Plumb Fun

It's been a long, somewhat miserable break.  Not completely miserable, lots of bright spots, but some long long days.  ANYWAY!!  The point, last night I decided that I wanted to hang out with a friend, so I sent a message to my buddy Ruth.  She said that she was going bowling with Verity - a friend from Richmond Hill ward that moved away a while back.  I thought, why not.  So, Ken worked a short day and then we all went down to World Bowl in Richmond Hill.  Kate and Alice really do enjoy bowling.  And I did very well bowling with bumper pads!!

After bowling fun, Ruth invited us all up to their place for dinner, more fun!  It was so nice to sit and chat, and chat and chat.  There really is something so wonderfully theraputic and relaxing, and cheerful and essential, about chatting with a friend.

Oh and Dave, Ken and the girls did Rock Band in the basement.  It was pretty cute!

Zoo Time

Happy New Year!  Let's go to the zoo!  We were supposed to leave sooner, but we didn't.  We did see the new giraffe house, and that was cool.  Giraffes are amazing.  It was a quick trip to Africa, but it was fun, and warm, well the part where we were inside. 

Yay to a new year filled with so much possible fun, and joy and adventure!

(Oh, and Kate picked out Shelby, a pink turtle stuffy for her birthday present.)

Funny

What better way to end the year than with funny?!  It's been quite the year.  A whole year of being home.  I whole year of three little girls.  A whole year of being grateful for so many blessings.  My life is abundantly rich, and I am so thankful.

And now... FUNNY! (Oh, and I just checked back... the last time I wrote them all in one place was at the end of January?!  How is that possible!!!)

February
Kate and Alice are playing airplane. I boarded the airplane (I sat on the couch).
Me: Where are you going?
Kate: To Florida.
Me: Why are you going to Florida?
Kate: Because my husband is dead forever.
Me: Why are you going to Florida?
Kate: To find a new husband.

Just turned around to pay attention to Alice and well, she's scratching her back with a toilet cleaner handle. No Alice, that's not a back scratcher. Ew.

Kate: I can't wait until August.
Me: Why?
Kate: I think Dad told me that's when you see a shooting star.
Me: I told you that.
Kate: I really want to make a wish.
Me: What do you want to wish?
Kate: That everyone in the whole world will be friends.

On the way home from school today we caught up to our neighbour as we reached our house. Kate turned to the Mom and said "I know your oldest son from my preschool class." 

March
Alice - wood pecker, aka wood cracker, ritz cracker

Alice - baa baa black sheep lyric - "the little boy who lives down the drain"

I was just filling out the all about me section of Kate's school days book. I was filling out the junior kindergarten page, because she's in junior kindergarten. I asked her what she wants to be when she grows up...
"I want to be a scientist that deals with liquids. I want to be a chemist."

Me: Kate did you just lick the butter off the eggo or did you eat the eggo? I'm going to be mad if you just licked the butter off.
Kate: Well I ate a little.
Me: I'm not going to make you eggos any more if you're just going to lick the butter off.
Kate: Just cold eggos?
Me: I don't know.
Kate: Not ever?
Me: I don't know.
Kate: Maybe when I'm 30 I'll understand.

April
Me: What's going on in here?
Kate: Alice threw a book at me so I threw a book at her. That's the golden rule.

Grandpa, Alice, Fiona, Me all sitting on the porch.  Fiona pulls herself to standing up.
Grandpa: Holy Cow, would you look at that!
Alice: Grandpa, that's not a cow, that's Fiona!

Alice: Don't drop that on me Mom, you don't want to wreck me. I'm a human.

Alice: That's our Mom when she married not our Dad. My Dad has a circle head. That Dad has an oval head.
(I guess Ken looks a little different!)

Alice sitting at the table, Ken sitting on the couch.  Alice has just finished her oreo cookies and has spilled milk on her pants and shirt.  She takes off her shirt.
Alice: I spilled, I need to take my clothes off and put my jammies on.
Ken: You're going to have a bath.
Alice then gets up and starts taking off the rest of her clothes.
Alice: I'm taking my underwear off and my bum's sticking out.  STUPID!

May
Dina the Ostrich, as drawn by Kate

June
Kate: I have a secret crush on someone in my class (at church) whose name starts with G.  When we had another teacher one day we both said toilet.

Kate: If I have three kids I'll name them Elsa, Kristoff and Anna.  And if I have another kid I'll name him Sven.  And if I have another kid I'll name him Olaf.  And if I have another kid I'll name him Prince Hans.  Well, I'll call it Prince Hans but name it Mike.
(Thank you Disney's Frozen for naming all of my future grandchildren!)

