By the pictures it appears that Noreen and Ryan took Thom, Ava, Beth and their son Logan to see the Santa Claus parade. Yep, it appears like Ang and I had a nice relaxing evening, warm, not outside. Ah how pictures can be deceiving

Beth and Noreen
Thom and Ava standing up in the stroller watching for Santa

Ryan and Logan (isnt that the cutest snow suit!)

Beth at baby group about 3 weeks ago - she was very proud of herself for standing up with the assistance of the chair

Thom this summer jumping off a rock

So I just gave my notice at work that I am not coming back. It was a pleasant 4min and 53second conversation (and part of that was being transferred to my boss). Weird that after 5 years that is how long it takes to end a profession. It was a fun place to work and at times I know I will miss it but I would miss being with Beth and Thom so much more.

I have changed from being H M Friesen then Barrett RMT and CMT to H M Barrett Insurance Broker with a CAIB3 to Mama to HMBarrett Level 2 Insurance Broker with a CAIB3 and Mama to just Mama, well and Auntie as I will be watching Ava still (and Ava's friend).

There you have it fokes I will be in maintenance, maintaining the home and family.

On a side note I talked to someone who is considering conceiving and having a child by herself (IE without a partner). I don't blog often about Jeff but I would not want to be a parent without him. During the pregnancy you don't really need help unless you want someone to side with you while you wait in waiting rooms. Well actually what I just wrote is a lie, when I was told my unborn child had a neural tube defect and my levels were so high there was no chance for the fetus, I didnt share that with anyone but Jeff, we kept that information to ourselves until after our genetic councilling (which was after 3 weeks of waiting) we pulled strength from each other and had discussions forcing the reality of the situation to sink in. Then once Thommy (as a perfect baby) did arrive after 3 weeks I got sick, I couldnt walk down the hall without help because my sence of balance disappeared - Jeff would move Thom around the house, cook, and look after our 3 dogs which up till that time had been our babies. Jeff helps me with backing my decisions up infront of the kids and the general public (even if he doesnt agree with me). When people nitpick at your parenting you can become doubtful in your ability which a partner can help hold you up. He also helps when I am tired after a long day, and am being a wishy washing parent (re Kids are Worth It, Barbra Coloroso) he will remind me I already warned it is time to follow through. Or when i am frusterated and need 10min alone or a 1hour bath, I dont have to worry about the kids, Jeff will take care of them.

I know there are many 1 parent homes, and mothers who have no support network that are able to be wonderful parents. But that is not for me, I would not choose that for myself, I know I need help and am glad to say that I have a parner.

The G3 meeting with the turtle, sweet pea, and bear aka Elliott, Ava and Beth

Beth again - I dont have 1 picture of her with the head on whoops!

Thommy my frog 3years old and his 1st very short hollween (he had a fever all day from the moment he woke up, till about 7pm and once it broke he was his normal self)

Thommy and Ava standing in the stroller to watch the parade, in the background Noreen is holding Beth.

A picture from the summer of Thom and my Dad- cute eh!

We hit some more mile stones since my last post...

Thommy no longer calls Jesus in the manger 'baby jesa' as he did last year, it has changed to be plain 'baby Jesus' makes me kinda sad that he has grown past that. He is also inlove with Santa and the idea that he could get toys from him (and gramma - at the store he when he wants something and I have said no he will responed with 'maybe, I ask Gramma?' -that is his grammer and everything)

He watched the movie 'Cars' and he has a Lighting McQueen car which he calls (and the movie) Queen Lite. He asked Ava 'Do you want to watch Queen Lite with me?' and he calls out to me 'Mama, where is my Queen Lite?" it is soooo funny.

On Friday (nov 14) he repeated everything my brother said in conversation a very annoying development. Luckly that ended with the conversation.

Beth is 9mths old today 18lbs4.5oz Height 26.5inch(she is significantly smaller that Thom was at this age and much easier to carry around).

