Oh CanYouStop...

...singing?

OK, not forever.... but... maybe just for a few minutes??

You KNOW I love you, and you're the best kid in the world, and I'm SO proud of how you sing "Oh Canada", but maybe you should rest your voice? Just for a few minutes?

Please?

(Mommy loves you!!!)

With Glowing Hearts

Yes that title was a shameless attempt to get Google traffic to my AdSense blogs... lol...

But I tell ya, my heart was sure glowing at a friend's daughter's 4th birthday today - I was so proud of my two!! They were the best behaved kids.

At the food table, mine were the only two that sat nicely waiting for pizza while the other kids roamed around. Either I nag my kids more or I don't feed them enough.

In the play area, they were nice children (I'm still trying to figure out where Alyssa and Joseph really went and who the impostors were). They had a blast but did not misbehave.

There was a ball pit, and Alyssa watched carefully to make sure she didn't jump on anyone whenever she jumped in. Joseph hugged a younger child on the trampoline, and was good about taking turns on the slide. He even used their bathroom to, uh, do number 2, which is a stretch for him.

"Mommy are you so proud of me?"

You bet :-)

Pass The Honey, Honey!!

My niece and I were talking one day about natural alternatives to OTC meds, and she told me that her Mom always used honey whenever she and her sisters (all adults now) had sore throats. So when I saw this article in the Vancouver Sun detailing the antiseptic properties of honey I read it with interest.

An amusing aside is my own daughter's ploys to get more of the sweet stuff:

A: "Mommy I have a sore throat!! I think I need more honey!!"

Uh-huh.

Me: "Would you like some ice water? You can gargle with salt and warm water, too, if you like."

A: "Um, no, it's ok - it feels ok actually"

RIGHT. Sore throat, or sweet tooth??

My Singing Daughter

Awwww.... so cute..... they're learning "O Canada" in school now. She and I surfed the net to see what was out there, and found this You Tube clip of Avril Lavigne when she was a child, singing our anthem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kXnyGUb5r8

Alyssa LOVES it, and asks for it repeatedly, and sings along with Avril. It takes me back to when I was a kid and we used to sing it in school. I don't know if I feel proud, or really old!!!

lol

To Skate... Or Not!

The kids started their current skating set on Saturday... or at least Alyssa did. She LOVES to skate, but Joseph has always been reluctant.

This time he wanted his skates off almost immediately, but I managed to keep them on with this deal: "you go out on the ice just today, and if you really don't like it you can come off and Mommy will cancel your lessons."

Things actually started off OK - his teacher got him on his plastic chair and lined him up with the other four year olds, and proceeded to start the "this is fun!! C'mon, everyone!!! Let's lie down on the ice!!" bit (they start on small chairs, then get down on the ice, and then learn to stand up with the aid of the chairs). At one point I looked over to see Joseph sitting on his chair smiling at the teacher, but not five minutes passed before he was crawling off the ice looking for me.

I kept my word - I tugged off his skates and helmet, returned them to the rental counter, and then asked him if he wanted to watch his sister. He agreed, and we went to the Plexiglas.

"Look! He fall down!!" Joseph squealed at the sight of a tumbling toddler.

"See Buddy? Everyone falls down when they're learning. It's OK to fall."

"Yes, Mommy, and that's why I no like it!!"

Good point! Can't argue with that...

French Immersion Help

I can't recall if I've mentioned that Alyssa is in early French Immersion. The benefits are many - I won't go into them here (that's another post!).

It has required of me that I brush up on my high school French from, uh, a "few" years ago. (Hey, they had electricity back then, so cut me some slack).

Anyway, I just did a quick Google and found a page:

http://www.bonjour.com/index.php

I haven't explored it in too much depth, but what I like about it so far is the help with pronunciation. There is both audio help as well as phonetic spellings.

I'm definitely going to bookmark this page for future reference...

