6 years...

I can't believe I am writing this post. When did I get old enough to have a 6 year old? And how did I get so lucky to have OUR  six year old?

Alyvia is 6. She is 41 lbs, love sparkles and glitter, and has an amazing imagination.
Liv is a thinker. I think she is a great leader, but she is often the one to sit back and watch what the others are doing before she moves in and begins planning.

She has lots of friends, for her birthday party this year we really asked her to shave back her list, and we still ended up with 9 screaming little girls. Luckily, after some pizza and pearler beads, they all settled in and it was actually one of our most successful birthday parties yet, with the least amount of work. Well, if you don't count the messy house the next day, and the beads I am still finding in every corner of the living room!

Alyvia is learning to read, in english and some french, thanks to FI kindergarten. She works so hard to perfect her printing, and is always working on a new book, journal or art project. She worked hard last spring, and is riding her pedal bike with no training wheels now!

Her favorite things to play are imagination games, or role playing. She is always teaching a class, or instructing her brother in yoga, reading, shopping or whatever else she can come up with at the time.

She is a hoarder, and a paper collector. She gets rid of nothing, unless I can sneak it out of the house. If I need an hour or two uninterrupted by her, I send her to "clean" her room. Usually she gets absolutely NO cleaning done, but she will quietly organize her belongings in some sort of display, or find some toy she forgot she had and start playing with that.

She loves her brothers, and she is fantastic with Nixon. She will lose her patience with Pierce, but if he is in a cooperative mood, she will include him in whatever game she has created.

Liv is ADORABLE. She still has huge brown eyes, she is smallish in comparison to some of the kids in her class, and her hair is finally long and thick enough for us to do some pretty fancy braids in.

She works so hard at everything she does, and this season she is working hard in her Sunfish Swimming lessons, and Bronze Gymnastics. She is trying hard to achieve her badges for swimming so that she can start swim club next year. She is jealous of her brother's skating ability, and I am hoping that will push her to take some more lessons this winter, even if it is just to try and outshine him!

Liv is a cuddler, a thinker, a leader, a helper, a rule follewer, and a shining star. She adds so much to our family, and is often the first to suffer when we are handing out our attention. She will usually tolerate it, but if she is feeling like she needs some special attention, she will usually let us know with tears and shouting!

Our Beautiful little LivBug is 6. I can hardly believe it, and I still wish everyday that I could come up with a way to stop time and spend every second I can soaking up my little kids.

Happy Birthday Big Girl. We love you, every second of every day!

A Moment In Time...Back to School 2012

And just like that...6 months old.

My Beautiful Baby Boy is 6 months old.

It's a perfect example of the age old, "Treasure these moments, you have no idea how quickly they go". In so many ways, Nixon seems like he has been part of our family forever, he just fit right in, from the very beginnning-knowing his role as "Child #3", and being perfectly happy waiting for me to finish dealing with his much less patient brother and sister.

  So, since I can't seem to get my act together and blog on a regular basis, and some days, I'm just not quite witty enough to come up with anything worth sharing, this is the post I have to make. Being the third, I know that Nixon's baby book it going to be lacking...
Who am I kidding, it seems that is something I suck at, so ALL of my kids will likely be disappointed with my lack of documentation of their early years.

  But, regardless, this counts as effort, so at six months old, my Happy Go Lucky little man has reached many milestones, and is still waiting for a few, just so Mama can enjoy what might be my very last experience with a baby!

Nixon Daniel Spencer
6 Months Old
14 lbs 10 oz
Sitting up on his own, babbling non stop,usually waking up once in the night to eat.
 Had his first taste of food (Home made brown rice cereal) on October 12, 2012, and his very first bottle (of breastmilk) on October 10, when I left all 3 kids at home with Daddy for the first time!

Nixon has the most laid back personality, he smiles so much, makes amazing eye contact, and loves to watch his siblings run wild. He is flipping himself from front to back, and uses that to move himself around a room, or to reach toys he wants.

He loves to be held by almost anyone, but he is a Mama's Boy, which may or may not be something I enjoy just a little too much :)

No teeth yet!

I have had such an amazing 6 months with this adorable little man, and I wish time would slow down so that I could enjoy these baby days that much longer. Although, who knows, with a personality like his, maybe he can help me convince Cody that one more would be a good thing.

Just when I think I'm getting the hang of this gig...

Sometimes the slow cooker works better if you plug it in. Pouring coffee isn't something you should multi task, and a 3 year old should never be left alone with a 2 year old and an orange marker. Today is just full of lessons learned, and it's only 11 am.

