Will's Christmas Concert

Last night Daddy and I went to watch your first Christmas Concert!  You sang a song abour being Santa's Little Helpers and you rang a bell.  I couldn't hear you singing but your lips were moving so I think you were.  My favourite part was at the end when you took a bow!  So sweet!

Can't wait for next year!  Oh and we can't wait until we can see you both up there and enjoy two classes worth of songs.  Daddy and I felt so grown up attending our son's concert!  It was a milestone for us too.  I remember being the one up on the stage and my parents watching me.  It wasn't THAT long ago....!
Way to go Will, you did such a great job.  What a risk taker!

Sweater Party

 This year we threw a sweater party and had all of our friends over to celebrate Christmas before things get crazy with family and other plans.  We sparkled in our tackiest of course.  But Lucien took home the prize due to his skin tight elf sweater that I wish we had photos of!

Charlie dazzled in his tacky, itchy diaper cover.  And Daddy was gorgeous in poinsettias!

Will's sweater had a large Christmas tree with actual ornaments on it and Mommy's had lots of embellishments so tacky it made me blush!

All in all the party was a success I think!

 

Macleans and Mommy

Macleans recently featured an article on Botox in Dentistry and Mommy wrote a letter to the editor in reference to it.  They liked it so much they published it!

So Mommy had it framed and hung it in the office for all to see!  Way to go Mommy! 

Brotherly love

This is the sweetest photo I have ever seen or could ever hope to get of the two of you.  Can you imagine just getting this moment on film!!

I love the way you both are looking at eachother adoringly.  I can't stop looking at it.  It is just too precious for words.

It makes me think back to my pregnancy and all of the hard days when I coached myself along by saying "I'm making two best friends."  I think I was right!

Our little elf!

 Need I say more!  You are always so happy, this was an easy photo to capture.  You are literally always smiling and gleeful!  We love you so much Chuckie baby!  You light up our lives!

Putting up the lights!

This weekend Daddy and Will went outside and put up our lights.  SO exciting!  It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  Good job guys!

I love food!

 Oh dear!  Well at least it looks like we'll have one big eater for a son....

You do love your food and eat A LOT!  You love sweet potatoes and fruit not so much.  I think you find it tart.  At any rate you make a face.

But sweet potatoes and avocadoes are much loved by you.

We just got this high chair for you to feed you in and so that you could be up at our level.  But I still prefer to feed you in the bouncer because when we feed you in the chair this happens.

You grab at the spoon and try and stick it in your mouth and end up painting your face with it.  For some reason you don't grab at the spoon in the low bouncer...

Oh well, the high chair will be great for when you're doing finger foods.  Which at this rate should be tomorrow...

Bye bye Doggies

Due to Will's allergies to the dogs we needed to find another home for them.  Grandma and Papa graciously offered to take them for sure while they find another home for them.  It's the end of an era.  We had these dogs before we even had the kids!

Barney has already been adopted by a lovely couple called Bob and Heather.  They are retired and have Ming, a female shih-tzu for Barney to play with.  Barney is essentially replacing their "Benny" who passed on a few weeks ago and the couple just fell in love with him.

Maggie is still at Grandma's house and is thriving while we find a home for her.  I'm sure someone will snap her up shortly, she is such a sweet and small little babe.

We miss you Mags and Barna!

Presents of Pheasants!

 Yesterday Uncle Lucien came over and dropped off a couple of hens for us to eat!  Way to go Luc!

 Daddy was very adventurous and defeathered and skinned the birds outside and cooked up quite a bacon-wrapped dish for us!  It was yummy and tasted like chicken but was tougher than chicken I thought.  

Thanks for the dinner Luc!

 

Allergy Tests

My poor, sweet baby boy.  We went to see Dr Coates, a specialist with a satellite practice here in Nanaimo to do your allergy testing.  He did 18 test spots and you were a trouper.  A really great patient as usual.

It turns out that you are allergic to dairy, eggs and most of all dogs.  

We had been doing an elimination diet for you for weeks leading up to this appointment and we had identified that dairy, eggs and nuts were likely culprits so it wasn't too big a surprise but it was good to finally know which it was for certain.

As for the foods we went straight to the grocery store and got some soy milk, yoghurt and ice cream, and I suppose we'll have to start reading labels for everything else.  Much to our relief pasta and bread don't have eggs or milk in them.

The biggest issue was the dogs of course.  Grandma, Papa, Ggma and Ggpa came to our rescue and agreed to take the dogs in the interim until we can find a home for them permanently.  This was very hard for us and on Daddy in particular.  We have no other choice and I just cannot stand listening to you coughing all night long any more.

The dogs are booked on a fight out tomorrow morning and the carpet will be measured for and replaced hopefully by the week's end.  I am really praying that we see an improvement in your health from here on out.  It seems like you have had a cold which was actually nasal allergies for years!  Poor mite!

