Date Night

This past weekend we had a wonderful "Date Night". We have been trying to find the time for it each month and for the past few months it has worked out very well. This weekend my mom was kind enough an took both girls for a Slumber Party at her place, so we could have a nice evening. We did Dinner and a Movie, which was great. We headed to Copacabana which was great by the time we left there we were sooo full it was sickening... Then we headed to the movies to see "Fast Five" which was a great movie, I actually stayed awake for the whole movie (Must have been the all the eye candy in the film). Since my 34th birthday is this coming weekend (I am a long weekend baby), we decided this weekend would work out better for us to go out an celebrate as we would be away for the long weekend. I always love when it is Date night because I get to get all dressed up for a night out with my hubby and friends. Being a parent it is so hard to get away alot of times, because the "Mommy Guilt" kicks in full gear and we hate to be away from them & it is schedules get alittle busy. But it is important to do these monthly outings, we so need it and you quickly loose sight of what is important because you are so focused on your kids. They need that space as do you..

A Happy Mommy is a Happy Child. A Happy Wife is a Happy Hubby. A Happy Family is a Happy Home!

We missed the girls while they were away at Nanny's as did they. They had a blast with Nanny, they watched movies, ate popcorn, played Mario and stayed up till 10pm. I was even told that Nanny let Isabelle play her DS till she fell asleep, which was apparently not very long because she could barely keep her eyes open.. This was a little secret that Nanny and Isabelle had but Isabelle let the cat out of that bag! Mental note.. Isabelle can't keep secrets! LOL Poor Nanny gets busted every time! LOL Nanny's & their Grandchildren always have a special bond with each other which is so great! That is priceless. Nanny's always let them get away with stuff they normally would never get away with at home. Which is totally fine. This is a bond that never should be broken. When we picked up the girls their faces lite up like Christmas trees and the kisses never stopped. They were super excited to see us, as were we! I don't think any parent can explain the love that you feel for your kids. It is a love like no other!

Little Notes

I have been writing little notes for my sweet princess everyday when she goes to school and putting them in her lunch box. I started this when school started last fall and thought it would brighten up her day at school because she missed being at home so much. I also thought it would let her know that I she is missed and we love her lots. I would write these little notes on her napkin and wrap up her spoon, so it was always there ( I would even draw little hearts and stars on it). A typical note would read something like this:

"Have a great day at school Princess, we will see you at the end of the day. We love you very much & miss you while you are away. Lots of Love Mommy, Daddy & Isabelle"

Well this morning, as I was about to write my note. She put her hand up and said "Mommy, there is no need to do that. I know you love me lots and miss me everyday, so you don't need to write that note. It is okay to express your feelings but if you could please just tell me, that would be great. I love you and miss you lots while I am at school too." {{TEAR}} She sounded so grown up, my baby girl is coming into her own. She knows what she wants and she is not afraid to let you know & voice an opinion. She has always been that way really, a very strong, independent girl since the very minute she came into this world. 

I guess one her classmates who happens to be a boy that she is quite fond of (yes, even at a young age it starts) had said something to her like "Why does your mom leave you little notes in your lunch box".  I don't think he meant anything mean by it, he was just asking her but she probably took it as "He is poking fun, and it is not cool". And she took that to heart because she tends to take things people say to her to heart, but doesn't care what she says ( I think she got that part from me opps) & she is the only one in her class that gets them. So, I think she felt alittle strange and I don't want her to feel that way. I don't want her to be picked on because it will draw attention to her by her peers because I am leaving her little notes.  Kids can be so wicked at times when there is not need for it.

So as per her request, I did not enclose the note in her lunch box today, I did not write it, I held back the tears and left it alone. I am respecting her wishes, it is important to her sometimes we need to do what they ask even if we don't like it.  I think the next thing that will be the hardest for me and prove that she is growing up even more, is when she asks me to stop the "Kisses on the cheek in the school yard".. Boo! That will certainly pull on the heart strings. I cuddle and kiss & tell my girls daily that I love them and let them know everyday what a wonderful joy they have brought to our lives. It is so important to them, it shapes them to be great adults. It teaches them how to love unconditionally and when they get older they will do the same with their families. Children need to feel safe and secure and if they don't feel that they don't know how to do it later on as they grow.

Little Reader

My sweet princess Isabelle is a reading up a storm and we are sooo very proud, she is doing awesome. It is amazing how they wake up from a good nights sleep and everything seems to have clicked with them over night. We are so very proud of her. She is a VERY quick learner which is great!

