Happy Mother's Day

MOTHERS
Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
They don't have time to make it.

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
Are probably in the sandbox.

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
Filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough
Doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what
The vacuum just sucked up.


Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'
And get their answer when a little
Voice says, 'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child' s growth
Is not measured by height or years or grade...

It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

The Images of Mother
4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!
35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears,or the figure she
carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,
Because that is the doorway to her heart,
The place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,
But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul.

It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she
Shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

Obsessions

As many of you know I tend to obsess over things. The most recent objects of my obsession have been the Twilight Saga and all that that entails as well as yes, again (I hear groans) The New Kids On the Block. Yes, it is like revisiting me when I was 13-18 right?

So I think I already blogged about Twilight so let's make this about NKOTB. Some of you might be aware that NKOTB announced their reunion a year ago April 4. Since then I have been to 5 shows. Two this tour and three last tour. Two in Toronto, one in Detroit, one in London and then one in Grand Rapids. The one in Grand Rapids was by far the best one.

I drove down with three friends who are big fans. We met some really great people outside the arena. Stayed in a fabulous hotel. I met the guys with 9 of my friends and got a photo (fav. guy's arm around me) and then watched the show from front row. Best birthday present ever (thanks gals). I will post the video I took and then the photos.

I think if you click on it it will be bigger.

Sorry Amy had to crop you ;)

Spring has sprung

Well the weather here in London was a balmy 18 C when I got to the van today. I was actually warm in my light jacket. That being said I have a confession to make.

I am a bad Mommy

Niamh will be 19 months old on Saturday and today I finally managed to get her to her 15 month Well Baby checkup oops. To be fair I did take her in Dec but she had a fever, Jan fever again, Feb looks like she was getting something so they wouldn't give her the two shots she needed. In March I missed two appts because I completely overlooked them. <--there is my bad Mommy moment --

Today I made sure to have it written in both of my calendars at work, my outlook calendar, on the home calendar, Ryan emailed me and I wrote it on the daycare signup sheet incase I forgot. I managed to pick Niamh up and get her to the Dr on time ... yay me! She got two shots and boy was she angry. She watched the Dr put the needle into her arm and was ticked. She screeched in anger when it was over ... then, still screaming, she waved and said 'bye' to all the staff. I tried not to laugh ... it was quite comical.

I will try to post a few photos tonight of her. I took some after she asked to have clips in her hair.

March update - My son is now 5!

Ok so I thought I should do a post about my 5 year old who seems more like 35 some days and 13 others. So yesterday being Sunday Ryan took Niamh shopping with him to get groceries . She loves to shop and her response when you ask if she wants to go shopping is 'Ooooo' which she says when she looks at new clothes etc. Such a girl. This means that my son was home with me. It was a beautiful day so I suggested he help me do laundry and then we could go play outside. He was ok with that and followed me upstairs to the laundry room. I was filling the washing machine and he was helping when I caught my left pinky toe on the metal tub that the washing machine sits in (to prevent overflow). It hurt so much I screamed and fell to the ground. Now Kian has seen me in pain before but man this kid is so calm. He simply said 'Mommy are you ok'. When I didn't respond he tried a few more times trying to see my face (which I buried in the carpet). Then he pulled my sock from the foot I was clutching and announced 'No blood ... Mommy that is very good.' Tears were now streaming down my face the pain was so bad. He then says 'can you put weight on it?' I almost started laughing. When did my 5 year old get so pratical? I tried to put weight on it and was able to hobble a bit. I hobbled down the stairs as he followed me. He says 'you are limping because you hurt your foot. It is making you slow.' I agreed and he told me how fast he could go. I had a basket in my arms and was blocking his way around me. He then says 'It's ok I can follow you I don't have to be fast'. I had to laugh ... silly kid.

As many people who know Kian have observed he is quite an entertainer. His latest facination is Mama Mia the movie. He really likes to watch it and sing along. His favourite line from a song? 'Money, Money, Money ... in a rich man's world' cracks me up everytime he belts it out.

This morning I was putting on knee high nylons (which I NEVER wear) and he is watching me. He says 'Mom those are just like the ones Grandma wears' lol Ryan tells him he thinks of his grandma too when he sees them lol

I think I already posted about my obsession with the Twilight Saga before. Well it has rubbed off onto Kian. He can't wait til I get the DVD Saturday and has been talking about the vampires all weekend. He drew a picture of them on the driveway in chalk. He put the three bad vampires with red eyes on one side and the Cullen family on the other. He keeps telling me he won't be scared at the end during the fight scene ... he promises. LOL silly boy!

