Eating and Eating some more

One hungry little princess spotted eating oh so delicately at the table


What a gracious little thing, she wants to share


Oops, dropped it! Don't worry I can get it for you


Changed my mind I don't want to share


Yum yum, too bad you didn't get any, they were yummy

Good Morning

5am - Lucas yelling because he wet the bed, clean him and change his sheets, back to bed
5:30am- Ava awake
5:50am - Playing with Ava
6:30am - breakfast for Ava
6:50am - Lucas awake
7:00am - Lucas temper tantrum because I cooked his waffle or I didn't cook his waffle or I as going to give him the waffle he asked for - fantastic
7:15am - Lucas back in his room continuing his temper tantrum, complete with throwing around all his trains and tracks
7:25am - throwing stops and Mommy makes Lucas clean up his mess. More temper tantrums and yelling but he cleans up
7:30 am - Lucas eats his waffle, it tastes so good he wants another one - interesting

Someone has a case of the "Mondays"

Happy 1st Birthday Ava

Tomorrow Ava will be a year old! I can not believe it has been a year already, my goodness time is going by so fast. I can't imagine what life would be like without her (well that is not entirely true I am sure I would be less sleepy but that really is beside the point).



What I have learned about Ava this year
She is a beautiful little girl with a lot of determination.
She is strong and strong willed which makes for a deadly combination when it comes to wrestling with her brother.
She has become overly attached to her blanket and has to take it with her everywhere.
She does not encourage peeking in on her once she is asleep.
She loves her brother so much that she even goes and knocks on his door in the morning if he is not up yet. She is a morning person.
She does not stop eating from the time she gets up until she goes to bed.
When she is ready for bed there is no stalling it has to happen right away.

We love you very much little lady

Click on the picture of Ava for a great link to Ava's first year (Peter gets all the credit for this one)

Until Further Notice

Lucas has left the building. He no longer lives with us, Thomas has taken his place. The kid has gone Thomas The Tank Engine crazy. If there is something that does not have anything to do with Thomas he makes it relate.

For example

Lucas = Thomas

Ava = Rosie

Mommy = Percy

Daddy = Gordon

You head = Steam Stack

Your feet = Wheels

The floor = Tracks

Drinking = Filling your boiler

Walking/Running = Chuffing

There are so many more, I could go on forever. People keep asking me when he first watched the show and to be honest he never really has, he just read a book about Thomas and started his obsession from there. I really never thought I would be putting my child to bed in "his shed" and taking him for a shower at "the wash down" or "filling my firebox" full of "coal" at mealtimes, but this is how we have been talking now for about a month. When I call him Lucas he asks "why did you call me Lucas?" Sorry kiddo I thought that was what I named you.

I wonder how long it will last.

Even Christmas and ginger bread has to be train themed

Ava has been busy clmbing the stairs, even with obstacles in her way she still manages to get around them. She is a very determined little lady.

I thought this would be good enough to deter her, not in the least. She made it around and than pushed the gate over with an angry grunt, as if to say "Nice try Mommy, what else you got?"

We had a really good Christmas, busy but lots of fun. Both Peter and my whole family has been home which has been nice and. It sure is a different holiday from being in New Zealand, there are a lot more family events and get togethers. It is really good to be home. That being said I do miss the Christmas bach and summer festivities but we are surviving.

Yes Lucas is eating snow, can't get the kid to eat a meal but take him outside to play and ALL he does is eat the snow, now to figure out how to link those two together maybe meals outside? Somehow I don't think that will be a success.

Imagine That

Lucas has taken his imaginary 'egg' up to a new level, he insists on being called 'little chick' and hatches out of his cardboard box at least 3 times an hour, probably more. He has decided that I am 'mommy hen' Peter is 'daddy rooster' and little Ava is 'the feeder'. He spends a lot of time pecking at Ava's head getting fed. He has an over active imagination, which explains the slightest thing giving him nightmares.

He has also started to tell Ava off. I heard him just this morning saying "uh uh uh Little Miss what do you think you are doing?" and "Oh there is my pretty little lady, how are you?" All said in a sickly sweet little voice, I wonder where he has heard that before?

Our little lady does have a lot of names;

• Miss Greedy Guts - I can't keep the kid full
• Little Miss, just cause she is cute
• Miss Mischief, gets into everything
• Drool Monster, pretty easily explained
• The Ava Storm, she is on a mission to destroy anything built with blocks or train tracks

And after today a new name Ava Bear, man is she ever grumpy. She is usually happy chappy (look at that another name) but today and yesterday she has basically cried all day. I think her teeth are bugging her, at least that is the excuse I use for the empty bottles of infant Tylenol and teething gel lying around the house. Which all by the way only really sooth for the moment that they are given and then she realizes that they really do not provide any relief and the yelling for Mommy begins again.

The camera lies, she looks so happy and cute in this picture, really did not capture her mood today.

Oh ya and another name, The Ava Goon (poor little Lucas, look out for your baby sister she attacks sometimes). Her pants say Ballet on them, not sure she is going to be the ballet type at this stage more football, she loves to attack her brother. She is pretty good at it too, he will usually let her pin him down for lots of slobbery kisses.

Remembrance Day

I was asked to speak at Church for the Remembrance Day service, this is what I said.

These are my two younger brothers


As we were growing up they were always around for cuddles and kisses. I remember the older of my younger brothers had a favourite doll called "My Buddy" he took that doll with him everywhere. The younger one was like my very own doll. I took him everywhere I could. We played, fought and laughed together like kids do.

These are my brothers now, all grown up



I know them as Colin, on the left, and Andy on the right. But in this photo they are Sergeant and Trooper Oakley, both members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons.
Right now Andy is in Afghanistan he is a driver of a LAV 4 which is an armoured recognisance vehicle, much like a tank.

This photo was taken in May when Andy had just arrived in Kandahar. Colin's tour was finished and was getting ready to come home to his wife and kids. Just imagine his excitement finally leaving and getting to come home to his family while at the same time knowing that he leaves his baby brother behind in a war zone.

I have been asked how it feels to have brothers in Afghanistan. That is a hard question to answer because of course I would much rather have them home.

Then I think about what he is doing;

• As Lucas and I are at the library choosing bags full of books to borrow for free, I think of the children who do not have that freedom
• When Ava is sick and I take her to the doctor, I think of the mothers cuddling babies as bombs explode over their homes

So how do I feel? I feel proud! I am proud that my brothers are willing to risk their own lives so that others may one day have the freedoms we enjoy and often take for granted.

War is always such a political topic but regardless of whether you are for the war or not it does not change the fact that there are Canadian boys, men and women overseas fighting and dying, an that one of those young men is my brother.

He is always in my prayers, I pray for his safety but I also pray that he comes home unaffected by the horrible things he sees daily.

All of our soldiers need our prayers and are thankful to have the support.

The Canada I Know

We took Ava and Lucas to the Remembrance Day Ceremony at the Legion in Waterdown this morning. I was proud to see so many young children there. It is so important to Remember all the soliders that fought so that our land can be so great.

We are very fortunate in Canada, there are many countries that either cannot remember not being at war or have the memories of tanks rolling down the streets fresh in their minds .

As a Mom I cannot imagine how it feels to know that you have no way to protect your children from the horrible things that are going on around them.





I am so thankful for the country I live in, the safety I feel, and the freedoms I have.





Thank you to all the brave Men and Women who have fought to make the Canada that I know.