Full Day Kindergarten

Our government is considering implementing full day kindergarten to begin in 2009.

The more I sit on this idea, the more I think that I am opposed. Not from a logical and rational perspective, but from an emotional one. I don't think I'm ready to spend a whole day without both of my kids yet!!

I was gearing up for September 2009 when I'd walk both kids over to the school, send Alyssa off to her grade 2 class, and send Joseph off to Kindergarten. Then, 2 1/2 hours later, I'd walk back and get my little man. We'd go home and hang out, and then return a few hours later to pick up big Sis. Now the thought of being without them BOTH for the whole 6 hours makes me a little sad.

Not that it wouldn't be convenient!! WOW the stuff I could get done... wahooo!!! I could even... (shockers) NAP or something. Shop, watch tv, clean the house... (ok maybe not THAT).

LOL

Plus I think there are social and educational advantages to all day Kindergarten that shouldn`t be ignored.

But.... awwww... my little boy!! What will I do without him!!

Not yet. Let me keep my baby a bit longer...

It's Like You Tube For Kids

Here's an interesting website I looked at today:

http://www.totlol.com/

It's a collection of videos that have all been screened and are deemed kid safe. The target audience is 13 years and under. It's an entertaining, kid friendly alternative to You Tube, with all the, uh, unsavory content omitted.

I only watched one video, but it was cute and child appropriate. So far so good - I'll definitely let my kids have a look at this site.

SIGH.

Is discovering poop in a four year old boy's bath one of the normal trials of parenthood?

(sigh)

Thank goodness for the box of wine in my fridge, that's all I can say ;-)

And It Begins

Walking with The Boy the other day while The Girl was at school:

"Mommeeee!!! I meed a tissue!!!!"

I cup his chin in my hand and tilt back his head, and can't see a thing. Clear perfect little nostrils look back up at me (can nostrils look? anyway...)

"Mommy pweeeze! I meed a tissue!!"

Hokay. I dig through my bag and pull one out for him, which he proceeds to use with vigor as we walk.

"Fanks"

He hands me the crumpled paper, seeming content. I look at him again and NOW I see it... big and green and chunky, stuck to his cheek. (Ha! So he really DID need it ;-)

Now they're both full out sniffly coughy snotty watery eyed miserable. Ah yes, the arrival of the back to school cold! Hello again old friend. Nice of you to think of us, but uh, we're busy. Maybe another time? And call first next time. Oh and don't let the door hit you on the way out...

It's All Good

So far so good!

Alyssa loves grade one. The fact that one of her two former Kindergarten teachers is also her grade one teacher doesn't hurt. She was all smiles when she told me.

I know at this age they ALL love school, which makes our jobs as parents so much easier. I just wonder how long it will be before the bubble will burst ;-)

Tough Love

When Alyssa started Kindergarten last year, I had to walk into the school with her and take her all the way to the classroom (there was no crowbar handy to pry her from my leg). Luckily my hubby was there (he took the day off) to stay with then three year old Joseph and the stroller, which I hurriedly left in a mad panic to keep up with the the class as they disappeared into the school.

The next day she was fine.

This year, same thing. On the first day (yesterday), I had to drag her into the school. Again hubby had taken the day off (thank goodness) and stayed with Joseph in the playground, while I walked with the kids up to the class, into the class, and peeled Alyssa off my hip and plunked her into her big girl desk. Then I ran like mad (OK not quite, but you get the picture ;-)

The next day, she seemed fine. At the last second though, as the line was filing into the school, she turned to me with a panicked look on her face, and cried "Mommy!"

Since it was just me and the boy (hubby was at work this time) I had no choice but to stand my ground.

"I can't!! I have Joseph with me - I can't come in. Just GO!"

This of course flies right in the face of every nurturing motherly instinct that I have. Here I was, shunning my poor child, in her moment of need!

She was fine of course. She went, she conquered, and came out smiling five hours later. That's my girl ;-)