Kate: Mom, guess who's birthday is next in our family? It starts with a K. It's me, my birthday is next.
(That's right, we haven't even had Fiona's party, it's still June, but that's right, your birthday in JANUARY of NEXT YEAR, is next! And yes, she's already telling me that she's going to be turning six...)

Alice: When I cost a lot of numbers and Fiona costs a lot of numbers then we can marry each other.
Me: You can't marry Fiona.
Alice: Why?

Me: Because she's your sister.

July

Alice: I want to sit in a green bucket. I want a bandaid on my head. We're a family of hedgehogs!
(Driving with a three year old.)

Alice: I think Uncle Matthew is Auntie Michelle's Mom.
Family can be confusing! ‪#‎bacON14‬

Alice: what if my shoe was a mouth, and it ate my foot. All my blood would come out, and I would die. Hahaha Hahaha, that would be craaaaaaaaazy.

Alice just told me her name was Tweak Bacon Pop Boulevard.

Alice likes to change her name frequently. In addition to what she told her Dad she also told me her name was Tweak Bacon Melissa. (This was during our visit to the boulevard park tonight.)

August
Kate: I wish I was an orphan then I could do whatever I wanted.
Yup, been one of those days.


Alice: Mom, are we having porn chops for dinner.
Me: Alice, say pork chops. We're having pork chops for dinner.

Alice: What's that noise?
Me: An airplane.
Alice: Airplanes scare me.
Me: Why do airplanes scare you?
Alice: Do airplanes have teeth?
Me: No.
Alice: When airplanes shoot their arrows in my stomach it makes me barf. It really hurts me.

Alice: Dad, can we listen to the rock and bowl CD?

Kate, arguing with Alice in the tub: There can be only One! 

Zorana: Kisses and hugs, it's time to say goodbye.
Kate: No kisses, kisses are gross.
(Kate and Ciaran hug.)
Kate: I think I'm going to marry you.
Ciaran: Kisses are part of marriage.

September
Kate and Alice just ran upstairs to their room to scream their heads off.

Boy at the park: I am Iron Man.
Alice: I am Girl Man and I am the boss of you.

Me: Tell Daddy he is blatantly wrong.
Alice: No I won't say that because I love you Daddy. And I won't pee on you Daddy and I won't say rude words.

Part of Alice's prayer today at lunch: Bless Fiona that she can talk. Bless her to say pickles and grapes. Bless her to grow bigger.
Oh and the other week Alice prayed that she wouldn't become a giant?

We have meet the teacher night at Kate's school tonight. Or as Alice called it "poke the teacher night". She will not be bringing the poking stick, she showed me, with her this evening.

Alice (quietly) : Kill em. Kill em.
Ken: what did you say Alice?
Alice :....
Ken: Where did you hear that?
Alice: Jake told me to kill those guys.

It's time we had a talk with her about her imaginary friend.

October
The other day I was playing the piano (it's an electric piano) and I was playing around with the different sounds. When I was trying out the pipe organ setting Kate stopped me. "Mom, that sounds scary. I think we should leave it on that for the whole month of October."

A kick in the face is a good compromise. ~Alice

I was surprised when, after throwing up her Spaghetti and meatballs tonight, Alice asked me to sing "on top of spaghetti" for her bedtime song.

What I like most about our newly updated family goals is that two of Kate's stuffed animals have been given goals. Olivia the ostrich's goal is to run faster. Chloe bear's is no biting.

Me: What does Italy look like?
Alice: A boot. And that country looks like a shoe with water going up and dripping out of it.
Sorry Mexico, I don't know what that means but wet shoes are never good.

November
This morning as Alice was cuddling with her Daddy.
Alice: Are you falling in love with me?
Ken: Yes.
Alice: Ha ha ha. We can't get married, I'm not old enough.

Alice is watching an episode of Dora. Dora is asking for help jumping. The kids are supposed to say salta. Alice is yelling salsa. SALSA!

Alice and a friend are playing fight the monsters. Their weapon of choice? Poop and pee of course.

December
Kate: do you know one of the smartest creatures in the world?
Ken: what?
Kate: Dolphins!
Wendy: that's right, Kate.
Ken: what's the smartest creature in the world?
Kate: What?
Ken: Humans.
Kate: No way.
Ken: It's true!
Alice: I'm not smarter than a dolphin.

