The Bunny.

The Easter bunny came to our house... This is such a great picture of Liam and his personality. Such a goof! My very lucky kid's loot. I try and balance the candy, which I hate in my house, with some practical gifts. Books, skateboards, coloring and craft things that they love.

I always include some clothing, this year it was tee-shirts. I just love them and their little faces when they receive our gifts.

Little baskets up...

They are such awesome little people. I am so proud of them and their individual spirits, strengths and personalities. Easter just reminded me how special they each are and how grateful I am for my family.

The Wonder.

They have created a calm in me. I had lunch with a friend today and he told me I glow as I speak about my children. He is right, I adore them. They are such individuals and have such amazing God given gifts. I tried to capture these gifts in pictures...
Jaden is my step-son and I have been apart of his life since he was 8 months old. Jaden is joyful, thoughtful, very smart. He remembers things after hearing them once and loves the other kids fiercely. Step-parenting is difficult and can be stressful but we have found our way slowly. I have discovered I am capable of a lot more than I thought.
Jake is my hero. He truly is a heroic boy. He captures the essence of "big brother". He never hesitates to help put on shoes or to carry things up the stairs for his little siblings. He is sensitive, generous and so very kind.

Liam is smart! Damn smart! He spends his time reading researching and building. He is a thinker and an academic. He startles me with his intellect and witty conversation. He is also sensitive and loving. Thrives with routine and expectations.

My only girl. My little baby-girl. I was unsure with the trauma of my life who this little person would become. She is bossy, independent and has her own opinion on everything. She is sweet and could sell an Eskimo a refrigerator. She is angelic.

I wish I could capture each moment of their lives. I love that they are such amazing little people!

The Playroom.

This is our wreck room...An enormous space that until a few weeks ago was inhabited by a 20-something brother in law. I guess a year of being woken at the crack of dawn by guitar hero and listening to the boys fight was enough for said brother in law and he moved out. Leaving us with a much needed playroom. Much needed for several reasons. The first being this insane winter that won't die and the second is the 4 children in one house scenario. Anyway... Saturday morning we awoke at the crack of 9 (lol) and attacked the playroom with paint! Naturally calm was the color of

choice, I am hoping it rubs off on them!

Several tools and silly pictures later we were painting up a storm! One hour it took us! Grand total for a room that is at least 250 square feet. I was excited. We let it dry overnight and began phase 2 the next day!

In his defense we did call Jon's guy friends to move the hide-a-bed, but couldn't find anyone. SO I convinced him to let me move it. After all I moved tons of furniture by myself before his time! This sofa was heavy!

I am trying to get it around the door!

Here we go relaxing and watching some Kung Fu Panda~...


After all the moving and painting and organizing, the boys are beat! This whole project only took 2 and a half days, including dry time! New record!

Organizing their toys into the toy buckets.

My mismatched shelves, the weather sucks for staining right now. It will have to wait.

Here is the other side of playroom land. Yes we have the wii and the video games here but my kids sweat and move when they play so they needed more room. Not to mention the amount of adults that come over to play! All of the furniture in this room, the toy buckets, and the rug were grabbed from around the house. I spent 26 dollars on paint and 7 dollars on fabric for the curtains I have not made yet. I wanted to have an adult friendly-kid space. Although we don't plan on using this as adult space I still like to know that at any point we could. We spent the evening watching the hockey game in complete silence! Such a nice feeling that we can spread out a little more in our house!

Sunday Morning

We spent Sunday morning together. Just playing and chatting. I sat on the couch in their living room and watched them in their activities. They love it when I sit amongst them and spectate in their lives.

Miss Avery was busy with an art project. She was making flower puppets. Any excuse to combine stickers, glue and Popsicle sticks.

She loves flower stickers my little girl. She thinks flowers are "happy".

My little Kung Fu Panda addict is convinced that he needs to re make every scene in the movie. I watched him go from Jenga blocks on the couch, to a bridge made of masking tape... I am in awe of his little brain.

Wii can guitar hero. The musician of the familyrocks out to some Bon Jovi for mom.

Serious Kung Fu Panda action happening.

It evolved into Jenga blocks ON the masking tape as then the characters could kick the pieces around.

Such a rocker!

Still sticking.

I just sipped and watched and drank them in...

The Greatest Gift.

I know that this has been posted but I love this picture so much! They are my greatest gift and I could not ask for more love, and fun in my life!

The Next Birthday.

Of all the places on Earth that I could have...

Or should have been.

This special day.

Outshines them all.

She is my treasure.

I want to be 4 again.

7 would be awesome too! presents and friends!

Fun and laughing...

Brothers having fun!

All the cupcakes you can eat!

The Day.

