We have a SOCCER player!

Last night was the first night of soccer for our little Tim Horton's soccer star (#8)!  We registered E for the soccer program a few months ago, and it has been a long wait for him to actually get on the soccer field.

I waited to tell him until Monday on the way home from the cottage that soccer was starting this week because I knew his excitement level would be through the roof. And it was! When Wednesday rolled around he groaned at the thought of having to go to daycare before he could go to soccer - he thought for that day we should just skip daycare and go right to the field! What a boy!

I have to say, I thought the program was well organized considering you're taking 60 some 3 to 4 year olds and putting them on a field with their own soccer ball. The organizers had it very well layed out for the first night to get all the kids in their uniforms, on the field, doing drills, and having fun within the allotted hour.

This was the first group type activity that I have seen E jump right into without hesitation. He was gung-hoe before we went (which is common) but to my surprise his enthusiasm continued for the duration of the activity.  He had a good sweat on and was pretty pumped about the whole experience - even wanted to wear his soccer shoes to bed last night! E had a blast to say the least - and the fact that they gave out popsicles as a post game snack scored mega points with him!

Overall a great night of fun for everyone... when I asked E if he wanted to go back next week, his response was 'totally'! So we are 'totally' looking forward to it!

 

Made with love!

The last two weeks our household has been controlled by the flu bug so I have spent many days at home either being sick myself, or tending to pukey-poopy boys. Needless to say, although we were sick, we were also bored of being sick, and we had a lot of time on our hands, so I decided to break out the paints one day so that E and H could create a couple of pieces for the Grandma's for Mother's Day.

The beauty of these projects is that they didn't break the pocket book, and the results came out pretty good considering the combined age of the to artists is only 4! I got all the canvas' and the wooden hanging plaques at the dollar store (although each piece was more than a dollar - but that's a whole other blog).  The paints we had on hand from some previous projects - put those together with an hour of free time and presto! we had some pretty fun Mother's Day gifts to give two special ladies!

Take a look at the results. They didn't rid us of the flu bug but they definitely put a smile on the faces of Grandma Coleman and Grandma Bellerose - and E and H were pretty pumped about their artistic masterpieces too!

Happy Mother's Day to two of the best Grandmothers in the business!

 

Best job in the world!

Every year that I get to celebrate Mother's Day as a mother... is another great year to me.  I love being a Mom, and being a Mom to two boys, but the last couple of weeks have had me run down and feeling like I am falling behind in so many other areas of my life.  However, along comes Mother's Day and boom, I am reminded why I love this job so much!

I got to spend the day with my boys, and we didn't do anything over the top, but I did enjoy it, and I enjoyed hearing my big boy tell me 'did you know that today is a special day for Mother's like you Mommy ... cause your my special Mommy'.

Lots of sweet conversations with my big boy today, and lots of slobbery kisses and oohing and awwing from baby boy. PC also stepped in to help out with a few of the Mommy duties too, so that was a nice way to break up the day (and he played photographer too!). We had a nice family dinner with my in-laws and the boys fell asleep on the ride home so bedtime was a breeze!

I am so thankful to take part in this special day - it sounds corny, but I really truly love being a Mom.

To all of my Mommy readers out there, I hope you were reminded in some small way today just how special you are!

Happy Mother's Day.

 

Looking back, looking forward!

This is a little bloggy meme that I did a few years back, but of course, a few years later the answers are much different, so I thought I would do it again! I find that time passes so quickly... and I like to have these little tidbits on record for when I'm older and the memories of days gone by don't come as easily. 

15 years ago I would have been... convincing my Dad that instead of getting the new car he wanted (a Grandpa driving Buick Century), we needed to get a cooler ride, a teal Pontiac Grand AM, that he would have to squeeze in and out of for 5 years, but that a decision like this would really go a long way in cementing his 'coolest dad ever' title. I still can't believe he did it, but man did I love that car... as in LOVE cruising back and forth the high school with my friends, pumping Backstreet Boys to the MAX! Thanks Dad - you're still one cool dude to me!

10 years ago I would have been... waiting on call back for a student job at HRSDC, but not realizing that not getting the job would be a life changing moment. I instead asked my employer from the previous summer if they would take me back and when they did so without hesitation, it led me to lay eyes on my 'work hottie' - or as I now refer to him as PC!  I spent that summer emailing my bestie (who was in France at the time) about all of the interesting conversations my 'work hottie' and I were having over lunches and coffee breaks. Taking that old job back was the start of a very beautiful thing!

5 years ago I would have been... finished my french language training and returned to my work place after a year of hell. I was mustering up the nerve to leave my 'home' department, and move onto the next step in my career. It was such a hard decision, and I still miss many of the people there, but I have discovered a whole other side of government in public health, and because of that decision I can say that I truly enjoy (most parts of) my job, and have made many wonderful friends because of that decision.

1 year ago I would have been... on maternity leave with my second sweet boy and adjusting my lifestyle to coming and going with two boys in tow. I remember wishing I had enjoyed my first maternity leave as much as I was enjoying it the second time around. All Moms would probably agree, the one-on-one time you have with your children when they are young is so precious, and something that once it passes, you never get it back. I was happy to have a year off with both my boys to focus on them... and to just be responsible for being a Mom.

This year I am... back to work, back to reality, back to figuring out how to balance work responsibilities with family responsibilities. The office has been a stressful place over the last few months, but seeing those smiling happy faces at the end of the day makes it all bearable (when they are not sick and puking with explosive diarrhea - sorry TMI)!

Today I am... I am sick, but mustering up enough energy to register my first born, for kindergarten. I think all parents say it, but it really is true 'I can't believe he's going school - already'.  He is such a big boy in so many respects, but he is still my first baby, my sweet little boy, and there is so much innocence that I want to protect for him for just a little longer.  

Next year I want... to take a hot vacation ... at an all-inclusive resort and just the enjoy the beach for a week, sans kids. Its been over 4 years since PC and I have done that, and I really REALLY miss it!

In 5 years I hope... to have two happy health boys in school, that are thriving in all aspects of life. I hope that with the money we aren't spending on full-time daycare for two, we are planning to do something really really AWESOME! 

In 10 years I hope... that the beginning of having teen boys in the house doesn't cause me take up alcohol full-time! I hope that PC and I have survived the hurdle of parenthood, marriage, and all of the little hurdles that life throws at us this far... and that we can still lean on each other for the challenges life will present us in our (gasp!) 40s!

Days pass so quickly, but memories last forever! If you want do some reflecting on your own, feel free to take this meme and post it on your own blog or FB wall with your own answers.