Munchkin Music Graduation Day

For the past few months, E has been participating in a little preschool program here in our small town of Embrun. The first phase of the program is called Munchkin Music and teaches the preschoolers all about the different instruments, musical sounds, and a variety of fun songs.

E has really enjoyed the program. He is always hesitant to go, but once he is there he really enjoys himself and is pretty proud of all of the crafts he has brought home. The teachers that work with the group are very energetic and really make it easy for the kids to enjoy themselves away from their parents.

Over the last 12 weeks the group has been preparing for Graduation Day (E always says 'its my celebration' instead of 'graduation'), which consisted of a little concert of all the songs they've learned - a special performance for the parents. I wasn't sure how E would react to the crowd, but he didn't miss a beat, he sang all of his songs proudly for the audience, and was very happy when he recieved his diploma.

PC, Hudson, and I attended the 'celebration' and we were very proud of our little man! Thanks to Miss Catherine and Miss Nathalie for a great little program! Can't wait for the second session which starts after Christmas.

Here a few pictures from the graduation, and a little video from part of the ceremony!

 

Calling all December babies... how is your birthday best separated from Christmas?

So... I am trying to plan a 1st birthday party for my sweet boy who will celebrate the big ONE in just a few short weeks.

The problem is, I am also trying to get my Christmas shopping done in a few short weeks too!

I am sure I am not the first Mom to come across this challenge, but I do know that I try to make birthdays in this house a big deal, and this is my first experience with party planning when another mega holiday is staring me right in the face.

And, I know that every December I am going to be facing this challenge, as H blows out his first big candle on December 16th, just 9 days before Santa Claus comes to town!

I'd like to hear from the December babies out there, or the parents of December babies, to find out how you or your parents separated your December birthday from Christmas in this very busy month of holiday hoopla.

I feel like there should be some code or book out there that I'm missing... you know the one titled 'how not to f'up your baby's December birthday'! I can't seem to get my hands on a copy, but my desire to know whats in that book is borderline obsessive!

For this year, I am hosting H's big party a bit early so that I won't have the house all decorated up for Christmas... but I know this won't be the case every year.  I guess I am wondering from all the December babies if you prefer to have your birthday looped in with Christmas or if you wish it was a completely separate event?

I do know that I vow never to wrap H's birthday gifts in Christmas paper... and to always give him the special birthday attention that anyone in our family would get on their special day... but I am still concerned that because his birthday is so close to Christmas, he'll be gypted just a little in the birthday department.

So... let's hear it December babies... what's the secret to having a fabulous birthday in the month of Christmas?

11 Months: Can't sit still!

Whoa! Another month has flown by and my little man has become quite the mover and shaker! Honestly, if you blink for a second, you might lose him! He is go go go, all. the. time.

I remember this stage with E, but not to this extent.  E was content to have some freedom, but didn't really get into any kinda of trouble during his exploration phase.  H on the other hand is willing to push the limits on EVERYTHING! Once he has his sights set on something, if you step in and deter him, he gets pretty vocal about how you've wronged him! Its cute, and his sweet smile is able to buy him a little bit of slack!

He does like to put up a pretty good fight once he does get his hands on something he considers awesome, and it takes a little effort to pry it out of his clingy little hands. Despite his determination, he is still easily satisfied by a change of scenery or some attention from his big bro!

H is still babbling up a storm, and he and his big bro are starting to get a little grabby with each other! It won't be long before the title 'Little Brother', is only going to mean an age gap, and nothing else!

The last month has been a lot of fun to see Hudson rapidly developing and changing. He has finally mastered the sit up from a crawling position, and loves it so much that he spends a good 20 minutes practicing his new moves before giving in to a nap!

He is still the best little sleeper... clocking at least twelve hours per night, and loves his two naps a day. When he is awake, he likes to fuel up on any food he can eat on his own! He has a huge appetite and is definitely a meat and potatoes kinda guy!

Our 11 month photo shoot was mainly done outdoors... as it was 14 degrees outside in NOVEMBER! We have seriously had the best weather lately and I am not complaining as photo shoots outdoors are always much more exciting for everyone involved!

Hudson, at 11 months, you are on the go, and keep me on my toes, but I love being at home with you during this time, and watching you master your milestones. You are such a happy boy, and one that reminds me each day how privileged I feel to be a Mom to such a special little man.  I hope your final month enroute to your 1 year milestone is as exciting as the last 11 months have been for me.

Happy 11 Months Huddy Buddy!

Shop 'til you drop!

This past weekend, PC and I headed out with some good friends (shout out to the Sellers) on a weekend shopping excursion in Syracuse, NY. The trip did not disappoint... we shared a lot laughs as per usual, and the shopping was filled with good finds!

Many Canadians from this area head to down to Syracuse quite often to shop. There are great savings, and just a lot of things accessible that we can't get in Canada. It's been a while since PC and I have gone to Syracuse, but we've been saving our pennies for a quite some time and we were definitely excited to spend them on some great things!

We left early Friday morning, and our first stop was Watertown, NY at Kohl's. We did a little bit of damage there! Then we trucked onto Syracuse and did DSW and a few stores at the Carousel Center, and finally an hour or so spent at Target before hitting Dinosaur BBQ for dinner (more good friends were also in Syracuse doing the same thing as us, so we met up for dinner - BONUS)!!

We saved our 'shop til you drop' attitudes for Saturday, when we were up at 6am, showered and out the door (with coffee) by 8am! We tackled (no pun intended) Bass Pro Shop and a second Kohl's in Auburn, NY, and then braced ourselves for a FULL day of shopping at the Premium Outlets in Waterloo, NY.

