Oh, How the Years Have Flown by - Ella is 7

     And once again I am way late with this post but c'est la vie.  Better late than never right? At least that's what I keep telling myself.

     Ella is 7 years old.  How did this even happen? Having her seems just like yesterday but also forever ago.  I have spent the last 7 years watching this beautiful baby turn into the most amazing little girl a mother could ask for.  She was the perfect baby and now the most delightful not so little girl.

     Ella at 7 Loves:

• Family Channel
• Playing Wii
• Lego
• Spending time with her family
• Dolls and Stuffies
• Webkinz

Ella at 7 eats:

• Pretty much anything but loves fruits and veggies (strawberries, corn on the cob and carrots are her favourites)
• Loves chocolate milk but hates white milk and I can't say I blame her

Ella at 7 wears:

• Size 8-10 and all of her pants have to have adjustable waists - tall and slim
• Size 1-2 shoes
• Dresses and Skirts are her favourite and anything comfortable
• PJ's, this girl loves to be comfy just like the rest of us - when we are at home we are in our jammie pants

Ella at 7 can:

• Blow bubbles with bubble gum
• Whistle
• help cook, clean and take care of her siblings (she's a real great helper)
• have quite the attitude sometimes

Ella at 7 says:

• kind and positive comments about almost everything as she hates to upset anyone
• Tells me I'm the best Mommy and that just melts my heart
• How much she loves her siblings and is always telling them how cute they are

Things I never want to forget:

• How sweet, kind, caring and considerate you are and have always been - its always been such a joy to be your Mommy
• How insanely beautiful you - There has never been a more beautiful 7 year old in the entire world.
• How incredibly smart you are, always the top of you class for everything - especially reading.
• How you aren't too bog for cuddles and you make up excuses just to get extra cuddles.
• How you still love to be babied and this is OK with Mommy because you will always be my baby.

Dear Miss Bella, I love forever and always.  You will always be my sunshine and my first Little Love!

Catch up Day

     So I didn't post once last week, which is just another bad mommy moment from yours truly.   I wish I had some awesome excuse but I don't.  I am not even sure why it was so hard for me to sit down and write.  Anyway, here is what happened this past week, just to catch up.

• Wedding Plans - We've gotten a lot accomplished in the last week.  Favours planned, guest list made, invitations designed (yes I know they really need to be sent out soon), menu decided, cake/cupcakes planned, program started, centrepieces chosen and possibly a few other small details worked out...but I've kind of lost track and its 63 days away. I will not panic yet......*deep breaths*

• Honeymoon plans - We have a kick ass bum (I try really hard not to say bad words) honeymoon planned.  I use the term honeymoon based on the fact we are leaving 6 days after the wedding and that's pretty much the only honeymoon part.  It is pretty amazing though. 10 days in Germany and Austria.  The Austrian part will be spent in an amazing Chalet that we could never afford in a million years but thanks to my niece Kirstin and her connections (her incredibly amazing employer) will have a beautiful chalet in what looks to be mountains (think the Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music).  The time in Germany will be spent cruising the Autobahn in white knuckled fear and exploring everything we can.  Accompanying us on this trip will be Harmony since she is free to fly.  We would have loved to take the other 2 but at $1000 a ticket round trip (and that's on the cheap end) it just wasn't feasible. My far away niece Kiki will be meeting up with us in Munich and exploring Austria with us.  I am so glad she will finally get to meet Harmony.  Also making the trek with us is my parents, little brother, sister and brother in law.  Interesting side note - It is my parents 50th wedding anniversary this year and my sister and brother in laws 25th so what a great way to celebrate all this love...I just hope the walls are thick or maybe I should just pack ear plugs.

• Ghost Busting - Camden has developed an irrational fear of our house lately, which makes it pretty hard to live day to day life.  He has hated this house since the day we moved in and it makes no sense.  Its a million times better and yet he begs to move back every day to his old house. No he has been telling me there are ghosts in our house and is absolutely terrified. He calls up his Gampa Gampa and begs to go there because there house is better and has no ghosts.  He has slept there 2 nights this week because he is happier there and sleeps. At home he whines, cries and has panic attacks at bedtime.  The only night this week he went to bed peacefully is the night we told the so called ghosts to take a hike and then said a 10 minute bedtime prayer.  I am not a believer in ghosts but this kid is freaked out and after what he has been telling me it started to freak me out too. Hopefully things will calm down soon because I can't handle a kids to be afraid in his own house.

