Welcome to the World Matthew

Introducing Matthew Poolton, born September 21th.

Congratulations Heidi and John.

Enjoy your 4th boy!

Thanks you for sharing Matthew with me today!

'I am a Robot!'

Last week Lyla's best friend Caillou and his friend Leo were pretending to be Robots. So Lyla had to be one too. Here is my little robot!

Things Lyla says..

On the way to Lyla's school today I was wearing a puffer vest. Lyla says to me -

"Muma. What are you wearing?"

"It is a vest - like a coat Lyla."

"No it's not Muma. It's a life jacket."

Sure - to a 2 year old a puffer vest does look like a life jacket. Puts a little perspective on the way others look at you.. Have a great day.

Campa's Boat

Lyla's Campa a.k.a. Grandpa got a boat this summer. We went for a boat ride on our visit in August and here are some pictures of Lyla's 1st boating experience. Happy faces with her muma.. She was not completely sure of the whole boating thing but did wonderful. She enjoyed trolling around most. When we went fast at first she liked it better than the second time after trolling around. I think she realized we could just go slow and it would be quiet and not windy and such.

Here is our family photo as we ride along..

Check out this little investigator.. just checking everything out...

Not too sure...


Uncle Tyler drove Lyla to Fenlen Falls. Here is the little miss enjoying the falls..

Lyla really enjoyed standing at the back with Daddy and watching the wake from the boat...


Here is our ambassador waving to boats as they go by..

All and all, I think Lyla had a great boating trip - and by next summer she can be the first mate! Thanks Campa for taking us out on a boat ride and thanks Uncle Tyler for the ride.. Until next summer...

Friends for Life

Here are my bestest friends in the world. We spent the years of our high school life together, went our separate ways, and now we are back to being closest buds again. Most of the girls are actually pretty close in distance to each other. Some of us are far away. But distance doesn't stop us from picking up right where we left of. That is what is so special about our bond, we will always be friends - until we are old and gray.Leanne hosted a family ho-down during the summer at her house for all of us and our families. Here we are before heading off on the wagon ride. We are looking forward to a girls retreat in a couple of weeks. We are going away without kids or husbands to be pampered and spend some quality girl time - drinking wine and catching up. Can't wait!

Look Grandma!

Here is our little farmer sharing her passion for farm life with her Grandma from the big city. "Check out the combine as it harvests the wheat Grandma."

"It is really loud!"

"Really loud but still cool"

Let's Go P!

Some of you know that we are fortunate enough to live very close to a high school. This allows us to hear the band practicing from our backyard during the late summer months, it also allows us to go and see the band practicing. We did that throughout the summer and Lyla thoroughly enjoyed it, so we decided to go and see the game with the football players, the cheerleaders, the crowd and of course the band.

We have been twice and Lyla enjoyed it very much. The first time was the best - she was very well behaved and the weather was beautiful. The second was a bit more challenging with typical two year old behaviour. So lets just say, we have seen the game twice and we probably will call it a season. Here are some pictures from our time at the game. As you can guess the home team was in red.. So Lyla really enjoys the cheerleaders as well. To explain 'Lets go P!'. As most of you know we are in the midst of trying to potty train Lyla. Potty training is quite the dramatic event as all you parents know. You sing, you dance you put on all the charms to lure your child to the potty. So, at the game the cheer leaders where cheering to Lyla saying - Lets go D - as in defense, well our little Lyla turned to me and said - 'They are saying - Lets go P!'. She had a big smile on her face and started to cheer along with them. It made both of us laugh.

Checking out the football game...

And boy oh boy did we luck out. We got to sit right beside the band. And they played songs during the game, Lyla was right beside them both nights. She especially like the Tuba.

And this is what we go for - the band playing their half time show.

So next time you are watching a football game and you hear the cheerleaders cheer 'lets go D' remember my little story and it sure to put a smile on your face.

How you have grown...

Check out these 2 pictures - taken a year apart and see how time flies and changes happen right in front of our own eyes. Lyla is growing up so quickly...

Lyla's 1st Day at School

Today was the big day. Lyla started Daycare. We were all excited and some were nervous (me) but it turned out to be a great day for our little 'leader'.

Last night we Lyla picked out her backpack and we had to pack it up with the essentials - sunscreen, Dora pants, extra clothes. Lyla decided to help me pack and added a few essentials of her own - a hanger, a tooth brush, her ocean wonders controller, her pajamas, Thomas books in the suitcase, toothpaste, a hair elastic, another Thomas book, and her 3 best friends - Teddy, Reindeer and Horsey. Lets just say the bag was overflowing but she sure was proud of her back pack all packed up.

So after I got her bag repacked, filled out all the rest of the paperwork, and headed off to bed I actually slept fine. Then this morning we woke up and got ready for the big first day. Lyla wanted grilled cheese for breakfast and she also ate a cheese string. I started by giving her cereal and soon found out all she was eating was the sugar on the cereal so I gave into her request for a grilled cheese. Lyla is very into the princess theme right now. Which means she wants to wear a dress all the time. With the change in temperature it makes dress wearing a little more challenging. Good thing I bought this outfit for her to wear on her first day of school.

We did a series of pictures of the front step as we were getting ready to leave. The obligatory pictures with the backpack on and the excitement in her face as also present. This pictures turned out pretty cute..

I especially like the above one - as she is standing on her tippie toes in excitement.

This is Lyla's backpack from behind. Dora and it lights up as well. She can also roll it, but she prefers to wear it.

This is the sweetest one.. Such a cutie pie..if I do say so myself - I know I am biased..



Here we are getting ready to go into Lyla's school...