We always find it so very funny that when we get them from school and ask them how their day was & what did they do today all we get is "Nothing". So you often wonder what goes on at school all day, are they even learning anything & is school like this "Secret Society"? LOL  But apparently given Isabelle's outstanding reading skills they actually do stuff at this place called "School". I love that she is so excited to read a book or that she wants to venture to the library or to Chapters to get a book that she was read at school or that she really enjoys. It is amazing, my 6 year old is reading what an accomplishment. It does suck that when you  drive past places that have signs like "The Love Shop" or "Aren't We Naughty" you have to explain that? gone are the days of spelling stuff out like "Park" or "Bed"... LOL Now she can read bumper stickers which is even scarier because now you have to start explaining what things mean.. Ekks!! Really don't feel like going there just yet.

I think the thing that Tom and I have alittle bit of a challenge with is remembering the way we were taught in school to read or do math! To us now it just comes and just flows naturally, but to them it is a whole new world of learning & all of it is new! So going to teach someone else especially your child is alittle bit hard. It is hard enough to train an Adult to do our jobs at the office, let alone a beginner at everything. The English language has too be the most difficult one to teach, each letter has 2 sounds so you need to teach them that and so on which makes it a challenge. We also have to remember that we are not teachers so our patience level is not quite that of a Teacher who teaches day in an day out. You have to teach them in a way so that they don't feel like they are doing it wrong & then have that discourage them from wanting to learn. We also need to take into consideration their age and the capacity they learn at. The worse feeling is getting discouraged & feeling like a failure and  you will never get it.

In school, I was alright I was not a scholar by any means, I tried my best as my mom always said!  Both parents worked so alot of the time homework was done when I got home from school with a babysitter or alone! I remembering having the timetable for multiplication attached to our fridge at home or having flashcards. I struggled with Math (To this day it is not my favorite thing to do), reading was good but at a younger age I made up my own little stories according to the pictures, over time it came as does everything else.   My best school marks were in College, I graduated with a 98% average which was awesome. I think because you are with a bunch of adults an you work together rather then against, there was no competition and everyone was treated the same! The little doo gooders that were in school growing up were not there as adults. The little do gooder know it alls just irritated me & made your average kid feel like their were stupid because teachers always tried to compare you to the other kids which was wrong! I always hated being paired up with them, they always took over projects and it was always their way, I am sure they were not excited about being with an "Average" student, cause we just brought them down!

 I would have to say that my BEST teacher ever was my Grade 5 Teacher, he was awesome, he had the patience to teach, took the time for each individual student... Made learning FUN, which is so important, Thanks Mr. Riddell for the best year ever! By far the best school memory, there is always going to be that one teacher that stays in your memory forever!     I don't want my kids to be little Miss Know it alls or make others feel like there are less then important because they may not top of their class. Just be you, be the wonderful caring person we raised them to be. Be thoughtful of others feelings and treat them all equal. We are all the same regardless of how we look, think or dress! I want my girls to be happy & vibrant and not be told they can't do something or are not good at something! Make learning FUN, and enjoy school! There is always going to be that one teacher that actually does care and takes the time to teach & does not look at it as a place to collect a pay cheque & actually does care.

 And remember you are never alone if you have a good book!

X Marks the Spot

So this morning we woke up to a Majority Government led by the Conservatives. I went out and voted and I hope that you all did too.  We all have our own views and thoughts as to who should be running things. But truth be known that no matter who sits there, none of them will ever be good enough. It is completely impossible to make everyone happy, let alone a whole country, so you just deal with it and move on majority rules. And if you don't go to vote, then you really truly do not have a say as to how it all plays out. So it is important to do your part! It is a amazing that we can actually get out there and vote! Wish I had thought that way, way, way back when.. When I was just legal to vote, seems like many, many moons ago!

I used to never be one to really follow Politics, never really had any interest in it. But as I became and Adult with children, jobs and other "Grown Up" things, things that effect me and my family! It  has become important. I guess younger, I always just left that to my parents to make the "Grown up" decisions.. I do have to admit that when I became "Legal" to vote, I never did. Because those things back then did not interest me at all and really they should have. But then, having a social life, and that sort of thing was more important to me. But now it is funny how these things are important to me or all of us as we get older and wiser. I am being honest here, I was not a little do gooder type Miss Know it all who followed politics as a young adult or would make it my life's mission to go out with friends and preach about who our Government sucks, why be a Debbie Downer?  I was too carefree and enjoyed the simplicity of life, lets face it sometimes even being a Grown up and dealing with real life issues can be a little bit of a bad buzz for us at time! Because now we have to worry about our children's well being,  we are caring for & taking care of other things in our lives, like Money, House, Government etc.  All the the things that our parents did for us.. That is why sometimes you feel as though you could a child again for the simplicity of things~

I think that as my children grow, I will encourage them to Vote, it is important. But I do need to also take into consideration that they too will go through the "Simple" way of life thinking at that age, as alot of us did may not vote for a brief period. But they will do it when they are ready to make a good choice, their own choice!  We will let them know that they should be proud that they are given the right to vote!

