To end off the 2010!

I took a look back at all the hopes and plans I had wanted for our lives in the New Year for 2010 and most of it was centered around getting healthy and getting a life. Good news is 2010 brought a healthier and happier us!
I will continue to eat healthy and to workout as well as keep up with the social life. The trailer we bought in the summer was a great start to a social life and we enjoyed it all emmencely. We will continue to trailer in the summer months and in the off season we have filled our weekends with karaoke and small get togethers at the house. It has been great fun and good times. 2010 was the start of good times with good friends. Cant wait to see what 2011 has in store for us.

Some Christmas Faves

This year I totally forgot to pull out the camera, so my pics are all taken from those that remembered. Thank you Lindsay! :)We had a fantastic Christmas, the kids have been dolls handling all the late nights and parties like angels. It was a good one I must say but I am sure glad Christmas only comes once a year!

An eye opening experience

This year we (our family and Lisa's) decided we would sponsor a large family and put together a hamper for a family in need. We wanted our children to learn about giving and also to be grateful for what they do have.
We took all the kids out shopping to buy for the hamper, they gave input on foods that reminded them of Christmas and ideas for small gifts for each child.
We all loaded up upon delivery date to spread our good cheer and generosity to our family.
Firstly we were greeted by the 12 year old son, he tried to get his older siblings who were watching him to come to the door but I quote "they are to lazy to get up."
We brought our boxes in and left them in the kitchen. No one said thank you, no one bothered to greet us at the door, truth be told it was a huge eye opener.
Our children went away grateful that their life circumstances are no where near in comparison and us adults went away feeling very grateful that as parents we care enough about our kids to do everything in our power to love, protect and provide.

Today I lost a little piece of hope for humanity, how can people that ask and receive help be so inconsiderate that they cant even say thank you. It was a horrible experience it took me the entire day to shake the feeling of disgust, discouragement and fear that this world and humanity is going to hell in a hand basket.I wish this story had a happy ending but truth be told today I saw just a small piece of what some peoples life's are like and what innocent children are born into.
I suppose on the flip side I am grateful and get to experience a new appreciation for what I have and what I can provide for my children. I suppose I can say that I am lucky that up until now I have never been so up close and personal to what some people call their life and secondly I am so grateful that I am not raising my children in such an unloving, unconscious way.
It really was heartbreaking to think that their is a boy Brooklyn's age who lives in that house that smells of stale smoke and void of any feelings of love and care and he is being raised by absent parents and siblings "that are too lazy"! That is what is really tragic. I spent the whole day feeling so down that our gift and hard work went completely unappreciated but now I am grateful and compassionate to the fact that these people are in need of a bigger gift....or miracle. Tonight I will say a special prayer for that little boy and pray that he can grow up and get out of that pattern. I will also say a prayer of thanks that my life nor my children's life will never be like that.
Merry Christmas World!

Child Like Innocence

Well the best Christmas is upon us! Brooklyn is so excited, the kind of excited only a 3 year old can have. It is so special. We have been working on all our traditions, like the tree hunt, baking, decking the halls (as Brooklyn calls it) Letters to Santa, ect ect ect
I love this year and wish that this child like innocence and excitement could last forever and ever!

Even us adults have a little fun sometimes!

Couples Christmas Cookie Exchange Party of 2010, we had a blast, it was a huge sucess and hopefully a tradition!

Breaky with Santa!

A blast from the past!

This was me when I was 12 at Danika and Natalie's 1st Birthday party!

Christmas is coming!!

and we are excited! All the fun festivities we have planned.
Decorating the house, the tree, the crafts, all the parades, making our letters to Santa, cutting down the tree. There is so much magnificance and magic at Christmas and I know it is important to not forget the meaning of Christ and to teach our children it is not about the gifts but in all honesty there is so much magic to be felt and I love every stinking minute up to Christmas. Here is to a month of fun and a seak peak of the cutest little reindeer around!!

We tried... we failed!!!

