This weekend...

...was an exercise in patience. And I have run out.

Friday night was enjoyable enough – we went to the mall to eat supper (I know, fan-cay!) and then to see “Up”. (Highly recommended, BTW.) Ben was stressed out the whole movie – he’s sensitive (I don’t know where he gets that from) – and he carried on about how scary the movie was, all in his regular voice. I’m surprised the people around us weren’t pelting him with popcorn. But it was hard to stay mad at him for being noisy when you watched him cry throughout the movie. And he’d cry over silly things (which I can’t tell you about or I’d ruin the story). It’s heartbreaking to watch him try to control his emotions sometimes… Anyways, it was overall a great night, a great birthday night!

Saturday and Sunday went downhill (see “exercise in patience” above). Ella seriously peed her pants six times this weekend. And Ben was moody and belligerent and just ignored any request we made of him. But he’s fighting the sniffles, so I’m hoping that that’s the reason behind his behavior. As for Ella…I hope it’s a phase…there was a full moon, after all.

On the bright side, the week can’t get worse! Uh-oh, was that lightning that just struck me?

A visit with GG

Sunday, we took a little road trip to Morden. We owed my parents a visit, and GG (my Grandma Lil) was there. Since we don’t see her very often, we try to jump at the chance to see her whenever it presents itself.

I think it’s really important for the kids to have a relationship with their great-grandparents. I have snippets of memories from visits to my great-grandma’s house. The smell, that of an old person’s home. Her ceramics. Playing in her yard.

Ben is always happy to bestow hugs and kisses on GG, no matter how long it’s been since we’ve last seen her. He is so outgoing and friendly and loving. He was on her lap and they were taking turns blowing into each other’s ears. Ben was giggling, and so was GG. They were so stinkin’ cute together.



Ella, on the other hand, likes to play shy with GG. Part of the reason she does this is to drive us crazy; she’s the second child you know, and she’s three and stubborn and moody – she tests us non-stop. Before we left home that morning, Gord asked Ella if she was going to give GG a hug when we got there, and she said “No. I’m going to be shy with GG.” Seriously people, she’s got attitude. Sure enough, she wouldn’t even look at GG when we got there, but after a while she was fine. I know that GG pushing her on the swing is what cleared it all up – push Ella on the swing and she’s your friend for life. And after supper, when it was time to go, Ella did give GG a hug and a kiss.

Hopefully, next time we see GG, Ella will remember that she pushed her on the swing and will be ready to shower her with hugs and kisses, like Ben does. I know that it means the world to GG. And to me.

Weird, but cool?

I may need to try this:

Spaghetti dogs

Don't they look interestingly weird?

Reading

So Ben is making headway on the reading front. It is hard to teach him when I don't even remember what the rules are...but every once in a while, my memory kicks in and I can explain why a letter makes the sound it does. Although, I often feel like I'm talking out of my a$$.

However, I wonder if Ben has a photographic memory - I bought him a Cars easy reader book almost 2 weeks ago. We read through it once (1/2 one night, 1/2 the next). I suggested we read that one last night, and he read almost all of it by memory. Seriously, is that normal? Could you tell already if he has a photographic memory?

I find it so frustrating because it's hard to teach him phonics when he just looks at the picture and spouts the words from memory. Gord suggested that I just accept the fact that maybe he won't learn phonics and will learn by recognition. I suppose he's right...much as I hate to admit it. But I still want to get Ben to learn phonics - and he does know all the letter sounds and he does a super job sounding out words. Last night, when he would recall the words from memory, I would then track my finger along the words and we'd say them/sound them out together.

Anyways, all this to say that Ben is doing great on the reading front and we're so proud of him (despite my small amount of frustration)!

Bolt love

Gosh, do the kids love the movie Bolt! They ask to watch it every day, seriously. EVERY DARN DAY. As much as I love John Travolta, I dislike Miley Cyrus - she just grates on every last one of my nerves...

Anyways, this morning, I hear Ella in our room, on our bed (I guess I was really asleep!), talking to Simon (one of our cats):

"Come here, boy! Come here!"
"Such a good boy!"
"You saved me again Bolt!"

She's reenacting the movie, with the cat. Very, very cute (even though I hate Miley Cyrus)!

Disney in pictures

Just a few of the 800+ pictures we took on our Disney trip...

We stumbled upon Stitch as soon as we got to Epcot on Day 1



Ben and Bruce (Ella would not even go in this room - and she STILL talks about not wanting to see Bruce!)



Ben vs. the fountain at the Moroccan pavilion - I go inside for one minute, and come out to a soaking wet kid! He still says that this is his favorite part of the trip, although he was a little upset at first...



Taking a round out of the drums in the World Showcase at Epcot





Epcot's Flower & Garden Festival was on - every character you can think of, made out of flowers/plants



The centrepiece of Magic Kingdom - Cinderella's castle!



Aladdin & Jasmine in Magic Kingdom; Ella was so cute - she would not let go of Jasmine's hand, even while she was autographing her book!



HUGE carousel



There were big hugs for Buzz & Woody in Hollywood Studio's Pixar Place:



Lightning & Mater at Hollywood Studios



Hugging Mickey at Donald's Safari Breakfast (in Animal Kingdom)



Hanging with a band outside of Kilimanjaro Safari in Animal Kingdom:



At Lilo & Stitch's character breakfast



Meeting Snow White - Ben was so shy, he wouldn't even look at her. (Gord liked looking at her though!)



Waiting in line...

Sigh.

My gosh, the world can be depressing. I've been feeling a little bit down this week, and then I see this on Oprah's site. And this (which includes a video) on Huffington Post. Sad. Depressing. Makes me want to ramp up my green habits a little bit more.

Seriously, whales with breast cancer?

I need to buy some more cloth bags...

Where does the time go?

Ruby & Fiona are 3 today...HAPPY BIRTHDAY you sweet, smart, funny girls! We will call you later today because we want to hear about all the fun you had today!

We miss you all terribly - we are so overdue for a visit, aren't we?