Good Byes are Hard

Last Monday, the kids and I went back to Tillsonburg after I picked John up from school.  We went to see the world's best neighbours.  John made the little girl a little keepsake box and chose a watch for her also.  We also gave her a picture of the kids.  We had grown closer and closer it seems year by year as we were there (for the 3 years).  They used to be someone we would say hi to when we saw them and then it was a daily thing for John to go there after the daughter came home from school, with my chasing him.  They would then come to our place and play in the toy room.  They played so well together.  Even the daugther's friend would come over for a bit also!  John loved it, and so did Laura. 

Their niece lived with them from about January to September.  That was awesome to have a babysitter right there.  She was great with the kids.  I will certainly miss my neighbours wonderful smile, she was always welcoming to the kids and I, even in hard times.  Her husband was great with John and Laura.  They loved him.  Well usually when John plays house he is either Daddy or his name!!  It's quite funny. 

After we visited their house the mommies took the kids to Burger King.  Well the kids had a great time, however when it was time to say bye- John couldn't stop saying bye to his friend.  We gave each other like a trillion hugs.  It was truly a sad moment :(  They will always hold a special place in my heart!

This Monday - Laura and I went to playgroup after we dropped John off at school- since Santa was going to be there.  It was our last playgroup.  The 2 ladies that run it have become friends.  The one won't stop crying every time she thinks of it.  The other looked like she was going to- I have been going to playgroup since the Halloween party in 2008.  They have seen John grow up - ready to go to school.  As well Laura was 4 days old when we went for the first time.  It was a saving grace for our family.  I had Laura in January of 2010.  You don't really want to go out in the winter with a newborn and a 2 year old.  But by going to playgroup- John got to get some energy out and it got me out of the house---well it got us all dressed for the day!! 

I was quite lucky to have met a lot of great mothers there.  (it was bonus that the kids all got along great).  I am so happy that facebook and skype are around so we can still stay in touch after we move.  Saturday we will be leaving Southern Ontario and going to Sudbury.  Southern Ontario has been home for me in the past 5 years - including Strathroy, Waterford and Tillsonburg.  I consider myself so lucky to have met so many great people in these places.  And hey- if you ever want to come visit - you are all more than welcome to!!

Now i have to go cuddle with little man as he isn't feeling the greatest and wants to cuddle

Great Wolf Lodge

We just got back from Great Wolf Lodge with the Dales.  It was an amazing time!! My cousin came with us also.  When we got there we did the water park.  Laura absolutely loved it (of course John did)  We had to wait quite a while to get a table for dinner but it was really good!  But when little miss was done eating that was it.  So i went back to the room with her and got her ready for bed. 

Papa came and sat with her, and grandma and aunty took the boys to the scavenger hunt.  While they did that Mommy, daddy and my cousin went back to the water park and did all the water slides.  Now if you know my cousin she is scared of quite anything that goes fast.  However when we went to Florida in 2006 she managed to do quite a few water slides.  So she compared most of them to the ones she went to.  Well we brought her on the one that was almost like a roller coaster- She was terrified i thought she might back out...but she went on it and LOVED it.  We managed to do all the water slides and go in the hot tub before heading back to the room, where little miss was watching the hockey game with Papa while whimpering. She wanted to watch Treehouse!

My cousin and I then went to the arcade and man it was fun!!!  Came back to Matt snoring, Laura sleeping on my bed and Matt had his arm around John, and John was watching the hockey game waiting for it to finish so he can watch Tree house.....what a boy.

It was almost 8 when we woke up.  We had a great day at the cub room and at the water park again.

We brought my cousin to Burlington Go station so she could go to Toronto to meet my sister for a bus ride to Sudbury. 

Now we are sitting here- boys are watching the football game- food is the furthest thing from my mind but gotta feed the kids! hahaha

This past week in a post

Saturday I went to see How The Grinch Stole Christmas with John in St Thomas.  We got to see Santa before the show.  I had told him that if he was scared at any point that he could tell me and we could get going back to Grandma and Papa's house.  Well it was the live version with Jim Carey, he of course did get scared right at the beginning, Bad Mommy that i am i told him NO we aren't leaving you have to watch it- it gets better.  He sat on me for the rest of the movie and was happy he stayed for it all.  We then had dinner with Matt's mom's side of the family- It's always awesome to get together with all the little ones (getting to be not so little anymore). 

Sunday I went to Cambridge to spend the day with my cousin and his family.  Well his car broke down :(  so I went with him and the kids to get it towed and we had a great lunch.  John loved to play with his son.  Laura loved his guitar.  It was an awesome day to spend with an awesome cousin!! (all my cousins are awesome!)