When answering the girls millions of questions about the "Red Signs, Blue Signs" all over the side of road during their campaign! We told the girls all about why there were there.. So we said to the girls, because they are all about visuals and imagination: " Let's pretend that Mommy and Daddy were our "Household Government" Daddy is the Red Sign, Mommy is the Blue Sign" which one would you vote for to run our "Household Government"... Isabelle replies "Mommy", Laila replies "Mommy".... End result was Mommy won that "Household Government"... We all got a good chuckle out of that, it was very cute! I think Tom felt kind of left out, but I am with the girls all day so it is only natural that they pick me!!

Voting: Noun

1. A formal indication of a choice between two or more candidates or courses of action, expressed typically through a ballot or a show of hands or by voice
2. An act of expressing such an indication of choice
   • - they are ready to put it to a vote
3. The choice expressed collectively by a body of electors or by a specified group
   • - the Republican vote in Florida
4. The right to indicate a choice in an election

Whistle While We Rock

It is Official, Laila can whistle & she is pretty good for 3.5 years old.

She has been practicing very hard, she can't write her name but she whistle a wicked tune. LOL We whistle on the potty, we whistle in the tub, we whistle while we play, draw & eat. Every chance Laila can whistle she does. I have not figured out if she is doing it to get better or to irritate the snot out of Belle (Which she does a really good job at doing), I am sure it is to practice to get better at it. Belle is VERY upset that Laila can whistle and Isabelle can not. So when Laila busts out into a happy whistle, Isabelle tells her to stop it is "Annoying her" and it is only annoying her because she can't do it. We have to tell Belle that there are some things that she is good at and others that Laila will be good at. Belle is a whiz at Cartwheels and Handstands & Laila is not! So we need to remind her all the time that it is okay to be good at different things and soon she will be good at it too and Laila will be good at something else. It is just so upsetting to hear your child say "I can't do it" and see the look of disappointment on their faces.  They are always looking for praise when they do something & when they don't get it they think that they have upset you but really they have not, children just always want make you proud. The truth is, that just being them or the fact that us being their parents makes us proud & happy everyday. Tom and I are always sure to tell them both, never say they "Can't" do something, always try and do your best! Practice, Practice Practice and it will come with time, when you put your mind to something you can do ANYTHING.

Tom and I were alittle nervous about the whole whistling thing because it means that more noise, but it really makes you smile it is very sweet to listen too. Laila's face lights up with joy when she does it and that is a sight to see. It is so neat to see each and every milestone your child does as they grow and become these little people/teens/adults. At one time we were changing their little tushes and feeding them bottles. Now they are feeding themselves and teaching us a few thing or two.  That makes being a parent all worth it, they are such a joy to my life, they make me smile everyday and make my heart sing!

Busy, Busy, Busy

Well it is official, I am one of those mom's I said I would never be.. One on the go all the time, I like to keep busy but not running around to sport after sport!  It is important to keep the girls active which I am all for, but it is now getting really hard to balance.  I have been trying to keep the girls activities lumped into one time and on the same day! But that may no longer be the case. Isabelle is a Gymnastics Buff and Laila is the Ballerina so the chances of them compromising on eachothers fav is slim to none! So we now have 2 separate classes on 2 separate days at late times & 1 Car!!  Trying to cordinate these activities around Tom's work scheduale is hard because sometimes it is not a 9-5 job which is totally fine! When we do find something we need to be sure he is home on time so alot of time there is alot of pressure on him which I hate. So that means VERY early mornings to be home in time to get them there, then we need to factor in the weather, traffic & the long drives home, It is a struggle with 1 vehicle most times especially when the nice weather is here, I like dry clean roads! LOL  There is always the weekend, but the hard part with me, is I really don't want to have stuff scheduled on the weekend because it takes away from family time which is important to us.. So it is all a balancing act, one that is hard might I add & I only have 2 kids. Couldn't imagine having more! The past 2 weeks has been insane with Little Gym make up classes (Which is a great thing that this Gym provides, whereas others do not) we missed about 4 for each girl when we were sick with Strep. So now we are making up those classes & trying to get them all in and at the same time before the semester ends. So we have been there Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for the past 2 weeks! Urgh, it has been so busy with running I have not even been able to get my evening walks in. Time to get a treadmill like now, at least while the kids play in the basement I can run/walk!

