Catching up through photos

 Playing Barbie and the Popstar.

 Easter egg hunt in our front yard. This was so fun! Olivia was so good about sharing with Cassidy, who was a little slower than her sisters.

 After Easter mass.

 Hangin' out in a dog bed!!!

 Uncle Mike getting the girls all riled up!

 Pillow fight at Uncle Mike's house. Check out my mom's dog Teddy getting right in on the action.

 Lexie hanging out in our backyard practicing for gymnastics.

 Playing on the computer at Uncle Mike's.

More hanging out in the backyard. So thankful for sunny days where little people can get their energy out.

More birthday fun!

 

Remember how I had the community centre booked and someone else sent home an invitation to a party on the exact same day? Well, we had a home party instead and it rocked. Actually, what I mean is, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be!!! I still stressed out the night before about the clean up- wondering would any of the parents come in to use the bathroom? Would any parents want to go up and see the girls room? What if one of the kids notices how messy my house is and tells their parents??? Would anyone notice how gross my dining room chairs are? We got the house clean and decent looking and set it up all nice for conversation, eating, board games and of course video games. Then 10 of Olivia's classmates came over and the fun began. In my head I kept picturing a lot of yelling and running around but it wasn't like that at all. My mom commented how it was such a nice group of kids and she is so right. The dynamics of this group were awesome and the party for the most part was calm. Well....as calm as a group of eleven 7 & 8 yrs olds, two 5 yr olds and a 3 yr old can possibly be. I was so busy being the best hostess I could be that I forgot to take pictures!!! I've shared the couple that we took.

 The last 20 minutes of the party was spent outside decorating our sidewalk. The sun was shining and it was just a beautiful day.

Okay, I'm totally a TEACHER all the time. I made up some cute games and laminated them. Then I had the girls practice them so that they could teach their friends and also, in case there were any problems that might come up during the party. But the kids just did their own thing! Nobody played my beautifully laminated games :(

My Biggest is 8!

Okay, this is late. Olivia turned 8 on Monday, March 11th. When I saw the positive on the pregnancy test my world stopped and the world kept spinning around me. Literally! I was shocked and stunned. Dan made me take several more tests before he would believe it. I had severe morning sickness with her but the rest of the pregnancy was uneventful. Except if you count the gestational diabetes and the 50 lb weight gain. The day she was born I went off and worked my last day at the school I'm still at. I was showered with gifts and unwrapped them when I got home. I started to feel weird and nauseous so I had a bath. The bath was eventful and I called the hospital. The doc on call thought it was a stomache bug and wanted me to phone the hospital. Forget that, I wasn't calling I was going in. By the time we had grabbed my bags and Dan brought the car around to the front I could hardly move b/c the contractions were so painful. Then we had the longest car ride EVER and got to RCH in New West. The really rude, snotty, witchy lady at reception made me wait 15 minutes before I got admitted. All telling me to breathe. I get upstairs and nursers are joking around, while I'm in the bathroom trying to get into the damn hospital gown. I could barely do that simple act and had to call for Dan. So then they finally check me and I'm a 9. A big ole freakin 9! I felt so vindicated. So then everyone starts treating me different and seriously and not much longer I had Olivia. But first the intern checked me and couldn't tell what number I was dilated, the cord was wrapped around her neck and forceps were used. But of course this all turns out to be the best day ever b/c I was officially a mom. So here are some pics of Miss Olivia Lauren over the years:

 The arms over the head pose in the basinette.

 Check out that tiny fist. What is it with little tiny baby fists that are so adorable?

 Don't let Dan's tired eyes fool you. Lucky guy didn't know what it was like to get up during the night  until Alexis came along.

 Love that face. The monkey dancing thingy is gone. They all loved it but outgrew it.

 Olivia's first birthday!

 Scribbling on the wall. This is Pa and Avo's house. You should see the walls at our house. Covered with scribbles!

 Our little Canucks fan. There's Lexie in my belly.

 First trip to Portland I think.

 Hamming it up for the camera.

 See a pattern?

 Wearing daddy's hat during game #7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. All Vancouver fans would love to have her "oh well, the Canucks didn't win" attitude.

 Age 7.

Age almost 8.

Our Miss Olivia is creative, feisty, kind hearted, strong willed and high spirited. She loves her sisters and is kind to them - most of the time. She loves swimming, arts and crafts and cats. This girl is difficult but so special. She thinks outside the box and I can't wait to see where that leads her. She thinks boyfriends and kisssing are icky and I'm hoping that sentiment stays!

My Littlest is 3

 March 4, 2010 Brand new to the world. I feel so blessed to have 3 happy healthy little ones. I never imagined myself with 3 kids but all the work is so worth it. This third little girl has added an amazing dynamic to our family. I'm not sure how to describe it at this point but my heart just wants to burst when these 3 girls play together.

 March 2011- celebrating being one year old!

 March 2012- had to cancel her 2nd birthday party b/c she was sick.

 March 3, 2013- this is Cassidy in her first outfit of her 3rd birthday. And it was also before she got bonked in the face with the baby gate  (by accident) by one of her sisters.

This is her second out fit at her third birthday party. (There's a big red welt on the left side of her face.)

