no more sleeps

Today is the big day! Our cutie nephews are coming today. We have yet to meet baby Caleb, and are so looking forward to meeting him. As for Jacob - I haven't seen him in two years and the boys haven't seen him since last summer. We are so excited to have them - and they can even bring their parents.
They arrive tonight about 10:45pm, so I will be going to the airport after work to pick them up. Tomorrow is Canada Day, so we are planning to head into Bowmanville for some Canada Day celebrating and we'll see where the rest of the week leads us. Craig is on holidays, so I know he will have some things planned. Hopefully the weather will be good and there will be lots of trampolining and swimming on the schedule. I'll keep you posted!

We are having a great time so far! Sterling and I spent about 90 minutes together in the pool yesterday, in the bright, glowing sunshine. It was great. Kaedo and Craig joined us for the last 30 minutes and we had so much fun. I was lucky enough to get these shots of the kids. They are just loving the pool/trampoline combo. Such fun.

Today it is raining so we are just in the house. Sterling has a friend over. They were in the pool then decided to come in and play Lego and are now watching "The Italian Job". Great movie. Kaedo went out on the trampoline and swam for a bit but came in and put his pjs back on and just watched one of his favorite movies - "Shanghai Noon" - another great movie.

A VERY Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law, Tica! Happy Birthday to you...and all that JAZZ! We are so looking forward to having their family come and visit us on Tuesday. The train table is set up, the playpen is ready, the highchair is tied down and the Lego is slowly making it's way into storage boxes. Sterling and I went shopping today to pick up the things that Jacob likes. Sterling was thrilled - I bought lots of stuff I never usually buy. I don't think he'll ever want Jacob and Caleb to leave!

Michael Jackson

Yesterday I was thinking about Michael Jackson (who wasn't) and what a tragic life he seemed to have lived. When you think about it, he is the Elvis of my generation. I know the words to most of his songs (and proved it yesterday while playing my iPod on full blast all the way to work), and followed much of his life.
He seemed to be very troubled and I was among the first to comment negatively about the "baby on the balcony" incident. I watched his special with Martin Bashir and was certain he was crazy. His life had become a caricature of what real life should be.
In the end I want to remember practicing the "moonwalk" for about 100 hours trying to get it just right, watching Friday night video countdown shows waiting to see his newest video, thinking Neverland Ranch would be the coolest place on Earth, and hoping that he had some happiness in his life.
Three children, whom he seemed to adore, the oldest being the same age as Sterling. So sad for them. They had always been with their dad, and in his quest to protect them, he made himself seem all the stranger. I have read today they are with their gramma. I hope she protects them more than she protected her own children.
Yesterday I spent quite a lot of time on YouTube watching his videos - they really were/are amazing. I watched "Thriller" 3 times.
Will I always remember what I was doing when I learned he had died? Probably. Will I always remember the day? Yes. Kaedo's 10th birthday.
So to the King of Pop - a child that never had the chance to be a child and never knew what it was to grow up. Your music astounds me, you videos amaze me, your life confounds me. May you find peace now, for you never seemed to have it in life.

What a difference! They look like two different kids! Schools out and the boys are enjoying their first day of summer vacation. They are busy playing with neighbors, laughing, yelling, giggling, playing and having fun. I love the sound of kids loving life. The weather is great, the kids are outside and Summer is truly here. Craig is off today do some manly things outside, I am getting ready for work and the last football game is tomorrow. We are anxiously waiting the arrival of Kelly, Tica and our cutie nephews on Tuesday night and plan to have a great time with them.

the big ONE-O

click to enlarge

10 things I LOVE about him:

1. He is the most kind hearted person I have ever met

2. He is generous to a fault

3. He has a fantastic smile with dimples that light up a room

4. He is always looking for hugs and kisses (love that!)

5. He is a good brother, a good friend and a great son

6. He is quiet, considerate and caring

7. He is creative, compassionate and quick witted

8. He is a fantastic dancer!

9. He is so good natured

10. He loves with his whole heart!



10 years - I can't believe it. He was born at 5:47am on June 25, 1999. My baby. My last. He had such a rough entry into this world, but has flourished into a beautiful boy who radiates awesomeness from the inside out. He is just so great that I can barely find the words to describe how much I love him. To almost quote a movie line from Jerry Maguire -

"he completes me"!


Happy Birthday my sweet boy! I love you!

