Well, I am just all kinds of proud momma this week!

On Sunday, my step-son signed on to play Junior Hockey in the Fall.  This has been one of his goals for a while, but he's been heading off on the wrong paths for a few years.  I couldn't be prouder that he finally managed to put his head together, do the neccesary work, and finally accomplish (for him) a very attainable goal.  Let's just keep our fingers crossed that this is just the first step in his journey to becoming a responible young man.

And, on the toddler front..... My little man is actually drawing people now!  I've painted a chalk-board road around the walls of his car themed room.  Imagine my surprise when I walked in there yesterday and saw a multitude of little faces looking back at me.  He has drawn definately recognizable little people all over his walls.  Mind you, they are just stick figures (though the faces do have two eyes each and a mouth), but hey, he's only two, I think it's great that he's got that much motor control.

And I suppose I aught to mention my wonderful step-daughter as well.  She's working so hard right now, totally turned the corner of her earlier teenage rebellion.  She's one of the top employees at her job, and actually moved on to teaching the younger children.  She's saving up her money responsibly in order to purchase herself a car in a couple of years when she'll want one.

I tell ya, I am almost bursting with happiness right now.  Life is beautiful. : )

My grampa is still in the hospital with no word yet when (or if), he'll be released.  He does seem to be back to his old self though.  And despite the circumstances, it is good to be able to see so much of the family so often.  I wish it didn't take an event like this to get together though.  I know I'd rather meet and greet anywhere besides the hospital.

My son started his art class on Friday.  And where he's the perfect angel in music, he was a little nightmare in art class.  I had to take him to the hallway twice to get him to settle down.  I'm hopeful that he'll be better next class though, as he's pretty happy with the 2 projects he managed to get done.  He's showing them off to everyone.

Add to all that the mad dash to try and get the renos on our house done so we can put it on the market and buy a bigger place.  We're so close, maybe only 2 weeks of work left.  I can't wait to have it all done.

Here's hoping a gift certificate for the spa is in my near future...... Mother's Day is just around the corner, after all.

I just can not get over how well behaved my son is in our music class.  It's unbeleivable.

Especially right now, as he's just at the stage where he's desperately trying to assert his independance.

Even with a couple of other kids running around, yelling, being naughtly (that's usually him), he sits where he's told and listens to the teacher.  It's just crazy, as in his other classes, I've had to keep a pretty tight reign on him, to keep him paying attention.

Oh, and he's always the first to volunteer too.

We just came back from class, and I'll tell you what, I felt like the proudest little mommy ever.  We're definately taking this class again.

My grampa is doing much better now; let's hope it lasts.

It was very scary for awhile, he was actually seeing things, and totally incoherent for a while.  The nurses has to restrain him and wheel his bed into the hall so they could keep an eye on him every minute.  They were afraid he would try to hurt himself and he kept pulling out his IV and hook ups.

Well, he's back to his old self, signing checks for his bills that my auntie had brought, and enjoying the comedy show that Donavan put on.

Actually, my son was quite the comedian yesterday.  He made all the people in grampa's room laugh.  He said the funniest things, and my auntie actually taught him how to dance like a bellerina, much to my husband's chagrin.

Anyway, fingers crossed that grampa makes a full recovery.

My Grampa is in the hospital with pnemonia.  I'm so sad.

He was worse today than yesterday.  Yesterday when I went to visit he was talking about all the good looking nurses; making jokes about finally feeling rich with these young women taking care of him while he gets to lounge around in his pyjamas.

Today he was definately less coherent and his colour wasn't as good.  I hope he's having a better day tomorrow, but I'm just afraid that his body's not cooperating with his young-at-heart mind.

I got two last minute catering jobs and now my kitchen is a terrible mess.  I've run out of room in my fridge and I really don't care if I ever look at another bite of food.

People always ask me how I stay skinny when I'm always cooking and baking wonderful food all day.  Well, these are the days I wish I could escape food all together!

Anybody willing to come clean my kitchen?

My little guy seems to be going through a growth spurt or something.  He hasn't slept through the night all week.  He's not sick though, he just keeps waking up, so I'm up too.

Add to that I've got a nasty cold; of course.

Oh well, just the joys of being a mommy, I guess.

Well, yesterday was my birthday, and lucky me, I got to spend the day doing piles of laundry, doing all the shopping, cleaning the floors and driving the kids all over the place.

My hubbie did manage to take me out to dinner, but only after much whining from the older kids.  One whining about having to stay home and (get paid) babysit his little brother, and the other whining about us not being available to drive her and her friends to and from a party.

Jeesh!  I thought people were supposed to spoil you on your birthday.  Welcome to mommy-birthdays!

My step son was in a hockey tournament on the weekend, and for a change the games were at a decent time (the older boys usually get the late game times).  So I took Donavan to watch yesterday.

It was so much fun.  DC Loved watching his big brother play.  He was dancing in the stands, and whenever we scored a goal, he'd stand up, put his arms in the air and yell "he scored!" and do his little dance.  He was so cute!

Justin was so proud of his little brother, he actually banged on the glass during a break in play and yelled, "Yo, DC!".

If the season wasn't already over, DC would have been named the team mascot.  But I'm kinda glad most of the games were too late for us to watch.  Donavan sure did pick up a lot of blue language.  Somehow, I don't remember the parents in the stands being quite so rude, language-wise, when Justin was younger.  Maybe I'm just noticing it more now that I have a mini mimic copying all the dads.

Oh, and DC learned a new word.  Everone was so amused at hearing him say Zamboni.  Zamboni.  There two zamboni cleanin da ice!