Payback.

There is a song that plays frequently on the radio that makes me cry almost every time. The song is "if he's anything like me" by Brad Paisley and here are the words:

I remember sayin' I don't care either way
Just as long as he or she is healthy I'm okay
Then the doctor pointed to the corner of the screen
And said, "You see that thing right there, well you know what that means"

I started wondering who he was going to be
And I thought heaven help us if he's anything like me

He'll probably climb a tree too tall and ride his bike too fast
End up every summer wearin' something in a cast
He's gonna throw a ball and break some glass in a window down the street

He's gonna get in trouble, oh he's gonna get in fights
I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback if he's anything like me

I can see him right now, knees all skinned up
With a magnifying glass tryin' to melt the Tonka truck
Won't he be a sight with his football helmet on?
That'll be his first love 'til his first love comes along

He'll get his heart broke by the time he's in his teens
And heaven help him if he's anything like me

He'll probably stay out too late and drive his car too fast
Get a speeding ticket, he'll pay for mowing grass
He's gonna get caught skippin' class and be grounded for a week

He's gonna get into trouble, we're gonna get in fights
I'm gonna lose my temper and some sleep
It's safe to say that I'm gonna get my payback if he's anything like me

He's gonna love me and hate me along the way
Years are gonna fly by and I already dread the day

He's gonna hug his momma, he's gonna shake my hand
He's gonna act like he can't wait to leave
But as he drives out he'll cry his eyes out if he's anything like me
There's worst folks to be like, oh he'll be alright if he's anything like me

Not only does this song makes me think so much about our little man growing up & imagining who he will be in 5, 10, 20 years and on, it also makes me think back to growing up myself. One summer, my sister and I thought it would be a good idea to practice pitching up against the garage and surprise, broke one of the windows on it. I remember that we had to split the $24 our of our allowances that it cost to fix it. The part in the song about losing sleep makes me think about the countless times I came home very late from work, or from just being out to find my mom reading on the couch or watching TV downstairs. I always asked her why she was up, even though I always knew it was because she couldn't sleep until I was home. The last part of the song brings me back to when I left for BC. I remember not crying or being emotional at all until the last night I was home where I sobbed my eyes out on my parents bed. As much as I wanted to go and was excited to leave, I also knew that I was going to miss them and home so much. My long distance phone bill in BC proved that each and every month!

I think it's so neat to wonder and dream about who our man will become as the years go on. I want nothing more than for him to be a strong, confident, independent man, however realize that it too will be difficult to watch the years pass, each one where he needs me a little less. I can only hope that we create as many great memories as I have of growing up.

Is Beauty on the Outside?

This past weekend, our Clarence Road home was treated to a bit of an exterior makeover. The front siding went up and our the scratch coat was completed where stone will eventually go. Additionally, the garage is ready to have its grade beam poured which means it is close to seeing walls & a roof. We have been so lucky that the weather has been so cooperative which has allowed our exterior work to continue even though we are almost halfway through November.



I couldn't post a blog without at least one picture of our little guy:

Potpourri.

Life has been moving at warp speed around here - our little man turned 2 whole months just a few days ago and celebrated by getting a needle in each leg. Not how I would chose to spend my birthday, however it's just part of getting older! He took them like the champ that he is. His thunder thighs may have also softened the blow! :)


We also celebrated our first Hallowe'en and made sure to stop in at Grandma and Grandpa's so they could see the fabulous outfit that they gifted him when he was first born. It's a good thing Hallowe'en wasn't a week later as I'm not sure it would have still fit! On Clarence Road we had a grand total of 0 kids so I guess we will need to travel to trick or treat in the future. Plus, I don't think it would be very efficient to trick or treat in an area where houses are kilometers from each other - I guess you would get your work out in though! He doesn't look particularly happy in the 2nd picture - maybe that's because he didn't get any candy?



I haven't updated much on the house lately as school has been incredibly busy for my handyman. We have been able to purchase some new furniture though which has filed up the space nicely. Our fireplace is functional now which will be nice as the nights get colder. It will eventually be boxed in to the ceiling and stoned. We also will be ordering our cupboard door fronts soon which along with a backsplash will finish the kitchen! Siding and garage are happening soon too - lots of work happening on Clarence (at least on our side of the street :)) (that comment is for the boys ;)).