After a long day, we opted for a quick bite at Heid's of Liverpool, as we were EXHAUSTED, and then had a good night's sleep before heading for home on Sunday.

Sunday we managed to hit The Christmas Tree Shop, TJ Maxx (x 2), a party store, Wegman's Grocery Store, and Price Chopper. We capped it off with a meal at Panera Bread in Watertown, and we busted through the border with no troubles!

It was an all around good trip, and a much needed get away from the stress of November!

Thanks to this trip, I have my Christmas shopping well underway, and some new clothes to head back to work in, in the New Year.

When we stopped to unload our passengers, this is what the back of our car looked like...

JAMMED!

All around great weekend! If you are thinking of a shopping getaway for yourself or with friends and family, Syracuse and surrounding area is great place to do it!

I am already starting to save for late spring, when I'll need to spruce up my summer wardrobe!

Little Reminders

I love this...

I love this because it says so many simple things, and yet is a little reminder of just how precious my boys are to me... and even more than that, how important my job as a parent is to them.

These last few weeks my mind has been working overtime. My boys are so young, and its up to PC and I to guide them through the big wide world! Right now, I have more thoughts than I can possibly address -  thoughts that keep me up late at night, thoughts that are just there, and thoughts that remind me that I'm an adult now, with two children, a loving husband, and a lot of responsibility.

I actually sit back in amazement that my parents did all of this for my sister and I, and are still living to the tale!
 
Like anyone, I want what is best for my family... and I want my children to grow up feeling safe, and loved, and that we did the best job we possibly could for them.

Every decision we make as a parents has a consequence for our children... some decisions are harder than others, but my honest belief is, if you are doing what is best for them, then you are doing the right thing.  I have a hard time remembering this when it comes to my decision-making.

The line above that gets me (besides the 'stop yelling') is the one that says 'realize how important it is to be a child'. I think I tend to forget that one.  Childhood is SO important, and I want my boys to have fun, to sing, to dance, to laugh, to play, to learn, to grow, to discover, and above all else, be safe and healthy. I want this for them, because I want what I was given as a child and then some.

I'm rambling, but when I saw this canvas online, I thought it really hit home for me. Life is challenging, and being a good parent is hard work. In addition to my professional job, I have bigger responsibilities to my family, and ones that I want to fulfill by doing nothing but loving them and doing what is best for us as a family.

Can you tell I'm not ready to go back to work yet... at ALL?!
T minus two months and NOT counting!
How's that for a little reminder!

Cuisinart Customer Service: USA vs. Canada

You may recall my love for my Cuisinart Keurig Brewing Station. I heart it... seriously. But lately, it has been acting up on me. The dreaded DESCALE signal has come on at least 5 times in the last 3 months. The machine is not running right... and since its has a fantastic three year warranty (most Keurigs only have a year), I decided to call the Customer Service number in the back of the owner's manual and see about what could be done.

The first number I called, I got through to an agent after two keypad entries on the phone. A lovely agent greeted me and asked about the reason for my call. I explained the troubles I have been having and she confirmed in a rather upbeat tone that the machine was not functioning properly. She asked for the model # and the serial #, and said they would ship me out a new one immediately and when I received it, I had to ship them my current unit.

I thought ... this is too good to be true, but AWESOME!

The lovely agent asked for my name and address... but when asked for my STATE, I said ONTARIO, and she said 'oh, your from Canada?'. She then proceeded to give me the Canadian number for Cuisinart and said that it would save me on the headache of having to ship my machine to the USA. So I took the Canadian number down, we said our goodbyes, and I immediately dialed Cuisinart Canada Customer Service.

After selecting the language, and then listening to a recording three times over by a someone with a very heavy accent, I pressed zero and was transfer to a holding pattern for 10 minutes. When someone did finally get to my call, she was a low-talker. You know the kind I mean ... super soft voice as if she didn't want to disturb a hibernating house fly.

Anyways, I proceeded to tell her my spiel about when I purchased it, the descale issue, and the fact that the machine is not functioning properly. She then asked me did I have proof of purchase. I informed her, yes. She asked for my serial # and model # and told me that someone from Cuisinart would have to look at it as it sounds like the unit may not be working right. (Genius). She told me to mail in the unit to a specific address that she rhymed off and in 10 business days, someone would get back to me.

There was silence on my end for a good 20 seconds as I began to process the differences from the call I just had with Cuisinart USA. So I then tried to clarify with Agent Canada the process.

Me: "So, your telling me, I have to ship you my unit and be without my Keurig for a minimum of TEN DAYS"
Agent Canada: Yes (faintly) you are correct (softly),

Me: And in the meantime, I am just without it (read: without coffee, sanity, my soulmate)?
Agent Canada: Ahem.

Me: And after 10 days what?
Agent Canada: Someone will contact you to let you know what the next steps are.

Me: Wow.
Me: You know your US partners were all set to ship me a new one, without so much as asking for receipt. No questions asked.
Agent Canada: Uh-huh. That's the US.

Yes, that is the US... they get the importance of COFFEE to their customers. They understand that k-cups and world peace are pretty much one in the same. They know that taking a product away from a customer is wrong, and they recognize the inconvenience a bold move like this would have on the coffee drinking population.

USA Cuisinart gets it. Canada Cuisinart does not.

I don't understand how two different countries can have such different approaches when its the same issue to the same product.

Agent Canada got a little snarky, (but still a low-voice) when I barked again about having to go without the unit for so long. But the bottom line remains, if I want my unit fixed I have to send it away to get repaired with no guarantee of even getting a new one and no guarantee on the time line.

Lovely... just lovely.

You can bet if I can't brew my own k-cups for ten whole days... there is going to be hell to pay for someone at some point during that dark period.

You've been warned!