Bye bye baby stage. She's been done with diapers for over a year now and she doesn't want to wear pullups at naptime anymore. She still naps but when she doesn't it's not a huge deal. I can register her in a swim class and she can go in the water BY HERSELF!!!! In April she starts a gymnastics class that is NOT parent participation. And we've registered her in preschool for September.
I have to say 2 (the age) was exhausting. I felt too old to do it this third time. It literally felt like it was going to kill me some days! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I know it's not going to get easier but there's something "easier" when your kids get more independent. I'm looking forward to a time when all 3 can do everything in the bathroom on their own, or when I can go into the bathroom and shut the door! (That happens right?) I'm looking forward to the removal of baby gates and electrical covers. The thought of getting rid of all our sippy cups and valves makes me all giddy!!! I hate washing those suckers, especially after you've found one hidden under something that's been rotting away for a few days. Gross. But at the same time I'm savouring these days where someone climbs into my lap to read, and loving the little arms thrown around me when I come home. Looking forward to happy happy days. (and planning some Disney fun in the future sometime...)

Hello 2013

I know, I know... it's been 2013 for a while but I just uploaded our photos from the camera and had to create a 2013 folder. Still getting used to writing that date but at the same time it feels like Christmas was so long ago. It must be from the long, dark days and no holidays in January. We just celebrated our first Family Day though. Thank goodness we got that- the countdown to Spring Break from the beginning of January was so long! Here are some photos from our camera:

January was Pa's birthday. Check out that self restraint with the Devil's Food Cake! That is marshmallow frosting. Dan and I had our wedding cake modelled on this cake. And if we had a close up of this cake you would see all sorts of little finger marks.

This little girl lives in her nighties.

 Lexie is a really good skater.

 You would not believe the grief Olivia gives me over her helmet. Dan undid it, made it bigger, adjusted this and that, tried it on Olivia, got her opinion and asked her over and over if it was okay. And on lesson night she COMPLAINED!!! She could also be a good skater if she let go of the side boards. Lucky she is so freakin cute.

 

Then we just had Avo's birthday party. Check out the cake- same one! Oh that cake is good. Go to True Confections if you like marshmallow chocolate cake. Or any other kind of cake. Or pie.The girls had a sleepover that night. Did you hear my WOOHOO!!!??? Oh ya, it was nice to just look after one child.

 

This is the sloth at the Vancouver Aquarium. Breaking news: It was MOVING! It was actually moving and eating. This is a huge deal. I have been going to the Aquarium for years and all you see is this little bit of brown fur through the leaves.

 

 

Hilarious school story: we're discussing trusted adults. All the appropriate adults are going on our chart paper: mom, dad, aunts, uncles, teachers. You get the point. Then little B puts up his hand and says "The government." What???? Where do I even go with that? "Um....no not really B. I guess some people trust the government but umm...no. One, they're not an actual adult and two, they're not always trustworthy." My friend Sara said "Those Christy Clark ads are getting to him!" I think she's on to something! Damn those ads.

 

 

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Laughing until I cry

Don't you just love that kind of laughing? It happened to me twice at work yesterday- with the same little dude! Let's call him H. I wish I could show you a photo of H b/c he is so cute. He sometimes wears his glasses which just add to the cuteness. So I'm reading about Polar Bears and I say "Typically Polar Bear cubs are born in pairs." And H shouts out "What?" He looks around at his classmate- "You mean they're born in fruit?" (get it? think about it......is everyone there yet? Pears!!!) I'm cracking up but keeping composed. I just put up two fingers and someone next to him says "Not pears, it  means two!" It wasn't until later when I was retelling the story that I would lose it and start laughing so hard I'm crying! Can you just imagine what was going on in his head? A polar bear baby coming out of a pear! But that wasn't the only time H cracked me up. As the kids are getting ready to go home there was a bad smell. He shouts out to the line behind him "Who farted?" Again, I start cracking up! He asks me "How come you're laughing?" I just said "Sweetie, you're just funny! You say whatever comes to your mind!" Which is so true! He told me at Halloween that I kinda looked cute (dressed as a child in my jammies and pony tails) So I actually had to talk to his dad about a fomr sent home but Dad is dodging me. Last time he got called into my class b/c we had to talk about H smearing dog poo on another boy's jacket and he stunk like a SKUNK. Not the black and white kind but the kind you smoke. I mean really dude, you're picking your kid  up from school! Do it earlier in the day if you must. But what do I know? Maybe he did do it earlier in the day and he still stunk. But back to the story- H had to go back in and change into his "outside" shoes. As he's leaving he asks me (in a loud voice) "Why were you laughing when I said "Who farted?"" And I calmly tell him (giggling a little) that the polite thing to do is actually just ignore the bad smell.
Then there was today. I found myself trying hard not to laugh and getting tears in my eyes. I had some gymbucks so I'm in gymboree shopping. I turn around and see this:

Me: Umm...what are you doing Cassidy?
C: I want to wear a pretty dress.
Me: Ok, but can you put your pretty blue dress back on?
C: No!
Then she throws her dress and has a little fit. I realize the absolute hilarity of this situation and that's when I get my phone out. I went around the store trying to find a dress that would make her happy. She would only wear a size 8 dress I had for Olivia. After tripping around on that dress she got undressed again and put her blue dress back on.