Kaedo is doing better today. His fever seems to have broken, which is a relief. I am still plying him with Ibuprofen and Tylenol, to ward off anything. He is also taking the SuperHero of antibiotics and his puffers, so hopefully things will turn around quickly. He is just chillaxing today.
This morning I got a call from a nurse that works for the doctor we saw yesterday and she told me that upon reviewing his xrays again, he does in fact have pneumonia. That is a real bummer. She said to keep giving him the meds and get him in to see his family doc or if he isn't getting significantly better with the antibiotics to bring him back to Urgent Care or take him to Emerg. He is seeing his family doc on Monday.
We had just been talking this morning about him maybe going to school for a while tomorrow so he could see his friends, celebrate his birthday and take part in their "park party". As of right now I don't know if he'll be up to it. He is really bummed. Not a nice way to spend your big day.
On a happy note, he will get a bunch of Lego tomorrow so that will cheer him up. So, we'll see how he feels in the morning and if he is up to it, I'll let him go for a while. Definitely not the whole day.
I've just finished making his birthday cake (chocolate sour cream - drool!) and was going to make white chocolate chip cookies (as per his request) but ran out of brown sugar, so those will have to wait.
Check back tomorrow for a big birthday post, and some very cute pictures of the birthday boy!

Not too much going on here. Have a sick little boy watching a movie and I am just trying to break his fever. Went to the walk-in and there is a 2 hour wait. We'll try again later.
Look for a big post celebrating my favorite 10 year old on Thursday.
Hope you are all well,
s

PARTY like it's 1999

I'm starting this tonight and will finish it off tomorrow with a final wrap up. So far it has been great. The kids all arrived around 4pm and donned their t-shirts. They promptly starting signing each other's shirts. They thought it was pretty cool. It has been raining all day and we weren't sure how everything was going to go but they decided about 5 minutes in that they wanted to jump on the trampoline. They all tore off their socks and headed out there in the rain. Two minutes later they were back in the house and Craig and I were looking at each other in horror. They quickly informed us that they were going to put on their swim trunks so their clothes didn't get all wet. Back out they trooped and within 30 seconds they were in the pool, shooting water guns at each other and jumping in the trampoline. They were having so much fun. An hour later they were soaked to the bone and freezing cold so in they trooped. A quick change and all the clothes in the dryer and they were playing video games, shooting hoops and laughing their heads off. I don't know how many times I heard, "this is the best party ever!" Something every parent wants to hear.

An hour later they were chowing down on chicken fingers, chicken wings, smiles, hot dogs in pastry and mini pizzas. We weren't sure how much food to make but ended up with only about 10 things left, so I guess I cooked the right amount. After they finished supper they were back downstairs having a blast. We called them back up for cake and presents and Kaedo loved every bit of it. He got some great gifts, money and a gift card and I think he is already plotting out what he might buy with his loot.

Once all that was done and everything had been cleaned up I sat down to read my book and listen to the chatter of seven 10 year olds. I had to laugh when I heard them comparing their "6 packs". They had all taken off their shirts and were seeing who was the "most buff". Kaedo I'm sure won the "Beanpole Award". I had to laugh.

So here I sit writing this while they play hide and seek through out the house. Two of the boys have just come in asking for their trunks so Craig is getting everything out of the dryer. My guess is they are on their way back into the pool. We'll see how long they last this time. Sure enough they all jumped into the pool and have been playing for the last 30 minutes.

more later...

It's 11:15pm, Craig is fast asleep on the couch, two of the boys have gone home and the other 5 are playing BUMP. They sound like they are having a great time and show no signs of slowing down (ugh). I'm going to give them another hour then get them settled watching a movie.

Craig is going mountain biking tomorrow morning and I'm going to make pancakes and waffles, if the kids want them.

more in the morning...

12:20am - Kaedo was the first to crash, A not too far behind him. Sterling, L and J are still watching a movie but the lights are off and everyone is quiet. I think it is safe to head to bed.

Sunday Morning...

Craig got up at 2am to turn off the TV and make sure all was well. The boys then got up at about 7:30am (agh). Pancakes and powdered donuts were for breakfast plus some jumping on the trampoline and still more laughs.

Kaedo pulled me aside this morning and said this was "the best party ever". I'm so happy. He has great friends and they have had a lot of fun. I don't what I need to do first - shovel out the mess in the house or have a nap.

