Free Comic Book Day

Matt worked all through last weekend so it was us chickens left here to fend for ourselves. We had already skipped a soccer practise the week prior because Matt was working, so I was determined to get there this week. Saturday also happened to be Free Comic Book Day so obviously we had to go. We bussed to soccer, which took almost an hour, Max was goalie this week! He was so excited when he came out, telling us very dramatically about it. We had some time to kill before we had to catch the bus downtown, so we hit up the playground next to the rec centre.

The bus downtown was long and uneventful, full of "are we there yet?" and people watching. Once we were at the comic book store (Quantum Frontier), we got some pictures taken with out favourite heroes to kill time while waiting in line to get in.

Can you spot the Boop?

While waiting at the front of the line, Katie's husband, Brennan was walking by. Talk about good timing, he got to skip the line and go right in with Max. Line cutter. There was lots to do and see, and I had a good chat with the owner about making the day more stroller friendly, his idea, not mine! It was a tight squeeze with the stroller but do-able.

Afterwards we grabbed some lunch with Brennan and then caught another hour long bus home. Three hours on the bus total, which could've been a nightmare, but my city kids didn't mind at all.

Max ended up with four new comics (all free) a little keychain toy and a balloon sword (also free, because he's cute and people just give him things). We'll be going back next year, for sure, maybe not by bus though, hopefully for Momma's sake.

Gettin' Er Done

We started using a chore chart with Max to get him to help out around the house a bit. So far (two months in) it's been pretty successful. I found the chart from this website full of free printables, we hang ours on the fridge and he earns a check mark for every chore he does. Getting to do the check mark is almost as good as the treat at the end of the week, for him.

He's only four so the amount and kinds of chores he can do are kind of limited but he does what he can and it actually isn't too much work on my part to get him through it. E is obsessed with the chart and wants to earn check marks too, its terribly cute to watch her empty the dishwasher with Max. Next year she'll be old enough to have her own chart.

He get a special treat, to watch a movie or go somewhere fun on Sundays if he completes most of his chores for the week. He almost always chooses a movie and popcorn, he's pretty easy to please.

** In case you can't read it, Max's chores are:

Make Bed
Get Dressed
Fold/Sweep
Empty/Fill Dishwasher
Set/Clear Table
Put Away Toys
Swing Chore (whatever we can get him to that day)
Brush Teeth/Bath

The chores won't always be as easy as getting dressed or brushing his teeth but it's worked so far in getting him clean and dressed everyday before noon. Gotta get them charm marks! Oh, and he gets Easter Sunday off because we're going to Grammie and Grampie Browns and we're not monsters.

Our Weekend 019

What an excellent, productive weekend. We got so much done, in the same amount of time normal people do. That never happens. Errands and chores take eight times longer in this house, for whatever reason, but not this weekend. We were all motivated and the kids were even kind of, sorta, helpful. What?! I know, crazy talk.

Saturday, bright and early, was Max's first day of soccer. Parents couldn't stay in the gym, unless absolutely necessary (which is why there are no pictures) and Max was cool with it. He jumped right in and starting running around like he'd been playing for years. He wore the cutest little gym shorts and fancy new sneaks that I had to go to three (!!) different stores to find, but he was so proud of himself. When I went in to pick him up the first thing he said was "I was a good boy, Momma!" And then I melted into a puddle.

Trying to keep E busy while Max was having all the fun.

We signed up for a 5k run to support the Lung Association, through The Credit Union Atlantic. If that seems out of character for us, it was, but Katie works for the Credit Union so we did it for her. It was really not that bad, I can say that because I didn't run. I'm sure the people who actually exerted themselves might have a different opinion. It had been raining all day, but minutes before the run started the sun came out. E had the right idea, she sat in her stroller, eating Cheerios  and then had a nap. Girl, is smart. Max wanted to run but that didn't last long once he got going. Afterwards we came back here, Matt BBQ'd burgers for us all and we (even the babes) stayed up way too late.

Sunday was day one of swimming lessons for Max. He is normally a fairly cautious child but he jumped into the pool immediately. So I guess he was excited about the whole swimming thing? He spent the next half hour ignoring the instructor and trying to do his own thing. I'm sure she loved him.    

The afternoon was spent picking out seeds and soil and planters for our little Summer garden. We've been in this apartment two years and have barely used the deck. Hopefully, this is our last Summer here, so we're making the most of it.

