then there is another paper with a big I LOVE YOU NICHOLAS.  And yet another drawing of Trinity herself!  A self portrait!  Ahhhhh....how cute is that??!!  Too cute.

Now, Mommy of course, had to dig right in there and speak to my son about this obvious admirer of my little boy.  Not only that...had to run for the School Days Memories book and have a look at this darling girl in the class photo....which by the way, she is very adorable.  Auntie Cheryl even commented she was the prettiest girl in the class (not that that matters...but hey, the boy is attracting the blondes...hehe).

I asked as calmly as I could if Trinity was his 'girlfriend'...and well, he did not deny this!! 

Apparently, Nicholas drew some pics for her as well.  Daddy asked if they had flames flying in them or spaceships shooting....and nope, he drew some flowers for her.  That's my boy ;)

And I know better....but couldn't help but bring it up again this evening and I do believe our little boy was blushing!

So sweet, so innocent....so lovely!

that winter lull

Here we are again, winter is upon us.  Actually, as I write this, it is unseasonably mild.  Mild?  Yes, although ask someone that last week at this time and we were downright frozen!  Ontario winter is here and alot of our friends are abuzz making their winter 'get the h*ll out of here' vacation plans.  Some more fortunate friends have already been away and planning their next trip!  You know who you are ;0)

I'm happy to say that we have booked our getaway as well.  We will be escaping to the sunny (better be!!) south on Feb 13th!  This trip all along was with the thinking that Mom and Dad would be accompanying us....so I started planning accordingly.  Then Dad changed his mind - unbeknownst to Mom.  Oh yes, that casued some sudden drama!  After Mom and I finished that conversation, she asked me to give her a couple hours and not to book quite yet.  I waited and two hours later, she called back and said "We're going!".  I can only imagine how that conversation went down!  Way to go Mom....we are thrilled they will be with us on this trip. Our third trip together....three of many more I am hoping.

And this one is all adult - the four of us.  No munchkins on this one.  Eat, sleep, drink...whenever we please.  Breakfast in bed or on our balcony overlooking the ocean - oh yes, at least a couple of mornings!  Dance til the wee hours - oh, believe it!  Soak up every inch of sunshine, snorkel, swim, parasail, and whatever may come up that we may want to try or do.  That will be the four of us enjoying every moment.

Okay, now that guilt feeling is coming out.  Creeps out when I enjoy my fantasy of my 9 nights away.  Yes, I feel it.  At times...but it dwindles....comes back, butts into my wonderful visions of Mommy and Daddy  husband and wife enjoying their time together - fully. 

Truth is though....they are going to have the most wonderful time themselves.  We have Aunt Debo and Mama flying up to care for the boys.  Even Uncle Bill will be up towards the end of the week to spend time as well. The boys will absolutely LOVE IT!  Aunto Debo, Uncle Bill and Mama will LOVE IT! 

This one's for us - the parents, the married couple, the lovers, the friends, just the two of us....with wonderful company when we all are inclined! Heavenly, yummy and blissful.  Can't wait!!

Beavers Investiture

Every Thursday night, Nicholas now goes to Beavers.  I think I may have mentioned in the past that he wasn't exactly thrilled about this in the beginning but he has since come to really enjoy it and looks forward to his Thursday evenings with the other Beavers.

This past Thursday was the night that the new Beavers were invested....which is a ceremony where the children are welcomed into the 'colony' and they are congratulated by the Beaver Scout and given their neckerchief as well as some badges. 

It was pretty cute watching these kiddos run around enjoying themselves, all excited that their parents were there to watch for the evening.  I giggled most when the leader puts up his beaver teeth (fingers form to make look like a beaver).  I learned this means that when this happens, the children are to stop what they are doing, put up their beaver sign and pay attention.  Well, there were two boys that didn't recognize what was going on right away so Nicholas is over there jumping in front of them with his beaver teeth sign, not saying a word but trying to get them to pay attention.  I'm still giggling!!

The next morning, Nicholas woke up extra early as he was so eager (an eager beaver!) to lay all his badges out in front of him and show them off to Mommy.  Very cute.  Now the problem is - um, how to get these badges sewn on his vest???  We have already tried the fabric glue (badge came off in laundry and left a big, ugly mark) ... so now what?  Sewing - with a needle and thread??  Seriously??  Okay, okay...I will start working on it.  Better start today if I have any hope!  Poor Nicholas...I'm thinking his vest won't be the shining example!!  Hey, maybe I can drop the badges off with my pants when I get them hemmed this week??  No?  Darn.  Okay, I will do it and do the best job possible with my weak non-existent sewing skills.   Anything for my boy =0) !

rockin' the house

A new year has begun!  Yay for 2010!  This is my year to make some changes....be better to those I love....be less hard on myself and finally get with the times and become a little, no ALOT more tech savvy! 

Yes, I will admit....here goes....that I have never downloaded a song - not one!  I can't figure out how to transfer my videos to my pc and some days, I completely give up trying to get from cable to playing a dvd.  Hell, sometimes (such as tonight), I can't even get our somewhat new tv to just turn on properly!

So, instead of asking hubby or my brother...or yes, Nicholas, to help, it's time to get with it!!  Ya, ya...I know...minor stuff....but still, it needs to happen.  It will happen.

The other stuff, I will write about later.

So, remember all that sickness we were ALL going through?  Johnathon has now picked up some viral chest infection which knocked him out for a few days....he even took two days off of work!  That very rarely happens but he needed it and I think now after a visit to the doctor and some meds and rest, he is now on the mend!  Phew!  Last night, we actually made it through the night in our bed together.  For two nights prior, his coughing, hacking yuckiness was that bad that we took a turn sleeping in Syds room.  That very rarely...okay never happens but it was unavoidable if I had a chance of being sane..oh, I mean awake in the morning.

Nicholas started school up again, with no desire to do so.  But like always, once he gets there, all is well.  And this week has started with him bringing home an assigned book and he reads to us! 

Shane is really coming along with his words and his sentences.  But if we can't immediately figure out that sentence or word, well...it gets a little ugly!  The boy has some lungs and he likes to use them...and he will until you 'get it'. 

Our darling, sweet wonderful boys though are really doing well.  The laughs and love they give every day is beyond words.  And although Nicholas will say that he doesn't play with his brother....he has been....and it's simply wonderful.  Shane just loves chasing his big brother around and they zoom around the house with their dumptrucks - together. 

And before I head to bed, a cute little story about something Nicholas said to me.  I need to tell more of these. So, before bedtime, he was having some DS time.  I went and snuggled next to him to WATCH (yes, no idea how to play this thing that my five year old does so well on) and he told me how much he likes the music on his game, alot of the games.  I was like, oh that is rockin'!  And he said to me - Rockin'?  Uh, No Mommy, it is not rockin' the house!  And then told me that I rock the house sometimes.  Anyhow, it was really quite funny how it went down - didn't sound so much there, did it?? 

Oh well, better luck next time!

a brand new year - 2010

Okay, I'm a day late to wish you all the best for the coming year.  My apologies....but my day yesterday was spent deciding if my head cold was my major problem or could it have been the many glasses of wine and champagne from the previous night??

So, here goes....for those that I didn't get to call at midnightish.....HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!  Let this be the year that when we sit next year at this time and reflect, that it was all that we had hoped!

Love to all from all of us here - Happy 2010!