I am committed to my children. They are my first and ,in certain situations, only priority. My greatest regret is having to share their time with their Dad. He is entitled to them and he is good to them, but I miss them. We have routines that make our days special. Avery sits in my lap every morning at 6am and we share a cup of tea together. She never wants her own cup, just to drink from mine. I am not an early riser, but this special time we have carved out for each other in the morning makes it worth it. She sneaks into my room and whispers to me "time to get up" even in my worst moods, or worst sleeps she lights up my morning and makes it special. Around 630 Liam arrives and Avery is usually the first to greet him as he comes up the stairs. She moves over and my big boy snuggles into my lap for his turn of Mommy-time. Avery is a big girl and holds my cup as we plan the day and chat about what we are all up to. I usually move them into the kitchen and make their breakfast, scrambled eggs is a staple at our house. As I put their food on plates my biggest boy comes through, usually dressed, and wondering if we have OJ. Jake could drink a litre a day if I would let him! I usually have one ready for him and he sits to chat with his siblings. They are loud and they banter but I love the chatter as they talk about library day and special helpers. Somewhere in there I get ready for work, organize them and get us all out the door. Mommy time with Jake has recently been the ongoing activity of walking our dog, when the weather is nice we jog but right now we bundle up after work and school and take our terrier out for a brisk walk. She loves it and it gives Jake the opportunity to have Mommy-time with just Mommy. Being the oldest of 4 myself I can understand being lost in the crowd of other children's needs and I try hardest to cut out time for him. Supper is eaten at the table with all parties present. Each child has a job to do to create the meal, yes it takes longer, yes it is wilder but how will they learn to do it without you helping them learn? I have a table setter, a Mommy's helper, a salad maker and a table clearer at each meal. I have loved having them around me (trying to) contribute. After supper we do homework, little ones can watch a movie and I sit with the boys at the dining room table and we spell, write equations or whatever else is sent home that day. Then begins the bed count down, usually with Miss Early-riser telling me she is ready for her P-jam-jams... Off she goes to get ready and the boys wind down with a movie. I love the Disney classics, so do they! They have a few and the Lion King and 101 Dalmatians are the perfect movies to watch when I am putting the little ones to bed. I climb into her bad and wait for her to join me, she comes into her room dragging her special blankey and my heart melts. I just love my little girl. I smell her breath, this proves she brushed her teeth, and we read 2 books and then snuggle and talk for a few minutes and she starts to drift. I tell her I will check on her after I put the boys to bed and she nods...Already half gone. Liam has usually started getting ready by now, my kids have never disliked bed time, and I follow him downstairs as he tidies up I climb into his bed and wait.. He brings me a HUGE book every night and we negotiate how many pages I am going to read, he is an amazing reader but all my kids love me to read to them. I read the 10 pages we negotiated and he cuddles but quickly starts to fade... I kiss his cheek and tell him to sleep tight, every night he replies that bed bugs do not live in his bed. I adore this little genius-child. I go next door to Jake's room. He is usually reading and I flop down on his bed telling him I am just going to sleep here as I am not going to make it back up the stairs. He laughs and I cuddle with him, don't tell anyone he is 9 and he still cuddles, we chat I read him a book or a chapter of a book he is reading and I let him feel close. As kids grow up we touch them less. I think they need to be cuddled and reassured more.I tell him he is handsome and looks like his Dad, he smiles. I hug him and remind him how spring is coming and he is going to have to get back into shape soon, he rolls his eyes and laughs a little. I tell him good night and I will see him in the morning to which he nightly replies..."Not if I see you first." This child is an angel. They are all my gifts, my undeserved treasures of this world. I cannot imagine my life without them and their amazing qualities, traits and characters. Are your children your treasures? Do your eyes light up when they enter the room? Do they feel loved, always? Do they worry about disappointing you and strive to be better people because of that? Those are the goals I have for myself as a parent. I want my treasures to feel endless love, great respect and knowledge that their Mother will love them first no matter what. Is their anything better than being your kid's mom?

The Divine Love.

Children are the ambassadors of unconditional love. They wear it, live it and breath it. Most of us are dealing with the mess our parents made of our lives, all the while making a mess of our children's. The irony of this startles me. Am I doing the same thing to my children as my parents did? My children love me irregardless of my blunders and faults. They run to me when I pick them up from daycare and I feel the joy and love their little hearts are full of. Their little hearts beat a constant rhythm of contentment and strength. How do we lose that adoration and lust for life? When did becoming an adult mean that we are cynical of those around us and unable to focus on anything but their flaws. My daughter was bitten in the face last summer by a dog, she had a 2 inch gash under her left eye, my son's have nicknamed this spot her "beauty spot" she calls it her princess mark. This is a scar, is is now a small bubble of skin that has a small scratch around it. They don't see it that way, they see it as different and beautiful. I would be seeing plastic surgeons trying to get my face back but they have such a divine love in their hearts, they could never see their sister as flawed or wrong. I have learned a lot from "the gaggle" acceptance and love are only some of their amazing lessons. Is there anything better than being your kid's mom?

The Gaggle.

My stepson Jaden.

My Beautiful girl.

The Gaggle. Jake, Jaden, Avery, and Liam.

My Favorite picture of Liam. He loves dinosaurs and Science world on a snowy afternoon was his idea of heaven!

They are shouting "Go Team!"

I love to watch them learn and get really interested in subjects. I received 3 free kids passes to Science World from Ikea. I was in there last week spending a gift card I got there and the Kids Club had these coupons! When I got home Jonathan and I immediately decided that we would be having a "Liam devoted Family Day!" We do family activities based on what each child wants to do, they all get a turn. There is no complaining about the event. They all know it will be their turn soon enough. Jake decided he wanted to go to Jonathan"s hockey game and to his favorite restaurant The Old Spaghetti Factory on Friday night which meant it was Liam's turn. I was so excited to tell Liam. He is a dinosaur FANATIC! I know boys go through the dinosaur stage but Liam is a full on Dino-junkie! So Sunday morning we piled in the truck and drove out to Vancouver! He was vibrating the whole way! It was an amazing day and they all loved it. Liam was so good at being our tour guide and explaining each of the fossils. What each dinosaur ate and whether or not they were a herbivore or a carnivore. I was amazed at how much he knew!