What is that I hear?

Shhhhhh? Do you hear that? Now I know you are probably staring at the screen thinking, "Yo, dumbo, of course we can't hear what you hear!" so I'll just tell you. It's silence. No children laughing, crying, whining, bellowing my name - no husband wanting to know what I'm doing right now and why I'm not entertaining the troups - nothing - nada - zip. Oh, wait, there are the strains of a CD I picked out, and that's NOT the Wiggles, playing softly in the background, but that to me is as gold as silence. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

Glenn has taken the boys over for a playdate with Nicho, and even though my house still looks like hurricane Liam &Conor breezed through, I am relaxing at my computer, updating my blog and planning my next great scrap page. What a rare treat!

So, here's some meaningless things that I've decided to blog:

I can tell I'm back in Canada - particularly my little part of Canada - because my skin has become this dried, ashy, itchy and bothersome thing. I look like a snake shedding it's skin - my nice tan has become mottled with ashy white areas and honest to god, I don't think I can take the itchiness anymore. I acutally scratched the top of my foot so much the other day that I took a layer of skin off! And it's only August! I swear I'm going to fill the tub with lotion and jump in!

Have I bragged about my kids lately? No? Well, must fix that unhappy accident!

Liam got a cute little Cars scooter for his birthday and we took it outside with us the other day for the first time. He actually got on, started pushing away with one leg and off he went. No help from mommy or daddy, just up and out! Amazing little guy! He's been very glad to get home and see his BFF Nicho and they have been playing lots together. We have made NO progress on the potty-training front and I am convinced, once again, that he will be 30 and still in diapers with a bottle in his hand for night-nights. We have tried everything I can think of and he has no interest in losing the diaper. Sure he asks to go occassionally, but at this point, Conor asks to go more frequently than Liam! Any tips from anyone - please pass them this way. Other than his potty training and bottle he's actually been doing great. He told me the other day that he wanted to go "home", something I heard frequently when we were in Indy. When I reminded him that we were home he told me he wanted his other home. I asked him what he was talking about and he said, "You know, the home we have in Indillyapolis with Grandpa and Grandma". Poor guy, I guess after 3 months it is a second home to him. He certainly misses his family! He's now on a crusade to go to see Aunt Cindy "IN-Florida" so that we can see Mickey's other home. LOL Of course he also thinks that the whole crew will be there because he tells us how he wants Aunt Linda to see this and Grandpa to do this - I wish it were that simple!

We've decided to hold off on pre-school for Liam right now for a couple of reasons. First, the potty issue. He has to be going regularly before he can go to class. Second, even if he were ok in that area, I think we'd hold him back until January because it's been such an overwhelming spring/summer. I'd sort of like him to get into a routine again. Oh yeah, then there's the issue of mommy having a really hard time letting go - even for 2 hours 3 days a week! LOL He's already sleeping on his own in his big boy bed (3 nights in a row with no waking up! *knock on wood*) and that has been hard. I love the room in my bed, but it's different not having that little guy keeping me from turning over because he's got a handful of my hair clutched in his fist! ;)

Conor has been amazing, too. He's quite bright and he now holds conversations like nobody's business! If you ask him to do something and he says "no" and you ask why he will say, "Cause..." and go into a long explanation of why he can't. It's pretty funny to hear his reasons! He's grown up so much this summer. I'm not ready to deal with the terrible 2's with him - didn't I just have him?

He's a real expert at his little big-wheel bike. He loves peddling around the back yard. He and Liam go rock hunting all the time, too. Daddy went and got a rock polisher so they are stocking up to keep busy for the winter! LOL Liam got an expandable basketball net for his birthday and we have it set at the lowest setting right now (it goes from 4' to 6') and Conor can stand about 1/2 a foot away from the net and sink the basketball! He's so funny when he does it because as soon as the ball goes through the net he raises his hands in the air and says, "YEAH". He's also sleeping in his big boy bed, but he only makes it 1/2 the night before waking and calling for us. He either ends up in our bed or one of us go into his and sleep with him. I can't believe that after 3 years we are almost child-free in our bed! I know I've already said it, but it makes me kind of sad.

OH, some really good news: We got our fence put in! WHOOPEEEEE! No more drunks cutting through our yard and now we can let the boys go outside to play and not worry about crap being in our yard! Now, you'd think that was the best news, but it gets even better! For those of you that know my plight with the neighbors that live behind us, well, THEY'VE MOVED!!!! 95% of the problems have gone with them! We still have people hanging out back there, BUT today a truck pulled in and dropped off one of those huge dumpsters that you see at construction sights and there's been a crew of people emptying out the house and sheds all day. Last week the RCMP stopped by and told us they were recommending to the city that it be torn down, so we are hoping and praying that it's the reason they are cleaning out the junk and that tomorrow a big bulldozer shows up and knocks it all down. Keep your fingers crossed for us! Our neighbor went over to see what was going on, but we haven't had a chance to talk to him yet to find out.

A little update on my dad:

Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. The last session of Chemo seems to have really taken a toll on him and he's very tired and weak. I'm hoping that he will be feeling much better in a week or so, but with this dreadful cancer disease, you just never know. I'm keeping my thoughts positive and blaming it soley on the chemo for now. If you're reading this, daddy, I love you and you are always in our thoughts and prayers!!

Now on to some pictures!



This is my first scrap page in over 3 months! I'm so happy to be scrapping again! It's the first of many I will do from our summer travels. I knew I missed scrapping, but I didn't realize how much until I sat down and started doing it!













Credits: All papers and elements created by me. Font: Walt Disney Script





Liam at his Birthday Party #1 at Chuck E. Cheese















The boys and some of their friends doing their dance at Chuck E. Cheese










Liam with his "driving face" on. LOL It was quite a bumpy ride, I tell ya!










Glenn and Conor driving right behind us. I'm sure they were getting dizzy watching us zig-zag our way around the track!









Eeyore Conor. Out of all the ears he could have gotten, these are the ones he wanted most!















Pooh Liam. He and I got our ears together - Pooh for him and Tigger for mommy (who else?).






That's it for now. I've got so many more pictures to show - I'll definitely post the beach ones next. Have a wonderful day!