The Mundane to Miracles of our lives

Austins 9th birthday and Ben and Gavins 5th

2012-02-01T18:28:00.000-08:00

These birthday pictures are from 3 seperate occassions. On their actual birthday we went to Montana's for supper and had the waiters sing to them with their moose and viking hats and then in Sarnia celebrating and then at our home with my side of the family. WOW..5 ! miracles ..true miracles.

Austin on the other had had his first Friend birthday party. I hired a company to throw his birthday party so we could enjoy it with him.

Austin even shares a group photos with his brothers who waited patiently on the side and allowed their big brother to have a birthday party to himself with his friends. It was a football/golf theme and Austin absolutely loved it! I also took Austin mini putt putt ..just me and him :) and we took him golfing at Caradoc in Strathroy..

Love you Austin. !!!!

Pain Pain Pain. Pedicure Gone BAD

2012-02-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

I am not sure I will ever get a pedicure again. After terrible customer service on the phone and a delayed appt because the boys were young and time was not something i had . I decided not to waist this expensive gift my husband bought me. Manicure Pedicure at Zana Spa in my home town. This would be something that pained me and i suffered from right up till this current day. My nail is still growing and damaned and warped after many treatments and after several appts with specialists and surgens regarding this terrible infection that i got from having a pedicure there. 2 foot doctors, 1 emergency room visit and to many to count doctor visits and 4 rounds of antibiotics that i'm sure is the cause of my dizziness. (damanged equalibrium) Finally at the emergency room where lets call him DH (dick head)doctor told me he didnt' th ink it was infected. but i was in so much pain i was not able to work and watch my children let alone clean my home and stand all that long from the pressure and puss and that came through the sides of my toenail. He did decided however, probably after seeing my frustration and upset at his and so many other doctors words "nothing i can do , not sure how to treat it" to cut it open. So needle in my toe! YEP..ouch! but you know what? The pain in my toe was worse then the needle..as soon as he cut it it oozed.Sorry TMI. Where DH admitted to being wrong about the infection. YOU THINK DH! they had to stuff my toe guaze and i was on crutches for two days. Then a lovely lady from my Home daycare family of ladies (Donna) referred me to a man named Peter. Peter is a Chiropodist. He has made the biggest difference..From Nov 2010 to May 2011 i had suffered soooo much.When Peter saw me he told me in minutes that it was a very bad case of Paranychia that was not treated properly and therefore just escalated. He said the reason the antibiotics did not work was because this infection thrives on no oxygen. Since this part of my food had no exit or oxygen it just continued to get worse and my body the amazing thing it is did its first thing it needed to do to protect me.. that was block off any kind of flow from the toe my body and therefore from my body to my toe. So it didnt' matter how much antibiotics my body digested nothing was getting to the toe..so until my toe was cut open (letting oxygen in) the antibiotics did nothing but kill my friendly bacteria's in my stomach and damage my equilibrium. Anyway, long story short. NEVER going to Zana spa again. yes i contacted them they wrote me back a "we care, we will investigage" letter and they never responded after that. 3 mths after that i followed up because they were not and they have ignored me ever since. I will be suffering for mths to come and they couldn't care a less.
I'm not suprised..However i know i'm not the only one and i have heard of a few people of people i know who got infections from there so it will only be a matter of time and they will drive their business to the ground.

Pictures..not for the weak..but here you go

Right foot big toe..you can see the puss in the bottom right corner..and the swelling under my nail. the left big toe is bad with fungas. The left toe is the picture below showing what the fungas is doing to my toe.

this is after months and months seeing surgens and doctors. Emerg 5 hours..and he cut it open
WOW, i almost vomited that evening from the trauma of pain because they gave me nothing for the pain and i had to drive home screaming YES screaming ..called my sister to get me through the drive . I had no meds so brian went and pick some up and i suffered for so long that after i felt better from meds i started to eat and my dinner started to draw back into my throat..it was not a good day..

this is after 3 days in gauze. I had to rip that out of my toe and off my skin. OMG this hurt sooooooo much i cried while i did it. And yes..still oozing as you can see.

