"An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet regardless of time, place or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle but it will never break." -Chinese Proverb



29.4.12

Our weekend in review

My brother and his wife had a wedding Saturday night....which means I got some much needed girl time with the nieces and Adrien got tons of girl cousin time... We had so much fun!  It started with a visit to my youngest brother new home where the kids got to run and tumble in an empty house. All was good until the nose bleed....but it was quick and the playing continued.
Next we headed to my dad's. When we arrived, we found my dad sitting over a metal barrel roasting a basket of sausages (LOL) Everyone got a turn roasting the delicious pieces of meat!
This picture caught the kids sitting on the driveway rocks enjoying the brilliantly juicy pieces of pork....still drooling at the memories of them! 
 
Back at my house, my neighbour and I decided to take all the kids for a walk by the creek, where they climbed over obstacles sometimes bigger then them and finding happiness in many different forts.
Then we went to dinner with 6 of our neighbours at a wonderfully fresh and tasty buffet, where the kids were charged their years in dollars....Cross Roads.... upon our return, all the kids played "ManHunt" which is a combination of hide and go seek and tag until it got dark out.  Needless to say, the kids crashed hard and fast.
The next morning, the fun continued as we played out front with toys and lots of kids.  Adrien was busy chauffeuring his baby cousin every where her heart desired!
And someone lost a tooth!

Then we gathered all the neighbourhood kids and headed to our street park.....see the baby all brave on the biggest slide!
We came home for lunch before heading out to another park where the baby fell a sleep in the car though was so tired, she transferred quickly to her stroller!
This was our gang......what a great bunch of kids!
what a fabulous weekend though now the house is too quiet!

25.4.12

Junior Kindergarten Visit

Tonight we headed to Adrien's big boy school. He has been pumped about this day for a long time...a time to meet his teacher and new friends....we walked to the school with the wagon making up silly songs about school the whole way. Once we arrived we were surrounded by swarms and swarms of kids.....and their parents and their siblings.....it was just masses of people. The teacher remembered Adrien's name and welcomed into the classroom (there will be about 60+ junior and senior kindergarten kids) and one of the parents said good bye to their child. Adrien immediately started to cry and cling to my leg telling me it was time to go home and he didn't want to go to big boy school. I tried and tried to ease his mind until I remembered that his little buddy from daycare would be there so we set off to find them before the parent meeting started. As we walked into the other classroom, we were greeted by a crying friend and two stressed moms not knowing what to do with their first born children (my friend and I) After two minutes after playing they both calmed down enough for me to go to the meeting with plans for my friend to join me shortly. She came into the meeting about 5 minutes later, reporting that the boys were doing great and happy. We listened to the rest of the meeting, one of us signed up for the PTA and drank in everything the teacher was telling us about backpack sizes and good lunch bags to get and why to label extra socks...etc. After an hour and a half away from our little princes, we were allowed to go and get them....when Adrien saw me he came running so happy....he had fun......YAY!!!!!

24.4.12

Swimming Superstar

Today was his second swimming lesson. Hubby took him as it was in the morning. We had found him a smaller class with one other child his age and swimming ability (kinda) I prepped hubby as best as I could, letting him now what Adrien's escape beahviours looked like. Hubby got him to the lesson where Adrien was able to identify to hubby that he was scared about going into the water. The instructor walked Adrien to the shallow end and after only 5 minutes of crying and escape behaviour the boy got into the pool! I got a text from hubby telling me he was in! Then I got another text....telling me that using just a pool noodle, Adrien was kicking (swimming) to the deep end.....He did the length of the pool with just a pool noodle! We are so proud of this little man who identified and overcame his fear to be able to learn and enjoy the water! YAY ADRIEN!


23.4.12

Let it snow

It may be snowing today but I have video proof that spring is coming....not only in weather but in the growth of Adrien.....he's getting more daring in his adventures at the park....He is learning how to jump off the swing like the big kids do, he's climbing new complicated ladders to get to the slide and he's even trying to climb on the raised tunnel top....(I should be redirecting that behaviour but it is something I think he needs to learn under supervision so he can do it safely when he's with his friends)

19.4.12

I remember

Being first generation Canadian, I spent a lot of my summers in Europe, more specifically in Italy. Tonight my sister sent me a picture of my nephew sitting beside a kid that I mistakened as a girl. She corrected me and it reminded me of something that happened to me one summer in the village. I must have been about 8 or 10....and I loved going to see my grandparents, family and friends. I met a new friend....I thought a beautiful girl will curly longish hair and a love of pink polo shirts. Maurizio (that was "her" name....see where I'm going with this) and I were the best of friends, I got to play with Maurizio's hair, we would hold hands as we walked the streets of the village, we would whisper and giggle together for days. My dad, though, would continuously teased me about my boyfriend but I thought he was just playing with me cause he would always tease me about my best friend in Canada being my boyfriend. Then, one day it happened. For some reason, I realized Maurizio really was a boy....I was heart broken and remember feeling betrayed and when I didn't want to play with him anymore he got really REALLY angry with me and chased me around the village trying to beat me up.....it was his cousin that pulled him off me as I tried to climb a stone wall to get away and I never saw him again....What a memory....I had forgotten about that one for a VERY long time.....


My in the background helping my Nonna making dinner and my cousin in the front. (this was the summer the Maurizio thing happened!)

18.4.12

Swimming

So in about 10 minutes we will be leaving for his swimming lessons. I am probably looking forward to it less then the boy is. We've had to talk to his aunt who has a pool to cajole him into going to lessons so he can swim with his cousins over the summer.....and now he's singing how he hates swimming and will only be taking a shower there before coming home....I don't understand it, he loves being in the water, he doesn't want to wear water wings and he doesn't want anyone holding him, I thought he was fish....so why doesn't he want to learn to swim? I may be the problem. All of our lessons have been mommy and me classes with me getting out of the pool for longer periods of time at each lesson, though the last round he went to two classes and then was clawing at the instructor to get out of the pool. This round, I will not be staying where he can see me.....I will drop him off to his instructor with a kiss and come back at the end of the lesson....like we did at Dance Fit......Cross your fingers it works.

NOTE: Epic fail......I will be calling the club tomorrow to either withdraw him or get him into private lessons. The instructor asked him to get into the pool, when he did, the water went over his head and he couldn't find his footing....the instructor didn't do anything for about 5 seconds....Trust LOST....and he was done

9.4.12

Soccer and Swimming

So, I'm going to try the swimming lessons again with the boy. I know in the past, swimming lessons have been unsuccessful for him in a structured environment though the past lessons have been through the city (not knocking them) This is a boy who wants to be in the water, dunk his face in, jump in and refuses to wear water wings or have me hold him, so we will be doing this round of swimming lessons through out local aquatics club. I have heard fabulous things about them and their approach to teaching kids to swim. He is registered! There are only three kids in his class with one instructor!
After his round of dance fit classes, which he LOVED....I am hoping that he will be more successful in these types of classes. It was after watching his boy cousins play soccer while we away that helped him decide he too wanted to play soccer! So, he is registered for boys summer soccer U4! I got him his little soccer shoes and socks today! Can't wait for that to start....I hope he thrives and enjoys both classes!

8.4.12

A Sunday Walk





Happy Easter

And as my 4 1/2 year old nephew rationalized (and figured out) while we where in Church yesterday was "I wonder if the Eater Bunny is God's pet".....
May God protect you and your family and keep you safe, happy and healthy.