Sucessful Shopping Trip

This weekend was my semi-annual shopping trip to the states. We plan 2 girls weekends a year, one in November and one in April. These times of the year work out great because in the spring we get our new summer cloths, and in November we get some winter cloths, and Christmas gifts. This trip we all needed to refresh a few things in our closet. Curt come away with a few new outfits, a few new golf shirts, and a pair of sandals. I got myself quite a few new pieces of clothing, and a few pairs of shoes, but Jaxon was the true winner with this trip coming away with his summer wardrobe and lot a shoes!!!
Jaxon LOVES shoes and hats. He truly is our child....no double about it. His father has an obsession with hats, and mine is shoes. He could have cared less about the cloths when I was pulling them out the bags, but with every pair of shoes that come out, and every hat, he had to put them on. It was quit the little fashion show that he gave us with is new duds!!!
Well the closets are full, and our bank account is empty. 7 more months to save for the next trip!!!

New Ride

Last year for Father's Day Jaxon got his dad a bike seat for his bike, so that he could join him for a ride. Well needless to say, Jaxon never did follow through with actually getting his dad that gift. We had kind of decided that it would be nicer to spend the extra money and get a bike trailer instead. We had been looking for a used one but had not been able to find one. It is amazing what a demand for these things there is, expecially used ones.
Curt's parents got one at a liquidation place near our home town. Their neighbors go over to it on a weekly basis, and they just told them to keep their eyes open for one and when they see it, to get it. We asked them to do the same for us and they finally were able to get us one on the Easter weekend. It needed to have some repairs done to the wheel, but we are in business and have been able to get out a couple of times on it already.
I have not had a bike in a couple of years, as I really do not enjoy bike riding, but I decided that it would probably be something that we could all do as a family and bit the bullet and bought a new one a couple of weeks ago. It is a cruiser...a 2 speed...stop and go.
We are all good to go now with our bike riding family fun and I think we will get a lot of use out fo the bike trailer for sure. I am glad Jaxon decided to hold off on buying that bike seat for his dad last year!!!

Picture Taking

Jaxon loves my camera. He loves to get a hold of it and turn it on to look at the pictures on it. It is amazing that at 20 months he knows how to operate what he does.
Not only does he love to look at the pictures on my camera, but he love to sit in front of the computer and loot at the slide show that is our screen saver as well.
Jaxon now has figured out not only how to look at the pictures on my camera, but how to take them as well. Last night when I was downloading some pictures onto the computer...these are what I come across.
We might have a little photographer on our hands...but we might have to enroll him in some lessons first!!!

Dinner & a Movie

Last week was our girls night out for my birthday and I got to stroke a movie off they list of 'to see's'.
We went to see the latest Nicholas Sparks movie that has hit theaters. 4 out of 6 of us girls had made sure that we had the book read before we went to see the movie.
Well...it was a disappointment. Although, oh so often when you read a book before you go to watch the movie you are disappointment because through the whole movie you are thinking about the book, and what is suppose to happen next.
Anyways, I think that when I watch the movie the second time, I will enjoy it more. The book will not be so fresh in my mind and I will sit back, shut my brain off, and enjoy it!!!
For the last movie, Dear John, I read the book after I had watched the movie. That was much better. I think that I will try to stick to the reverse order, and then I can compare the book to the movie....way better!!!

The End is Near

Well! My little man and I have been pretty much by ourselves over the last couple of weeks. With it being tax season (and the last month of it to boot) I am fitting the 'tax season widow' roll quite well.
You know, in years past this did not bother as much (don't get me wrong, there was plenty of discussions over the lack of hours spent doing things around the house) but this year seems to be the hardest yet. Last year was ok because I was home full time and I had the time to keep on top of things around the house and did not need Curt's help to do so, but this year with me working full time, as well as trying to spend all my free time with Jaxon my house work seems to be getting put on the back burner. On days like today when I get up in the morning and the sun is shinning in and showing every little dust bunny it makes me want to hire a cleaning lady!!!
Anyways, we are on the count down, and there is only 16 days left of this mayham and I will have my husband back, Jaxon will have his dad back, and I will have the free time to get my list, as well as Curt will have the time to get his honey do list worked on!!!

Easter 2010

Saturday was spent with the Strachan's(Jaxon got a new rain hat from his Gammie...it matches his rain coat)

Sunday morning was spent at home after the Easter Bunny came to visit through the night.(Jaxon got a haul. A new trike and helmet, a new basket ball net, a new 'Car's' movie, and a big chocolate Easter egg with a Montreal Canadien's zamboni in it)

Sunday afternoon was spent with the Robinson's

(Jaxon outside playing the chalk with all his cousin's and aunt Sue)

(the always fun Easter Egg hunt. Jaxon and Auntie Cara ran around the back yard trying to find as many eggs as they could)

We were so blessed to have such an amazing weekend weather wise. All of our gathers we were able to be outside in our short sleeves. It was a great weekend full of great food, great family, and great weather!!!

Hippity Hoppity

Easter is on it's way.

