Dots of Life

spring/summer activities

with the nicer weather, comes the time to sign the kids up for spring and summer activities.they are super excited about the activites they have chosen...

anna pearl: rep soccer in belleville and she is excited to try out for the under 9 all-star team.  she talks about this constantly, so i am hoping she makes it!  this will be a big change for ben... he will have to sit on the sidelines at his sisters' games and cheer her on (like she has done without complaint for his hockey).  she is also going to continue on with her guitar lessons.... she is currently learning to play taylor swifts' "love story" and she is super stoked about learning.

adison:  adi has always asked to take swimming lessons and i have always declined.  we spend so much time at the beach or in the pool each summer, i just couldn't justify paying for water time.  but she is insisting... and she loves to swim.  so we are signing her up for swimming lessons.... not sure where yet though!

ben:  finally decided on ball hockey in stirling for the spring.  he will be playing with his hockey buddies so this will be a great way for them to stay in touch over the summer.  he is also finally old enough to sign up for 4-h.  for those of you that dont know what 4-h is....

What Does the Four Leaf Clover Stand For? Hands                        Health

Heart                          Head The 4-H Clover symbolizes four actions
which 4-H members try to accomplish. The
four H s' stand four Head, Hands, Heart,
Health, as it is in the pledge...  I Pledge My Head  to clearer thinking, My Heart to greater loyalty,
My Hands to larger service and My Health to  better living for my Club my Community my Country and my World.

ben's love for farming and agriculture has not weaned... ever since he was a very little boy, he has been enamoured by cows, barns, even the smell of manure ( which he insists is his favourite smell in the world), so it will be nice to get him into this club with others that share his passion.  my uncle has offered hime a cow to show at local fairs and he is most excited about this.  one of his best friends is also joining... and i can't tell you how excited he is!

so we are looking forward to another busy, yet different kind of summer. very exciting!

march madness

whoever termed this week as "march break"... obviously didn't have the job of occupying 3 very busy kids for the week.  my kids have been very lucky.... in the last six days we have been to parry sound and back, shopped in vaughn mills and made a build-a-bear, attended a hockey game, traveled to toronto to the ROM with aunt jess and riley, spent a couple of days on a farm in stirling, spent the day with aunt mimi and gigi, went on a spring shopping spree with nanny jen, hung out with kylee and kenzie, went to the movies to see "race to witch mountain", visited the bayshore trail for a rollerblade/bike ride with the lightfoots.... and we still have the weekend to go!
thank you to everyone who pitched in to make this a fun filled week for ben, anna pearl and adi.  we are very grateful!

a little bit of sunshine

the days may be dreary and wet, but this little girl brings out a whole lotta sunshine when she is around.  she is changing so much.... the change from baby to toddler is complete, and she is getting a head start on the terrible two's.... can you say "attitude"!!!!!  but when you're this cute.... people tend to overlook things like temper tantrums.

cole michael dunlop

i got to meet this little bundle of handsomeness, when his mommy popped in and surprised me with an unscheduled visit today.  at three weeks old, he is one big boy.... chubby and yummy!  he looks alot like his big sister and surely resembles the dunlop clan.

mommy couldn't be more proud of her son.  she has such a natural, easy nature about her mothering skills...just like she did with molly.  the kids were excited to get to meet the newest dunlop, after arriving home from school. we are really looking forward to spending our march break with cole and his family next week.  thanks for this little sneak peek elaine.  it was great to visit!

 

a new perspective...

life from this point on will be different.  a whole new chapter.  yesterday ben came to me after school...
ben: "mom, is santa claus real, and you can tell me the truth... i'm old enough to know"
me:blank look, no words
anna walked in the room and said "mom, what's wrong?"
me: "we'll talk later, okay boo"

later on, ben and i were driving to my sisters, and he casually brought up the subject once again.  so with a deep breath and a heavy heart, i confessed.  even in the dim light of the van, you could see his face become a little flushed and an awkward (kinda sad) smile came over his face.  i asked if he was okay and he said sheepishly "yeah, kyle told me that his mom told him on the weekend, so i kinda already knew!"

i told him that christmas would still be fun and that he could still believe in santa in his heart.  "that's what grown ups and big kids do".  you could tell that he was still absorbing and accepting this new info.  ben is so mature on so many levels, yet he still seems so young for a 10 year old at other times.  this was one of those times.

when we arrived at aunt mimi's we told her of ben's new realization.  she jokingly said, so you know about the easter bunny and the tooth fairy then too, right!  ben looked at me, like a deer caught in headlights" and said "yahhhh".  but i don't think he did until that moment... i don' t think kyle had warned him about the easter bunny and the tooth fairy.

on the way home we talked a bit more and i asked/begged/pleaded for him not to tell his sisters. "don't worry mom, i won't!".  then he said.... now i know why santa never brought me that ps2 or 4 wheeler that i have been asking for.......

foofie

i don't know why, but i have always referred to adison as "foofie".  it is goofy, non-sensical kind of nickname, but it is hers nonetheless.  i did a google search on the word "foofie" and i got the following definition from an online dictionary....

• foofie: cute, cuddly, comforting

well, i guess this word does make sense after all.... this description fits her to a tee. but you could also add the following...

• sassy, fun, tempermental, giggly, busy, original, strong, happy, confident, helpful and

fashion forward..... just like her big sissy, she likes to dress up and isn't afraid to take a chance when it comes to her fashion.  sometimes the pieces she puts together are rather...avant-garde.  but today she did a great job and even managed to grab a hat from her sissy's closet that matched her hat her dress.  my fancy foofie!

it was supposed to be a fun day for our abba girl.  she always enjoys going to the groomer for her oatmeal bath and shearing.  but today, she had a little accident in the bathtub and ripped off one of her nails at the quick.  it was so bad that we needed to take her to the vet for some tlc.  she was bleeding alot and some of her nerve endings were exposed. yikes.

so dr. d. gave her the medical attention she needed and then let adison pick out the bandage for her paw.  adi even got to pick out some bling for the bandage.  i wish abby's face matched the happy one on her paw.....poor abba....our 137 lb. baby girl!

16 months

this past week gigi has not been herself.  a little out of sorts, temper tantrums, congested.  we thought it was just more teeth coming through.  but on friday mommy took her to the dr. and he diagnosed her with a double ear infection that required antibiotics.  this was the first time that she has ever required antibiotics and the paediatrician couldn't believe that she had made it to 16 months without having to take them before.

mommy also brought her over for a double dose of tlc...from aunty kk and anna... oh, how gigi loves her anna. and now after a few days of treatment she is getting back to her old self.... utterly gorgeous, utterly cute!