• R & R - Not so much for me but for poor Ella who got the stomach bug worse than everyone else put together in our house. She was sick for 9 days.  She is finally on the mend and back to school.  She is down quiet a few pounds which is kinda scary when she now weighs only 45 lbs at 7 years old and she is extremely tall. I know she will start to gain again but the kid looks like she could snap in two.

     That's pretty much it for this week.  I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and I promise to do better with my posts next week.

Camden is 3 !!

     Camden turned 3 on Sunday and this really should have been posted sooner but 3 out of 3 kids have been struck by a lovely tummy bug.  Mike and I are exhausted but no pukies yet for us *knocks on wood* So without further ado,  What Camden's like at 3?!

Camden at 3 Loves:

• All his construction vehicles
• Lego
• Books
• His sisters, Daddy and Gampa, Mommy usually places last
• Cuddling
• Wrestling anyone and everyone
• Stop Motion Lego Videos on YouTube and well just YouTube in general
• Being outside as he has "lots of work to do" which is generally digging in his sand box

Camden at 3 Eats:

• Pretty much anything but loves Chinese food and his vegetables - squash, beets, corn, "patabas" (Potatoes), carrots etc.
• Still on lactose free milk we will be slowly be making the transition back to regular milk and will see what happens...
• Not a big breakfast fan and usually won't eat much of anything

Camden at 3 wears:

• Size 5/6 diapers at night
• Size 8/9 shoe
• Size 3-4 pant or shorts
• size 3,4,5 Shirts depending on brand mostly 4-5 now.

Camden at 3 can:

• Pee in the Potty without any accidents during the day now, we just need to work on the poops in the potty.
• Play independently, which I love some days! He has also learned to play nicely with friends most days and can now share.
• Help in the kitchen - bake, cook or clean he loves to help with it all.
• Recite almost everything from memory - books, songs, movies -  it truly amazes me!
• Use the computer and ipod all by himself - good yet scary.

Camden at 3 says:

• "Smile for me, Mommy, Please be Happy for me" - Anytime I am telling him not to do something he pulls on Mommy's heart strings by making me smile.  He also tells me to smile or be happy with Ella or Harmony if I seem unhappy with them. It was really cute for the first 3 weeks he said it...oh who am I kidding its still ridiculously cute

• "Close the door, I need My privacy" - Sometimes when he's on the potty, he tells me to take a hike, which is OK for me but usually results in a mile of toilet paper being used and clogs the toilet.

• "I Love Boobies"- This was a new one he told us yesterday...I'm really not surprised. The kid does love Boobies and I had to kick him off mine at a year.
• "Why?" - We really thought you would have grown out of this by now but you are so curious about everything and everything needs an answer!

Things I never want to forget:

• Your adorable face, eyes that shine with mischief and that smile, your charming handsome devil smile. 
• Your unique sense of humour, you make me laugh like no one else can.
• Your incredible laugh
• Your quirky personality

Happy 3rd Birthday My Little Man, sorry Big man, you hate being called Little. Mommy loves you through and through, yesterday, today and tomorrow too.

I'm still standing!

     Yes, I know the title of today's post is an Elton John song title and that's precisely why I did it ( I wouldn't be his biggest fan if I didn't lol...and it fits with my post sooo shush).

     So I am, still standing by the way.  Ella's tummy bug has not hit yet.  She's on the mend slowly nibbling a cracker and sipping ginger ale and I am not throwing up yet.  I am not hopeful it will pass me by but I am thinking I may just get the laundry done and house cleaned before the second wave strikes. Seriously, that is all I ask of this horrid bug - You can take me after I've caught up and not a minute before. 

     Tomorrow if I am still alive you can look forward to Birthday Pictures! For now I am off to clean, cook,raise three children.

Miserable Monday!

Thank you to Mike W for posting this for me.  I am pretty sure this must be how my kids feel when I am on the computer.

     I know I promised birthday pictures and a birthday post for Camden but I have been taking care of one very sick Ella baby. I am also trying to get all the laundry done before the next wave of the tummy bug hits in our house. Its inevitable. If its here in the house soon we will all be sick.  If you don't hear from me for a few days I'm caring for sick little people and doing all their laundry . I may possibly try and take down all the party decorations to at some point! Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!



Friday Night Leftovers

First of let me say I got this idea from The Tompkins Family Blog . She always does a Friday Night Leftovers with link ups and a pretty graphic but I am sooo not cool enough for that, so here's the plain old Friday Night Leftovers version.

• We received the best possible news yesterday about a very much loved family member and we are so happy and relieved. My heart is so much lighter and we can all breathe easier. 

• Our best wishes and big Congrats go out to M and J (not mike and I) on today, your wedding day. We wish you all the happiness in the world.  Have a great day celebrating and you too Ella Baby, oh and Little Miss N too!