Sunday we spend some time after Jaxon woke up from his nap decorating Easter Eggs. I had got a kit a couple of weeks ago, and Sunday was probably the only day that we would have a chance to do it before the Easter bunny makes at stop at our house on Saturday night.

We did not do the traditional dipping in food coloring, we did the sponge painting set this year. They turned out really nice, and Jaxon even got into the action. Unfortunatly the one that Jaxon worked on got chucked on the floor, so it did not make it to our display, but the ones that I was left to do did!!!

Welcome Home Hadleigh

Jaxon's friend's Hadleigh came over to see him on Saturday night, after she had been away to Florida to go and see Mickey. We got to hear all but her trip, and who all she seen, and what she did while she was away.
I love to get these kids together. It is amazing everything we get together, which sometimes is on a weekly basis, how much they have developed or changed in the short period of time that we don't see them.
We are missing one little one in the picture, Jazlin, but she was not able to make it.
I am sure that there will be many of tiffs between these little friends, but the moments that they love each other are priceless.

Happy Birthday Mommy

Yesterday was my birthday, and Jaxon was more then excited to help his mommy blow out the candles on my birthday cake on Sunday night!!!

LOVES it Outside

My little man has shown us that he loves the outdoors. He does not want to come in for supper, for a nap, for bedtime...not for anything.

It could be a long summer.(his dad cut off a hockey stick for him last week so that he can have a 'real' stick for road hockey this summer)

Happy St. Paddy's Day to you!!!!

May the luck of the Irish be with you!!!

1st Birthday Party

Saturday was Miss Jazlin's 1st Birthday party with all of her friends...and here are some pictures of the big day.....Jaxon gave Jazlin her birthday present from his Auntie Cara for her to open as soon as he got there....he could not wait to see what she got her!!!Little Miss Jazlin a.k.a. porkchop will eat just about anything, and as much of it as she can get her hands on...so there was a good spread of food that she shared with her guests!!!The kids got new sunglasses in their treat bags from the party, and here is Hadleigh modeling hers.
After things had wound down, the kids decided to have a tea party together once they got their jammies on. Tea and then to bed.

It is so hard to believe that these 3 hare getting as old as they are. Where had the time gone???

Happy 1st Birthday Jazlin

Where has the year gone???

Issues

When Jaxon was a baby he pretty much was perfect. Slept through the night from 8 weeks old, hardly ever cried unless there was something seriously wrong, and generally was the most content little boy that a parent could ask for. I was very fortunate as a first time mom to have such a wonderful little boy, and everyone used to comment on how I was going to pay some day for having the perfect baby.
Well, I think that time has come. My perfect little baby has become a raging toddler.
We have been having a little bit of a biting issue in the past couple of weeks. It started a couple of months ago, but was contained to him biting me or his dad. In the past couple of weeks we have had a few more issues evolve with the babysitter, his auntie Cara and now the little girl at the sitters as well.
When it has been an adult we have been able to scold him for his actions, but it really has not hurt us for the wear. Know that we are getting into biting other kids it is really something that we have to start to nip in the but. I don't know which is worse, being the bitters mother, or the bitties mother. My heart breaks for this little girl that my child has harmed, and I feel so sorry that my son did that to her.
So...I have tired the time out strategy...not working. We have tried the taking of privileges away from him...not working. We have tried the punishing...not working. Someone has suggested soap in the mouth, but the little monster will take the soap and eat it for enjoyment, so what kind of punishment is that.
My final resort was Tabasco sauce. I had had a few people recommend it, and I was at my wits end this weekend and decided that was going to be the punishment if it happened. Well last Sunday morning it had to come out when he bit me. He only got a little dab of it on his lips, really did not like it, but really did not seem to bother him. Later on the in the day it took a chomp out of his auntie Cara, so the bottle came out again, only this time it went straight in the mouth, and the bottle was shook a few times. He certainly got a taste of it this time, and for a long time after it he was pulling at his tong for quite some time.
Well, I am happy to report that last week was the best week we have had at the babysitter, and there does not seem to be any signs of biting. I am knocking on wood with this comment, but hopefully this little issue is behind us!!!

Family Day

On Valentine's Day we had an early Family Day celebration with my Robinson's side of the family. We decided that we would go to my cousin Christa's place and have a pot luck and an afternoon full of outside fun. Christa's husband Brent built us up a little hill with the snow from their yard. Not a big one, just a perfect one for what we needed. Brent had a snowmobile, so he would take the kids around their farm on it in shifts, and they all had a blast. Jaxon of course opted out of the snowmobile ride, as we can recall what happened only a few weeks ago.

After the outside fun was had, we headed inside to do a craft with the kids. While they were outside I took a picture of them all on top of the hill, and ran into town to get it developed for the picture frames that they made.

It was so nice to be able to get together with all of my family, some were not able to make it to Christmas, so it was nice to see them. My grandma was SOOO happy that we did it too.