Happy Father's Day to all all the dads in my life. Love you.

countdown

The party start in 3 hours. eek!
Food? check
T-shirts? check
Loot Bags? check
Snacks? check
Popcorn bowls? check
Drink cups? check
Supper? check
Giant jawbreakers? check
Table decorated? check
Cake finished? check
Towels piled up at backdoor? check
Every pillow and extra blanket we own already in the basement? check
Movies? check
Sanity? ask me tomorrow at 10:15am

Ketchup and other news

He is so cute, isn't he? He's such a good dog, and I am so thankful to Scott and Cheryl for giving him to us all those years ago. I can't believe he will be 5 this year. He is one of the most wonderful gifts we have ever received. Love him! He must be a good dog because even my mom loves him and she doesn't like any animals. He also has Em wrapped wrapped around his "paw", so he must be great!

In other news - I am working on a special book for a special woman in my life right now, and it is looking great. I need to have it ready for August, so I am working away on that. I may post some sneak peeks, but haven't decided yet. I have also been doing some freelance work for staff at the bank. Some of them have seen some of my cards so I have been asked to create some for them. I think it might turn into a nice little side job. I also got asked yesterday to create a wedding planner portfolio for one of my co-workers. A paying job. I'm looking forward to meeting with her on Monday to get some more info on what she wants done. I'm getting my stuff out there.

Getting ready for a special birthday party this weekend. Our last big party! 7 boys, sleepover. Should be fun. Kaedo is so excited. One week today and he will be 10! I can't believe it! The party starts at 4pm on Saturday and we will be kicking the kids out on Sunday at 10am. I'll post some more info tomorrow. We have lots of fun planned.

500!

This is my 500th post on this blog! Can you believe it????
I either have a great life and love to share it, or need to get a life and start living it!

We might as well just put a "quarantined" sign over the door here. Man - this place is full of sickos. Craig has been so sick for the last couple of weeks that he was actually home for three days last week. Kaedo wasn't well on Saturday morning, so he spent most of the morning in bed. We went to the drive-in Saturday night, and when Sterling got up on Sunday he was feeling crappy. He spent the entire afternoon on the couch sleeping. He has been suffering from bad headaches and stomach aches and we have had him to the doctor. He had a high fever on Sunday evening (102.9) so I took him to Emergency. They did a urine test, blood test and xrays and everything came out normal, and we got home about midnight.
Yesterday both boys spent the day in their pjs and most of the morning curled up in our bed watching TV. Kaedo had a bad cough and tummy ache, Sterling with a fever, headache and tummy ache.
Both boys went to school this morning. Sterling looked remarkably better. At 10:30am I got a call from school that Kaedo was in the office. To be honest, he was borderline today. I picked him up and brought him home and he has a fever and cough, but is still religiously taking his puffers. He has taken quite a lot of antibiotics so far, so we are trying to manage everything at home. We'll see. He needs to be well enough for Saturday. Thank goodness it is the end of school (next Thursday is the last day), and report cards are done, so there really isn't too much learning going on.

drive in

Had a great time as always at the drive-in last night. Night of the Museum 2 was up first and then Land of the Lost. Night at the Museum was excellent. The Land of the Lost sucked. There were tons of people there. Sterling and I decided to sit outside for Night of the Museum, and we made it for about 1 hour and then had to go into the van as we were FREEZING! Squishing 2 medium boys, Craig and I into the front seats of the van is a little squishy, but so much fun. At least I get to hug whoever sits with me for two hours. I got some great pictures of them (as you can see). We got in at 1:59am. I have no idea what time the kids got up but Craig and I woke up at 11:29am when the doorbell rang. Yes, I know my mom is gasping, muttering "you've wasted half the day!" Oh well, that's what Sundays are for!

pooools out for summer...

Although the pool is still filling (we are on hour 8 right now), the boys had to take a leap in the 13 degree water. Oy! They had lots of fun putting up the pool last night with Craig and I was able to get some shots of them this morning. They are so excited for it to finishing filling and warm up! Hoping the weather stays OK and we can catch a double feature at the drive-in tonight. Night at the Museum and Land of the Lost. Kaedo is in bed - sniffles and sore throat. Hopefully he will feel better this afternoon. Sterling is hanging out with a friend. I have Twilight on in the background, working on this and getting the menu together for Kaedo's party next weekend. Will fill in more of our plans for his last big party later on in the week.