My children just fashioned a gas chamber out of little a little people farm silo. Apparently Prince Eric was beyond helping.
Breaking news: there has been a prison break, and he's on the run. He is hiding out in Ariel's basement.

Alice: Grandma isn't a stranger.
Kate: That's right, because she's part of our family. If you're part of a family you aren't a stranger. And if you're a kid you're not a stranger because kids don't know how to kill people.

Kate is currently officiating a wedding of play-doh pots.
After the conclusion of the ceremony she said: And everything was well until they had twins.

Kate wanted to find her notebook that her teacher (Jennifer Broerse) gave her last year. It is called an "I Wonder Book" meant to be filled with her questions and wonderings of all things unknown.
Kate: You need to cross out the title.
Me: Why?
Kate: Because I, a little bit, know everything.

Kate: Dad, you can't taste the future.
Ken: ... Ok... If you could, what would it taste like?
Kate: Zinc. Blech, Zinc tastes gross.

Twelve

It has been a LONG week.  Long.  A few things went according to plan, but so many did not, sick feverish children will do that.  Several weeks ago, I arranged for Makenna and Abigail to come babysit last night, but it wasn't meant to be.  I feel like there's light at the end of the tunnel with all the sickness that's been in our home.  It has been a long week.  After it's all said and done, there's no one I would rather have at my side.  I am so grateful for my sweet Ken.  Happy Anniversary!

McCartney Family Christmas

Fiona is still slightly feverish, but advil is our friend.  Ken made his yummy enchiladas.  I went back and forth about going to the gathering several times during the day, but in the end, we went.  In sickness and in health right?!

Laura and Joaquin hosted this year in their new home in Beamsville.  We drove around Beamsville a little bit to get to their place and it looked really sweet.  I'm excited to go back in the summer and see more of the area.

Despite everyone not being 100%, we did have a lovely time visiting with family, eating yummy food, and opening silly presents.  This year the usual cousin gift exchange was exchanged for a white elephant game.  I was very excited to give Ken and Chris the tygs that we had custom made for them.  Chris looked so excited when she opened them.  It was awesome. 

Thank you Joaquin and Laura for a very Merry McCartney Christmas!

Christmas

On the eve of Christmas Eve, I took the girls down to see Grandma and Grandpa.  We were going to have lunch and go for a swim.  Everyone was fine when we left...

Alice wasn't herself.  She continued to get worse and worse.  We had a short visit with Grandma and Grandpa.  Cousin Nancy came over, and neighbour Marsha too.  Alice wouldn't perk up and by then she had a fever.  She also started saying she was going to barf.  We took off and went home.  Alice and Fiona continued to deteriorate.  We were supposed to go to Fairy Lake to watch the Nativity Play with the Tokarevs.  We had to cancel.

Christmas Eve - Alice  barfed in the night but was doing better in the morning.  Fiona still had a fever.  We hadn't made any plans for Christmas Eve, but it didn't matter as we just needed to lie low.

I held Fiona a lot.  Ken had a few turns.  I did manage to clean up and get all the toys and stockings sorted.  We left a note and cookies for Santa, and some carrots for the reindeer.

 

Christmas morning.  Fiona still had a fever.  Alice seemed to be much improved, but poor Kate.

Presents - Just for remembering and well, for remembering.
Kate - pony castle, polly pocket roller coaster, Book - Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You, Bathtub recorders, markers, candy.
Alice - Little people school house, wooden tool box, dry erase book, bathtub tea set, markers, candy.
Fiona - Stuffed Olaf, Bug net bath toy, candy, crayons.
From the cousins - magnatiles and American money. 

Dinner...  We were hosting.  I didn't want to cancel.  How do you cancel Christmas dinner?!  Kate and Alice were doing much better but Fiona wasn't doing so great.  Mom, Dad, Andrew and Rayna all came over.  They brought gifts and appetites.  Ken cooked up a storm.  Fiona screamed.  I sat in the basement with Fiona during dinner.  After Ken ate he took over with Fiona and I ate.  As soon as the meal was done everyone took off.  That made me sad, but what were they to do?  I didn't get a picture of the dinner table, or the people around the table.  I didn't really get any pictures.  I took a picture of Mom and Dad just before they left, but that was after Andrew and Rayna left, so there were no pictures of them.

The girls loved their presents from Grandma & Grandpa and Andrew & Rayna.  From G & G Alice got bunk beds for her dolls, Kate got a Little Pet Shop house, and Fiona got her very own chair - a foam princess chair.  From A & R Alice received a baby that came with a bath, Fiona received twin babies, and Kate received a police station duplo set.  