And at the door to her classroom... (this actually was taken after I had picked her up)

When we drove up to the school I told Lyla that I would be leaving her there as I had to go to the dentist and get some cavities filled. She started to cry and said she didn't want to be at school without me. My little heart broke and of course I had planned it so I could stay for a bit if she needed and that was what I did. I stayed about 45 minutes before I left her. Here she was eating her morning snack which was a pancake, which she exclaimed to everyone that 'It is delicious'. The teachers oohhed and aahhed over her - saying no one had ever said that before, and that she was such a cutie. When I looked around her class - she is in a class of 12 and she is 1 of 2 girls. 10 boys!!!

When you are done eating you have to wait to hear your name called before you can leave the table. When you are done eating you can put your hand up and wait for you name. Here Lyla is waiting for her name...

I left after that. And she was really brave. I said that I was going to go now but I would be back for her after her lunch and she is said in a sad voice 'okay muma.' She gave me a hug and a kiss and told me she loved me. Then I made my quick exit out the door and looked back through the window to see one of the teachers talking to her about the doll house she was playing with. I had a huge ball in my chest and tears in my eyes, but they did not come out as I knew Lyla was being brave so I needed to too.

Then off I went to the dentist for a torturous 3 cavities and 1 bonding! I am still frozen! and hungry!

I came back about 3 hours later and peered through her window and saw her playing on the matt with some toys. I had talked to Ryan who called the teacher for me who told me she had cried after she realized I had left. Miss Betty hugged her and wiped her eyes - this is what Lyla told me. They also went outside which cheered her up too. When I said 'Hi Lyla!" when I walked in the door the look of joy as she hoped up and ran to me. A huge smile and a little voice yelling 'Muma! You came back!" She hoped in my arms and hugged me and kissed me. We were both happy to be together. The teacher told me everything about her being upset and right away she said to me 'She is a leader'. I just smiled - and to be honest I couldn't talk to well because of all the freezing in my mouth - and the teacher said - 'you already knew that didn't you?" Lyla also called Miss Betty silly - which Miss Betty seemed to like. Lyla seemed happy at school and is excited to go back next week.

Here Lyla is which her lead teacher Miss Betty (in blue) and her assistant teacher -Miss Tiffany.

We drove home and Lyla sang some songs they had sang at school, told me what Miss Betty had said about certain things and told me what she had done at school. She received a present from the class - a Disney fairies Frisbee - for joining the class. And we are excited to go again next week.

Summer's Last Hurrah

Hard to believe that summer has come and gone but it has, and looking back I really neglected my blog. I really didn't blog all summer. Sorry blogger! I guess that is a good indication on how much fun we had this summer. Lyla is growing more and more independent as the days go on - that is not to say that she isn't a muma's girl - as she surely is - ask Ryan! But she is working on potty training, talking like a 20 year old and having the most fun any 2 year old could ask for.

Tomorrow we have a huge milestone - Lyla is starting a day of daycare each week. I will post more on that tomorrow. But for tonight I had to post some of our pictures from our last hurrah of summer time fun.

Last week we went to Nana and Papa's house to spend a couple of days with them and Lyla's cousins. We were only there a short time but we made the most of our time with everyone.

It was really hot last week - in the 90s! And we needed some relief -So the first day that we got there we headed to the splash pad as soon as Lyla had her nap. Splash pads are in almost every community in Ontario - not so much in Michigan so this was Lyla's first experience with the splash pad. It was not without excitement and injury - two typical things in any toddler day. The excitement came just from the fun of the entire scene - fun with her cousins, and fun with water. The injury came when Lyla climbed up on the wall you see behind her in the picture below and decided to have Jillian catch her as she jumped off the wall. . Lets just say my heart was in my throat as I saw this scene unfold - Lyla is lucky she didn't truly hurt herself more than some abrasions.. Just check out these pictures from the splash pad and you can see everyone had a blast....

The 3 friends and 3 cousins....

Lyla really likes her older cousin Matthew. He really entertains her and makes her laugh. she is still talking about him this week and mimicking him... Thanks Matthew for the laughs...

The next day we planned to load up the van and head to the beach. Two sisters and their 4 kids! It was so much fun. We really didn't know where we were going - just to the lake and once we got there my memory of a beach trip when Emily was Lyla's age was our map. We went to Port Franks and had a great September 1st at the beach. The sun was hot, the water was warm and the family fun was great! I can't wait to go back next year, and it left me asking my sister - why we hadn't done this earlier this summer!

Here are our 2 princesses bathing themselves in the water at the beach. I love this picture!

The nice thing about this beach was the shallowness. We were able to go out quite a bit and the girls could lay in the water and enjoy the water. It was really nice..

No trip to the beach is complete without the kids splashing their moms. . Lyla even got in on it.. and on my camera - I have pictures of her coming up to me after seeing the kids splashing Aunt Pam... Lets just say Aunt Pam was no long dry after this splashing ..


Loving cousin Emily...

Loving the beach...


More splashing...

Like I said, great beach for kids - Here is the gang all out swimming together. Thanks Emily for watching over Lyla...

3 of the kiddies ... Sorry Pam - I didn't post the picture of Jillian crying about Lyla not holding her hand...

Lyla loved wearing Matthew's goggles. In fact today she was telling me about wearing Matthew's sunglasses at the beach. I think it was quite the fashion statement don't you?

The next day we all gathered at Nana and Papa's for a lunch and a cake to celebrate family time as well as Miss Jillian's birthday. Matthew spent a lot of time pulling the girls around in the wagon with Lyla yelling 'FASTER!' at him.

Such a cute picture. As we all sang happy birthday to Jillian she reached for Lyla's hand and held onto her hand. Very cute.

Thanks for the great summer visit! We can't wait until next summer comes and we can all play again at the beach and splash pad!