She danced for the 1st time to music on friday nov14 - to Ava's wiggles music and then with my brother (he was very proud to have helped both kids develop new milestones)

On thursday nov 13 she let go of me at baby group and stood - with her legs bent - for a couple seconds, she did this again on friday a couple times and has continued every day since.

Both kids went to the santa claus parade on Sat with my sister Ava and Ang's friends Noreen, Ryan and their son Logan. That was different then the parades I remeber, 1 float was a transit bus wrapped in christmas lights. The kids seemed to enjoy it. Thommy got a free plane that was handed out by some float and today as he was playing with it he told me santa gave it to him at the parade ;)

Well, Beth finally slept through the night. On Nov 1 to 2nd while sleeping with Thom she slept from 11pm till 6am wow! Now I am just waiting for it to happen again 8)

We have had a good couple of weeks, Thom had a sleepover at his Gramma and Grandad's while I went to a wine and cheese party and Jeff went to his hockey game and a social (Beth came with me)

I lost my voice and Thom got hand foot and mouth disease, impetego and cold sores - poor kid.
Luckly Beth did not catch anything from Thom and we are all healthy now.

Sadly it is our last week at once upon a ryme-such an awsome program through resd. We will hopfully be able to go to one more session before I start working again...

So my Beth is just flying these days,
She tells you what she wants in her own way. My Dad whom she adores will come through the door and she plays coy, hiding her head in my shoulder, then if in a reasonable amount of time he does not pick her up (usually about 1 minute-just enough time to take off shoes) she will start to yell/ cry and it is completely directed at him, and she lunges her body around, until either he leaves or comes and gets her. She does this with Jeff too, he will be sitting beside me on the couch and she will crawl across my lap to him but we have arm rests and she cant get over them, so she will pull herself up to standing and jerk her body back and forth while she yell/crys at him until he picks her up for her cuddle (Jeff loves it!)

Her crawling is crazy good, she defiantly knows where she wants to explore, I have to have the baby gate locked because she goes to it and will pull herself up it. She was in the kitchen playing one day last week and I went to talk to Thom in the living room (at my parents), when I came back in the room she was gone and I had left the basement doors open yikes! but we found her in the entry (they have 2 entrances to the kitchen) pleased as punch!

Beth laughs when Thom gets caught for doing something wrong. She laughs when he does something I would prefer not to have a repeat performance of. She encourages and mocks.

She trys to wave when people leave, it is a very jerky hand up in the air-so cute. And if she wants me and she is being held by someone and unable to fallow me she calls/crys mama-a-mama-a-mama-a mama-a-mama.

Thom went to the Falk farm this weekend and had a wonderful time and has not yet stopped talking about his 2nd cousins which he has not seen since Easter. It is amazing the difference being able to play with kids makes. I can sit and watch and guide not be a main participator. Bliss.

Forgotten Milestones

I forgot to list that Beth can clap-she has been clapping (closed fist) for at least 3 weeks (Jeff figures a month)
She also started to wave good bye (or is attempting to) this weekend.
Can pick rasins up with her fingers to eat
and had her fist temper tantrum with her legs kicking on Sunday (I put her on the table and she was sitting but my tea up was there and she was eyeing it, I moved it out of her reach and she had a melt down -SO funny)
and ofcourse her crawling is getting better and better.

Beth's milestones

Beth reached some new milestone lately;

At Ava's birthday party (Sep 28) Beth sat up by herself for the very 1st time!

Then on Tuesday Sep 30 she pulled herself up to standing - using Thommy's potty to assist her, I found the potty use very funny if she is comfortable climbing over it - perhaps that means she will climb onto the potty and start using it?

And the last recent accomplishment, a couple hours before Thom's birthday part on Oct 4 Beth crawled for the 1st time. Jeff had his drill on the floor in the living room about a foot and a half in front of her. Apparently that was what she needed to make the knees move forward. (Beth has been getting onto her hands and knees for about 2weeks and would just stay there rocking back and forth until she would lie back down on the ground and slither like a snake to where she wanted to be.) She doesn't crawl when she can slither but she is using this new skill at least once a day for short distances.