Well Brycen is a little over 18 months now and he still is a really crappy sleeper. A typical night with my boy goes like this. Bed between 7:30 and 8pm. Wake up anywhere between 11 and 1. Back in his bed till next wake up between 1 and 2:30am when he is brought into my bed because I can sit there or hours and he will wake every time I leave his room. In bed with me and he still wakes every 1.5-3 hours. Finally up between 6 and 7am for the day. Needless to say 18+ months has been nothing short of exhausting.

So after a frustrating night I decided I would try anything to get him to a) go to sleep on his own without nursing 2)stay in his own bed all night 3)sleep ll night.

We tried for 1.5 weeks and after an exhausting go it was not getting any easier. I got him to fall asleep in his own bed at bedtime after sitting with him for at least an hour.
He still woke as frequently however it would take another hour of sitting in his room in the middle of the night till he fell back asleep. I would go back to my bed tuck myself in and it would be his next wake up time. It was exhausting, frustrating and self defeating. So we quit, co sleeping may be setting us up for big time trouble in the future (as everyone tells me) but it is the only way I can get a solid night of Broken sleep verses a night of no sleep.

All I hope is that like everything with children that one day this too shall pass, my boy will sleep through the night and in his own bed. I just don't want my 16 year old boy to come in to my room with his girlfriend asking if they can crash with me! haha
In all honesty though I know there will be times when my babies are teenagers or young adults and I will wish that the biggest worry I have would be "will my baby sleep through the night." So I will cherish the simple things even if I am perpetually sleep deprived!

Halloween 2010

Well it was the first Halloween in many years that we had a white Halloween! Yes it snowed something like 5 inches the night before and it did not melt for Halloween!
It was a cold one however the kids had fun!
We made it out to about 7 houses before the kids had had enough! Between the costumes, the cold and the spooky decorations the kids were overwhelmed pretty quickly.

That being said our daycare party was a big success. The kids loved the monster bash dance and the pumpkin frame crafts. They also loved the monster pizza's and the veggies dipped in slime. For dessert we had daddy long leg cupcakes.
All in all my hard work paid off and I was glad the kids had fun!

Brooklyn was a princess and Brycen was a frog prince!

Full Moon's Make kids HAIRY!!!

A look at our Fall

God Bless the broken Road that lead me straight to you!

Happy 2nd anniversary Lover!
I know our journey together hasn't always been easy, but I know as we grow and as our lives go on we strengthen our bond, we continue to raise our children in love and awareness and our love grows deeper each day. I love you very much my man, you are an amazing man and father and without you there would be no us!!! xoxo together forever in love and happiness!

Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is such a special holiday because it reminds us of all the things in our life that we are thankful for. In the hustle and bustle of life it is easy to lose sight of all things we have in every given moment from our health, to our family, to the roof over our head and the food we have. It is about cherishing these things that mean so much to us.
I love my family and I am so thankful for the reminder of all that I have to be thankful for!
xoxo

Asthma

Last night I experienced one of the many scary experiences a parent goes through. Brycen woke up in the wee hours of the night with shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing and a very fast pulse and heartbeat!

I spent 3 hours trying to regulate his breathing with his inhalers that he has been given when he gets a cough and sitting in the bathroom full of steam but nothing worked.

So off to CHEO we went. Luckily the wait wasn't horrific we were seen almost instantly then monitored the rest of the time along with plenty of breathing treatments and oral steroids.

We spent the day vegging and resuming the extensive puffer/steroid regimen for the day. Off to the asthma specialist tomorrow.

Thank God my boy is ok!!

My baby bro ties the knot!!

I am so happy for my little brother. You have come a long way Mikey! I am so overjoyed for how your life has turned out so far. I am happy you have met the girl of your dreams and soul mate. I am thrilled to welcome Giulia into our family. We love you guys! xoxo

Out of the mouths of my babe

Brooklyn: "Mommy how did you build me??!!""
Mom: I didnt build you baby you grew inside of me when I was pregnant with you!
PRICELESS!!

My how time flies!!

