A Moment In Time...Back to School 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I'm going to start to stink...

If you run into me, and I look like I haven't showered, it's because I can't. My kids can't survive the 10 minutes without supervision.

Last week Pierce wandered into the bathroom wearing his hockey skates (thank God for laminate flooring). I had to wrestle him down on the floor, pregnant, naked and freezing, to get them off.

Today he walked in wearing a brand new pair of Etnies. This wouldn't have been such a big deal, had they not been wrapped and under the Christmas tree.

Snakes and Snails, and Puppy Dog tails.

Kids learn from us, but we definitely learn from our kids too.

In the past 24 hours, Pierce has taught me that Vick's needs to put a child proof lid on their Vapo-rub, and ANY body part is fair game with a purple marker in your hand.

Little Boys are all kinds of fun.

It's not a teddy bear, but it'll do.

Some people struggle to get their kids to give up the bottle at bedtime. That would be too normal for Pierce. I'm trying to wean him from wearing hockey gloves and carrying a puck and stick to bed.
It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't wake up with the stitching indented into his face.

Odd ducks, these kids of mine.

Boys will be boys.

Sometimes, especially when raising a son, I say something and I am instantly thankful that it isn't 15 years down the road.

Tonight's example:

"Pierce, if you purposely stick your testicles to that window again, I'm going to make you wash it."

Motherhood is a beautiful thing.

Proud.

I love Cody, I really do.

But it's days like today, when my two year old uses phrases like "hardcore!" , and "Mommy! Fistpump!", that I wonder if I truly picked the right man to reproduce with.

Now I know why some species eat their young.

Some days I feel more like a one-man riot squad than a parent.

Today my children are lucky I don't have access to a taser.

A good reason my kid's are too young to help with chores.

I appreciate Pierce's attempt at cleaning the toilet.
It's really too bad he used my toothbrush and that Liv NEVER flushes.

My kids have a great diet, they just don't know it.

I am enjoying the silence of my children devouring...get this... Black bean and Sweet Potato Enchildas.
Who cares that I lied and told them there was ice cream and chocolate candies in the center. We already know I won't be getting Mother of the Year.

#1 Mom

Some days I feel really good about myself. Like I might really be catching on to this parenting thing.
Then I walk around the corner, and find Pierce drinking from a puddle.