2010 Winter Olympics

Well, tonight is the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics. I have never sat down and watch the opening, or the closing for that matter, or the games, but I think that since they are being held in our country the patriotic thing to do would be to watch them.
I always love Olympic time. During Olympic time you are never bored because there is always something on tv to watch. I never take interest in a cross country ski race any other time of the year, but there is just something about cheering on your nation in the Olympics.
Jaxon was born during the summer games in 2008. It was a perfect time to be up all night with a baby, and be cooped in a hospital room. Since they were in China, Curt and I would be able to watch the events live, in the middle of the night. I think that it was my saving grace to keep me from going mad having Curt be occupied with watching them, and not bothering me because he was bored. We when home from the hospital it was great entertainment for those middle of the night feeding as well.
We always said that when we have our next child it would be perfect timing if we could schedule it around the Olympics again, so we don't get too bored in our hospital room. Well, I guess we missed this Olympics...we will have to wait for another 2.5 years to hit up the next summer games!!!
NOTE: for all of you people who are asking us when our next child is coming along....here is your answer, Summer of 2012....hehehe!!!

Girls Night OUT

Last night we had a girls night out with a dinner and movie. We do this whenever one of us has a birthday, and it varies from outing to outing what we do. We were out to celebrate 2 birthdays last night, Cara and Beckie's, so we made it a royal affair and went to the show and out to dinner to a new restaurant in Waterloo.
We went to see the new movie Dear John, a Nicholas Spark novel that has just been made into a move, and starred the dreamy Channing Tatum. I did not mind at all sitting in the theater for 2 hours staring at him on the big screen....HE IS HOT!!! The movie was really good. A definite pull on the heart stings movie, that left your makeup smeared from the tears running down your face. This book will know be on my to read list this summer on holidays.
For dinner we went to a new restaurant that just opened at the mall in Waterloo, Oliver & Bonacini. It was fabulous. Everyone enjoyed their meal, and the restaurant was gorgeous. The service was a bit slow, but we went after our movie, so we were not in any hurry to be anywhere, except home in our bed.
Anyways, when we were watching the previews there were lots of good movies showed....a new Nicolas Sparks one called Last Song and J.Lo one The Back Up Plan. Hopefully by the end of March one of these new ones will be out and we will plan another night to the movies for my birthday!!!

Children's Museum

This Saturday was Curt's last full Saturday off before he is required to work until the end of tax season. We thought that we better make the most of our 'family time' and do something fun with Jaxon. I had talked to a friend a few weeks ago as to things that she was doing with her little girl to put in the winter months, and she had mentioned about the Children's Museum in Kitchener.
Jaxon loved it!!! He is still too small to take in a lot of the exhibits that they have there for the kids, but what he could take in her loved. He loved the big blocks that him and he dad could build something. He likes to play with his lego at home with his dad, but he especially loved the big ones that they had there.There was an area specially designated to infant play, and there were tanks in there that bubbled, and mats that if you stepped on played music. There was a hut that you could crawl through, and him and his dad spend a lot of time trying to catch each other through it.Jaxon 's favourite part of the museum had to be the pin wall. I am sure that everyone readying this post has at some point in their life played with one of these small boards, but this was a life sized one. you could put your body image in it, or just your face, or hand, or just whatever you wanted. Jaxon really like to watch others do their body image in it, and then run over and push it all back for them...little shit. There was a little girl that really did not like Jaxon for this specific reason. Oh well, that is what you get for being a hog with the pin board little girl...hehehe. Just joking...it was a good sharing lesson for my little angle.This is defiantly a place that we will be visiting again. Not somewhere you can go to over and over, but someplace that might be an annual visit.

First Ride

Last week Jaxon got an invitation to go over to his Grandma and Grandpa's because his Grandpa wanted to take him out for a snowmobile ride. I asked him when I got off the phone with Sid if he wanted to, and he was so excited. He was actually still in his PJ's when i asked him, and he wanted to go right away.
We got him dressed for the day, and his snow suit on and away we went. When we got him over there, and were getting his helmet on him, and attitude changed a little, and was not quite sure what he was getting into.
It took us about 15 minutes to get him ready to get out for his ride around the field, and they only made it to the edge of the property. Jaxon was not at all interested in sitting on the seat of the snowmobile, or evening being on it for that matter. It was a whole 2 minutes of fun, for the amount of time it took to get ready to go.
We got him off the machine, and settled down and then all he wanted to do was stand at the front window and look out at the snowmobile.
I guess this year it is better from afar, but I am sure that one of these years soon he will be begging his Grandpa for a ride on his snowmobile!!!

Happy Birthday Hadleigh

Well, the kiddies are all growing up, and Miss Hadleigh, the oldest of the bunch, had her 2nd birthday on Sunday.

Saturday night we went over to celebrate with her, and give her her gift. The poor girl did not get to open her gift though, she did have 2 others in there with her to help her open them. She was very good about sharing the pulling of the paper off the present, and even let the others look and play with the gift too.All Hadleigh wanted for her birthday was a 'Pooh' cake, and she got her wish. Cara made a Whinnie the Pooh cake for her, as well as some cupcakes. They were really good, and she had lots of candles to blow out between the cake and the cupcakes.Happy Birthday Hadleigh!!!