Two Girls and a Dog

Daisy is technically my parents dog, but we have a great arrangement worked out where we have custody of her much of the time. We have her most of the winter while they are in Florida and other times while they travel throughout the year. The boys have always liked Daisy and enjoy having a dog around. Thanks to their responsibility chart, Jameson takes Daisy out to for a short walk each day and Cameron feeds her and gives her water each morning (we learned he was also sneaking her half a bag of dog treats in with her food). Avery and Ella love Daisy and the feeling appears to be mutual. Daisy although almost 4 years old is still very much a puppy but being around the girls seems to have improved her behavior. She is very gentle and always stays close to the girls. She wants to be where ever they are, playing with the same toys they are. I have taken to calling her the "triplet". The girls spend much of their day following the dog around, calling her name, petting or attempting to sit on or ride her. "Day-dee" is one of the most common utterance I hear from them these days. Here's a couple of clips of the triplets playing in the front yard...

Happy St. Paddy's Day

Ever since my college days where March 17th was a huge holiday, I have loved St. Patrick's day. I'm 1/8th Irish, but happy to say that through good breeding my children are all 1/3 Irish. Cameron fully embracing his Irish heritage, set out a leprechaun trap before going to bed last night which involved a box filled with shiny metal objects to attract the leprechaun. His contraption was unsuccessful at capturing the leprechaun, but it did leave evidence of its visit, taking the shiny coins and leaving a shamrock and green glitter in its place. The same tricky leprechaun got into the milk, coloring it green before breakfast time. Tonight we all sat down for some corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread, and enjoyed our Irish roots!

Hello Sun!

Just as I was about to set sail across the river that use to be our back yard, headed for a place far far away, the sun came out and all was right once again. The rain moved in in time for the weekend and brought some bad days with it. Both Avery and Ella came down with ear infections, Cameron soon also developed an ear infection, Jameson came down with a stomach bug, and Ella then broke out in bad rash- an allergic reaction to her antibiotic. There was one point during one night ( a blur now) that all four kids were all up in misery at the same time. The rain water then came in our basement so now we will need to replace the rug, and over a foot of water flooded my parents basement where we are still staying during the construction project. At one point the water rose so high that it caused the furnace to emit clouds of thick black smoke, nearly starting an electrical fire. I smelled the something, opened the door to the basement, was enveloped in smoke- yelled to Jim that we needed to get out of here, grabbed the kids and the dog and called 911 on the way to the car, where we waited for the fire trucks to arrive. You can't make this stuff up! The firefighters shut down the gas lines and turned off the furnace and water boiler. So while a full scale fire was avoided- we are left with no heat or hot water until the flood subsides. Plumbers were here and have two pumps running, but it has still to make a dent in the water level. But the sun did come out today, everyone seems to be feeling better for now, and we got out to enjoy the day. I took the kids to a park with a great bike trail. The boys rode for the first time of the season and I pushed the girls in a stroller then let them walk pushing strollers of their own. It was a very enjoyable afternoon made even more so after the weekend we had!

Ella pushing her stroller and Jameson riding full speed ahead!

Happy Birthday Hubby

Today was Jim's birthday and the kids were so excited to help him celebrate. We made Jim a big breakfast and Cam remembered to set out the special day plate. Jameson had an origami lesson at school the other day and own his own, made Jim an origami balloon into which he inserted a happy birthday note. We had one of his favorite dinners, Chicken Veronique all ready to go when Jim got home from work. Cam, always thoughtful and generous, wrapped up some items from around the house to give to Daddy for his birthday. One gift in particular, I'm sure Jim will remember for years to come- Cam wrapped up a hockey puck of Jameson's which was autographed by one of the best players in the NHL, only before wrapping he scratched off the autograph and attempted to write his own name in its place. Oh Cam, he means so well! Everyone enjoyed the ice cream cake, especially Avery and Ella. They were jumping out of there seats while waiting for their slice and then literally licked their plates clean. What a mess! All in all, I think Jim had a nice birthday and we hope to get out this weekend to celebrate on our own. Happy Birthday Hon, we all love you so much, admire what an amazing dad you are and appreciate all your hard work!

End of the Season Makes My Monday

The Hockey Season is drawing to a close, and while I am thrilled with how much the boys have improved and I loved watching every game, I am happy that my part in chauffeuring them around to cold hockey rinks will soon be over, for a little while! To finish off the season the boys played in tournaments this past weekend. The hockey tournament fell on the same day as the basketball tournament making for a very busy day. Jameson's basketball team won their first game of the season and therefore advanced in the playoffs, and had to play again shortly after the first game. The weather was beautiful outside and at times I found myself hoping for a quick elimination (don't tell J) so we could all go enjoy some sunshine. Jameson was tired by the end of the day having played in four different games but happy to bring home a trophy! While Jim was working on the house, the girls were home with Nanny and Papa and it was the first time I left them for an entire day. While they loved spending time with their grandparents, they still gave me a hard time when I got home that evening, screamed when I left the room putting them to bed that night and were extra clingy that next day. While they make me so feel loved, it makes me very nervous to think about having to leave them for two days when I head to the hospital to deliver their baby brother or sister!
Here are some highlights from the weekend's games:

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First Shoes

Who doesn't love a good shoe shopping trip? Shoes are one accessory that liven up any outfit and can make you feel better instantly. Unlike clothes shopping, new shoes don't mind how much weight you've put on, or how pale this winter has made you. Well, unfortunately it wasn't me that got to be on the receiving end of this latest shopping spree, but it was my girls turn and they loved every moment of their first shoe shopping adventure. They have both been walking for over a month now, but with all of the snow on the ground I didn't feel like I had to rush out and buy them real shoes just yet. However, over the weekend, the last of the snow melted away and I began to have visions of taking the girls to the playground once again, and unfortunately their Robeez will no longer suffice. So out we went in search of real rubber soled shoes. We headed to a local shoe store which I knew to carry Stride-Right first walker shoes. The girls both measured a size 5 with the right foot and 5 1/2 on the left- I guess they really are identical! The selection was limited because we happened to time it as they were packing away all of the winter inventory and still waiting for the spring selection to arrive. They didn't have any of the white first shoes I imagined them wearing in their correct sizes. Luckily, the girls had their own idea and pointed to a few bright pink pairs. After the production of getting everyone in the store and measured I wasn't about to leave empty handed so guess what? We purchased the pink shoes which they got to wear right out of the store. When I brought the girls back home I noticed that only one out of the four shoes was still on and now I'm beginning to think maybe Velcro wasn't the best idea!