Happy Birthday Matty!!

I've now been a mother for 8 official years. Wow. And what have I learned? I still have a lot to learn. That's what.

I still need to learn...

• To be patient. More.


• That my voice doesn't have to raise a few octaves when I am speaking to my kids.


• To get money (? that's Matt's answer - more on THAT later)


• To have more joy (more on that later too)


• To remember that it doesn't last long. And I will wish for it back. Even the tough stuff.


• To remember that hair is only hair and eventually it will be cut (right?)


• That he is a typical young boy - in every manner of the word.


• That he is very much like me (which can be a good and a bad thing)


• That when you teach independence - it means he will want to assert his independence (right?)


• That there is no better job in the world.


• That there is nothing I'd rather be doing.


• That I can still learn a lot more and work towards being a better mom and parenting is an ever-learning experience.

Phew. Now that that is done, we'll get on to the good stuff. Who is Matt right now at the ripe old age of 8?

• "I'm a boy. I am your son. That is who I am."


• Who wants to abandon his booster seat (which he now can on occasion)


• Weighs 60 lbs and is 51" (4 ft 3") tall


• Is involved in Sunday School, play practice, ice hockey


• Has at least one after school play date a week


• Is into shaggy long hair, thumbs out and open mouth pictures


• Is into being very loud!


• Who enjoys school and learning


• Who still loves lego but also Wii, and mostly his new DSIxL


• Who fiercely loves his brother and SOMETIMES his sisters too

And a few of his favourite things (in his words):

What is your favourite cereal? fruit loops (which he like never gets!)

What's your favourite TV show? Scooby Doo

What vegetables do you like best? corn

What toy would you never give away? wii

What do you take to bed at night? nothing

What's your favourite game? Super Mario galaxy 2

What's your favourite book? 39 clues book series

What is your favourite candy? gum

What's the last thing of yours that Mom displayed? wii signs

Happy Birthday buddy! We are so proud and glad to have you as our son!

A conversation from grandma about Matt...

Before the kids went out on the Easter egg hunt Grandma asked you “if we had 24 eggs and 3 kids, how many should each kid get?” You figured out that each kid should get 8. So when you were outside at the end of the hunt you realized that you had 9 and Marlee had 9 and so without anybody prompting you grabbed one from each of your baskets, without even looking at whether it was the best one or not; you just grabbed one from yours and Marlee’s baskets and stuck them into Cierra’s basket and then you all came in.
Grandma thought that was really neat. Most kids your age would need some prompting but you didn’t – you just did it and did it quietly and everybody went on their way. She had meant to comment on this at the time but didn’t. So she called to tell you - because she thought it was something to be proud of. And we are!

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth...

That might actually be Matthew's request as he currently doesn't have any front teeth - although I really don't think he minds. It's pretty cute too.

As December will be upon us pretty soon, I thought it prudent to start with the good ol wish lists. I come from a family of wish list makers and believe me. I like it. I know I can get something that they will actually want and use - and they still have some "openness" to them too. We are also trying to cut down on extra "things" - for the household and for the kids so this tends to help keep the items practical and desired. The problem is, I haven't actually given this a tonne of thought yet but I know I can always add to it as time goes on.

For Matthew:

• Wii games ( must be E only at this point)
• Lego Indiana Jones or city sets (he particularly wants the big temple set that DOESN'T have the ball)
• Goalie equipment for ball hockey? details???
• a good pencil sharpener
• Itunes gift certificates

For Marlee:

• At this point anything Strawberry Shortcake, Polly Pockets or Pet Shop, Barbie or Disney Princess
• She has a tonne of clothes but always loves cute things; she is particularly into mismatched socks and cool patterns
• music certificates (itunes) - or her own ipod (blue) to trade with Matt's
• leggings to wear under skirts

For Cierra:

• Anything Hannah Montana (she will be getting the movie)
• I saw a cool dance program for the playstation featuring Family Channel characters, including HM - if something comes out for Wii....
• Jeans
• Cool t-shirts
• Magazines on teen stars

For Drew:

• Clothing - TBD (from Costco and Land's End)

For Al:

• Wooden cutting boards (8,5x11-14" size - 3; one for meat, veg and fruit)
• Pampered Chef muffin stone
• Scrapbook.com gift certificate for albums
• Michael's certificates
• JessicaSprague.com (Grow your skills) ecertificates to learn PSE
• DesignerDigital.com ecertificates to purchase digital supplies and how-to classes
• large wall clock (ask for details)

For Household:

• Life jackets (elementary school age size)
• Wii Fit
  

So - just a few things to consider. I'm sure there will be more fine tuning as the days go on. The kids are doing quite well I have to say in terms of "wish list" requests. Actually I think I am just about done their shopping but I know there are lots of relatives starting to consider. Just remember - it's not all about the gifts - we love time and togetherness. And as Sam is demonstrating - we can also buy for others in place of ourselves - we definitely aren't lacking in any areas.

Now back to those teeth - Matt lost his other front tooth yesterday. Isn't he just adorable?