Here's hoping.  More on this to come.

Making a Gingerbread Christmas Tree!

 This was a really fun project for us!  We will have to make it a tradition.

You did so well with this one it really shocked me.  We mixed up the icing and you stacked the layers of the tree all by yourself one by one.

Then we mixed the coloured icing and decorated with the candies!

 Gorgeous!  You showed restraint and everything and we ate the tree over several nights.  You are even in the habit of saving part of your dessert until after your bath for later.  I really encourage this because I have read all about delayed gratification and the benefits to kids later on in life if they are able to hold off on things.  When you put a piece aside and say you'll save it until after your bath I praise the heck out you!

Of course, we tried the marshmallow test with you and as I was explaining the concept to you you were cramming the marshmallow in your mouth...maybe we should try it again.

Love it!

PJ Pals!

I can't believe it took me this long to figure out that I could dress the two of you alike!  This is a small joy for me.  How cute is this?!

I also bought you both Christmas jammies that will make Grandma swoon.  I haven't gone so far as to buy you matching outfits for out and about but I'm sure it will happen eventually!  I better get on it before I hear any protests!

I love my Charlie!

Look at us!  You are just the sweetest little thing!  Mommy is enjoying snuggling you while you'll still let me.  I have one big boy so I know how it goes!  So far, no protests from you.  As a matter of fact when you are getting sleepy and ready for a nap if I lie down with you we have such a nice nap together, you just sleep and sleep for hours!  We are like two little bugs in a rug.  You must just love the feeling of me beside you.  You average nap in your crib is 45 minutes to an hour but in my bed you can sleep for two hours or more.  I'm good with it!

Oh Charlie, in a way I wish you would never grow up.  I am looking forward to seeing you do so many things but every day that passes I know you lose a little bit of your babyishness and it makes me so sad!

I am trying to savour every moment these days.  Even after I nurse you and you fall asleep in my arms in the glider at night I rock you for a while and just enjoy it instead of putting you down right away.  I know these days are numbered :(

Putting up the tree

 This year we bought a 9' tree and it is a much better scale for our great room.  It is absolutely beautiful now that it is up and decorated.  More pics to come!

Charlie is Five Months!

Happy Five Months Charlie!  You are so, so cute we just can't get over it.

The funniest thing happened the other day that I just have to share.  We were all snuggling in our bed the other morning and Will was entertaining Charlie.  He was blowing raspberries on Charlie's belly and Charlie was laughing and laughing.  Then all of a sudden Charlie made the raspberry sound with his lips all squishy and saliva spraying!  We were so shocked and told Will he's asking for more!  So Will did it again and Charlie kept doing it over and over!  It was the first time that Charlie ever communicated something so very clearly to us.  It was beyond precious!

Gymnastics Class!

 Mommy signed you up for gymnastics classes on Wednesday mornings and you love it!  When I ask you which class is your favourite you say gymnastics right away.  I'm so glad we signed you up!

You are taking the class at Flipside Gymnastics right by the office off of Northfield and sometimes I take you for a drop in at Nanaimo Gymnastics.  You LOVE the foam pit at Nanaimo Gymnastics so I was so glad to hear that Flipside is getting a foam pit shortly.

This class is instructor-led so Mommy watches from above with all the other parents.  It seems like most classes no longer require parental participation now that you are three.  It's good in some way because sometimes I think you are better with a teacher than you would be with me ;)

This large inflatable runway is meant to be for tumbling, but boy you guys love running and hopping along it!

 Oh, the foam pit.  We spend ALL of our time in it!

4 Cats

Mommy signed you up for a six week class at the 4 Cats art studio which is focussing on Henri Matisse.  Daddy almost died laughing when we asked which artist you are studying right now and you said "Ahhnry  Mateese."  LOL!  

Apparently you have been working on a large canvas piece and adding to it week by week.  I can't wait to see it, I have no idea what to expect and it's killing me!  I would love to put it up in your room or at the cottage.  I'm sure it will be gorgeous.  And like Ahhnry's work himself :).

Piggyback Ride with Daddy!

Charlie is growing by leaps and bounds!  It seems like every morning when we wake up you are heavier to lift out of your crib than yesterday!

You are not quite sitting up on your own yet, but tummy time is a breeze.  You are holding up your head and neck very well.  We actually marked how tall you are for the first time beside Will's height on his growth chart the other day.  Beansprout nothing!

Halloween with the Mahon's!

 This Halloween Mommy was a racoon, Will was Spidey and Charlie was a Monkey because that's what we call him.  We were quite a team!

Because Halloween was so dead around our neighbourhood last year we decided to head into Nanaimo to go out with the Mahon's in their neighbourhood which is full of young people.  