We planted spinach last night, that's as far as we got because it was pretty chilly and E couldn't hold the shovel anymore. Little pink noses are a sign to go in and warm up.

So much in one weekend. Super productive, only a handful of breakdowns (from me and the kids) and lots of fun. Easter weekend is around the corner so I'm glad we got a lot out of the way this week, because I don't plan on doing much during a long weekend.

From Snow Day to Sick Day...

We woke up on Wednesday to a Spring blizzard - because, why not? The whole city was basically shut down, including where Matt works. Snow day for Daddy! The kids were super excited to not only get more snow but to have Daddy home all day too.

It was crazy here, tons of snow and high winds. We couldn't see the building next door from our window. Nuts, right?! That didn't stop the boys from going outside to play. E and I stayed inside like sane people and had a nap, as you do when the noisy boys are gone and there's a blizzard outside.

Max is in there, somewhere.

When the boys got back we had a hot lunch waiting for them, tomato soup and grilled cheese - because a snow practically screams for such a lunch. After lunch we all snuggled together with some stove top popcorn and watched Frozen (for the second time this week).

We exchange these "Man we're lucky" faces all the time. 

Practically a perfect day... until Max fell asleep before dinner. This kid never naps, so we knew something was up. We woke him eventually, he didn't eat and went to bed no problem.

Two hours later he came out of his room crying. He was sick. He and I spent most of the night awake, him sick and me just watching him. The next day was spent in bed alternating between sleeping and being ill. Poor lil gaffer is the saddest when he's not feeling well. E kept pointing to his belly and saying "boo-boo".

How E spent most of the sick day, in her glory.

It hasn't hit the rest of us yet, so hopefully it will leave our house as suddenly as it showed up. Such a promising snow day, at least he had some fun before it all went to pot.

Boop the Ballerina

Just to get this out of the way, when we were signing Max up for Spring programs, it was a toss up between soccer and ballet for Saturday mornings. He wanted to do both but the were on the same day at almost the same time, so he had to choose. We showed him videos of both so he could make an educated choice (ha!) and he kind of fell in love with ballet. He ask to watch the "ballet man" all the time. That would be old Baryshnikov videos. Head over heals in to it. In the end we went with Soccer because I wasn't quick enough and apparently ballet fills up fast. He's not too disappointed because he has his own ballerina at home.

Eloise likes watching the videos too, and twirls and dances along. She got a ballet kit for Christmas from her aunties, slippers, tutu and headband included. Max convinced her to put the whole costume on and she immediately started dancing around. This was the most graceful E has ever looked. She's more of a rough-and-tumble gal.

Super Max

Max gets really in to character. He's asked to wear his "buspenders" and his belt to accompany his Captain America shirt. Then he carried around his shield all day. Even took it to the bathroom with him. The shield slept with him that night.

He even has an adoring fan

Never fear, Super Max is here!

Future Gold Medalist

On Sunday, after watching Canada win the gold medal in men's hockey, by chance we got a call from Grammie and Grampie Brown. They wanted to come visit and thought it'd be nice to go skating. The original plan was to go to the Oval but that didn't pan out because of an unseasonably warm day (naturally) but we found a rink ten minutes from home that was having an open skate.

We packed up our winter gear and met them at the arena. Matt's two youngest sisters were already on the ice when we got there. There were Max sized skates waiting for us there, which was a surprise and even a pair for Matt. I don't skate and Matt hadn't for at least ten years but Grampie is a pro. He convinced Max - the child who won't participate in anything - to go out on the ice with him. It was Max's first time.

Ellie, Grammie and I sat on the bleachers and watched. E had a ball just watching everyone and gave little waves to everyone who skated past us. It was an awful lot of fun seeing Max not only do something, but enjoy it. He had one little spill but he got right back up.

Afterwards he and Ellie had a snack while we packed everything up and he talked about coming back to practice, so he could be like Sidney. And Grampie. Gosh he's cute, that Max.

Matt caught the skating bug too, so we're going back next week. Probably more than once. I may have to learn how to skate.

New Goose

Max had been refusing to get a haircut for months. Since August to be exact. And, the only reason he cut his hair in August was because he was part os Katie's wedding party. Can't have a ragamuffin walking down the aisle.