I didn't do the best job of staying positive, of recognizing the blessings amongst the fevers, sickness comes and goes, but on holidays?!  On Christmas?!  I should have been thankful that we were all together, that we had good food, that the girls mostly had a good day.  There are a million things to be thankful for.  It wasn't the best Christmas, but.  I need to be more grateful.  We are blessed.  It was a good Christmas.

Oh.  One last note.  Ken and Wendy presents.  I bought myself a new mascara and a black skirt and a striped wool sweater.  I bought Ken some socks.  And something else.

A Bloggy Christmas Card

Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely, Love Divine,

Love was born at Christmas,

Star and Angels gave the sign.

~Christina Rossetti

I love sending out Christmas cards.  I love receiving them, but truly, I love sending them out.  I love reaching out across miles, across years and saying hello to people, remembering so many loved ones in so many places.  This will be the first year since Ken and I have been married that we (ha ha - we) aren't sending out a card.  The choice to take a second year off work (infant care leave) is an expensive choice, but worth it, so worth it.  Mailing out cards wasn't high enough on the priority list.  (I'll call this one of our Christmas austerity measures.)  And because I'm not mailing out a postcard I can write reams and reams... okay, I won't, but I could!

2014

1.  Being home.  I can't say it enough, my heart is here in my home.  I love being home.

2.  Ken is providing for his family.  I am so thankful for him, for how hard he works for us.  I am thankful everyday for him, who he is as a person, a husband and a father.

3. Kate is an SK.  She is enjoying school more this year.  We still play hookie sometimes (shh don't tell) but she's having a great year at school.  Kate's two favourite things are reading and art.

4.  Alice loves pre-school.  She goes twice a week.  She cried the first day because she didn't want story time when the teacher said it was story time, but she got over it, and now she loves it.  Alice is such a loving little girl, and so funny with Fiona.  She loves being a big sister.

5.  Fiona.  I was tickling her tonight and listening to her laugh.  Is there anything better than the laughter of a baby?  I don't think so.  She is working so hard at keeping up with her big sisters.  She is in that fun language acquisition phase that I love so much.  Yesterday she learned the word "heavy" or as she says it "heaby".  All day today when she would drag things around "heaby, heaby."

6.  I used a hashtag for the first time.  Hashtag.  It's a weird word.  
I still think of it as a number sign - or a sharp.

7.  I used the hashtag #bacON14 for the Bacon Family reunion that happened in Ontario the first week in July.  Seeing my brothers, my sister, their spouses, their kids, being all together with our parents, it was so awesome.  I wish that we lived closer to our Bacon cousins.  

8.  Going to Connecticut in August.  Thank you Ken for working in the basement of my 
sister's house, so I could hang out with my nephews and niece.  I don't even know how you 
dealt with the noise, oh yeah, ear phones!

9. Kate completed a 100 book reading challenge this summer, and has been working on a 200 book challenge.  Alice completed her alphabet challenge earlier this fall. She had to independently arrange her magnetic letters in alphabetical order.  I love that the girls love to learn!
10.  Our faith continues to be the centre of our family.  It sustains us, it comforts us and it challenges us to be better, and to do better.  Christmas is such a special time of year, because it is, or should be, about Christ and trying to do good to your fellow man.

To all our friends and family wherever you are, we love you and send you the warmest Christmas greetings and wish all good things for you in the New Year!

All photos taken by Emily Jones, of Simply Emily Photography.  http://www.simplyemilyphotography.com/

Kate's Christmas Concert

I love that there's a Christmas Concert at Kate's school.  I love that so many classes participate and perform.  Kate joined the choir this year - as an SK she was allowed to.  The principal runs the choir, which I think is so cool.  Mom and Dad (aka Grandma and Grandpa) came to the afternoon concert.  Ken was working at home, Fiona slept through the entire thing - yay, and Alice, having some initial resistance to going to the concert did enjoy herself.

The presentations in the show were quite varied, in both their content and their delivery.  "Taking Care of Christmas", a play on the rock song "Taking Care of Business" was particularly interesting.  And by that I mean bad, quite terrible really, but at the same time, because they were kindergarten kids, it was okay, cute even. 

Kate sang a few songs with the choir at the beginning of the show and at the end of the show.  She also sang two songs with her class.  We really enjoyed the afternoon show, and Ken got to enjoy the evening show.  FUN!