A Splash Of Color

A few weeks ago I had to make a run to Micheal's for a planner shop and my hubs tagged along! He found a box of tie dye on sale for $5.99 and wanted to grab it for him and the kids as a craft project!

The next day he went out and bought 6 white plain t-shirts and even found one of his for the kids to dye for me as a pajama shirt! He meant serious business with this tie dye.

After dinner one night he and the kids taped a garbage bag to the table, set out all the tie dye and began their fun.

The kids thought this was the BEST time ever. They were so excited to see how everyone's shirts would turn out. They showed him where to tie the elastics and put all colors on themselves.

He let them sit over night and the next morning one by one each went into the washer to rinse, then wash.. They all turned out pretty darn cute if you ask me!

Jackson didn't want to do his shirt until a few days later, I still haven't gotten a photo of him wearing it though. But SO cute!

They even made me a shirt AND pajama capri's. How colorful and cute are these?

Jordan also dyed a Muslin swaddle blanket for Justin, and it turned out AMAZING!

I was at Michael's again the other day and different boxes of tie dye were there for $9.99 so I grabbed one. It rang up at $2.99 so we grabbed 4 boxes, and will save for future fun! It wasn't as messy as we thought and the fun the kids had makes the retro colors so much more fun!

What are some fun crafts or projects you like to do yourself or with kids? I love hearing new ideas, and maybe we can try some!

The Loss of a Dear Friend

In 2003/2004 When I was a single teen mom I lived in a 2 bedroom decent sized apartment with Jordan. I went to school and had a part time job. While at my job I met a lady named Dale who quickly became like a second mom to me. We had a bond I never ever thought would be possible with someone who isn't family, and we not only worked together but went to each others houses for tea, went shopping together, you name it we did it!

Fast forward a few years and her daughter and I were pregnant at the same time. Her daughter was a few years older than me but they weren't as close as her and I were.

August 2007 When I went in to have Ava, her and her daughter Wanda were at the hospital. Her daughter was due a month behind, but she had complications and she had called me earlier that day announcing she had became a Grandma!

Turns out Wanda had a csection and while they were operating they noticed she was full of cancer. They agreed to start treatments but they weren't hopeful.

Wanda lived to see her baby turn 2 months old, then she passed. It was the most heart wrenching thing I ever had to be apart of, and to this day it brings me to tears to think about.

Fast forward to 2009. I got a phone call from my friend Dale. She was just home from a doctors appointment where she was given not so good news, she too had cancer. WHAT? I couldn't grasp this for anything. It was not possible she too had cancer! She was raising her Granddaughter by herself and she was just two! How could this be?

I was pregnant with #4 Jayden at the time of the news and I was busy on and off, she would call me all the time but I would be busy or not home, forget to call her back Or we would just keep missing each other.

November 2009 rolled around and she and I spoke about twice a week, until everyone in my household had the flu. Once I felt better I promised I would call her back. A week went by and I was feeling better but she wasn't answering her phone.

I kept calling.

No answer.

Finally after a full week and a half of trying I had a bad feeling. Very bad. So I logged onto the internet and went to our local newspaper, clicked obituaries and there it was.

She had passed away almost THREE WEEKS AGO. A day or two after her last phone call to me. 

That's why she didn't answer.

I lost my mind. It was late at night, my kids were asleep, my husband on his way home from work... There I sat on the middle of my bed sobbing while I stare at the computer screen. She was gone.

I couldn't believe it.

I had missed the funeral, I had missed my chance to speak to her again. I was completely crushed.

She had told me a month or two prior that she had my contact info pinned to her fridge and her niece was under strict orders to call me the MINUTE anything happens. Of course, in that moment I'm sure they have a million other things going on they hadn't thought of it but I was crushed. She was gone, I missed saying goodbye. It was and still is so very painful. She was by my side for years. Listened to me gush about my husband when I first met him and she was a very huge part of Jordan's life too...

So today I was scrolling through photo albums on my Facebook and came across an album of Dale at my house with her baby granddaughter Kassy about a year before her passing. I don't have a single photo of her, just these photos of Av and Kass with Dale in the background and I never got one of the both of us either, I'm not sure why. I regret this so much. But, I just wanted to post about my dear friend who I miss terribly and wish I could give one last phone call to, as I sit here remembering her today.