Hello Snow.

We had our first snow around here last night and woke up to a white canvas all around us. I am sure that all this snow will be gone as quickly as it came as the temperature has not been below zero during the day, however we enjoyed a few minutes of the calmness that a fresh snow brings.

Our garage will be built shortly so the boys spend the snowy morning getting the footings ready to go. I am so glad that we will have a winter free of scraping off windshields and brushing off snow.


This past week, we also had a few more firsts in our Clarence Road home. Our little man received his first piece of mail. I realize that I am "outing" his name by posting this picture, however I would like to point out that his Grandma already had in one of her previous posts so I didn't do it first!


We also had a visit from some friends who have a little boy who is 2 months older than ours. Right now, they seem to be at such different stages, however I'm sure in a year or so, you will hardly be able to notice the difference and they will be great friends.


We are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the next Clarence Road boy, soon to be born to our wonderful next door neighbors. Due date is in a few short weeks!

Our little man is now 8 weeks old and will be a full 2 months in only 2 days. In the few weeks since his arrival he has experienced his first Thanksgiving, will have his first Halloween tomorrow and Christmas is not far away. There is definitely a lot to celebrate. In our house we are celebrating some pretty small things these days, like how our little man gets a little happier every day, and rewards us with lots of smiles and cooes - something this Mama needs to make the not so happy moments seem easier.

Tank & Goodbyes

Well it's official, we have ourselves a little tank. At 7 weeks, he is now 13lbs 9.5 ounces. Hard to believe that he is more than 6lbs heavier than he was when we first met him!


We love to tell stories to our friends the birds!

Yesterday, we said goodbye to one of the most wonderful women I have ever been blessed to know. My Grandma has been so special to me for my entire life. I was lucky enough to have her at every important moment of my life thus far - sports events, graduations, big moves, our wedding and she was even able to meet our little man. I can honestly say that in my entire 28 years of life, I have never felt anything but pure, unconditional love from her. I don't think that there was anyone who was more proud to be part of our family. She was an incredibly hard working Mom, a devoted wife of over 60 years, a great friend, a very good listener, and ultimately wanted nothing more than to see the people she loved achieving their goals and basically to just be happy. I learnt so much from her about what it means to sacrifice for your family - something that she did for many, many years. I also learnt how important it is to laugh, even through difficult times, how to love unconditionally, and how to make WAY too much food at family dinners (a trait we share). I am so happy that she is now herself again and that she is with the love of her life and other family members and friends that she missed dearly.

I will cherish this picture forever as I'm sure our little man will too. I want him to know how special she was to me...and how much she loves him even though their time together was not long. I am sure that she is so proud of him already and hope that she will be proud of me for the Mom that I am and the Mom I will be for the rest of my life. I know I will never be as good of one as she was, but will always try to be - as her example was one of the best I can think of.

Benjamin Button.

Here he is, our very own Benjamin Button...at times, he could pass for an 85 year old man, exhausted after a good meal.


Speaking of good meals, we (as in he, I hope!) are definitely chunking up around here! I can hardly believe how much he has filed out already. So much, that bath time takes a little longer to get into all those folds.

Is it gas, or a smile? We like to think that he is just so happy to be with us, that he can't help but smiling!

Having just celebrated Thanksgiving, it would be impossible not to feel a touch emotional when trying to wrap my head around how much there is to be thankful for around here on Clarence Road. We have a loving family, amazing friends, a beautiful home, an awesomly awesome marriage that gets even more awesome every day, and most importantly, the most perfect little man that knows nothing but LOVE. He has already taught me so much about what is really important in life as it is not whether or not the house is clean, errands are run or laundry is folded but rather that I take time to enjoy simply being this little guys mama. Thank you buddy, for getting me to slow down and savour every moment - even the ones at 4am. Love you to the moon.

Sunrise, Sunset & Things we like.

This time of year is so beautiful with the leaves changing & falling. We have been so lucky to have some amazing weather with calm mornings, warm days, and peaceful nights.

Sunrise from our bedroom window.


Sunset from the porch.


Our little man is now 5 weeks old & growing every day. We are definitely starting to chub up!

Here are a few of our favorite things...

The Swing...


A few minutes in the morning with Daddy & puppy...


Our nightly bath...