this was a cut that the chirpodist kept digging at on several appts to keep the oxygen flowing. NO freezing. (going to my happy place right now)

this is what my toe looks like today

I'm not sure the incision will ever heal completely but it helped my pain go away so i do not care about that. I have 2 calluses and a corn growing inside and for the first time i have had very little pain for about 6 weeks. I am still going to the chirpodist and most likely will for some time because of it.
What you should learn from reading this. Know how your spa steralizes their equipment..A sterilizing clauve and an ultra sonic cleaner is needed to maintain the highest level of hygiene and you have the right to this information. NEVER let a person dig at the base of your nail where your cuticles are.

2012-02-01T16:40:00.000-08:00

Last summer we had a sleep over with a friend. We took K and went to Dairy Queen and the park. The boys had a tonne of fun and it was one of those memories in the summer that you don't forget. Lots of Giggles and fun. We miss K. The boys still talk about her. :) She was a great friend.

This is my boys on their rare moment of soccor last year. it was canceled so many times because of ran we may as well just donated the money to norwest. This picture freaks me out now because in October this particular electrical exploded and popped out spewing wires and fire. I had to call 911 and was just standing and touching it a few minutes before with 2 small children and their mother. I will NEVER EVER buy a house with this on the front lawn again. it was weeks before i would go outside my house and not walk as far as possible away from it. a few minutes earlier i'm sure we would of all been dead.

This is austins Grade 3 Venus Fly Trap project. Lots of time working on this. He told me what he wanted and i got the materials..and I helped him create what he wanted to show. how a fly gets eaten by a trap..he got a B+. we used fake seaweed, foam, toothpicks and rubber snacks and frogs from the dollarstore..

Also in Grade 3 Austin was in a fun Dance Contest at school at the Western Fair..Bon Jovi "its my life" was the Song as Bon Jovi was his teachers favorite singer. Not Unlike our house hold.:)

This was super fun to watch and Brian made a special trip to watch it.Wish I had a camera that would have managed a better picture though..But thats him middle left all black with a red bandana. Soooo proud of him.

Austin also Road a bike really well for the first time in the summer of 2011. We bought him his first bike that summer as well. He loved it!

Ben and Gavin also enjoyed their Bikes this year!!! Lots of fun

This was Bens Best Friend (other then Gavin that is) for a good chunk of time.. we washed him a few times but he was really getting old.

At the end of March ..March 30th 2011 to be exact. Benjamin decided Doggy was official done. And he put him in the garbage..yep..the Garbage. Mor mor replaced him with a new doggy we call him Puppy..but i was so proud of him to let him go. But no one will ever replace him. He is not at all attached to him like he was Doggy. RIP Doggy

In June 2011 My cousin Yan came over from Denmark for work and we all went to my Dads house to visit him.This was such a beautiful day and it was very nice to see my cousin. I think i was 9 when i saw him last..He played football with my kids and they really liked him to.

My mom took the twins and brian I took Austin to see a movie after going to Smoke and Bones for dinner. We i believe saw Thor and austin went into the hurrican simulator with his dad.

Air show June 2011!

2011-09-07T19:14:00.000-07:00

Our First Air Show As A Family!!
It was hot and sunny and LOUD! The kids had a blast and honestly
I really enjoyed it. I have not been to the air show since i was Austins age. It was in St Thomas. I'll definitely have to add a video if I can manage that with this post.

We for sure will go back. The Planes would fly by and have an after math of
loud engine and Ben and Gavin would crouch fast to the ground holding their ears. (they even had ear plugs in already). Austin stood amazed and frightened at the same time.

The kids got to meet the flyers of the Snow Birds and get autographs which was quiet the treat for them.And to top it off..Yes it is true. I am actually in some of these photos!! Thanks Austin and Brian it is nice to know I do exist here and not just in the story telling!

March to May 2011 Catch up

2011-09-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

Well Again some time has passed since my last post.
Feburary..wow..its now September and Austin has entered Grade 4 and the boys have entered their second year of kindergarten. I have some catching up to do. So here it goes.