Ava and Kassy.

I am not too sure what I believe in for after someone passes but I do feel like I feel her energy around me often!

Hold your friends close, you never know when they'll be gone.

My Top 10 Reasons Having a Big Family Rocks!

10. Never a dull moment - Ever. There's always someone telling a story, a joke or scaring someone. Pranks? Oh boy, forget about it... It's always something 'round these parts!

9. No one can EVER say they are bored - How can they? There's endless amounts of fun to be had, and games to be played without needing more players!

8. Protection - Always someone to watch out for one another - Having a bad day? Need someones advice? Need help with a friend situation? Have no fear, someone is always here to give advice or offer an ear!

7. Hands - Lots of helping hands - Need help putting away groceries or laundry? What about picking up toys, or tidying the books? Baking with mom, or cooking with dad? How about working as a team to get jobs done quicker? Lots of little willing hands ready to help!

6. Busy - Always running around! - Always something going on somewhere in the house, and backyard. There's schedules and routines for a reason, there's lots of us so we are kept busy! 

5. Never lonely - Although sometimes we may feel lonely, there's ALWAYS someone around and loving us. No matter what.

4. Noise - It's never quiet, ever. Although this may not be good news for some, I thrive on the noise. It is home, and makes my heart feel full. The kids love it too, they know that we are all always around, and this is a comfort to them.

3. Hugs & Kisses galore - Can't turn a corner without someone running at me for hugs and kisses! This, makes me melt! Kids giving each other hugs, and we often hear them high fiving and shaking hands!

2. Laughter - Lots and Lots of laughter - Music to my ears. The sounds of  giggles and belly laughs always fill the rooms..

1. Love - Endless amounts of LOVE. No matter what, we all love each other and are forgiving, caring, and there for each other. At the end of the day, nothing else matters but family.

While I understand all of these can apply to any and all families, these are just some reasons that our big family rocks! Smaller families don't love less, laugh less or care less... We just do things a bit differently because there's so many of us, but at the end of the day.. Family, regardless of size is all that matters!

 What are your favorite reasons your family ROCKS - no matter the size?

Celebrating 29 Years!

Yesterday was a big day. We celebrated my 29 years of life! Yep, it was my 29th Birthday.

Isn't my cake beautiful? My sister in law who I have previously blogged about made it for me and it was not only delicious but absolutely beautiful. You know me? You know I love whales. So this, was totally me.

The day started off a little rocky. We all slept in, and I woke up with a migraine. My husband was suppose to plan the day for us but both things he had planned was all based on weather, and the weather kept reporting rain was coming. So, he had to search for something else for us to do. I wanted to do something as a family and something we hadn't done before.

He decided since I'm not from Toronto, and I don't know where basically anything is we'd go on a sightseeing tour! I was thrilled. We were going to tour downtown and all the main attractions on a double decker sight seeing bus and then head out on a boat to tour the islands! Talk about fun!

It was so much fun. We were lucky enough to get spots on the top, which made seeing everything so much more exciting for the kids. I didn't  get many photos from the bus tour because I was watching, listening to our guide and trying to wrangle Jackson at the same time! I also had to breastfeed Justin on top of the bus which was something I never thought I would have to do but did, which was neat! Double decker bus feeding:)

 

 After the bus tour the bus dropped us off at the harbor front to catch our boat tour. This was the part we were all looking forward to the most I think! Hubby had my camera during the boat ride and got some wicked sky line photos of this beautiful city!

Spectacular views! It was a really great day! I had a lot of fun. Although I didn't get a ton of photos because of having all the kids with us, babywearing, and rushing I think the photos I got were okay. Hubby did pretty well too! We finished off the night by going home, having subs for dinner and eating my yummy cake! What a great day to begin year 29....

A Day At High Park

We haven't been able to do too much this summer like the past few... With my husbands work schedule we haven't been able to go on many day trips, and our usual trip to Niagara Falls for a week we couldn't do due to having so many pets now! So we are keeping busy and finding things to do around the city.

Yesterday we decided to pack up and head to High Park. We packed a huge picnic and off we went! We walked some trails and went to eat lunch. Then the kids got to play at the big park that has a huge castle they all absolutely loved. This was rebuilt a year or so ago due to a fire, and Mike Holmes from the tv show Holmes on Homes rebuilt it with his team. It was the first time we had seen it since the re-built and I was impressed.