Have a great Saturday!

Friday

WooHoo! Friday! Lots going on this weekend. Craig is setting up the pool, I will be doing as much as possible to get ready for Kaedo's party, Craig has football, the boys have to ride their bikes, play lego, jump on the trampoline, play with their friends, get their first tans of the season, make messes, clean them up, go to Dollarama and BE KIDS!

We are also planning a trip to the Drive-In for tomorrow night. Night at the Museum and Land of the Lost are playing. The Drive-In will be full of kids, I'm sure. There are both "family" movies that the kids want to see (and truth be told, so do I), so we are thrilled they are going to be at the drive-in, where we can see both movies for $20 instead of the $80 it would cost at the theater.

Sunday, hopefully we will get to sleep in, and that's about it

my kid really hates me

So, Kaedo made Craig pinky swear that he would not post this picture on the blog. Thankfully I wasn't home and was not subjected to the bold faces lying that would have happened. Needless to say, Craig kept his promise. When Kaedo decides to leave home at 15 because he is sick of his life unfolding on the blog I know I will regret posting this picture. For right now I just think they are awesome and have so much imagination and are fun and so great. I want to show everyone how fantastic they are! I'm so thrilled my boys have imagination and can play and laugh and do crazy things. I love that they don't need us to keep them entertained and that they don't sit in front of the TV all the time. Love it all! So much fun!

sick bed

Craig is sick. really sick. I actually don't remember him being this sick since we lived in Airdrie. He was supposed to work from home today but is actually in bed. I would get a picture, but it really isn't a sight you want to see. Kleenex, water bottle, Dristan, coughing, sweating, hacking, sniffling, nose blowing. Gross. Funny how it is so much grosser when it is your spouse and not your kids.

read this on a Starbucks cup

This really resonated with me:

The Way I See It #76

The irony of commitment is that it's deeply liberating - in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.

Anne Morriss
Starbucks customer

How's this for a great lunch. Sterling was in bed this morning, suffering with what I think may be the beginnings of some migraine issues, so Kaedo and I made this delicious lunch for him (Kaedo) for school.

Doesn't this look great?
Fresh strawberries
Fresh pineapple
Cheetos (gotta have some fibre in his lunch - ha!)
A delicious apple
A chocolate chip muffin
Green Grapes
Cold water
and the requisite container of icing sugar - perfect for dipping strawberries in - or fingers for that matter)

Hope you get a chance to have a delicious meal like this today!

Sunday Morning Laughter

The boys of summer

Two great pictures I got of the boys on the trampoline. They both got haircuts and then decided to cool off by having a trampoline water balloon fight. The weather is great, the sun is shining, the neighbor is cooking steaks on his BBQ, the bees are buzzing and laughter is loud and giggly. I love it!

French Kissing and one guest blogger

Sterling came in from hanging out outside with some friends when he informed me that one of the girls he was "hanging" with had french kissed one of his friends (they're 9). When I asked Sterling if he knew what french kissing was, he said no. When I told him, he was disgusted!

Guest Blogger #1 - Sterling
Today I was hanging out with Tamara and my friends and I said "I was getting my hair cut", Tarik and Tamara were shocked because of how long my hair already was. I told them that it would only take maybe 15 minutes because I just needed a trim and the haircut place wasn't too far. When I get back we are going to have a water balloon fight but for now they are hanging out in Liam's house (and my mom is mean and won't let me hang out there). Please write a comment telling her to let me.

The Art of Loving

A standard comment coming from my mushball son. Every night he asks me the same question - "Did you have any bad customers tonight?"
Last night I told him to be asleep when I got home, as he needs to get over this chest cold he has. He took my words to heart and was asleep when I got home, but had to get in the question. Since he wasn't going to get an immediate answer I got a comment instead.
Love this.
He's just so darling.

Sterling had the opportunity yesterday to go to a great program called "Racing Against Drugs". Grade 5s from 4 local schools all gathered for this great program. I had heard excellent things about this and Sterling was so excited to go. They had a lot of stations to go to and learned a lot of different things. His favorite station was when you put on a pair of "beer goggles" that was supposed to stimulate how people see when they are drunk, and are made to "walk the line" heel to toe, heel to toe. He thought it was hilarious but very enlightening. He had a lot of good things to say about it.