Okay so march proved to me a snowy month but come April Ben
and Gavin finally are enrolled in something other then swimming. GYMWORLD. And they loved it. We actually plan on enrolling them again very soon.

In May Austin got his head buzzed. And I took him to the Mandarin to attempt to introduce him to many new foods and widen his “like” list. Did it work..? Barely..lol.. But he can’t wait to go back and try again and especially to make his own Sunday. All in all it was special time for him and I and something I think he will remember.

Also in May we headed to Marks for Mothers day. I was
suffering with a lot of pain with my infection in my toe from Zana spa spent most the time holding my foot and soaking it In salt water. But we got some good family group photos and the meal was great as usual. Brian and I also were able to attend the pool banquet as well. A good night as usual with awesome food served at Birkshire (spelling) where we had our wedding reception.

To a new year of Swimming Lessons

2011-02-08T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well, we changed venues for the kids swimming lessons. Austin has failed lessons 2 times because the instructors where we went were never the same and he never could trust them. There were several people in a lesson and he never got the attention he needed nor was he force to do what we paid him to learn. This changed has made a night and day difference for Austin. In 3 short weeks he is treading water, jumping off the side with less fear. he is even going under the water to get rings by his feet. I am so very proud of him.

The boys had their first "alone" lessons as well. starting same day. They cried the first day but since then Gavin really likes it but Ben is struggling to go in at times ..mostly because of the cold water. Austins teacher Lindsay is so great with him and she has offered to help with the twins so now she helps the boys teacher Emma who is super nice with their lessons. I am so proud of all my boys! We will have to see what this summer brings and what new things they will try.

Reviewing 2010

2010-12-30T16:09:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is the last day of 2010. The kids this year have grown so much..they all look so different then they did at the beginning of the year. The twins are no longer babies. Now in kindergarden and doing so many things on their own. Gavin is my Cuddly bear..I knew i always called him Panda Bear for a reason. He has a uniqueness about him that one. He has such deep feelings like austin did when he was young however he has a hard time moving forward when its not resolved. (he got that from me lol) his smile just fills your heart and he says the cutest things at just the right moment. Benjamin is a goer..more of an observer now adays but when he gets grasp of something he goes full force..he just sometimes takes his time he'll understand when he is ready to but in the mean time he jumps from task to task soaking in a bit at a time. He just really just wants to push forward. A curious one i think. His croaked smile makes me laugh..and he is still tiny and easy to pick up and carry..my little "cuddle bug." just wraps himself right around you with his tight squeezes. Ben is like austin was..thinks faster then he can manage to speak it so i don't always get what he is trying to tell me. he is my action boy. Full of energy and fun. Austin, wow how you have grown in a year. His face has aged quite a bit this year. Sept 2009 he started loosing his teeth and he has another one loose now..his top left one beside the two front teeth that are still growing out. I do so miss his perfect white baby teeth with his killer smile. I look forward to seeing two front teeth again it feels like forever since he had them. Grade 3 has been a challenge..mainly because the teacher is not encouraging..rather she is the discouraging type. but he is moving along dispite this and i look forward to him having a new teacher next year. austin had another successful year in football and is signed up for next year already. He loves playing board games as much or maybe more then his computer games..which i think is healthy. just wish i had more time on my hands to do that with him. Working from home and trying to maintain that and meals and cleaning has prooven difficult to squeeze anything else in..Austins thing this year was saying "whose the best mom?" in which i had to reply " I'm the best mom" and he would continue by saying "whose the best boy" in which i had to reply " Your the best boy" and then "whose the best boys?" in which i would say "Ben and Gavin or your brothers are the best boys" once i answered his whose the best mom with me saying "not me." because i lost my temper with him after asking him not to do something sooooooo many times in walmart because i was trying to find something and he was making that impossible. He did not like that i said that and cried and begged me to tell him I was the best mom..and finished by telling me that I was the best mom no matter what while he grasped my arm tight and hugged me while crying.

He likes to sit with me on the couch and cuddle when we are watching tv. Austin still very much in to football with his team and football season with dad. He helps me around the house more but that can be a struggle to..He is a boy!