After we went over to the small little zoo they have in the park. The kids loved it, and of course had me take some photos..

After the zoo we took the long walk through the park, stopped for an ice cream and the kids played for a little bit more before we headed home around 330pm. It was a full long day, and when we got home Jackson fell asleep on the couch, as did Justin and the other kiddos watched a movie. We decided to go to the park at the end of our street when everyone finally woke up because we had a late lunch, they all slept and we needed to keep them up a bit later so why not let them run whatever energy they had left off. 

It was a great day and night. A late night which was a bit out of our norm. Usually we stick to a pretty tight schedule, but it hasn't seemed to effect them today (thank goodness!) so it was great. They all even slept in until 9a this morning which is UNHEARD of. So, no complaints here! Next week is my Birthday so I'm excited to see what the husband has planned. I told him he could plan my whole day, and I just wanted to do something as a family even if it was a lazy day at home in the pool - I don't care, I just want us all together and hanging out for my last Birthday in my 20's!

The Happiest Of Summers Has Begun!

I had planned when I took my break to come back and blog every other day. My last post? Tuesday. Talk about a major fail.

Things have been crazy as it was the last week of school for my 4 school aged kiddos this week. Now, they are finished. All got amazing report cards and were promoted to their next grades come September. Very proud mama right here.

I am really excited for this summer. I quit my job 2 weeks ago so now my kids don't have to worry about me working from home while they are home and we get to enjoy the whole summer together. Today was day 1 of that and I'm thrilled.

We got a pool last week which is probably the best decision we have made in a long time. We used to have one back home where we lived but the backyard here we never thought we could pull it off. Well, we did. It isn't huge or near the size of the one we had back home, nor as deep. It's 12x12 and 30" which is perfect for our backyard and for us. It's so much less stressful being able to go out in the backyard and hop into a pool instead of gathering all of our things, packing snacks, towels, swim suits and having to walk over to the wading pool. This will be fabulous... Jackson clearly learned a lot in swimming lessons last year as hes off on his own when he has hit water wings on... it's amazing. I'm in awe just watching him swim off. Most of the time he doesn't even bother with noodles or toys just goes around and around!

In other news, we expanded our family. No, I'm not pregnant and we didn't steal a child.. We did however get a bird.

My husband has been wanting a bird for YEARS. I am not all that comfortable with them, to be honest they freak me out but I finally agreed. Everyone, meet Max.

He is an 8 week old Green Cheek Conure. He's absolutely stunning to look at. He also has a very soft head. That's all I can tell you because, well... That's all I've touched. I haven't been able to hold him yet. He's pretty scared of us still, and rightfully so. He's starting to come around though. I've done a lot of reading, A LOT about Green Cheek Conure's and not only do they make wonderful family pets they are very loving & affectionate and they LOVE attention, LOTS of attention. He fits right in here at our house!
 

I sit at his cage with my chair pulled up talking to him. He tweets.. Errr Chirps? Anyways he makes noises at me. Stares intently at me, and when I walk out of the room... Oh boy, he gets loud! He's a riot. I am pretty stoked for this journey and I have a feeling he will quickly become my bird - if I can just get over being scared of him... Haha ;) My hubby takes him out and has no problems giving him love and cuddles, I just really need to convince myself he isn't going to fly at my head and tear me apart. He's such a sweet little soul..

Please tell me I'm not the only one iffy about birds? I mean, an animal that can FLY at your head??? Gah. I feed him, clean the cage and even sit at the cage with it opened hoping he will come to me - but I won't be reaching in to grab him anytime soon.. Working on it.

Birthday Season!

When May rolls around we all tend to get excited. Not just because the warmer weather is upon us but because in our house that means Birthday Season has arrived! All of our kids were born May - Oct. We have 1 in May, June, August, 2 in Sept and October. My hubby is in June and I'm in July. So not only do we have a lot of celebrating and fun going on, but we eat a lot of cake.  A LOT OF CAKE.

This year so far we've had 2 of the kids Birthday's and yesterday was my hubby's Birthday. 

My sister in law dropped this off for him yesterday as a wonderful surprise, and it was delicious.

Back in the beginning of June, June 6th was Jayden's 5th Birthday....

And of course, May 11th was little Jackson's 3rd Birthday... He's OBSESSED with Cars.

