Parenting Tip #9862
If you have nagged your kid repeatedly all evening to hang up her backpack and it is still on the kitchen floor, walk into the kitchen, absorbed in the argument you are having with your kids, trip over the backpack and swan dive into the nearest wall. No faking, you have to be for real. Once you are done swearing and throwing the backpack across the room, she will quietly hang it up without being asked.
The best part of this technique is that you will have a wicked black eye (and a brutal headache) to guilt her into cleaning her crap up for the rest of the week without you begging.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Friday, November 2, 2012
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!
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!
Sunday, October 14, 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.
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.
Friday, October 12, 2012
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.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
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!
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!
Sunday, August 19, 2012
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.
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.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
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.
Monday, June 11, 2012
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.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
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.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
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?
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
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.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
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.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
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.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
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.
Monday, April 23, 2012
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
Sunday, April 22, 2012
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.
Friday, April 20, 2012
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.
Friday, April 13, 2012
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.
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