The Francis Home World

Jumping back in time to Halloween... we had party after party and candies galore!  I think the kids were in Candy Land Heaven.  We started off the festivities a week before at a friends tot's Halloween party.  She had the placed elaborately decorated including creative treats and games.  The kids just hoovered around the food table and gobbled up the treats.  Ethan loved the balloon popping game and the silly string spider web games.    

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I'm trying to document the cute things my kids say or do so here's one from today (Tuesday November 6, 2012)....

While getting ready to go to the park this afternoon I over heard Ethan excitedly say to Mikyla " Mom's going to have a new baby soon."
Mikyla responds with just as much enthusiasm, "Ya!"
Ethan continues, " I'm going to be a big brother."
Mikyla - "I a big sister."
Ethan - " Do you know what that means? I'm going to be a bigger boy and you a big girl."
Then they both cheer with excitement, "Yeah!"

Haha! I just love our kids! I'm thrilled their excited for number three to join our family!

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For my Birthday on Friday, Brent and I took off to Waterton for a relaxing evening get away.  It was quite, peaceful and wholesomely completed with a professional massage at the Bayshore Inn spa the next the morning.  What a wonderful birthday present!


Meanwhile the kids had a blast at Grandma San and Grandpa Bruce's house.  Saturday morning they were surprised with a ride on the horses!  Ethan was in his own world riding Socks.  Grandpa said he just sang the whole time.  He's a cowboy at heart!

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Friday Oct 5: At snack time today, I asked Ethan if he wanted jam on his bun and he happy confirmed that he did. I then turned to Mikyla and asked the same question. She then looked at me with a shocked face, put her hand on her bottom and said " I NO want JAM on MY BUM.". I burst out laughing!  When the kids realized what was said  we all had a good laugh.  I sure love my kids!

As you can see bums and everything that does with Potty Training has been on Mikyla's mind for the past 3 weeks.   On Friday Sept 14, we started off Mikyla's official potty training with a bang... an all day Princess Potty Party!:  Pink streamers, pink balloons, a royal castle plastered on the bathroom door to the Princess thrown, princess stickers, princess potty charts, potty treats, potty dance, princess tiara crafts, panting nails, princess fruit loop neckless making, princess jewel hunt game (which Ethan loved the most), etc.   The day had it's wet moments but of course its success too!  





After 6 days of potty training Mikyla had her first completely dry day!!!  How excited we were! We had even been out of the house from 10am - 12pm and 3 - 5pm. She went to the washroom at Stay and Play in the morning and then in an outhouse in the afternoon at the park! (Surprisingly a very clean outhouse :) ) After filling up her potty success chart Daddy took Ethan and Mikyla for ice cream Sunday's at Dairy Queen to celebrate! Way to go Mikyla!


Since then, I've found complete success with Mikyla when we're out of the house, but in the house she finds it funny to pee anywhere and everywhere.  So, today I've decided to step our training up a notch with a Potty Dry Day Chart.  She gets a princess sticker every time she keeps her pants dry and peas in the potty.  After completing this three times in the morning she can watch a show.  If she keeps her pants dry all morning then she can go on a mid morning outing to places like Stay and Play, the library or swimming, etc.  Then if she continues to keep herself dry the whole day she'll get ice cream after dinner which is her all time favorite treat!  Hopefully this will be enough motivation for her to run to the potty while were at home. 

 

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Yesterday on the way home from playing at Sam's house Ethan says to me in the car, " Sam's my only friend in the whole wide world."

After lunch today Ethan say to Mikyla, "Sorry Mikyla, I'm going to Preschool with MY friend Sam and you can't come.  Preschool is for big boys like me.  It's for 3 year olds."

Ethan was so excited to go to Preschool for the first time today!  Extra clothes packed... check. Backpack ready.. check.  Name written inside backpack...check.  Hat on... check.  Sunglasses on... check!  We were all set!  Mikyla had to bring along her backpack too of course.

I thought I would be more emotional than I was... maybe it was because I had a good cry about my kids growing up too fast yesterday on the drive to and from Lethbridge after having #3 kido's ultrasound.  Thus I was all cried out today.  Instead I felt excitement and nervousness for Ethan.

As soon as we entered the doors of preschool Ethan dropped his coat and ran off to explore.  He went from one station to the next intrinsically excited and extrinsically inquisitive.  When I went to say good bye he just said, "ok mom, see ya!"  Thank you to Nursery and Parent Preschool which had prepped Ethan for this day!

Mikyla wanted to stay but once outside she was happily distracted by the playground.  All-in-all it was a good first drop off start to preschool.  Can't wait to hear how his day went when he gets home!  My little man is growing up!  


CONTINUED.... It was all smiles and excitement when I picked Ethan up from Preschool this afternoon.  I didn't even have to ask... the first thing Ethan said was, "I had so much fun!"  "Do you want to come again?" I questioned.  "YES, I DO!" he responded with enthusiasm.   It sure helped that his cousin Sam, who Ethan told me again today after preschool is "his best and only friend in the whole wide world," was there to share in the fun.   

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 Where else can you get a ride from a pig, a cow, a calf, a monkey, a train and a Grandpa?.... Valleyview Farm!  Today, in the heat, we sweated through fun at the farm!



 The highlights for Ethan was the train ride.  He was so excited the whole time he couldn't stop talking about it!


 The fun continued with feeding the goats... Mikyla was a little too scared but she sure loved showing the goats how fast she could run!


  Along with the kids I was amazed by amount of things they had to keep them busy.  There were life size wooden trucks, Tonka sand trucks, an old style fort to run through, a life size hamster spinning wheel (Grandpa and Ethan had a blast trying to stay up inside it), playground equipment,  puppet shows, live farm animals, kid fun art (there was a toilet seat cover that said " Beware of monster inside."  Ethan open the lid and giggle to find a mirror image of himself!) pulleys with pails and sand with which Ethan was fascinated.

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We soared over the country side early Sunday morning and landed in Ottawa.  I was blessing with sleeping children throughout the majority of the flight.

Monday was jam packed filled with water fun in order to beat the heat!  I can't believe I survived living the heat and humidity of Ontario for 18 years.

Our first stop was the Andrew Hayden Park waterplayground... well it was more of a mud playground.  But the kids loved it nonetheless.  Ethan and Mikyla love the shovels and pails Grandma and Grandpa had brought but their favourite was the watering cans.  They just went around watering everything in site.  While the kids played I napped in the shade.  Many late nights and early mornings the days prior to our flight and on the day of our flight made for one tired mom.  Grandma Joy, Grandpa Jack and Great Grandma Paterson took off from there.



 The playground had neat tunnel and channels for the water to run down but he Ethan had more fun climbing the structures!




 We had a lovely picnic lunch and then took Great Grandma back to her place.


The afternoon events included:  Ethan playing at another playground while Mikyla slept, ice cream and swimming at Brittania Beach.  The water was so warm.  At one point it felt soup compared to the air.  Mikyla and Ethan actually swam in the water.  They were little fishes feeding off each others energy while diving under the water.  They were tuckered out by the time we returned back to Aunt Dawn's house.  Ethan had fallen asleep in the car at 5pm and was out for the night.

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