2008 in Review

Sorry just realized that there is no music to the video... which is too bad because the music really makes it.  I will trouble shoot and see if I can fix it!

Here is a video that highlights our year.  We hope you enjoy it!

All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

I have been thinking what a great team Paul and I are.  I truly feel that we can handle and accomplish so much more as a team than we can apart.  These last few days have highlighted this so perfectly.

Last night Gracie and Beth were in the bath playing when I heard Gracie call for me.  I went in to check on them and Gracie was holding her tooth in her hand!  I thought "Great it finally came out and I didn't have to pull it!"  Then when I looked at her, I noticed that she was in fact missing both her top front teeth!  I searched in the tub for the other tooth, found it and then tended to my then crying and bleeding Gracie.  Turns out that the girls were playing a game where Grace put a toy snake in her mouth and Beth would pull it out.  I guess Grace forgot that she had a loose tooth!  Paul came into the chaos and preceded to walk right out of the bathroom and let me deal with it.  When it comes to blood Paul runs!  He was glad that I was there to deal with her.  I don't mind stepping up and handling situations like this and am glad that I can and let him deal with other situations.

Today was Paul's turn.  Bethy has been having a problem with a boy in her class.  He has hit her once before and today hit her again.  She is not the only one that he is bullying.  She is an easy target for him.  She has two marks on her face from each incident.  We are glad that the school is stepping up and disciplining him and he was actually sent home from school today as he hit someone else after he hit Bethy.  Paul is an amazing dad and a protective one, as demonstrated by the Halloween incident with Beth.  Anyway, I think he is dealing with this really well and has spoken to the school and said that this needs to stop.  If I had gone in today to pick her up and heard this again, I probably would have said that it is too bad and just left it at that, not really knowing what else we can do.  Paul though isn't afraid to deal with it and take action!  I am praying that we teach Beth, and Grace, some skills to deal with bullies and that they know that they can always tell us if they are being hurt or scared.  Boy, I didn't think we'd be dealing with this already!

Well, it has been a real adventure the last few days.  Oh, I also fell down the stairs with Jude in my arms and I took the whole brunt of the fall.  He is fine and I am too, but my back and neck are sore, oh well, another mom role fulfilled..... sacrifice body to safe son!

Growing Up

I haven't blogged for a bit now, I feel like I have no time to sit and muse.  Every time I start the kids need something, and after they are in bed I have been busy with other things.  Of course these are all excuses for the fact that frankly I have not been very interspective.  My mind feels like it is on autopilot.  Here is another excuse, Bethy just interrupted me to ask to play on the computer.  Which is actually a great segue (did I spell that right?) into today's entry. 

 Beth has been surprising me lately.  I had a conversation with my mom the other day about an email that Beth had sent to my dad.  She is amazing on the computer, and has been ever since she was 2.  She now can send emails, to her grandparents... with photo attachments,  Skype and play games online all on her own.  I mean truly all on her own.  I don't even know when she is sending emails or what she is sending until she gets a response, and the other day she Skyped with Nana and Papa and  we didn't even know till they told us about their conversation with her later that day.  (She just came in and asked if I have been using the spacebar in my entry!)  She is only 4 and she talks about websites, keyboards, emails, she loves it!  The funny thing is she in more involved with the computer than the rest of us.  Gracie hardly touches it!

On to more Beth news.  She had her first real playdate yesterday.  There is a girl in her playschool that she has been calling Miskayla.  I found out from her mom that her name is Makayla.  They get along real great at school so we set up a playdate yesterday at our house for them.  They ran  into Beth's room and we didn't see them for over 3 hours!  I was very proud of her and as I reflect on how old she is getting sad too.  I can't believe that she is going to be in Kindergarden next year.  Having Gracie in school all day has shown me how precious these first years are with them, when I see them all day.  I miss Gracie now that school sees her more than I do in a day.  I think she misses home too, and she loves the weekends with us.  I can't wait for Christmas break just so we all can hang out and have fun, and sleep in!  

sisters

So, here is the scene.  Grace is in the very back seat, Beth is in the middle row.  We are heading back from the Platzl.  Gracie starts telling knock knock jokes and Bethy is answering.  It goes....

Grace-  Knock Knock

Beth- Who's there?

Grace- Orange

Beth- Orange who?

Grace- Knock Knock

Beth-  Silence

Grace-  Bethy!  Knock Knock!

Beth- Silence

Grace- KNOCK KNOCK!!

Beth- Gracie, I can't handle it!

Well, we got quite the laugh, and Bethy had know idea why we found it so funny.  This conversation is played over and over each day, with different statements and circumstances, but it usually ends the same way... Gracie yelling for Beth's attention and Beth (usually in tears) not being able to handle it.  Oh sisters!

Beaners

So, I thought it would be good to let you all in on why I named this blog 'Spill'n the Beans".  Paul and I have found ourselves calling our children a plethora of names, many of which are not even close to what their given names are.  Gracie has been Mahony, Cici, Louie...  Jude has been JMan, JudeDude, JI.  Bethy has been several like BetterBee,  AnieBeth,  Beenut, B and most of all Beaners.  It always amuses me that when we call our children these names, even in public they know who we are referring to and respond back.  I feel a little silly yelling across a parking lot or store, "Beaner" wait, or "Cici come back".  But one of our funniest lines we have invented is in regards to an incident with Beth.  One day not too long ago, she was walking along and fell, which as many of you know is not a rare thing!  Paul looked at her with tears running down her face and said "oh, Beaner, you spilled the beans"  So, we use spilli'n the beans whenever Bethy falls, which is a daily thing.  When we ask her if she spilled the beans she says "yes" as she chokes back the tears.  So, there you have it.  

Catching Rays

It was a beautifully sunny warm day today, and whenever it is I feel great.  My attitude is better, I get along better with the kids...and Paul, have more energy.  I found Paul upstairs this afternoon reading on the bed in the sun, he looked just like a cat soaking it up!  Then I found him a few minutes later still in our room standing in front of the window soaking up the very last bit of sun that was streaming in.  I crave the sun and when it is out I want to soak it in, perhaps I am vitamin D deficient?  The girls got to play outside for more than a half hour at the playground after school, I am now wondering why all that sun hasn't changed Gracie's mood to a more sunnier disposition?  All this sun and warmth has me thinking about when winter will arrive.  The last two years, winter has arrived Oct31 and Nov 15, (by winter I mean cold and snow).  When will we get winter?  I am not complaining though, this has been a great fall but it is weird to look across the street, see Christmas decorations and lights but no snow.  Hmmm, reminds me of Vancouver!  We are getting our Christmas tree on the 28th and we are hoping that there will be no snow!  Those are my musings for tonight.    

Keeping Up

Since my husband started blogging, I thought I should dive in too.  I will give this a try and see if I can keep up with him.  I have wanted to keep a record of all that is happening in my life, things that the kids do and say, thoughts in my head.  So, I hope that this will help me with that.  Hopefully those close in my life will find this helpful too to stay connected.  I will try to keep our website up to date for those who just want to see our cute kids!   Gotta go now and change my son who is pooping in the jolly jumper, ahhh, this is what blogging is all about!