Monday - John went to school- Laura was still sick so i didn't go to playgroup.

Tuesday- John had a Dr appointment to get his 4 year old needles- He did amazing, he said it pinched a little but not much.  Then we stayed around Tillsonburg cause he really wanted to see Santa- we got to eat lunch and Santa showed up at 1 .....He was AWFUL.  I didn't buy the picture cause the 3 of them looked bored out of their minds- he didn't even ask what the kids wanted for Christmas. I was disappointed-

Wednesday - John had school and Laura and I went to playgroup.  It was our 2nd  last one to go to :(  She didn't get to say bye to one of her friends as she wasn't there :(

Thursday was an amazing day- we met up at the London's Children Museum with 3 other mom's I met at playgroup and their kids.  There were 10 kids and 4 moms total.  The kids all played super together and so we all went out to McDonald's for lunch.  John and Laura sure will miss all your kids :( and i will miss you ladies.

Today is Friday- We are going to spend a lazy morning at the grandparents place.  Gotta do some laundry and baking. After Laura's nap I am taking her to get her hair cut....it seems in a week the bangs grew super long.  We will then go see Santa in St Thomas to get pictures done there.(fingers crossed she doesn't cry this time!)  Tonight I am picking up my cousin at the bus depot in London, as she is John's best friend - and we are going to Great Wolf Lodge!!  It sure is going to be a great time.

On a positive note- we won't be missing Matt so much as he will be finally here

Our Angel

Four years ago my Aunt Lise was taken away from us, to spend time up in Heaven.  She was a wonderful woman who had no faults.  She found out she had Cancer in Dec 2004.  She had a tough road, but she was such a special woman. She never complained about it, she never asked for pity.

I heard the Christmas shoes song on the radio on the way to the movies with John and started crying, thinking of her.  When John was born my mom and dad were with me, however my aunt was fighting for her life in Windsor and Sudbury.  My mom told me the Friday morning that she had to go back to Sudbury early because my Aunt Lise had probably just the weekend/week to live.  I made all the arrangements with doctors so John and I could go to Sudbury ASAP.  My in-laws drove John and I there and Matt was coming every weekend until we were gone from Sudbury.  The minute we got there all I wanted to do was visit Tante Lise in the hospital and get her to meet John.  She got to hold him.  We didn't go back till Halloween night with John, he was dressed as a skunk and Lise had decorated her room beautifully and she was dressed up.  She held him the whole time we were there.  Unfortunately Matt's grandma passed away Halloween night and we came back to be with the Dales, on this hard time.

I had a dream that the passed away and told Matt that I really wanted to go to Sudbury.  So the next day we were in her hospital room - She decided she was ready to go- She looked at Matt and I and that was the last time she opened her eyes.

Sunday Matt had  to come back to Waterford, as he had to work in the morning.  My mom, Tante Josce, Grandma Uncle JC and cousins all stayed with Lise that Sunday Night as the nurse said with her breathing that if it was her sister they would stay with her.  While I stayed with my Grandpa (with John of course!)  I was getting John's bottle ready when my grandma came in.  She held John and gave him the bottle.  The phone rang- it was Josce, Tante Lise was an Angel now.

At her funeral she gave her own eulogy - that was hard hearing her voice again.

Not a day goes by that I do not think of my Angel.  She looks above us with her glass of wine and her beautiful smile.

So I think today will be the last Jump and Jive we go to.  First of all we are moving, 2nd of all the kids are getting to be younger and younger (no offence) and John doesn't want to share because he knows he wont get the toy back. 

I told the 2 ladies that this is probably the last time they see John.....it's pretty sad :(  We came back to grandma and Papa's and  I made some Peanut Butter Squares, and John decorated his gingerbread house.  I bought a pre-built one at Walmart....AWESOME!!! no need to let it stand overnight before he decorates!!!

He's playing Lego- while Laura sleeps, i think she will wake up soon.  It's a beautiful day in Southern Ontario- i think we might go to the park when she wakes up.  :) 

Last night we took some pictures of the cousins together- we got it done!!!  Laura didn't want to smile - what a girl!! 

All Clear

So in August I went to see a Paediatrician with Laura, because she wasn't talking.  I was thinking it would be a quick visit- blah blah blah, hearing's fine, not autistic, start speech therapy type thing like it was for John.

