Mommy this is the way!

I keep threatening to blog about this and I am sitting at Melissa's house watching kiddos (they are behind me playing happily) so there is a computer just waiting for me (and Melissa actually has more recent pictures than I have).
So I was getting ready one morning last week and Patience started crying. I couldn't get her to stop (she was in a mood). Xavier really doesn't like to hear her cry. He comes running into the room, "Mom! You aren't doing it right! Let me", and he takes Patience and starts bouncing her and she stops crying. "See Mom," he said, "you have to bounce her medium". Oh boy. I have a 7 yr old baby expert on my hands. Its good though. Patience really likes her brothers. She saves her biggest smiles for them.
If you haven't been keeping up we have been spending a lot of our time at Melissa and Robert's house helping them put their roof back on. We are all praying for the day the roof is on and we don't have to spend all our time so far up in the air. Not that it hasn't been fun, but I think Melissa is incredibly easy going. She just keeps feeding the hoards that show up. We are blessing their house with our presence and soon we will bless it by our absence. (For at least a day or so).
Niles and Xavier are learning Ps 23 for a memory verse right now. We are up to verse 4. ask Niles to tell you if you see him. It is quite sweet to listen to. Xavier doesn't get as much practice because he is at school but he is also very good.
Niles is becoming very proficient at baby speak. He spends a lot of time with the littles. I think he would like a few more friends his own age. Xavier is teaching himself to read but if you ask him he doesn't know how to because he can't read all the words yet. He was looking at the screen on Sun and said "Mom what comes after the Day of Prayer and ?.... (Purpose)" He got all but one word. And he isn't learning how to read in English at school.
Here are the random pictures. (Okay I can't figure how to get off this computer. I will get Melissa to help me in a minute).

All about Xavier.

The trials of having children. Xavier is having trouble listening in school. He is having trouble doing his work in school. He is having trouble not bothering the other kids at school. Does anyone see a theme here. Let's talk about Xavier. (Do you remember those books where you learn about proper behaviour ... Let's Talk About Lying, ... Disobeying, ... Good books. "If you say something to someone that you know is not true it is not a fantasy, it is not a mistake. You are lying!) Ah Xavier. I didn't expect to have this trouble at school so soon. He is bored. My theory is that because he is in french immersion he doesn't read in English, he does not have enough vocabulary to understand ahead, and he can't entertain himself by going ahead by himself. So we have problems. The latest problem lead him to spending the day in the principal's office. (Don't tell him you know). We will work on it. I guess I will take some time to talk to his teacher. Ah boys. Got to love them.

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is the day! Mother's day that is. Happy Mother's Day everyone. That means you. Everyone knows about mothers and we are richer for that. Reach out and hug a mother if you are close to one.

Patience is losing her patience

Eight weeks old already. So exciting. Patience is getting very much more aware of the world around her. She has noticed her brothers, who are among her favourite people, and smiles when they talk to her. She also laughs now. Check out the web album to watch the video. Pictures are included. Another thing about being 8 weeks old is that you can't sleep. You might miss something. So today it took over an hour to get Patience to sleep 10 min and then it was time to eat and she was so hungry she took another 10 min to tell me off for making her work to eat. Why was the milk not just flowing into her mouth? Why did she have to suck? That was work and it made her angry.

April 2008

Xavier is having trouble listening at school. He has been a distraction to the other children. I asked him why he is doing this and he says "Mom, I start goofing and then I can't stop. I just can't. It is too hard." Spring has arrived and my oldest child is having trouble concentrating. Apparently it is hard being 7 and in school.He is learning how to spell. Every week they have a spelling test. We are learning together how best to study. Right now I am writing the words out and Xavier copies them three times. Then we do that again later. It involves no fighting.

Niles asks, "Mom, you know why we call Joyce Robin? It is because we love Robin so very much. We love Joyce too,but we already call her Robin". He is keeping busy at home. So far his favourite part is watching movies.

Rob officially put in his notice at work and is starting his own company. He called it Faithful Plumbing. Keep Rob in your thoughts and prayers.
Patience woke up so I am doing this with one hand. It seems a good time to stop.

I drank my oatmeal today

(twn) I think that the title says it all. That's right. My well cooked, mushy, old fashioned oatmeal required too much chewing so I added enough milk to drink it... one spoonful at a time. Ah, the joys of having your wisdom teeth removed. For anyone who has also had this joy filled experience you likely know what I am talking about. There will be no pictures of this experience so you will just have to use your imagination. Right now I look like a chipmunk that was in a fight and lost. The bruises are impressive. I haven't brushed my teeth for 2 days because I just can't imagine putting a toothbrush in my mouth and I don't think I could open it wide enough anyway. Really overall getting the teeth out was the easy part. I remember the Dr putting a clear medication into my IV and the room moving in funny ways. Then I watched him add a yellow, milky fluid, or at least I watched 2ml of the 5ml go in and then all I remember is some fuzzy colours, then the nurse was getting me up to go to another room. Ha! I don't remember anything. Something must have happened because I have stitches in my mouth and I look like someone beat me.

Enough about me. Spring has arrived. I know this because the allergy monster has reared its ugly head. Xavier has been a beast. He is very moody. Happy then sad. Angry, crying and all the other emotions in 5 mins or less. Oh well it is supposed to snow this weekend. That is right. Environment Canada is calling for snowfall of 30-50cm. I will keep you posted if that happens. Niles is testing his boundaries. When Grandma met him at the door the other day he said "Hi Nancy." "What do you say?" I asked. "Hi Nancy," he said again. He got a little talking to about how to address you grandparents. He has been getting a lot of use out of the bandaids lately. Bandaids fix everything real or imagined. Patience is still the easiest going baby in the world.
Sorry no pictures. They won't upload today.