• This weekend, my amazing and wonderfully strange little boy turns 3.  Please someone stop the growing up process or at least freeze it for a little while? Oh, alright, I'll suck it up but I can't handle my babies growing up.  Ella's birthday is 6 days after Camden's , so we will be celebrating it on Camden's birthday this year. Really, Miss Ella? 7 Years old? This is not allowed. My sweet, kind little girl is inching closer to the horrible angst filled teenager years that I dread so much. *sigh* I can feel the grey hairs starting to sprout up already (not really, pftt, I don't do grey).

• Wedding plans are materializing into well a wedding.  Slowly but surely I am piecing together "Our Happily Ever After" and its tiring...so much thought and detail for us and 30 members of our immediate family. Its crazy, but I seriously can not wait.  None of us can wait! YIPPEEEEE! We are also desperately trying to manage a honeymoon in Austria. All we need is flights!!! Which are so not cheap but if we can get there, we have free accommodations and the chance to see my niece Kiki who we haven't seen for 11 months. If anyone is feeling particularly generous and wants to donate to our honeymoon fund, I definitely wouldn't say No (*Hint Hint*)

• Camden has started something new and I am not a fan.  At exactly 6 am for the past two mornings he has woken up screaming like he is being tortured and he only wants Daddy. Well Daddy is already at work.  He screams until the entire house has woken up and then decides to crawl into my bed and go back to sleep for 2 hours while the rest of us are up and MISERABLE!!! It better stop soon.  It's getting old real fast!

• Harmony is now standing unassisted all the time now.  I suspect she will be walking very soon which is crazy. Walking at 10 months when the other 2 kids waited until their 1 year birthday. She has also mastered faking sick.  She coughs and covers her mouth on command.  She has also started grabbing tissues to blow her nose. She is such a Drama Queen.  Wonder where she got that from? Definitely doesn't have anything to do with Mommy and Daddy being theatrical...hmmm...

     That's it for this Friday Night Leftovers. Enjoy your weekend and you can look forward to the kids birthday party pictures next week.  I am so excited to give them their birthday presents. Have a great weekend everyone!

Commonly heard phrases...This week

   These are some commonly heard phrases at our house as of late:

• Not in your mouth (about 50 billion times a day)
• You are not a dog, stop eating the dog food and please stop barking (believe it or not that's directed at the baby)
• Please tuck "it" down before you pee, Momma doesn't like getting sprayed.
• Stop licking the toilet, windows, mommy etc.
• You are not a teenager so quit with the attitude.
• What's that? Thanks for your boogers, that was lovely ( as I wipe snot off myself)
• Stop groping Mommy, that's Daddy's Job (usually followed with I thought daddy drove a forklift at work, NEVER MIND)
• I don't like Poop Surprises
• Hands out of your pants
• Pee first, then YouTube
• Stop sniffing that!
• You don't have boobs so you don't need a bra (Ella wants to grow up way too fast)
• Stop poking Mommy's food you have your own food to poke or maybe eat?
• Don't wipe your hands on the wall, table, dog, sister, brother etc...
• Is that poop or chocolate? Thank God its chocolate this time.
• Teeth are for food not people.
• Hands are for helping not hurting.
• Why is there water on the floor? wait, its not water *sigh* Why did you pee on the floor? (Camden's Answer: Because I wanted to.)
• Be KIND!!!!!!!! THAT'S NOT VERY KIND!! (Camden then begs be happy mommy, be kind to me, smile for me)

 And that's this week's commonly heard phrases at my house, I need a vacation!!!

Babies don't keep!

     My babies are growing up and its sending me into teary eyed mess. In a month or so I will have a 7, 3 and 1 year old. That is not allowed. Harmony may or may not be our last baby and the thought alone is enough to scare the poo right out of me. No more nursing, tiny little diapers, the smell of a brand new baby, first smiles and all the rest of the exciting things that come with a baby.  I'm not ready to pack away all the baby things as my baby is quickly approaching toddler hood and leaving baby hood behind her.

    My niece who is ever so far away in England (and never even met Harmony) posted the poem below on my Face book wall today.  It's a great reminder to cherish the days we have with our little ones instead of constantly worrying about the mundane chores because at the end of my life I will never say I wish I cleaned my house more but I can bet I will say I wish I cuddled my babies more.  So if you stop by and my house is in complete chaos we are too busy making memories to clean.

