Ahhhh - snowy mountain....

So Big Mack's favorite TV show (since forever, even though he is only 3) is Dora The Explorer.  I am not going to lie, he has Dora sheets, and Dora blankets, his sister even has a little Dora bath castle, that Big Mack gets ALOT of use out of.  I'm not syaing he won't watch other shows, he does, he went through a little "Wiggles" phase - thank goodness THAT didn't last long!  But he ALWAYS comes back to good, old, faithful Dora.  Need to get supper started...Dora.  Need 22 minutes of sanity...Dora.  Need to get 4 toddlers to just calm the heck down....Dora!  Now if you don't let your kid watch TV, you are great, don't email me and tell me how great you are, I already know and that is why the title of this post ISN'T "Jess is the greatest mother ever!"....anyway as usual - I digress.

So Big Mack has been going through this pahse where he acts out Dora the Expolrer episodes - it's awesome, we have been talking about the same one for about a month.  Basically Boots loses his firetruck and Boots and Dora go on an adventure to find it.  Well every morning, afternoon, and evening Big Mack comes to me at some pointand says "Mommy where is my firetruck?"  When I reply "I'm not sure honey", he inevitable will say...."on top of snowy mountain, Mom!"  No big deal, right?  Well under normal circumstances, no this would not be a big deal.  But we are talking but we are talking about Big Mack, right?  Normal never applies to us :)

So it is the middle of winter here - lovely, right?  it gets cold, it snows, it gets warrm, there are big ruts in the road....you get the picture...."The City" F-I-N-A-L-L-Y plows the streets and very thankfully our little close. 

But really - what are the chances....... 

that "snowy mountain" would suddenly appear right outside our front door?!?

and everytime that we go ANYWHERE, snowy mountain is there.  I am pretty sure there will still be remenents of anowy mountain in the middle of summer...I hate snowy mountain, I almost back into it EVERYTIME I leave my driveway!  But Mackenzie loves it, and yesterday it provided like 3 hours of entertainment for him....and his lucky, snow loving, Father :)

Mackenzie & Daddy on their way to climb "Snowy Mountain"

It's not really a long walk but, Mack has little legs...and it's hard for little people to walk in all their winter gear!

Starting the big climb

Mackenzie's Dad showing off

Admiring their acheivements after they conqured "Snowy Mountain"

Best part...sliding down snowy mountainon the slide the 13 year old neighbour made, it was so thoughtful of him and his friend to put those jagged peices of ice at the bottoem :)

Bob being the weird 35 year old STILL playing on snowy mountain after everyone else went inside - okay I made that up :)  Mack was climbing up the other side (tee hee)

"Hi Mom! - I'm looking for my firetruck :)"

M & M...an update!

Big Mack and Miss Matea pictures.....

Right now - this week - Mack is in love with raw veggies, apples, banana's and cantelope....

and apparently this makes your feet grown really big!  Like enourmous big....seriously look at these feet

They are HUGE!  I swear the most popular phrase at my house this week was "I hurt my foot, Mommy I hurt my toe, Daddy my ouchie foot" - why you ask?  Because any time the child moved more than a centimeter he would trip over the SKI'S that were now attached to his legs!  And it probably wouldn't be so bad if Mackenzie James was your average three year old....but no, Big Mack travels at no less that 150 km/hr at all time!  He even pees fast...I know, gross...but true.

Miss Matea

Well let's just say I had to photoshop the heck out of this picture because Miss. Matea is in the "don't feed me i want to feed myself, don't wash my face, don't brush my hair, I am a fourteen year old trapped in a one  year olds body, and I am going to be super difficult whenever there is something that involves me sittingin my high chair" stage.  Her face was really dirty...but she is soooooo cute, right?

  

 

She like chocolate and cheese...sigh...and saying "no" at the top of her lungs....I know the time when we will send her away to her grandparents house for the summer because she is "a hanful" is fast approaching.  Hopefully Nana and Bampi will keep their summers free for the next 16-17 years :)

oops I forgot :)

Wanna know the best part of having a baby girl? 

Pink, ruffles on the bum, pants!

Aren't they the cutest?!?

playground in the basement?!?

So Bob wants to build a little playground in the basement (below is the first installment) - I know - YIKES!  Sometime I just want to have a real grown up's house, you know?  Where everything has a place, and it's neat and tidy...grumble, grumble...I know it's not gonna happen until my little people are like 18 or something crazy like that!  He is going to be having a little bit of time off in the next few weeks, and I am so "on the fence" about this project...then I look at these pictures and my heart grows a little every time I see them....

No grown up "media room" for me, right?

                                 

At least they are super cute, right?

Big Mack's first big expulsion from school....I knew this day was coming

How could you not love a face like this?

The is the story of Big Mack's first big expulsion...his Bampi (a high school principal) would be so proud :)

This is a long one so...sorry in advance

So today was Big Mack's first day back at school since before Christmas...we call is school but it is really like "pre-play school" - he goes 1 day a week, and it is for 2 hours...no big deal, right?  Well for the average three year old - the answer to that question would be "YES" - but for my Big Mack, well he is a wild one, so some days it is touch and go.  He doesn't really like to sit and do "circle time" where they sing, and read stories.  Today he wanted to:

1.  build a tower and knock it over
2. play in the sand table
3. chase the girls with the play shopping carts

I thought he was doing great, and the teacher's in this program know Big Mack, and they think he is doing great too.  He was doing so great that yours truly thought "hey, he is doing great why don't we see if he can handle this...."