We had talked about it, very casually with him and he'd reply with a swift "NO! I like my long hair." So that was that. Max has a fantastic imagination and is almost always in character. Not that he pretends to be someone else, for a short time he is someone else. You have to address him by his "name" and will correct you if you call him Max. The long hair played a big part in this because all of his favourite characters had longer hair. He'd sweep it up and to the side when being the Doctor, or brush it over his forehead when he was Luke Skywalker. He's a method actor.

A few weekends ago Matt was trying to get Ellie to nap and was having no luck so Max and I thought it best to go for a walk and give them a quiet apartment, for once. There's a salon just next door so I mentioned going there to Max and he agreed. Jump to me practically running with him in my arms to get him in the chair before he changed his mind.

He sat there with a pouty face and sad puppy dog eyes as I kept telling him:

"It's gonna look SO good"

"You can change your mind at any time."

But, he stayed and let the gal finish his cut. He got a bunch of compliments from all the hairdressers that he politely accepted, then went back to pouting. We got home and he stood in the mirror trying to fuss with it and exclaimed that this cut wouldn't last, he'd be growing it out again.

Oh well, at least he'll look a little presentable for the next couple of months. You win some, you lose some with Max Brown.

*We call Max Goose, no idea why, just started it when he was a wee bebe. May be slightly influenced by my love for Top Gun.*

Party Like You're Four

Max had the best day. The party went smoothly, it was the biggest group we've ever hosted and I was stressed just thinking about twenty people in my house. But it was so, so good. I stayed up late the night before, decorating so Max could wake up to it all. Matt stayed up late making pizza dough and Ellie stayed up to be in the way, mostly.

The next morning we all got into Max's bed to open presents and have a balloon fight.

From Momma and Daddy, he got the usual clothes and little toys but the main event was his new scooter.

Gram watched Ellie for the morning so we could take Max out on his own for a few hours before the party. He loves space, comic books, super heroes and all that jazz so the logical place to take him was Strange Adventures. We let him pick out one thing as a bonus gift.

After that, we went for lunch at Smoke's Poutinerie, because naturally that's his favourite food. I'm fairly certain he had the time of his life. After our bellies were full of poutine, we came home and got everything ready for the party.

Matt cooked ten (!!) pizzas, my Mum made a pasta salad and I fininshed the two cakes I had made earlier that morning. Max is such an easy kid, he only wanted a chocolate cake, with frosting in the middle. I made an extra with frosting for everyone else. Just box cake, I can only do so much when there are ten pizzas being made in my kitchen.

We had Grandparents, great grandparents and friends here from out of town, that boy is loved no doubt. He got so many wonderful presents and ate his weight in sugar, as only you can on your birthday.

The Goose was so thrilled with everything that staying up late, stressing out and planning beyond reason felt totally worth it. He loved every bit of it and then some and I'd do it all again in heartbeat. He's so worth every new gray hair I have. I'll probably get a lot more of those now that he has a scooter.

A few more pictures of the party, after the jump...

Happy Birthday Goose!

Today is Max's birthday, he turns four. Four years ago, at 12:51 a.m. this little lovey made me a Momma. He's positively the sweetest, coolest, best dressed member of our family. Kids so hip, he doesn't even know. We're lucky ducks to have him.

Last night we all snuggled in Max's bed and told him about the night he was born. Then we read the story On the Night You Were Born and gave him all the love we had in us before we said goodnight.

Happiest of birthdays, sweet Goose, we love the jeebers out of ya! XO


* each picture was taken on his birthday every year, I plan to keep this tradition going, as long as he'll let me. *

On turning Four

Because turning four is kind of a big deal - you only get to do it once - and it's such a funny age, lots of talking, conversing even, I thought I'd interview Max on how he feels about his upcoming birthday...

Q. What are you looking forward to being able to do, once you're four?

A. Lifting big things, like boulders. I can't wait to be big and tall!

Q. What is the most important thing you've learned so far?

A. Sommersaults and flips. Like acrobat Robin.

Q. Do you feel older and wiser?

A. Yup. Like an owl.

Q. What will you miss about being three?

A. Ellie won't be able to call me a baby anymore. That's all though.


As much as he loves to talk, I thought maybe four questions would be enough to keep his interest and it is in honour of his birthday. I think I might do these every year from now on, increasing the hard hitting questions by one, each year. Might be fun, as long as he still wants to do it.

Four is going to be a good year, I can feel it.