Flint the Donkey

As part of his birthday gift this year, my Mom sponsored a donkey in Liam's name at a farm near her that rescues donkey's and cares for them.  The Donkey Sanctuary has over 60 donkeys, and opens their doors twice a week for the public to go and visit them, so we got to visit Flint in person.

Flint was born on the sanctuary on July 20th,  2014.  They don't breed the donkeys in their care but Flint's Mom Diamond was pregnant when she was rescued.  He's a fiesty little guy that likes to eat the other donkey's harnesses when he's out in the field with them. 

Liam is an avid animal lover, so adding a donkey to his list of creatures was a great birthday gift and he can't wait to go back to visit Flint again next summer.

Happy Birthday Grandma

My Grandma was born Winifred Thelma Westall on November 18, 1922.  Everyone calls her Winnie.

In October of 1941 she married my Grandpa, Abraham Joseph Roussy.  They had 4 children, 3 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren.

Today she is celebrating her 93rd birthday.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

Liam and birthdays

Hilary's 40th birthday was spent sitting in an ER room with Liam while he went through his first migraine.  We were supposed to be sitting poolside at the hotel we had booked, but kids have the darnedest way of changing your plans.

My 45th birthday doesn't have the same pizazz as an ER trip. I just got to sit in the waiting room of our doctor's office so that this could be dealt with.

Last week while we were on vacation, Liam casually mentioned that his toe had mould on it.  Intrigued, I got up to check it out.  Yeah... that's not mould buddy.

After having already spent 3 hours of our vacation sitting in a walk-in clinic for his ear infection, I decided to attack the mould with peroxide and Polysporin till we got home.  He now has a 10 day course of antibiotics and ointment to try and clear it up.

Another birthday to remember.

Anatomy of a birthday party

What happens when you get four 11-12 year old boys together for a 3 hour birthday party?

• One kid will get dropped off early, before you are set up and ready to go
• One kid will be late, causing a delay in activities and making the other kids squirrelly
• One kid will get hurt within 5 minutes of arriving, and will then whine about it till they leave
• One kid will not listen to any direction you give them
• One kid will be mean to at least one other kid
• One kid will refuse to participate in anything
• Four kids will cry "we're bored" half way through
• One kid will be mouthy
• One kid will be polite
• One kid will not like any of the snacks you offer
• One kid will plant them-self at the snack table and scarf down everything in sight
• One kid will use inappropriate language
• One kid will constantly bring up inappropriate topics, like flavoured tampons (I didn't ask)
• One kid will keep coming in the house, even though they've been told to stay outside (they are wet)
• One kid will keep holding the screen door wide open, even though they can see the cat plotting its escape
• One kid will be picked up late

• One Mother will enjoy quiet time at the mall while the party is going on
• One Mother will enjoy quiet time with an alcoholic beverage after they all leave

What do your children's birthday parties look like?

It wouldn't be a birthday without it

I don't know when Hilary first got the recipe book that included Chocolate Irish Potato cake, but ever since then almost every birthday has been celebrated with it.  We even made it as a wedding cake for friends of ours, they loved it that much.

So of course Hilary spent the day slaving over a hot stove making it for my birthday.  We've never had a dome shaped one but it cooked up evenly and just as delicious as always!

Its a great way to start off being 43!  And there is lots left over for breakfast!

Another Year

"It's not every day that your

young man turns 11!"

11 years ago at 11:58 AM a new little baby joined this world.  And I have the privilege of being one of his mothers.

I can't wait to see what the next 11 years (and beyond) will hold. 

Happy Birthday Liam!

Liam's 10th Birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIAM!

An early birthday gift

Since Mom is visiting so close to Liam's birthday, we had a tiny celebration so that she could give him his gift in person.

 

 

 

 

 

That is a very excited pre-teen, soon to be 10 year old!

Celebrating in style!

I’m Aging like Fine Wine … I’m getting Complex and Fruity!”

41 isn't looking too bad so far thanks to my gift of fine wines from my MIL!

Nine

An Early Birthday Present

Granny bought Liam a T.R.A.M.P.O.L.I.N.E. for his birthday! She wanted him to have as much bouncing time as possible for the summer so he got it a month before his actual birthday.

Hilary and I picked it up and put it together yesterday morning while he was at school. It turned out to be a lot easier to put together than I thought it would be, especially since Hilary is so strong!!

Liam was so very excited when he got home, and it was all we could do to get him to bounce in moderation so that he could still walk today. He did wake up during the night crying that his legs hurt!

He did a few flips that caused my heart to stop, and once flipped to close to the edge and fell off. Luckily he wasn't going very fast or high so he wasn't hurt. It did come with a safety enclosure, which we may still put up.

This term of Circus school was cancelled due to lack of participants, so hopefully the trampoline will fill his need to jump and flip and be on the move.

The best laid plans

Liam and I planned a great weekend for Hilary's birthday.  Diners out, fancy deserts, hotels and pools and secret outings.

Instead, this is what our weekend looks like so far.

Liam woke up on Friday with a headache, but seemed better after some breakfast and went off to school.  By 3:00 he was headach-y, fevered, coughing and stuffed up.  We stayed in and ordered in a lovely Indian Feast for Hilary and I to celebrate her birthday instead of going out.  He had a rough night, whimpering off and on and finally woke up at 5:00 this morning in complete tears.  The aches and pains, headache and sensitivity to noise and light is just too much for him.

The hotel reservation has been cancelled and I'm replanning our day.  Circus school is out this morning, but I'm hoping to get someone to come sit with Liam for the afternoon while I take Hilary to the rest of her birthday surprise.

Such is the birthday celebration of a parent!

Happy Birthday Hilary

I love you honey!!!

Happy Birthday Mom!

We had a lovely visit with my Mom recently:

Nice walks in the rain:

And she even tried her hand at some Mario Cart:

Happy 68th Birthday Mom!

Thrill of a Lifetime

As part of my fabulous and 40 birthday celebration this year, we spent the day at the CNE  Nothing says "40" like cotton candy, mini doughnuts and midway rides.  And Liam was finally tall enough to go on some of them with me.

His favourite (and mine) was the swings

We also played lots of carnival games and came home with 7 new "stuffies"

Even Grandma got in on the games.

But for Liam the biggest thrill was going on his first "grownup" ride by himself.  I love rides, the faster and the spinnier the better .... IF I'm seat belted in AND they don't involve water.  Of course, he wanted to go on the Flume ride.  No seat belts - it relies on gravity and momentum to keep you in and it splashes down into water.  No Thank You.

So we sent him off on his own!  There was a gaggle of kids smaller then him in line so he queued up with them.  The ride operator stuffed all 6 kids into one log.

By the time they came down the last hill you could have fit 2 more full size adults behind them!  Gravity and momentum smushed them all forward into the poor littlest kid at the front.

A Knight to Remember

For my birthday dinner this year we went to Medieval Times in Toronto.  We didn't tell Liam where we were going, but hinted that it was going to be a boring, grown-up restaurant with nowhere to play and probably no other kids.  He was none too thrilled....till we walked up to the front door.  Then I thought his head just might pop-off!

And as an added, super-secret bonus, he was called up to by the King and Knighted by Princess Lenore.

It was definitely a (K)night to remember!

Today we celebrate

Today is my 40th birthday.  I really don't have anything else to say about that.