Bad blogger

Ok yes I am a terrible blogger. I joined twitter and got caught up in the Twilight Saga and there goes my free time!

We are almost at Kian's 5th birthday. He is in JK and sometimes I wonder where my sweet little man went. His favourite things are hot wheels, lego and super heros. We are still dealing with nightmares when he has watches something a little to scary.

Niamh on the other hand is approaching 18 months. She is starting to talk a lot more. The latest is 'ot ea' which is hot tea. She drops the first sound. Her favourite things are baby dolls. She also loves to shake her bootie. Her smile is infectious. She is just as adorable as her brother was at this age.

I am happy to say I have lost more than 20lbs since this time last year!!! I started working out in October with my friends Leslie and Laurie. We usually hit the gym Mon and Wed night and it is really motivating to lose the baby weight. 3 more pounds and I will be back to my preNiamh weight.

Other than my Twilight Saga obsession ... I am really into watching Big Bang Theory. Sheldon just cracks me up ... I could watch it all day.

Oh ya Ryan got a new job. He starts Feb 26th with Development Engineering (London0 Limited

The Official Canadian Temperature Conversion Chart

50° Fahrenheit (10° C)

·New Yorkers try to turn on the heat.

·Canadians plant gardens.

40° Fahrenheit (4.4° C)

·Californians shiver uncontrollably.

·Canadians Sunbathe.

35° Fahrenheit (1.6° C)

·Italian Cars won't start

·Canadians drive with the windows down

32° Fahrenheit (0 ° C)

·Distilled water freezes

·Canadian water get thicker.

0° Fahrenheit (-17.9° C)

·New York City landlords finally turn on the heat.

·Canadians have the last cookout of the season.

-40° Fahrenheit (-40° C)

·Hollywood disintegrates.

·Canadians rent some videos.

-60° Fahrenheit (-51° C)

·Mt. St. Helens freezes.

·Canadian Girl Guides sell cookies door-to-door.

-100° Fahrenheit (-73° C)

·Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.

·Canadians pull down their ear flaps.

-173° Fahrenheit (-114° C)

·Ethyl alcohol Freezes.

·Canadians get frustrated when they can't thaw the keg.

-460° Fahrenheit (-273° C)

·Absolute zero; all atomic motion stops.

·Canadians start saying "cold, eh?"

-500° Fahrenheit (-295° C)

·Hell freezes over.

·The Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup.

Music is my life at least my memories

So I was watching Westlife live from Croke Park this morning and I realized as all these memories came to me as music played. Back when I was pregnant with Kian (and we are talking big ol belly time) Westlife released Turnaround. My lil sis Becka over in Australia sent me the cd and I use to listen to it every morning in the shower. I always started with track one Mandy and ended my shower with Hey Whatever which I sang at the top of my lungs everyday. When Kian was born he loved to listen to the cd. Even just hearing it now makes me want to belt it out.

My favourite Westlife song has and will always be World of our Own. I remember when Becka called me from the Westlife concert and let me listen to this song on my birthday. Watching that video of the lads brought all these memories back. I mean I have been a fan of the band since 1998. That is just a tad longer then I have been married.

I remember listening to Michael Buble's album Come Fly With Me when Kian was a wee baby. It use to be the only thing that could stop him when he was crying. I use to hold him in his dark room and just dance around to that cd and he would quiet and sleep.

Niamh on the other hand is totally different from Kian. Yes, she loves music and loves to dance like him but when she was a baby music didn't calm her like it did him. She has refused to go to sleep without her cd player playing Westlife's Love Album on repeat. If it stops she will wake up upset ... when I was watching the dvd this morning she recognized one of the songs and laid in my arms ready to snuggle for naps. What a creature of habit she is. She does get excited when I play the latest New Kids On the Block cd but that is just because it is the only thing she has heard for the past what 4 months? LOL

There is a song that every time I hear it it takes me back to the playground at Stoneybrook PS. My gradeschool best friend Sheila and I use to sing this at the top of our lungs while we swung on the tire swing. It was very popular back 1982.

If I go back a little further this song brings back memories of my early childhood playing in the basement of our house listening to the radio. It must have been either after Christmas or my birthday because I recall having just been given a new doll that walked away from you and then turned and came back. I could have sworn that this song was written for my doll called Baby Come Back to me. Now that I look into it I was likely 3 at the time.

Here is another memory that comes up everytime I hear this song. I was sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast before going to kindergarten. This song was on the radio as we were sitting there. I thought it was about termites cause they eat dust was what I thought. Hehehe oh yes I was a complex child hehehe.

I need to go do my daughter's passport application so I will leave it here.