 

We are really lucky my sister in law does them for us. She does a great job too! They are really delicious. She was doing this for fun and to make a bit of cash but she's decided to just do it for friends and family for the time being, and we aren't complaining :)

I guess when planning our family we really didn't think due dates, or Birthday's through all that much. It's a lot having Birthday's back to back, but we do it and I don't see any of the kids complaining.

Jordan and Justin are a few days apart for Birthday's too. Jordan is September 7th and Justin is September 9th, and my Brother is the 10th. Kind of neat how that all worked out, and Jordan thinks its fabulous his little brother ALMOST came on his Birthday. He did want to share - He thought it would be really cool, even if the age gap was 10 years!

Did you plan for when your kids due dates would be and when they'd be born? Did you space them out or not worry about it like us?

Sister Code

My girls are very close in age. I mean 10 months apart close. So this can pose a challenge for us all quite often. Both girls are extremely smart, funny, witty, caring and overly emotional typical 6 and 7 year olds. They are sisters so they are bound to bicker and love each other one minute while hating each other the next, but it's gotten to the point now we've had to separate them - they've both had their own rooms now for almost a year as sharing DID NOT work. 

We've many heart to heart talks with both of them individually and together but it doesn't matter, they are constantly at each other. We've given them space, gotten them to walk away if they feel the other is bothering them, and have some time to themselves. I just never really understood this kind of behaviour - I am one of 4, but all my siblings are older than me and were basically out of the house when I was this age. So, I'm a bit lost here.

I am still not sure if it's because of the age they are at right now, the fact that they are so close in age, or just because they are sisters. My sister is older than me by more than 10 years, so I can't really say I relate to what these two are going through. I know that when they get older it will come back up again, and will probably get worse. But at this age, I don't think it should be like it is at least not yet!

So, we've come up with a "Sister Code" that seem to be working for the time being.

1. Be kind: no using harsh words, telling each other to shut up or that you don't like each other.

2. Help!: offer to help each other if you see someone is struggling with something.

3. Mind each other's feelings: be uplifting - find something nice about each other's outfit, hair, story or day that you can compliment each other on at least once a day!

4. Hug it out: instead of using your harsh words and hands, hug tightly and for longer than 5 seconds!

5. SMILE: you are sisters. Be there for each other and you'll never be alone!

We've made this into a check list for them and they like keeping track of all the things they follow through with on the list for the last two weeks. There is no reward or incentive besides being a good sister and they both are completely smitten with this idea. My girls love each other, as do sisters - but they won't get along 24/7. I get that, they get that too. But right now basically every little thing they do right now gets on each other's nerves, so we had to try something constructive. 

It won't be like this forever - but when the teen years come, it will get WORSE. So I'm trying these solutions now to see how things go in hopes that when the teenage years roll around it won't be too bad.... I'm hopeful!

Ripley's Aquarium Of Canada

Friday was my son Jayden's 5th Birthday. He had a great day, an amazing Birthday cake, all the gifts he wanted... But he also specially requested I take him to the brand new Ripley's Aquairum here in downtown Toronto. Of course, I jumped at it and made a date with him for Sunday after dad got off work. He ask all weekend if Jordan could come too.. I said yes, because I plan to take the girls together in the coming weeks. They love doing things together like this so we'll go for a day in the next few weeks!

It's a pretty penny to get in. $28.98+tax for Adults, $19.98+tax for youth and $9.98+tax for children.

Got there at 7:15, and left just after 9pm. We all had a blast. 

I tried to get as many photos as I could but there was just so much to see, and most of the fish were so fast... I did the best I could and got over 100 photos -  so, here are just some of my favorites from our trip!

Being so close to all this was absolutely incredible. It didn't take us long to see it all though, so the cost would hold me back from going again aside from taking my girls to enjoy it first of course. We were there so long because I let the boys play in the play area for about 40 minutes, then we went back into the shark area to watch them because they are incredible creatures. I am really glad we went and got to experience this. I'm actually looking forward to taking my girls and hopefully being able to sit a little longer to look at the jelly fish and huge tanks full of tropical fish in the Rainbow Reef.  Jayden had so much fun he couldn't wait to go to school to show all his friends his shark tooth necklace I got him in the gift shop! This is a great attraction in Toronto, So amazingly gorgeous.