Here I Go again!! LOL

The girls classes will be over soon which will bring us into Summer, which we are all very excited for it. Summers keep us busy enough without having to throw programs into that mix. Come September we will have the task of choosing what to do for the Fall and again that will be separate classes due to their age! It is so hard because Laila acts like Belle's age so people think she is older, but it is important for Laila and Belle to have separate groups of friends..  I do however, think the Winter I might take a break as Flu season will be upon us, Belle & Laila will both be in school 1 full time and the other part time, so I am sure the germs in this house will be flowing like a tap (Touch wood).

I am hoping that by the end of Summer I will have my own car which will make the load alittle lighter on Tom. It is hard balancing it all with only 1 vehicle, but it works or should I say "Did" work when the kids were younger! Not that I will venture very far with it, but it will be good for little outings here and there with the girls.  I am finding that as they get older, things get busier & life gets busier! The girls tend to have more of a social life at times then Tom and I do, which is sad really! I think we need to work on that. LMAO!  Between Birthday Parties, School Events, Play Dates, Extra-Curricular activities & family time! Then when Laila starts school this fall we can add her social events into our Calendars! Tom wonders why I don't want to venture off to work until the kids are older? Here is a perfect example of why not!! It is hard balancing his job into this stuff because he likes to be an involved Daddy which is wonderful & we appreciate. But when you throw another working parent in that work mix that would be brutal.  At least with 1 parent at home it makes it alittle easier (I think)...  Seems like everything passes you by, but better take it while we can I guess, because before we know it, they will be doing their own thing and Mom & Dad won't be as needed for these events!

Maybe one day I will come home to a nice new SUV wrapped in a big Red Bow in my Driveway!!

Easter Bunny

Easter has now come and gone and I would like to think that things have settled down but they have not. I think the kids are still hyped up on Chocolate. The Easter Bunny made many appearance's for the girls. First stop being at their ggma's (Great Grandmother) house. He managed to get their in time to lay about 12 eggs( I never thought an Easter Bunny laid eggs) LOL, he left some treats there for the kids, first sugar rush of the weekend! It was so great to see her, we don't see her often and she really comes to life when she sees the girls which is wonderful. They had a great time with her as did we and it is sad when we leave.

Saturday, we had a wonderful dinner with my brother, his wife and my nephew. The kids played so wonderful and got their second sugar rush of the weekend. We had a lovely home cooked meal and adults talked and drank wine while the little ones played and had a great time. Laila ended up with a wicked nosebleed as a result of digger for what I can only say would be eggs LMAO & scared little Hunter to pieces I don't like that little 3 year old will be picking his nose... LOL. Laila was so tired she passed out on the couch and Uncle Rich took her to bed and tucked her in. But Isabelle and Hunter were still the life of the party. After they all left and we got Isabelle to sleep at about midnight (late I know) but we don't do it often and on weekends like this rules tend to go out the window. Easter bunny laid alot of eggs all of which we were hid quite well, and we forgot where they were the next morning! Isabelle woke up at the crack of stupid, we ended up sending her back to bed with a chocolate egg in hopes that she would fall asleep.. Laila woke up about 8:45am and I don't think her little feet hit the floor. She came flying into our room shouting "He was in my room, the Easter bunny was here"...... Why do these fictional people always come at night and kids are up at the first sign of light"... LOL. Gonna have to have a talk to them! Forget sleeping in anymore. She went and woke up sleeping beauty where they then started their mad hunt of eggs.. I think they did really well considering that "Easter Bunny" got a late start on the egg shopping ( A mental note that I made for next year, NEVER DO THAT AGAIN). 

Sunday, was finished off with a lovely day in the park were they rode their bikes and feed the "Dirty Birds" and played in the playground. We had a great day, we finished off our lovely weekend with Ice Cream for dinner. We took them to the Marble Creamery where they made Strawberry ice cream with Marsh mellows and Sprinkles, gummy bears and devoured every last bite.. It was soooo yummy! Isabelle ended up loosing her 4th tooth that evening so that means that the "Toothfairy" would be making an appearence. LOL, what an expensive weekend.  Maybe I should have told her it fell out because of all the sugar she consumed this past weekend... LOL  Ice Cream for dinner is a definite recommendation for parents on a nice sunny day! The girls loved it as did we.

What a great weekend, I love spending time with loved ones and seeing my girls faces shine. Their laughs were endless and their smiles so bright. Memories that will last a lifetime! Although at times being a parent can be overwhelming and stressful, it is these precious moments that make being a mom all worth it.




All of us enjoying our Ice Cream Dinner.