And that's when I went down to the gymnastics school - da, da, da - low and behold they had a drop in playschool class for an hour and a half, about 15 minutes after Big Mack's "pre-playschool" class - just long enough for us to have a vist, a little snack, and a potty break - seems to good to be true, right?  That's because it was.  Mack was ready he was pumped to go, he has been walking by the gymnastics stuff every week since he could walk, so he was excited!  The class was supposed to be for 3-5 year olds but when he walked in one of the little girls said to him "hey there is a Mackenzie in my grade 2 class at school, what grade are you in?" - so obviously NOT 3 years old!  So said little girl was probably a little weirded out when Mackenzie replied, "I'm Mack, I'm 3!" and then started running around in circles like a crazy person :)

Now I am the first person to admit that my son is far from perfect.  I often describe him as a little rascal, and I know that his listening skills are not stellar.  I am not one of those Mom's that thinks their kid can do no wrong...I know he does wrong....I know he is frustrating, I know, I know, I know  But he is kind, and loveable, and capable of learning.

ANYWAY this is turning into the longest post ever, but I was hurt for my little man.  I passed him off to one of the teacher's, and she took him out to where all the gymnastics equipment is.  Basically she walked this 3 year old past all the equipment, and then passed him off to a group of three other children and one adult...they proceeded to "stretch" for the next 25 mintues?!?  Now I am not going to lie, Big Mack did his own versions of stretches for about 2 minutes, then he rolled around on the ground, he tried to army crawl towards a trampoline, and eventually he just started jumping in one spot...all the while the teacher was trying explain something about how an octopus protects itself?!?  So he was being a rascal, my issue was when the teacher (not knowing I was there) asked the other adult how old Big Mack was...she reposnded "he's 3"and then proceeded to say "well he's not acting like he is 3, this isn't going to work, I can tell you that right now."

So that's when I came in and told them I would just take him home.  The teacher started talking about safety, and that he was just too young.  I just didn't want his feelings to be hurt anymore.  So I scooped him up and carried him (kicking and screaming) to the entrance.  He just didn't understand why he couldn't stay, he was so frustrated, and sad - I just felt awful for him.  You probably saw me today if you were at the pool or the soccer pitch, I was the crazy lady sweating, carrying a 45 pound child, a CARS suitcase, winter boots, and a purse....all the while Big Mack was screaming at the top of his lungs.  Sigh.  Poor Mama's Boy :)

**I just want to say that I am sure this gymnastic school is great, I just didn't see it today.  I only saw my little boy's feelings get a little bit hurt :(

Definitly NOT a "case of the Monday's" -- Matea style :)

Serioulsy...do I even need to write an actual post?  She was super pumped about life this morning....she isn't very diva-esque in the a.m., she saves that for the evening (you should have see her tonight!  Sheesh, it was like "I'm having a bath, having a bath, having a bath.....GOOD LORD PUT ME TO BED RIGHT NOW!  RIGHT NOW!  RIGHT NOW!  RIGHT NOW! - sorry to yell at everyone, but that is how she was yelling at us so....deal with it)  when her parents are nice and tired :)

All jokes aside, how cute is she with her little feet on the table, eating a waffle?

*side note: I made that waffle from scratch....I just wanted it to "look" like an Eggo...just so everyone is on the same page...if you know me, you know I am being super sarcastic :)

Babies, babies - EVERYWHERE!

I went to a baby shower yesterday for a friend...and I think that pregnant people are super cute!  The only person that I have ever encountered who was nt completely adorable when pregnant was....myself.  It is true people, I was as big as a small mobile home - gross.  I liked being pregnant, I just was never one of those "awwww look at that little pregnant lady in her bikini at the beach"...it was more like "oh my goodness are you having twins?!?...No!?!  Are you sure?!?...

Don't beleive me......

I call this exhibit A

Sunday....zzzzz

Oh Big Mack...why do you do this to me?  I am a zombie right now, an actual zombie!  I should be getting everything ready for pancake Sunday but instead I am debating driving to the Starbuck's to get a White Chocolate Mocha, and listening to Big Mack whine for some reason I cannot figure out?!?  I am just wondering if anyone else's children wake up at the crack of dawn, on a Sunday, when Mommy went to bed WAAAAY too late the night before?  Is it just my little guy?  Don't message me and tell me how awesome your 3 year old is, and that he is going into grade one because he/she is so smart because you are such a great mom/dad - - only message me if your kid is a little rascal too...thanks :) 

I just remember when he was a teeny, little baby and he would sleep, and play, and be happy.  And if he was ever unhappy you culd just feed him, and that solved EVERYTHING!  Everyone reading this with a little baby hates me right now :)

I just love, love, love the snuggly days....he was soooooo little :)

Big Mack when he was a 3 week old Baby Mack

And I guess we are doing a full fledge "walk down memory lane"

and here are some pictures of Mackenzie James...today-Pancake Sunday

Helping make the pancakes..."hi mom!" - crazy smile & hair--ugh!