My Fat Pants...

Can I brag about being back in my pre-pregnancy jeans if they are actually the jeans I wore 2 pregnancies ago, when I hadn't lost the weight from my first pregnancy?

Yes? Ok, good.

How about if my muffin top spilling out over the top of these jeans is semi-covered by a nice jacket? Still good to go?

Alright,what if I have to undo the top button to sit, walk, breathe or talk on the phone, and the second I close the front door, I peel them off and put pajamas on?

You know what? I'm gonna count it. So, yay for me, I'm back in my too tight, fat squeezing pre-pregancy jeans. Yippee!

My 3 Year Old

I know I am supposed to say time has flown, but for anyone who has spent much time with Pierce, you know, some days can drag on and on...

He's our handful, our busy body and our charmer. He may exhaust me day after day, but this little boy can make me smile more than any other kid. He has an unreal sense of humor for a toddler, and he works it in any way he can.

The list of amazing things about Pierce could go on and on, but some of the definite highlights for him right now are almost all related to his exceptional Gross Motor Skills. This kid is a Superstar!

Pierce Kenneth
3 years old
41 lbs (Bigger than his sister is at 5 years old!)
Size 10 feet, also bigger than Alyvia

Pierce is a true athlete, with an interest in almost every sport. He loves hockey, baseball, soccer, and anything else that means he is moving. He has been riding a balance bike for almost a year, and 2 days before his third Birthday, he is riding a pedal bike with NO training wheels! He is a daredevil on his bike, scooter and skateboard. Sometimes, it's better if I just don't watch!

Pierce had a great time on our summer holidays to Portland this year, but one of the best parts of it was how comfortable he became in the water and how much his swimming has improved. We were lucky to convince him to get into the pool before that trip, and now we can often even get him to put his face in!

Our Little Dude loves Mac and Cheese, and would eat it for every meal, he wears his hockey or dirtbike gear almost every day, and some nights, we have to go and peel it off of his sweaty body once he falls asleep. Everything is all about hockey, every book, every game and almost every conversation!

He is loud. Like, SO loud. He is talking more, after some hard work in speech therapy, and has some really great questions and thoughts that we are finally getting to hear about!

Pierce is so attached to Cody, he is his little sidekick. In some ways, I truly worry that we may have done some damage to him by having Cody work away for so long. The poor guy doesn't let Cody use the bathroom alone some days, and cries when he has to go to work. His Dad is truly his very best friend.

P is a "Go hard or go home" kinda guy, and he throws himself 100% into everything he does. He plays hard, tantrums hard, and sleeps hard. He is the busiest guy I know, but has the smile that makes me want to chase after him!

Happy Birthday to my Handsome, Energetic, Amazing Little Dude.

Who am I?!

I thought I had come to terms with just how lame I am, but I hit an all time low this morning when I woke up and realized that I had actually been dreaming about sorting laundry by color. I need a life.

What a helper.

Why yes Pierce, I can see what a good job you did when you dipped the broom into the dirty water and mopped the dining room floor! Here, let me just use a towel to soak up the 3 litre puddle you slipped in on your way to wash my window with a diaper wipe. Those hardly smudge at all, right? That's ok though, I'll have plenty of time to clean the smears off the window while you're keeping busy in the bathroom emptying Nixon's baby wash onto the bath mat. Oh, and don't give it a second thought Buddy, peeing on the front doorstep while the neighbor's realtor drives up with potential buyers is nothing people haven't seen before, and besides, its hard to use the bathroom when your Mom is in there cleaning the floor. Just come on back in when you're done. While I'm hosing the urine off the concrete steps, why don't you go ahead and help yourself to a little snack? I'll get to the glass of juice you just spilled onto your freshly washed dining room floor in a minute, I know how upsetting it can be when all your hard work goes to waste.

Thirsty?

Alyvia finally knows why it is I ask her not to maul Nixon while he is eating. I know I may have scarred her for life, but the shot of milk she got into her open mouth mid-sentence was something I wish I had gotten on camera. Consider that a lesson in personal space.

You do what you have to.

I know my neighbours are judging me, my kids are in the pouring rain in the backyard throwing rocks at each other and screaming. The truth is though, unless the neighbours are going to come over and fold my laundry and wash my dishes, I'm going to let them stay out there until bedtime.

Too quiet to be a good thing.

Silence in our house is never a good thing. It means Pierce has locked himself in the bathroom and is huffing hairspray, painting his fingernails, and eating children's toothpaste. How come parenting magazines don't cover real life issues like this?