Gavin spent alone time with Mor Mor and Papa Jack..he was the one that didnt' want to go by himself but he was the one that went. Ben wanted to go alone but ended up going with Austin and hasn't ventured on his own yet. Having just Gavin for a few days when Austin and Ben where at Mor Mors was odd but we really got to enjoy our time with him thats for sure. I look forward to doing that with Ben. Ben and Gavin did go together once to Mom and Jacks for a weekend and Austin got to spend time some quality time with us. he got to remember what it was like just him..he got to do more he said back then.LOL.

We had the worst winter storm this year..3 snow days in a row. We still have tons of snow on the ground. it happened the week of Dec 7th. The snow was so deep and the boys just loved playing in the backyard.

We had some challenges this past year. I feel because of them i am able to move forward in a way i didn't before and i mean in a good way. I would give it more explaination however, i don't feel i need to and thats the great thing about it. It deserves so much less of my time and for that I am somewhat grateful. I'm sure the challenge that we endure will come and go again but i feel that i can tackle it differently now. And i say that with a bit of a smile.

I have some great friends. I realize more each year how much they mean to me. Trisha, Tina, Michelle, Susan, Dawn are people I am blessed to have in my life. Regardless of how often we get to catch up or not. I feel very close to them all and they really just love me the way i am. A feeling anyone would wish for people they call their friends:)

My mother. Each year that passes I hope to make more memories with her. Going on vacation each year with her was a great idea. And i look forward to so many more with her. So far we have gone to Port Elgin, Cobourg and this year Niagara Falls. My sister came with us on the niagara falls one..ahhh the hot tubs at night of long days of walking were awesome. the house we stayed at was wonderful. The people who own it were so kind.:)

Our family vacation this year was at Langs resort. Our tent flew up in a storm and busted and it ended with us staying in a trailer for a week. It was great. the kids got to play in the playground right in front of our trailer and we met some nice people with 3 boys who we had a fire with on the last day and met at teh pool a few times. Austin had a really good time hanging out with their son Jacob. It was such a great week. One of the best we have had.

All in all i think this past year of 2010 was a pretty good one.

T~

Summer Vacation

2010-07-28T05:35:00.000-07:00

So we tried yet another resort this year. We have yet to find that diamond in the ruff that we are looking for..that something we look forward to going back to. This year we went to Langs resort..Left side of rice lake..at arrival it was looking not so great as per the sky..the wind was picking up so we hurried to get our tent out and set up.. Our tent is a larger 6man maybe even 8 man tent..all i know is you put 3 kids and a pair of parents 2 large blow ups and you can still walk around inside and investment we loved. we set it up..hammered the pegs in with some grumpy man in a trailer behind us trying to tell us where we should put the tent as it will abstruct his view. the wind picked up more and the rain started so we jumped into our van and would wait the rain out to put our blow ups and clothes and other items inside.

the trees are blowing and rain is hard the water looks scary and we start to wonder and worry about the tent..but its staked in good. Brian looks at me and makes a comment about if the tent survives this it will survive anything. Well, talk about setting us up..lol..a huge gust of wind rips our tent from the ground. You could hear it snap and lift it hits our car and rolls and lifts up into the sky and to our neighbours (thankfully not our grumpy neighbours) trailer. we run out into the rain and grab to to ensure it doesnt' go further and get damaged to much.

we put it on the ground with some help from some teenage boys who were watching behind us. the pegs - broken the tarp a little torn..not bad..the ropes ripped...and well support poles?? snapped..no tent. we are 4 hours away from home ready and packed for 7 days of camping. So inside we go to talk to the owners asking if they have other options for us. we spent the week in a rented trailer with a playground perfect for the kids on the other side of the office where we were. the accomodations were nice ..showers warm and clean at the pool area which we also enjoyed. Austin made a friend Named Jacob and it ended up being one of our best weeks away. this is definitely a place we will return. the boat we rented was a problem and the owners were little hard to figure out only because i think they were really laid back and didnt' hold much expression when we made a job or had conversation. Overall they were very nice and we advised them of our satisfation and let them know we were definitely returning.

the campfires were perfect..muskoka chairs sat welcoming me to coffee in the morning while i watched the kids swing and play at the playground. It really was one of the best weeks.