We had a blast!  Will filled up him Cars bucket to the brim with candy and got to spend time with Jack and Henry, and Cole and Brooklyn.  So fun!

 Spiderman himself!

Skating Spidey!

After your class's Halloween party we went to your skating class where they encouraged everyone to dress up.  You looked great out there in your Spidey costume and even go some extra padding out of it!

We are seeing improvements in your skating every week that we go.  You are still holding onto a pilon for the most part but last week you went about six feet all on your own!

Halloween in the JK3 Class!

 For Halloween this year you wanted to be Spiderman.  We dressed you up on the day of your class party and you looked awesome!  There was a full head part for the costume and you wore it just fine.  There were large google eyes with mesh covering it that you could look through.

You and Finn are like two peas in a pod.  You are practically inseparable at school and it is very cute!  Every night we ask you what you did at school today and you say "Played with Finn."  If we ask if you played iwth anyone else you say "No, just Finn."

 

Trout Fishing!

A few weekends ago Daddy and Dr Bob, Mike Rogers and Murray Boston went up to the cottage and did a fishing charter in Port.  They were fishing for Steelhead Trout.  As it turns our the fish weren't biting that day and Daddy was the only one to catch a fish!  

We haven't eaten it yet, we are saving it for a special occasion but we just know it's going to be tasty!

Way to go Daddy!

Will's First Movie!

 Last week, Mommy and Daddy and Will went to see Will's first movie in the theatre!  We have Mondays off right now and thought it was the perfect time to try to see if you were ready.

When we arrived at the theatre we realized that Wreck it Ralph was in 3D.  When you asked "What is 3D?" Daddy said "It's one dimension more than you can handle."  LOL!

It was the perfect first experience for us because the theatre was completely empty besides us.  You were very interested in the popcorn and drinks and blown away by the size of the screen.  When the movie first started you tried to bat at the animation a few times and then figured things out.  It was so cute!

You behaved so well during the movie and had the attention span to watch the full show!  Way to go Will!

Natasha's Turns 4!

 Last weekend we went over to the Sansalone's to celebrate Natasha's birthday.  She was having a princess party and naturally we know nothing about that so we were the only ones not in tulle.

The cake was so pretty!

And yummy according to Will!  

Charlie was there too of course but was not nearly as social as the rest of us ;)

Happy Birthday Natasha!

Sandy Shores Skate Club

 Last week we went to your first skate class at the Sandy Shores Skate Club in Parksville.  Mommy heard about it from another parent at school and I got in touch with the club and signed you up for an eight week class right away.

We had taken you to a Boots to Blades class last year so it wasn't your first time but I get a different feeling at this class.  The coaches Mr and Mrs Rushton are very good with the kids and so knowledgeable and personable.  I think this is going to be a great experience for us.

I bought you your own skates this time out and you were so excited to use them.  You kept asking me if we were still going to skating tomorrow over and over the night before.  And on our way to the Farm you kept asking if we could go to skating BEFORE the farm?  I'm not sure that you get the concept of a class starting at a certain time yet...hehe.

When we got to the rink we got you all suited up and put you out onto the ice, and you were more than willing to go on your own.  It turned out that we were a week early for our eight week class so we were in a class with a group of kids that were just finishing up their eight week stint.  Needless to say most were getting around pretty well for their three years.  You looked like a little baby deer out there just trying to find it's legs.  Oh it was hard for me to watch, you on the other hand fell and just popped right up again like it was nothing.  You held onto your pilon and pushed around with it like a real trouper.  I was so proud of you.

I know that it really got to you to watch the other kids skate by you when following the track Mrs Rushton drew on the ice but you stuck with it.  You have a tendency to get really frustrated and to be very competitive and so I thought it would be your undoing several times but much to my surprise you just took note and stuck with it.  Good boy!

When the class finished I praised you up and down for trying your absolute best and we went over how practice makes perfect and how next week you'll be better and the week after that even better. 

You get it.  I'm so proud of you.  

The Farm at Cedar Woods

 Last week your class went on an outing to the Farm at Cedar Woods in Cedar to look around and pick a pumpkin from the patch.  They were looking for parent volunteers and Mommy could actually go!

I love that I can do these things with you right now since I'm on maternity leave.  I will miss it dearly when I go back to work :(

Of course I can always book the time off as long as there is notice so I will make the school calendar my best friend, haha!

It was a cold and rainy day but we braved the weather and tried out the duck races, looked at the animals in the petting zoo and rode on the tractor led hayride to the pumpkin patch to chose our "perfect pumpkin" as you said.

 Found the perfect one!

 We made friends with the alpacas too!

After our trip to the farm out in Cedar we went home for a quick bite and then were off to your first skating lesson of the season in Parksville.  It was a true "Mommy and WIll day" as we call it.  So special.