And she still loves to be held upright while she stands, she has discovered she can pull herself up to standing while sitting on our bed (it is a sleigh bed with slats perfect for her to hold) and loves to stand there and laugh - she is so proud of herself she just smiles away (She actully only stood by herself holding onto the bed frame when I put her there the weekend of the 19th)

Thoms birthday is done for another year

So we celebrated Thom's 3rd birthday with a birthday party at our house. It was a zoo! There were 6 kids 5 of which were 3 years or younger, The noise level went higher and higher as more sugar was introduced to the blood stream! But after 3 hours everyone was gone and we were left with the feeling of sucess (also feeling of 3 hours + prep time disapearing from my life).

I really like the idea of making birthday cakes (baking and decorating) plus getting all the other food ready and finding just the right dish to hold everything makes me feel like maybe I should pay someone to do this work for me? But as the days pass the feeling will fade and I will get back on my horse telling Jeff it was worth every minute and he will have these fantastic memories of what we did for him.... I will post a picture of Thom's Dino cake and Ava's Monkey cake once I get them from my sister they were a lot of fun to make.

Thom got some fun toys to enjoy which I have enjoyed as well. The best in my mind would have to be the storage containers, the living room is already looking cleaner! My grampa got Thom a semi which holds his cars which is nice to be able to have Thom clean up the cars and not have to look through 3 toy bins to find the cars all at the bottom of the boxs and he got a zip bin full of knex (one of my favourite built it toys)! The point of me mentioning the knex was this awsome zip bin http://www.thingamababy.com/baby/2006/11/review_zipbin_p.html this is a review for one of the 'zip bin's that are available. It is great he just loads the peices on the mat and zip it up put on the lid and all the knex are out of sight! I want to get the med size dino one for all of his dinosaurs, and the large train one for the train tracks and trains. It is wonderful! Obviously I am all over the tidying up today :)

Thommy is 3 wowzer

Well Thom turned three today, amazing! Amazing that he got so big so fast and amazing that everything in his last 2 years past by so quickly!

I think he weighed more today when I lifted him up, he seemed bigger.

This is his first birthday that he could tell me how old he was and knew the number when I held up my fingers. (Thom thinks getting big is an insult, he wants to be small like Ava, but not as small as Beth - funny story, in the car as we were driving in to town to pick up Ava we were making up new humpty dumpty rymes. Thom out of the blue asked how big Humpty's brain was, to which I replied, very small since he fell off a wall. Thom then asked about Ava's brain and I said it was smaller than his because she is smaller. After I said this Thom said 'I want a small brain like Ava and Humpty, I don't want a big brain like Brad (Brad is Ang's husband, a smart fellow). Thom repeated this for emphasis, while I laughed)) Anyways back to how big Thom is...

Today Thom wanted to be big, like his other cousin Jackson - I would like to note the only part of being big I would like Thom to take is the potty training, other than that he can stay my baby for a little longer.

But as I think about it every little bit older he gets the more amazing things he learns, and he absorbs everything and teaches me things and his imagination is growing so big - about a month ago Thom was having his diaper changed and he looked at the was and said his feet shadows were fighting, he started to move his legs about and was saying ' take that' 'I've got you' 'I'm going to get you' it was so funny to see him playing like that with his shadows, he would not have done that 6mths ago.

When he is sick he now tells me, my tummy hurts, my head hurts, I fell bumped my head/leg/arm etc.

This past year, we were having chinese food for dinner and he had a fortune that said something about doing great things or being sucessfull to which he replied that he was going to go to school. He loves the idea of school, riding the bus, playing with the other kids, reading and he just turned 3 wow!!

To some up Thom's past year he has been fiesty (SP?), spirted, lovable, cuddlable, sick (pneumonia 3x, lungs now keeping up asthma medications), giving (he loves to give people gifts, of course he also loves receiving them), playful all with a thirst for knowledge-he love to find something new to explore, read a new book or song (on that he only started knowing words to songs in the last 6mths before that he always just made up his own words), and asking me and everyone else endless questions - why is a very popular word in the last few months.