Gavin wants to go back to the second house..lol

4 stars for Langs resort.

AUSTIN!!!

2010-03-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Austin Michael Kuiack..
You continue to amaze me .....
Yesterday i recieved your second term report card for 2009-2010. Although i am continuely proud of you today I'm am extremely proud.
lets just give you a little insight
reading went from an B+ to and A
mathematics B+ to a A- in two catagories of math
Music he went from a B to an A+.
sciene, social studies,gym,visual arts,dance, and writing all B and B+'s.
and an A- in oral communication and an A- in French.
WOW..
a hint from the music teacher who encourages us to
ehance your skills

3 1/2 years old

2010-03-23T11:48:00.000-07:00

Well its been 3 1/2 years now..boys are just growing like mad. But continue to remind me that they are still my little ones. Gavins amazing colouring skills and big words are an ongoing joy and benjamins funny faces and giggles and grrrrrs warm my heart like no other.

This september they will be going to JK. JK already! Both are looking forward to it.

Each day is a joy with my boys..even when i'm pulling my hair out. And to be able to talk to austin and hear about his day the moment he gets home really means a lot to me. Even when there are more days then i can count where i think i'm literally loosing my mind.lol

My kids really make me happy..I love my family..thats why i so desperately wish i could do more with them outside the home. More sports, more activities, more weekends away with the family..financially one day that will be possible and hopefully not so late they dont' want to spend time with mom anymore.. Love you guys!

GO CANADA GO!

2010-03-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Yes..we watched the game

Yes..we cheered them on

AND YES..we jumped and screamed at the

same very moment that the rest of canada did.

GO CANADA GO!

Family Day 2010

2010-02-22T11:10:00.001-08:00

On Family Day 2010 we took the twins tabogganing for the first time. we just went a few blocks to the aquatics centre and they loved it. i wasnt' able to bring my camera to the hill but i took a picture as they looked at the hill and what was to come.

We went to Mcd's after which of course is always happy times..lol

A Day with Mom Feb 2010

2010-02-22T10:28:00.000-08:00

This particular day in Feburary I fuond myself not working and home with the boys all day.. It was Monday the 8th. A day like this has not come in a long time and i suddenly find myself excited and my minds starts turning of what I can do with this special time just me, Gavin and Benjamin. So i packed a bag and off to the masonville mall we went. we went to breakfast at Zellers and they had pancakes , i had eggs and tea. then we walked the mall got these hats for Nic and Stacey's stag and doe and then went to the westmount mall and had a drink break and played on the kids stuff in the cafeteria. We managed to make the washroom as ben is still training and he made it but when he heard his brother go he went in his diaper when waiting his turn..but i count that as success. way to go ben. gavin has been so doing so well and i look forward to them both being out of diapers soon. gavin is 80..all day and pull ups at night. ben is still in pull ups but is asking regularily to go and even going on his own sometimes..as he likes to stand up..its their NEW thing.lol

after we threw money in the fountain and went to the dollar store we sat and coloured on the bench and then headed home..i really enjoyed this day with them..lots of quality time..which can be hard when you watch other kids to stay home with your own. its so worth it...i got a ton of excellent pictures..

My husbands 38th birthday

2010-02-22T09:40:00.000-08:00

So it was Brians birthday on Jan 29th and that weekend we went to his families to celebrate his birthday, Uncle Jeffs, uncle larry's..and johns but he was not there and i'm missing someone..its so hard to keep track with so many in his family..they are always sharing their birthday.

Anyway, that following day was Sunday and we took the boys to Tony Romas for Daddy's dinner..Just the 5 of us. We get a free meal coupon every year and we try to go if we can. Its my favorite part of a birthday when we do it.

the picture of austin was to make it look like he was drinking a beer but its a dad's rootbeer.

