616 and the 6 week review

Yup, six hundred and sixteen.
That is how many people have visited my blog in the last month to see NOTHING.
I'm sorry.
Really.
How to move forward?  That is the question.

I'm going to start with a wee review.
The last 6 weeks have been full.
Dude is changing before my eyes.
Energetic, lovely soul, sweet, outspoken to the extreme, and smart.
I can hardly keep up.

We are busy from before dawn til after dusk.
And tired.
He is sleeping about 1 minute after his head hits the pillow.
And should follow shortly after...but often don't.

So, the nitty gritty...and lots and lots of photos.

We had a lovely late Christmas with Nana and Gramps in mid January.
Lots of snuggle time with nana, cookie baking and lots and lots of treats.
Ben was in his glory.

Ben's sweet friend M turned 4!
He was invited for a sleepover party and BOWLING!
Fun for Ben as long as he is well fed (he wasn't)
and the score is not noticeable (it wasn't).
Dude, it turns out, is pretty competitive.

And the snow!  The lovely snow that fell and fell and fell on little M's hometown.

Late in the month little Manh discovered he is a reader.
Oh, what fun!
Mama loves the new bedtime routine where I choose a book to read to Ben,
he chooses a book to read to me,
repeat,
often.

For those of you in the know
(k and first grade educators who memorize books)
here is Ben doing his own
"Ben's Treasure Hunt".  To say he was thrilled is an understatement.

Into February we swiftly flew...

Vietnamese New Year.
Over and over and over again...
With sweet friends at Mary's house

at our house

and at school.

And snow.  Lots and lots of snow.

Another trip to visit Nana and Gramp's place...for yet another Christmas...
and heritage day
and fun with the cousins.
Not bad, eh?  3 Christmases?

And reading.  Lots of it.  And writing too.  Lots of it.

We are busy.
We are happy.
Growing and changing
and laughing and learning
and snuggling and cuddling.

Living it. Loving it.
Hoping to record it sooner than 6 weeks from now.
But not promising.

The family day that was...

not exactly as planned.

The plan.
Wake up a bit early and hustle ourselves through the morning routine.
Visit our favourite Timmy's for a hot buttery bagel.
Eat inside...on the same side of the table (so we can snuggle...Ben's idea).
Enjoy a lovely day at school and hustle out of there
to our favourite Vietnamese Restaurant for an early dinner
and then find some ice-cream for dessert.
Go and buy a new toy for Ben
(because Vietnamese food isn't special...it's normal...toys are special like family day is special).
Head home, stay up late reading snuggle books and then go to sleep in mama's bed.

Yeah.  The best laid plans...

Woke up early but dude was miserable so we snuggled.
3 snooze buttons of snuggling later I had to have a shower.  Time was wasting away.
He simply could not be more clingy.  And not manipulative pathetic but just simply pathetic.
I finally had to push him out of the bathroom door and jump in the shower to the sounds of whimpering on the other side.  Sad, sad boy.

Once out of the shower I found him whimpering on Auntie Carol's lap on my bed.
He loves her.  A lot. But she is real low on the cuddle list with mama first and uncles second and third and then Auntie Carol.  Carol and I both knew this was not a great sign of things to come.

Time to dress.
So not cooperating.
Would not even get his pj's off...
So not going for a bagel because time is wasting.
Dude just really wanted to climb back into bed for a couple more hours.
Under the cover he went as I went about the business of getting us ready.  Snacks, mama's lunch, school work, outdoor clothes, etc...
He is under the covers.  Whinging and whimpering and carrying on.  Begging for a snuggle. Out he pops 15 or more minutes later undressed and ready to get his school clothes on...
 Shocked I was like...Where did you come from?
His response, "I was hiding in the cave of mischief!"
Got dressed, got out the door, eventually got to the sitter's place.

He was happy enough at school.  Happy enough at the sitter's place.
Looked a bit tired when he made it to me at home time.
Into the car we got, ready for our fun plans.
"Mama, change the plans please.  I'm going to go to sleep right now and I'm going to sleep all the way home and right through the part where you pick up Chinese noodles.  We can eat at home and snuggle on the couch and build lego together and then go to bed."

So, the boy who never napped even when he had a fever of 104 for 6 days in a row slept like the dead from 30 seconds after he announced his nap until we were home 75 minutes later with takeout chinese.
We snuggled.  Read books.  Built lego.  Then went to bed.

Hopefully feeling happier and better rested in the morning.

Family

Tomorrow Ben and I celebrate 4 years of being a family.

Happy Family Day my sweet little Manh.

I love you from the bottom of the sea to the top of the highest mountain.

You bless my life each and every day.

Mama loves you, you little beast.

December....at a glance

First snow.

A fun overnight with sweet M, little I, Auntie J and Uncle D...and the furry guys.

A birthday party at a terrific play place for BBF Big T!

Tree decorating x's 2, cookie baking

A party with Aunti Sumi and Uncle Kris.  fun with friends and mama got to go shopping alone for 2 hours!

A chocolate party on Potter!

A lovely visit with Auntie Kristen, Dre and sweet Baby Eva!  More gifts!  And kisses!

Schools out!

More snow!

Sickness that very day..

Repeat the snow.

Repeat the illness.

Over and over again for 14 mama days...

Christmas!  Joy!  Fun!  

And fever.  Really Really High Fever.

Throw in a whole lot of blanket time on the (brand new lovely leather) couch with popsicles.

and cuddle time anywhere he could get it.

Various doctors and prescriptions and more doctors and different prescriptions.

Lovely gifts.

Time with friends who live here...but avoiding others who really don't want lung infections and green ooze flowing from their eyes... like nana and grandpa, Auntie J and  Uncle S and the cousins.

Lots of playtime.

No eating at all really.  Him, not me.  In fact the dude is down over 2 pounds in just 2 weeks.  The up side being we don't need a new secondary car seat for Auntie Carol's car just yet...he has a few pounds to go ;)

Lots of TV and mama feeling thankful that Disney Junior is on preview until mid January.

Two mama days left.  We are going to try a playdate tomorrow evening.  Our first indoor friend time since the 22nd.

And maybe a few pictures of him happy and healthy for the last 48 hours of holiday time.

And mama, just happy to be healthy through it all.

But a wee bit tired.