Don't worry about me...

Cody figures I used my entire sympathy card last month when I pushed an 8 lb baby out. Not only is he not offering me any sympathy for my 7:30 am root canal tomorrow, he went and booked his final surgery on his leg for the afternoon so that nobody else will either. Talk about stealing my pathetic thunder.

Let's go streaking!

Sometimes ignoring certain behavior my not be the best parenting method. Because if I'm not going to pay attention, a kid like Pierce will take the behavior out onto the front door step to see if the neighbours will respond. This is especially embarassing since the behaviour is stripping down, waving each clothing item in the air and then streaking, all while laughing hysterically.

Thankful.

It's so easy to get caught up in the chaos of wild kids, wiping bums and folding laundry, and even start to feel sorry for myself. Until a little old lady gets teary eyed and reminds me at the grocery store how quickly these years go by, how beautiful my baby is, and that she hasn't heard from her children in months. I promise, tomorrow I will wipe bums with a smile on my face.

Mommy Fail #934

I may have set a record today when I bathed two kids in less than 5 minutes. I would almost feel like SuperMom if I could ignore that my kids needed an emergency bath due to a massive poop explosion, and the fact that I ignore my 2 year old long enough for him to use 3/4 of a tub of Axe Gel to "shampoo" his hair. So, despite my best efforts during damage control, I'm still going to have to chalk this one up as yet another FAIL.

Motherhood is a beatiful thing...

Dear Overachieving Boobs, That's the neighbour's car alarm going off, NOT your baby crying. He's sleeping peacefully, and now you get to change your shirt. And I'm sure I don't need to remind you how low we are on clothing that covers you effectively. Sincerely, Hannah

Fashion Fail, according to Liv.

Fitting into pre-pregnancy jeans is a bittersweet moment. Cramming myself into my "Fat Pants" isn't usually something to get excited over, but you can only wear your maternity pants for so long after the baby is born, according to my 5 year old fashion consultant.

There is not enough caffiene to get me through today.

I would trade my second born for a coffee this afternoon. Well, to be honest, I'd give the kid away, and buy my own coffee.

He's here!

I have leaky boobs, it hurts to sit, and I haven't slept in 3 days. Somehow, this isn't exactly how I pictured happiness,but I can't take the smile off my face. I am one lucky girl. Baby Nixon Daniel arrived April 11, 2012 ar 1:51 am. Less than 2 hours of labor and he was here! He's perfect, beautiful and exactly as he should be.

Hanging out...literally.

You don't know what real problems are until you face the "dressing an overdue belly" dilemma. Pull shirt to cover belly, expose Dolly-esque chest, pull shirt to cover boobs, expose Homer Simpson's competition. Repeat ALL.DAY.LONG.

Just some more poop and puke.

There's nothing quite like waking up to a 2 year old covered in poop. Especially when that 2 year old vomits at the sight of poop. And then, the icing on the top of the poopy cake? I used ALL the hot water washing bedding, jammies, and poopy toddler, so now I get to sport greasy hair while I hang out in a house that smells like a nightclub bathroom.

Still Pregnant

Woke up pregnant again this morning. Betchya I'll go to sleep pregnant tonight too.

If you're going to call or text me today (and any other day before this baby shows up) please pretend you're calling for any reason other than to see if the baby has arrived.

We're IN!

Made a 72 hour investment into our kid's education, and met some pretty great families this weekend! I can't wait to have no idea what my children are saying to each other!

Need. Sleep.

Might be a little tired. This became obvious when I wandered around the living room looking for the remote for 10 minutes, while holding it in my hand.

Living with Liv

Sugar and Spice, and everything nice. That's what little girls are made of. What the heck is mine constructed of then? She just told Pierce, "Dude, quit being a princess and pin it to win it."

Chalk one up for Mommy!

I let Liv stay up late and watch Alice in Wonderland tonight, after Pierce went to bed. When I tucked her in after the show, she made my night. "Thanks for letting me stay up late tonight. It sure seems like you're starting to get the hang of this whole Mommy thing." I'm going to take this as a compliment, and we all know, that girl does not hand those out.

Why am I such a freak magnet?

"Wow, you look awfully young to be THAT pregnant!" "Wow, you look awfully normal to be that judgemental. Oh, and this is my third." I can only handle so many stupid comments. Sorry to the crazy old hag who finally broke the camel's back.

What a guy...

Pierce just ran across the living room towards the kleenex, realized he wouldn't make it, and grabbed the dog's ear to sneeze into. Today, I am picking my battles, so I pretended not to see. But if you come over, you may not want to pet Nalah's left side.