Me and Austin being silly

2009-12-09T18:06:00.000-08:00

Austin and I were just goofing around with the webcam. He just kept giggling and giggling.

we did different kinds of pictures and austin just kept laughing after each one. It was very fun he said and it was just after supper..this was in November during the week sometime.

Love you Austin

Austin Lost his First teeth

2009-12-09T17:41:00.001-08:00

Austin lost his first tooth and then hsi second in just minutes of each other. Nov 6th before he went to school he pulled them out. he was super pleased and super excited about the toothfairy.

as you can see from his grin in the picture..it says it all!

He got 2 loonies from the toothfairy.

First Dentist Appt

2009-12-09T17:21:00.000-08:00

All my boys went to the dentist for the first time (November).They were all great to..well behaved and did everything they were told.. Austins mold is the picture with the yellow mold in his mouth.the boys were calling him quacky duck because the girl came and got Gavin to see austin looking like quacky duck..Austin went back for a filling where he rocked with bravery..Way to go Austin.! I was so super impressed. They all got toothbrushes..in which Ben and Gavin fought about who got what car brush from the cars movie and then Austin choice a transformer one and when Gavin saw it he has a huge fit because he wanted to use that one..haha.

Austin also got a little yellow tooth container that holds his teeth when he looses them and puts them under the pillow for the toothfairy..Ben had just had his surgery the week before and was still not walking yet so thats why he looks so weird in the chair..the way he is sitting. the dental hygenist gave him a pillow to lift his legs..so nice. and even though he was not in perfect shape he to just rocked the appt. the girl said it was like had done this before he knew just what to do!

Austins first reconciliation

2009-12-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

Austin had his first reconcilation Nov 28th at 10 oclock. he did an amazing job at remembering what he was so suppose to do and say. he confessesd his sins and we all went out for breakfast after at the early riser cafe. I'm super proud of you Austin..I love you so very very much! You are growing up so fast...slow down my "little man" slow down.

In the pictures above he lights a candle that will burn for 3 days in his honour and he recieves his certificate.

Santa!!! is big this year

2009-12-08T21:27:00.001-08:00

Everyday the boys have been asking me to go to the "mall" to see Santa and each day i told them he was still very busy and not quite here yet..until the day we could actually take them. Super happy boys..so excited..gavin got a little shy when he finally got up there but they went right up to him..no fear..and just loved him to pieces..they were so pleased to have met him and talked to him and get candy from him..oh..i moment i will never forget..and a great picture to boot!

Potty Training Progress

2009-12-08T21:18:00.001-08:00

Yes you heard me Progress..finally.

I started really trying in sept to get the boys to start going in the potty ups and downs and accidents after accidents..but it is now dec 8th and Gavin started telling us and peeing in the potty after one night we sat with him on teh floor and kept encouraging them and encouraging them before bed..and Gavin peed a full potty ("a lot" as he put it)..and continued to have a few very successful pee trips..and ben who is still not to keen on it follows suit each time gavin does because thats what he does..he does it after to show he is willing and able to and then shows him up by asking to go to the potty adding a Poop to boot...two days in a row..thomas stickers are given and this all started happening more when i told them that Santa would give a BIG gift if the diapers were gone by christmas..gavin jumped on me and knocked me over in glee when i said that..So finally we are getting somewhere and seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.

Way to go boys!

Oct and Nov - Ben's surgery, New baby cousin and The twins first Halloween all rolled into one.

2009-12-08T20:52:00.000-08:00

Okay..so ben had surgery ..apparently he had hernia to.(and an undecented testicle).which i kept telling the doctor because i felt he did but she probably thought i was crazy. she finally took me seriously and found it(the hernia that is)..i dont' have a lot of pictures because they didn't have my name right(shocker there..just another stupid story about me and doctors and hospitals) and i didn't get to go into the recovery until he was prettymuch ready to go home..and when we got there they took him immediately as they were running ahead of schedule..but he is in a wheelchair in the picture because he has a mini epidural called an coddle and could not walk.

he did not walk for 6 days..and just kept his legs up and open and refused to move..so his 2nd bday party with my family he just sat ont he couch and had me carry him gently to watch the other kids play..poor thing..but he is fully recovered and running around like a mad man..haha

The important thing as the surgery went well and he is healthy and happy.