When his class got back to school, the kids in the class decided to sign each other's shirts. I thought this one was very telling. Sterling and Maricela work with the Kindergarten classes everyday during their class breaks and Sterling has spoken about her quite often. I had to tease him about the heart Marisela added to her name on his shirt. Hmmm. When Craig asked him about it, he just blushed and hid his face. No strong denials.

So, I had to have my say in all this...

Last night when I got home from work I tucked Sterling into bed and our conversation went something like this:

Me: " Good night sweetheart, I love you"

Sterling: "I love you too, goodnight mom"

Me: "Oh, I forgot to mention, Maricela called and asked me to kiss you goodnight for her"

Sterling: "I knew this was never going to end!"

Happy Birthday Emma!

An open letter to Emma -

Dear Em -

Four years ago I got a call telling me that you had arrived. I was so happy. A little girl. After two boys, I was going to have a niece. I was so happy for your mom and dad and your Ammy and Baba. I was so happy for my boys because they now had a cousin. I first met you at Uncle Craig's brother's wedding, and you were this big cheeked ball of sweetness. I fell in love immediately. The boys were so excited to hold you and I was so impressed by how mellow your mom was. Over the years we have seen each other twice a year and I have always tried to be involved in some way in your life.
I have a special bond with you. One no one can change or break. No one can take it away from us. You are my sweet girl.
I talked to you this morning and just loved hearing your musical voice over the phone line.
I remember coming to your first birthday and wish I could be there for your 4th. I guess what I want you to know is that I LOVE you. I will always be here for you. ALWAYS! When your mom and dad are driving you crazy, call me. When you have a school fundraiser, call me. When you need advice on boys, call me. When you want to travel to Europe for 6 months and stay in hostels and buy a Eurorail pass, talk to your dad - I don't think I would be the best choice for that conversation.
Just know that you can always count on me. I couldn't love you more if you were my own.
A Happy Birthday to my (for now) favorite niece in the world. I love you, sweet girl! You light up my life!
Big SMOOCH to you my love.
Happy 4th Birthday!
love, Anti

Tuesday

Ear aches - the bane of my existence. Back to the clinic today with Kaedo - and lo and behold - both ears are infected! So, onto some antibiotics that I will have to force down his throat for the next 7 days, in the hopes that his ears will clear up before it is time to put up the pool.
Yesterday when we went to the clinic his ears were fine. I knew that when he was complaining (he had a cold compress pressed to his ear) that I should have insisted we do something preventative, but alas I did not. Now I have another trip to the clinic under my belt. Anyone keeping count would note that it is three trips in 24 hours. (a refill of a prescription rounds out the three)

Did my midnight shift last night. People progressively get more drunk between 9pm and midnight. People also seem to misplace their cards more between 9pm and midnight. I'm sure there is a correlation.

School is almost out and Thursday Sterling has his last school trip of the year. He will be participating in a "Race Against Drugs" program in B'ville with all the grade 5 classes. Kaedo will be heading to Medieval Times on the 22nd with all the grade 4s.

Kaedo's birthday is right around the corner and so we have to get the plans in place for that this weekend. A sleepover is on the agenda, along with a crazy meal, some DVDs, junk food and lots of fun.

Looking for some ideas for end of year gifts for male teachers. You know who you are - send me your favorite gifts! (This means you, Kelly).

Off to work in a couple of hours but for right now I am going to snuggle with the sicko and enjoy spending some one on one time with him.

5 cool facts about elephants

I think elephants are so amazing, so I thought I would pass on these cool facts:
1. They're into tools - They've been seen using sticks as back-scratchers
2. They use Infrasound - carrying on long "conversations below the range of human hearing"
3. They aren't sexist or ageist - they live in matriarchies led by the oldest, most knowledgeable female (smart, smart, smart)
4. They get emotional - They "spin around while roaring and trumpeting" when reunited with old friends
5. They're self-conscious - they study themselves in mirrors. In one zoo experiment, a zoo elephant "used the mirror to examine the back of her ear"

They are just so cool.

In other news - Kaedo was home from school today. Sick again. Asthma. Took him to the clinic. He has to be on Flovent, Ventolin and Singulair. Back at it. I think if we had done this last Fall, he wouldn't have missed so much school. I guess better late than never. He's a trooper. Thank God we don't have to do the mask anymore. He is old enough to do a diskus and is very good about taking it. Sterling has gone back to the Losec, as well. Thank God for 100% coverage drug plans!