Some days I catches me off guard and I am reminded how big my babies are getting. Brooklyn is 3 years 4 months and Brycen is 17 months.

Brooklyn you have started nursery school and you didn't even cry on your first day. You are officially a little girl now. You love to sing and dance mostly to Christmas music! You are shy at first but full of personality once warmed up! You love to paint and draw and have plastered our walls with your art work. You are very independent and loves to do anything and everything for yourself. This a great trait I hope it stays with you forever! You are stubborn and determined, free spirited and bossy.You are also very kind hearted, compassionate and caring and you are so very special too us!!

Brycen where has the time gone, you are busy as a bee and you love to climb up everything. Your favorite thing is tables, tv's, and cupboards. (Yes you my be a tad gutsy) You have about a dozen words and even less teeth (7) you are stubborn and determined, you are feisty and very very klutzy, you are sweet and snuggly. You are most definitely still a momma's boy! You are growing up so fast little man, we love you so very very much!

1st day of Nursery School

Brooklyn had a great first day of Nursery School! She painted and cut with Scissors! Her teacher Carrie is very nice! Brooklyn didn't even cry at drop off! Way too go my big beautiful Boo Bear! Love you

Back to school!

September is really a bittersweet time! The kids go back to school, the leaves begin to change, the crock pot comes out of hiding and just the whole change of seasons is refreshing! So as exciting as it is it is sad too, it is the starts of fall which is imminent of winter (BOO!) It is the end of summer, for us that means no more trailer...it really is so sad!
I think next year fall is really going to hurt because Brooklyn will be officially entering school!

Bye Bye SUMMER Hello FALL!

Out of the mouths of my babes

Brooklyn: 3 years old

1. What is something mommy always says to you?
No way Brooklyn!

2. What makes your mom happy?
Beautiful stuff!

3. What makes your mom sad?
Well,when I'm not nice!

4. How does your mom make you laugh?
by tickling my belly!

5. What was your mom like as a child?
She had lots of toys cause I got them all now!

6. How old is your mom?
2

7. How tall is your mommy?
huge!

We need prayers!

Nonno and Nonna are not well! Nonno is in the hospital (he fainted) and Nonna just got out of the hospital for a blood clot. Dad just had surgery to remove a hernia. Ugh it has been a long week and a stressful one at that.
Nonna and Nonno you both mean the world to me, you are a very pivotal part of my existence. The day we lose you will be a very sad day in our lives. You have been amazing grandparents and as much as I do not visit as much as I know I should that doesn't mean you aren't always in my mind, my heart and my thoughts!

Mommy and Brycen and Brooklyn get sick

and it sucks we both have high fevers and aches and pains and crabbiness! We both went to the doctor and were given a prescription of rest,fluids and lots of advil and tylenol! Poor mommy, poor boy!!

UPDATED

Well about an hour after our swabs came back positive for strep Brooklyn started running a fever. So I ran around informing parents to come get their kids (yes I was working...well dosed on many pain killers) trying to find someone to pick up mine and Brycen's prescription (we are down to one vehicle now and Jeff was at work) Working out a way to get Brooklyn to the clinic before it closed so she could get her prescription. Anyway after all that the antibiotic make Brooklyn nauseous and puke. Brycen who normally is a fight to get to take meds in an even bigger fight to take the prescription. Anyway parenthood is a trip...today not a fun one. I have never in my life been so worried,helpless, scared, exhausted, paniced, short tempered and impatient. It is so hard to love to little people that you have no control over (body/heath wise)

All I can say is thanks Mom for being there to help me get through this, I know you had no one when I was a kid. Thank you Jeff you are such a great team player, you took care of me and are always an amazing player when we get in a situation. thanks for manning up and being such a great daddy to our babies!

*** Man I just caught Brooklyn trying to give Brycen baby Tylenol drops and he was a receptive as a baby bird looking for a worm. Soooooo I tested the theory and had her give him the dose...little stinker took it without a fight. STINKER!

Summer Loving had me a blast...Summer loving happened sooo fast!