My boys got a new cousin..who was born oct 6th in teh morning..his name is matteus and he is my twin sisters little angel..as seen in the picture above. He has been colicy but joyful. I have watched him twice and just loved taking care of him. We all welcome him into our family and

look forward to all his first..One being his fisrt christmas in only a few weeks..

Halloween was great this year..all boys went out together for the first time as a group. the twins first halloween..super super cute. they loved it. they caught on fast they would yell."trick or treat" grabbed the candy and then yell "next house". they got scared when they saw scary people walk by in masks..

the boys were ghost and austin was dracula.. i have video of their walks and i sooooooooo enjoyed experiencing that with them more then i can ever discribe.

OH Lord its December already.

2009-12-08T20:36:00.001-08:00

okay so the boys turned 3..oh what a great age. Oct 10th was the official date..we spent that night with cupcakes and gifts just our little family.

on thanksgiving we celebrated the twins birthday along side a few other members of the family on the kuiack side..i couldnt' tell you what they got because it was just complete kaos amoung a table full of gifts for 5 people.

we celebrated their birthday with my side in November shortly after bens surgery for his hernia and such. they got some thomas stickers that worked well with potty training and some money and ball caps with sun glasses, games, toys with cars and some awsome moose pj's. And mor mor of course made some christmas hats for the boys..

they are playing with each other even being polite to one another sometimes.Hearing them talk to each other about things and how they make each other laugh just warms your heart. they are starting to let their big brother austin help them more with undoing seat belts and giving a sympathetic hugs when they get hurt.

They are communicating better and better each day.

on their actual birthday mom and dad and big brother austin gave them a boat bath tub fun toy and a big truck that carries cars.

Now after their bday a few things happened so let me update you.. so your up to speed. lol

i will start another post with all the photos then fill you in.

We got pets?

2009-10-03T20:37:00.000-07:00

So Brian cuts the grass last week and brings in two brown and black caterpillers. they have been sitting on the kids craft table for a week. we are suprised they are still around and are hoping they are finding the grass yummy to eat..but might let them go soon to be free in the WILD!..haha

Football Football and more Football

2009-09-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

So tis the season for football! After putting all 3 boys into swimming Dad decides now that football is now in the running and we have 5 of 7 days one overlapping of swimming and football and complete kaos. Football and swimming started 3 weeks ago and its been insane but we have had some great days and the twins are enjoying going to games as much as Austin enjoys playing..Our schedule is as follows Monday: swimming Tuesday: swimming and football overlap and we're taking two cars after brian and i are in the water with Ben and Gavin we rush out and i dry and dress myself and the twins and take them home while brian rushes off with Austin to Football Wednesday: Daddy goes and plays golf and pool now just pool since the two overlapping is now done. Thursday: football Friday: dare i say we rest..? well maybe some of us but a mother and wifes job is never done. Saturday and Sunday : football in the morning.See what i mean?

Well lets talk about all the positive shall we? Austin has really amazes me on that field..taking the punches, falling down and getting back up..he has faced boys 10 times his size with no fear..Two weekend we went to the Western game in which austin got to be part of the tunnels as the UWO Mustangs ran to the field for the first game of the year.It was a beautiful day.

you'll see the pictures above..

This past weekend we went to a night game and went to Mcinnis Landing after with the team.

It was a great night the Bull dogs (our team name) beat our competitor and a big thanks go to the little but Mighty defense (in which includes my little Mighty man Austin) the night was filled with good food and good company. there is a picture above where you'll see the team kneeling as an injured team mate (our quaterback i think he is) Marc Hemmings is being assessed after taking a hit in the end zone..

The boys play on the side lines with dad..(video attached) as we get pretty soaked by the nights constant mist and rain spurts.

Well, must run..lost of other important things to do today..swimming tonight and i need to get th is house in order for supper and need to pick Austin up from school soon as well.