Mother, O' Mother, come shake out your cloth, Empty the dustpan, poison the moth. Hang out the washing, make up the bed, Sew on a button and butter the bread. Where is the mother whose house is so shocking? She's up in the nursery, blissfully rocking. Oh, I've grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue, Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo. Dishes are waiting and bills are past due, Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek - peekaboo. The shopping's not done and there's nothing for stew, And out in the yard there's a hullabaloo. But I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo. Look! Aren't his eyes the most wonderful hue? Lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo. The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow, But children grow up, as I've learned to my sorrow. So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep! I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep. ~ Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Wedding countdown

     The countdown for the wedding is on. We are starting to get organized.
We have :

• A date and time
• A dress and suit
• The kids dresses and suit
• My ring (mental note - buy Mike's ring or get one from the bubble gum machine)
• A minister
• A place
• Our Song (still need to choose the rest of the music for the ceremony which would be easier if Mike would stop picking out break up songs...he's hilarious or something like that)
• Decorating ideas and plans
• Cake plans - Thanks Ariana
• Hair stylist for moi -Thanks Kait

Things I still need to remember to do or buy:

• Flowers - should I go real or fake? decisions, decisions..
• Shoes x 4, Thankfully Mike owns dress shoes.
• Garter - it just needs to be ordered
• Food
• Drinks of the alcoholic variety and i guess some non-alcoholic drinks for the minors.
• Cake topper, oh jeepers I can't forget this one again!

I must remember the to follow the wedding poem rules, so lets see :

• Something old: Pearls
• Something new: hmmmm
• Something borrowed: hmmmm
• Something blue: Garter

I guess my lists still need a bit of work but we are well on our way.  So much planning for such a tiny little wedding.  Who knew a wedding with a guest list of 30 would take so much planning...Its all going to be worth it though. I love my Forever Family!

Happy Easter from My Wee 3

It looks like a line up to me!

 Camden being his usual self - very impish indeed

Ella, so beautiful and I swear I'm not being biased. She's too darn pretty and I'm in big trouble in a few years, right? Time to invest in a shotgun now!

My always happy girl!

Seriously, these kids are too cute and they make my heart melt.  I know its a lot of mommy pride but they are just too darn cute!

Happy Easter!

The Black and White Fluffy things? Those are real chickens. Yes, Ella did get pooped on before even the first picture was taken.  Yes, Camden still thinks its the funniest story ever!

 

Wordless Wednesday - Divorce Day Cupcakes

     So because Camden loves baking while Ella is at school and Harmony is napping (its our thing) we made rainbow cupcakes for Mike's special day. 

Camden helped with every step and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it.

Rainbows Momma!

He was so incredibly proud of himself!

Mmmm...Delicious just as I expected this day to taste - like rainbows and cupcakes!

Terrific Tuesday

     There were so many great things today I'm not even sure I can remember them all but I'll try:

• This morning we took a trip to the court house to get Mike's Final Divorce Papers and this is what a happy boy looks like!

• We bought the girls their dresses for the wedding and Camden a cute little man suit. They are going to look adorable, of course they always look adorable but I'm biased.

• We picked up the kids Easter portraits. They are super cute and I can't wait to share them with everyone as well.

• We dropped Camden off at his Gampa Gampa's for an overnight visit. I love Camden but absence makes the heart grow fonder right?

• I scrap booked with a friend.  Any day I get to scrapbook is a good day and I even managed to finally start Harmony's scrapbook. Oh, I am soooo far behind.

• Pita's for supper, 'nuff said....I didn't have to cook and they are YUMMY!

• We finished up the Easter shopping and spent some quality time with the girls since Mike decided to take a day off!!

• I spent the whole day with the people I love and barely cleaned at all, which is a win-win in my books. 

     What terrific things did you do today?

It's Divorce Day!

     You know that day I never ever thought we would get to. Yeah, its that day. Scream, jump and giggle with happiness and excitement day.  A day to look forward to the future, the very near future.  Even the kids are caught up in the excitement that is today. Camden keeps asking if its time for him to marry Mommy and Daddy yet (He thinks he is getting married to us, how cute is that) and asking something about why the wicked witch is gone (this may or may not be my fault).  Harmony is extra happy today, clapping and smiling but I hear excitement is contagious.  Ella is full of questions and comments but is happy as well. Shes been waiting a long time on this too!  After all, she has been begging Mike to marry me for years.

    Today is a rare day when all feels right in the world, or at least these four walls at the moment.  Wedding plans are coming along nicely, the kids are happy and I got a full night of sleep for once.  I know these days don't generally last long as the world comes crashing in around us but for once I will smile and enjoy it. So Congrats Mike on your divorce! We are all looking forward to Divorce Day Cupcakes later! Yipee!