It takes me one full week to find the time and energy to wash my floors. Then, it takes me 3 hours to actually wash them. It takes Pierce 3 seconds to stick his hand into his own diaper, realize there is poop on his hand, and vomit ALL over the clean floor. I quit.

Baby Daddy

Despite what Liv is telling people, this baby is not a half-brother or sister. It has been fun to watch people's faces when she says it, but I'm getting a little nervous she's gonna bust it out at the next family reunion.

Oh Pierce

God gave me Pierce to remind me I will never be perfect at anything. Especially parenting.

Single Wife Sydrome

Some days, I see far too many parallels between my life and a WWF wrestling match. It wouldn't be such a big deal if someone could tag me out.

Just a Mom

I spent the weekend painting a dresser for the baby. I was pretty proud of myself, but Liv may have brought me down a notch. "Wow Mom, I guess you're good at something! Too bad it's not anything cool though, hey?"

Body Parts

Things that make your heart skip a beat at the doctor's office:

"Where the heck is this baby's head?!?".

Well, I'm hoping attached is the right answer, but your guess is as good as mine.

His Father's Son.

I tried to be patient with you when you thought it was funny to stick your testicles to the sliding glass doors Pierce, but I draw the line at my picture frames.

I don't think I realized HOW different raising a little boy would be.

It's in the genes...

I am rarely surprised by the strange things my children do. Why, you ask?

Because I married a man who manages to inhale cous cous up his nose at dinner, has to show me how well he can lunge everytime he puts on tight jeans, and has been known to eat play-doh in his adult years.

Really, by reproducing with that, what did I expect?

No really, I don't care.

Are you kidding me?!?

It's a pregnant belly, not an invitation for your opinion.

I ordered a latte, not a tequila shot, so put your filter on, and walk away.

I don't know what it is about me that invites people's advice, but I have to say, in my hormonal state, the next stranger to "remind" me of what it is me, my children, or my fetus needs may have a stage 3 meltdown on their hands. I've kept the two I have alive for this long, I think I'm doing ok.

Bever Fever

What's worse than listening to Justin Bieber's "Baby" on repeat?

Listening to the Mini Pops sing Justin Bieber's, "Baby" on repeat.

And can someone please tell me where my 5 year old picked up these stripper-esque moves?

Quality Time with Papa

I can truly say, that we would never make it through Cody being away so much if it weren't for the love and support from my parents. The relationship my kids have with them is something really special.

A True Canadian Family

I have to admire Pierce's patience.

Everytime a living room hockey game is about to commence, he has to take off his helmet, stand in front of his net, and listen to his sister belt out O Canada.

Then he pretends to spit on the ice, put in his pretend mouth guard, and get back to some pretty serious goaltending.

I'm raising a hockey superstar.

C'mon Now People...

It happens everytime. I get pregnant, and everyone around me loses their filter.
"Whoa, you're huge" is NOT a socially appropriate greeting to ANYONE, and "Are you sure you can handle another one" while my kids are dismantling a store DOES NOT instill confidence.
Stick with a polite smile and avoid eye contact.
Its better for both of us.

Raising a BOY.

My son has a hard time saying "juice" clearly, but I sure knew what he said when he told me the jump he took on his run bike tonight was "wicked redonkulous".

I admit, when I only had one polite, happy, gentle little girl to raise, I may have rolled my eyes at people with little boys that wrecked things and yelled. Then I had a son. I now know, it is NOT the parents.

Although, now I wonder if I had the little boy that could put all others to shame.

Hero

I don't know if this video will work, but it's awesome.

We miss you Big Deal. Everyday.

Proud Parenting Moment

I think my concerns of a raising a daughter with poor self esteem are unwarranted.

Alyvia just wrote a song with the chorus, "I know you love me, but I'm too cool to care."

One of those parenting moments where you should probably step in and talk about being kind, but instead I am secretly cheering.

Work Widow Tricks

Step 1- Turn alarm clock around in bedroom, so nosy 5 year old can't tell you the clock says 6, not 7.

Step 2- Tell the kids how lucky they are that you're letting them stay up late and watch TV in your bed. Let them thank you.

Step 3- Turn on cartoons.

Step 4- Lay in bed and read the paper at 6 pm.

Its win/win, really. They think they're getting a treat, and I'm getting a break. Genius.

Bad Mommy, Bad!

Dan

Has spent 6 days thinking about all the things Dan won't get to do. Tomorrow, I am ready to focus on all the amazing things he did.