Boys get bored very easily...I'm hoping Miss. Matea might enjoy "helping" a little bit more, although at this point on Pancake Sunday....the princess was still fast asleep!  It is very tiring being a DIVA :)

            

Looking cute waiting for pancakes....or he is sorta glaring at me because I have taken so many pictures...yep it's probably glaring :)

And just because I don't wait her to feel left out.....

A DAILY MATEA PICTURE :)......

I literally have to wrestle her to the ground to "do" her hair...it is painful for the both of us.  So this is "au natural"

Never in a million years....

I seriously never thought this day would come.  We have been working on potty training for what seems like FOREVER!  I guess I should start out by saying that my son is 3 years old, and for the first 2 years and 10 months of his life, he acted like he was deathly allergic to underwear and the potty.  It was SUCH a struggle, especially when we would go to playschool and EVERYONE was wearing underwear, no one had accidents....and according to their parents they were already enrolled in college classes (okay I made up that last part).  Which brings me to my picture today....Big Mack has been wearing underwear in the house for about 3 weeks now, with almost NO accidents (yeah)!  And i think what got him there was that I just had to stand back and let him WANT to do it, which is so hard, and EXACTLY what everyone tells you to do.  But here is my proof to myself that Big Mack will not be 7 and sitting in his grade two class, wearing a pull-up....if you had asked me three weeks ago I would have said "never ina million years will he wear underwear and his clothes and not pee all over everything :)

A case of the "Monday's"...

okay anyone reading this knows that that is a silly line from the movie Office Space - this is one of the first movies Bob and I EVER watched when we first started dating (WAAAAY back in the day), and it is one of his favorites, it is also one of my faves too, but only because within 10 minutes of putting the DVD in, I will fall asleep. Not just little "cat-nap" asleep, but like seriously drool on the pillow, snoring sleep --I love that movie :)...but I digress, I most definitly DO not have a case of the Monday's today because.....I finished an 11 day sub teaching stint! So that means tomorrow I get to stay home and play with the M & M's, and at breakfast and lunch with them - it is going to be great! I really miss them when I work, wouldn't you.......

Big Mack & Miss. Matea

All of us...check out the eyes - which one of these

things doesn't belong...

me and my brown eyes get lonely sometimes :)

One of our calendar pages for the Family Christmas calendar

Digital Scrapbooking - woot, woot!

Pancake Sunday's!

Yeah...my favorite day has arrived! We have been doing pancake Sunday's for about a month now, and I think they are super fun. It brings back memories of my Mom making pancakes for us when I was little....ANYWAY the most amazing thing happened today on Pancake Sunday....well it was amazing for me, but you might not think it is a big deal - whatever. So usually I just make pancakes, Mack eats some, Matea destroys a few - no big deal, right? Well not today! Today Mackenzie said to me "Mommy I want a pancake please" (still not a big deal) but then while he was chewing them he was saying "yumm, yum, yumm....mmm....mmm...mmm" when he finished his first pancake he said "thank you mommy, these are delicious, want a smooch?" and then he and Matea gave me big kisses, it was another melt my hear moment - when I look back and read that, it totally seems made up, but I am not even kidding, it so happened, and if you don't believe me then don't read my blog anymore (pretend i am sticking my tongue out at you :))

I don't thin i have any pictures of pancake Sunday's...but i do have these super cute ones :) Can you guess what we love to do?

WE LIKE TO READ!!!

Big Mack reading with his TAG thingy from Nana & Bampi - very cool get one for your kids :)


Here is Miss. Matea checking out her super cool books

My socks are....

Oops I forgot I was going to post this....sometimes our Big Mack and little Miss. Matea say and do the most hilarious things! Seriously a three year old can come up with some pretty good stuff...ANYWAY this is Mack right before we were headed out to go swimming. Bob and I were busy cleaning up Matea because she is the messiest eater in the history of the world! I could heare a little whining from the floor where Mack was sitting, but a little whining never hurt anybody, right? Finally I realised "wow he has been working on getting his socks on for quite some time...." so I peek under the table and see my three year old trying to stretch his socks out by putting one end in his mouth and pulling on the other end (I know gross) and all of the sudden he looks up at me and says "What are we gonna do...my socks are broken!"..........He melts my heart.

Ahhhh...Saturday. I love Saturday's, especially when I actually had to work ALL week, wait that is a lie I hae actually worked for the past 2 weeks! Much to the dismay of my little people AND my kitchen floor, which is VERY dirty :) Oh well, right? I once read a quote that said "good Mom's have happy children and dirty floors"....and I have EMBRACED it! I have a dog, a one year old who is refusing to abstain from throwing her food, and a three year old, my floors are always dirty :)

I am hoping this blog is going to be a way fro me to stay in touch with people and share with them some everyday stories about our little family that I might not have the time to shar EVERY day.

Stay tuned, we will see how it turns out.....