However this Doctor had totally different thoughts- First thing she listens to Laura's heart for 2 seconds and said she has a heart murmur....(I never heard she had one before! CRAP), She's got a big head....(I don't see it!)  She's too pale....she's a redhead, blue eyes....have you met her dad...oh right the doctor didn't!! and she kept asking me if she had any of the autistic tendencies.  Many times she asked me this.

So I had to get her assessed for speech, the therapist was surprised the doctor even thought she might be autistic.  She had to have blood work done (Normal), Hearing test (Normal), eyes examined (Normal) and a dentist appointment (normal).  I totally lost it when i got a call from the doctor's office stating she had to go see the cardiologist.  She had an ultrasound done and it was  a murmur we don't have to worry about at all.   She mentioned also that at this visit we might have to set up ultra-sound of her head...(cause its that BIG)

Well when you look at my daughter you do not think BIG HEAD....  my son on the other hand....we were stoped a couple times by people who commented on how BI|G his head is!!

So today I went to the doctor armed with a note from A Child First- a lady came in to assess Laura while we were at playgroup and observed her at play and listed these observations in a letter she wrote to the said Doctor.  At the appointment today - everything went well...she even apologies that she made me feel that way.  All in all at least i got everything checked out for Laura- and since we are moving it might be a little harder to see doctors and stuff....

I haven't updated since we left the house, oops, Well since then we had celebrated Christmas with Matt;s dad's side of the family on Saturday- that was a great time as always.  The kids got to play the pass a present game and they were actually pretty darn good!!  The food was great and the company even better!!  Laura was done after opening presents- I followed her she went to the door and tried to put her shoes on....after she couldn't get them on she didn't care who's shoes she put on- she wanted to go to bed.

On Sunday we had the Santa Claus Parade here in Belmont.  The kids were on a float as Aunt Kelly and I handed candy out for grandma and Papa's float.  It rained ALL day.  Wasn't fun didn't want to go but enjoyed it when we were there.  I love to see the kids faces, specially when we give them candy!!! 
Matt also called just before we were about to leave to show us what work he did.  He got a hole cut out in the wall between the kitchen and dinning room and he made the hallway higher.  He said he cut out 21 logs of the house.  We skyped so he could show us and it looks absolutely amazing, i can't wait to have a counter put into the hole in the wall and stuff!!!! on the bonus side I think my new kitchen is coming sooner rather than later or never!!!


Yesterday was a little weird.  I brought john to school and went to playgroup with Laura in Tillsonburg, but I wanted to sleep while i was there.  As i was driving I was seeing big spots so i decided to eat lunch in Tillsonburg- that made me feel better.  We came back to Belmont and my headache wouldn't go away.  (sore throat and all!)  So I napped while Laura napped, we went to go get John and had dinner, after I put them to bed I talked to Matt for a couple minutes, and Papa and I were watching TV and I don't remember anything till 7 am!!

Ode to the old house

Oh house, we had many good memories.
We had quite a few parties.
John's first, second, third and fourth birthday,
And all the kids that came to play.
This was Laura's first house
And there wasn't even a mouse.

We made great friends
That we won't forget when day ends
My neighbours i will surely miss
Specially when they take my kids!


Alberta be warned more Dales are coming
please don't go a running
We are sad to see Tillsonburg go
But Alberta will be our new go.

Bye Bye Barker Street House!!!  We will miss you...but at least we can take the memories with us

Alright so yesterday didn't turn out how I planned, after I finish typing I looked out and there was a huge transport truck in my front yard.  The movers were here.  The basement was done so they starting moving the basement to the truck, I gave everyone a all good everything can go.  By the time I left last night the basement was clean as were all the washrooms.

We came over to sleep at the grandparent's house, we get here and GEEZZZ the garage door is locked....i can't get in.  So i got on my cell and called the house hopping to get Granma.  She answers....we come in- i managed to unpack ALL (not much) of our clothes. 

This morning we had breakfast and I dropped the kids off at a friends house in Courtland. went back to the house the movers had everything but my box spring and mattress out ....BONUS...so i did John's room, Laura's room, the laundry room and started tackling the floor in the kitchen- it was pretty bad under the stove---yuck.  Once the guys left, and i finished cleaning i locked up the house and brought the key to the Realtor and picked up the kids.  (Who by the way were playing awesome with my friend's kids!)  We got to go see her chickens and turkeys....miss scardy cat even went to see the animals..(mommy didn't).  We then drove back to the house and the kids got to say their goodbyes.

Now we are at Grandma and Papa's to stay until the 24th.  Papa comes back tomorrow from Alberta, Daddy gets the keys to the house tomorrow...