I realize it is now actually a day after his birthday, but he was born just after 11pm on the 26th so I am not far off.

Yesterday at the park - Thom's last day being 2

Ava pushing Beth on the swings (how cute!)

The koi kissing Thom earlier this summer

On Opi's motorcycle - such a big boy!

Thom skipping rocks at Clear Lake

Beth playing in the sand at Clear Lake (sept 11)

Thom ready for a walk

Same path different spot back in May - from the rear he looks a lot smaller ;)

So a couple weeks ago, my Great Aunt Kae took Thom, Beth, my sister Ang, Ava and myself out to Smitty's for dinner. It was a long day I had all three kids and was ready to go home but if I didnt go out with her that Tuesday it would be months befor I actually followed through and had dinner with her. Unfortunatley after playing all day together as Thom doesnt nap, his fuse gets shorter, he gets crabby faster, becomes more demanding, and his attention span shortens

I dont like going out for dinner very much... I use to like it when Thom was still in the bucket seat, but now that he is active not so much fun....

At home even if we have take out I load his plate befor he sits down so that he isnt waiting using up his good sitting behavour before the food is ready for him. At a restraunt however you wait to get seated, order drinks, look through the menu, wait for your dinner to be ordered, order dinner, wait for your dinner, get dinner, wait for it to cool off enough to eat, eat, wait for the bill, pay, wait for the slip to sign, then finally dinner is over. For an active 2 almost 3 year old you have to have a lot of toys, colouring and books to read to keep them entertained.

At Smitty's that evening, it took forever to get our meals, I even asked for the kids mac'n cheese to come out as soon as they were done so the kids would not get cranky-still it was a long time. I took Thom for a walk through out Smitty's to give him a change in scene ory as a booth is a bit confiningm and also to talk the seniors that were eating -thank goodness for friendly seniors they were our saving grace!

The point of this post is eating out has changed drastically for me in the past 3 years, I have to bring in two bags, a diaper bag and entertainment bag. I need to be hyper villigent to ensure Thom is not bugging the people on the other side of the booth as he is standing up on the bench after 45 minutes to look around and he gets interested in what the other kids are playing with. With potty training I am asking all they time if he has to go potty, then as he needed to twice during the evening, I have to go into a tiny stall, help with his clothes, hold him so he doesnt fall in (the collapsable potty seat will not hold his weight 38+lbs) scrub his hands clean after he touches the toliet (gross). And during this whole time entertain a 6 month old too. (Thankfully everytime I left the table Ang or my Aunt held Beth.)

My Dad, Ang, Ava, Beth, Thom and myself did all go to the Thirsty Duck for my birthday lunch on Wed. I will admit going with my Dad verses my Aunt was much more comfortable, my Dad sees Thom all the time and know how he will react and how to react aswell as my parenting style, so I do not need to worry about backup reinforcment on my rules. Also the location - very relaxed environment with people very interested in chatting with the kids and the food came so much faster a 45 min lunch verses 2+hour dinner!

I miss going out and just relaxing, but I dont want to leave Thom at home. It is odd, I think it is good for him to be comfortable in a restraunt and know how to behave but teaching patients and manner can be such a pain in the butt for me! This also inclued trying to exhibit these qualities myself once I get frustrated with how long the server takes for every request or the juice spilling, or opening creamers to drink (both Ava and Thom think that is the best milk - from the tiny coffee creamers), or inside voices not being used.

On the flip side now that I have complained, I would like to say in a restraunt or anyplace I love when Thom can feel comfortable asking a server or clerk for an item be it juice or a toy from a high shelf and he says 'could you please...' and 'thank you' or 'please may I...' in those moments I just feel so proud, it makes my heart happy you know that warm feeling that spreads and it just makes you know it is going to all work. Maybe I should also say thank goodness for grandparents when you want to enjoy a relaxing meal ;)