Till next time Tanya

Our First Camping experience..In uncle Pat's backyard in Barry's Bay

2009-09-16T18:11:00.000-07:00

So this trip was one i was looking forward to for sure. The drive to Barry's bay is long but the scenery is amazing. Driving through Algonquin is truly beautiful. The roads closer to Barry's bay is filled with Rocks and hills. The stop at Webers is a must for burgers, hot dogs and fries and what awsome days we had when we stopped there on the way to Barry's Bay and on the way home as well. I got some great pictures there as well. I'll share some videos as well during this post.

When we went there we went knowing that there were going to be roughly 20 people sharing a home and we had plans to camp in the backyard. And although the days were extremely sunny and perfect the nights were cold. we bundled up in tuques and double layers and managed well. the last night we slept in the garage because we packed the tent so it would not be wet in the morning. The people that ended up going were: leonard sowinski ( i'm sure i'm spelling that wrong) and three of his children Cory,Mike and Caryn. Their grandmother and Leonards sister Colleen and her 3 children nicholas, natasha and OMG i cant' remember her name. the funny thing was that it was the other girls name i remembered the whole time and couldn't remember natasha's name..either way they were great kids. the last two days tony and David showed up..leonard and colleen's brothers, sister mary goretti was there, diane, christine,dan and jennifer. Plus all 5 of us. yes crazy was a word that crossed the mind. Either way we took walks in the sun and by the water and just hung out basically. We had intentions to go the a chicken supper which was the reason this whole trip started in the first place but brian and i and the twins did not go.

Lets back track a bit. Basil, brians dad was bringing up this chicken supper endlessly and of course i was like, lets go. i have great memories in Barry's Bay from brian and i's premarried days. There is something to say about being that far away from everyday life. Brian told his dad we were going and we made plans. It was unfortunite that his parents could not make it as Basil was not feeling all that well. Anyway, the day of the chicken supper i put the boys down and austin and brian went with his sisters and brother to the farm. I wanted to go but it was important that the boys sleep so they were not miserable at the church for the meal. I started getting such a headache and felt sick and the line up was insane so austin stayed with uncle dan and we took the twins to an Inn called Ash grove and had a wonderful dinner. Prime rib and steak and shrimp and crab and my headache started to subside and i was able to really enjoy it. the view was great from the window seat and the service was very good. I left feeling so much better and very satisfied. That day when Brian and Austin went to the farm austin rode in the back of uncle pats truck And with a lot of convincing i hear got on the back of an atv with uncle pat. Brian took some pictures of the farm and the house his grandparents grew up in..which is where his dad grew up. While they were there and the boys were sleeping i was sitting in a lawn chair enjoying the warmth of the sun and i fell asleep. Just to find that i had not just dozed off but was actually sleeping so deeply that people were taking pictures around me of my limp body and my head cocked back and mouth wide open..Thanks Diane..giggle

We also went to a out of the way beach where the twins were enjoying themself stomach deep in the water. the beach was filled with sand unlike the ones around where we live. we also went to some rapids and the sound and view was just so peaceful. Again a lot of great pictures.

This was a great trip and i hope that we can go again..the kids loved the tent dispite the cold and its a trip i won't forget.

First Hair cuts

2009-09-16T17:26:00.001-07:00

Gavin

Benjamin

So i'm coming home from a quick stop in the morning to storage solutions yesterday and i had been thinking about the boys getting the back of their hairs trimmed. Since that was really the only part that was growing. their tops needed to be cleaned for sure but i have heard that by cutting hair it helps it grow faster. I was not sure how it would go. I prepped them while parked outside of supercuts. Who wants to get their hair cut?? Gavin replys "Me, Hair cut. Yes" Ben says "yeah!" so off we go in..no one is there so its two girls. a girl named denise..older and very nice. And Yvonna a younger girl. Denise calls Ben over to her chair and he goes freely..crawling up. Gavin who came in yelling he wanted his hair cut did not see going into the chair the same way. so i had to pick him up and put him in. He was not sure about this anymore. Ben sat nicely,

getting groomed to make himself even cutier then he already is. And it was like he knew this was a "good thing" and just smiled and sat still.

Gavin on the other hand..looked sad and uncertain through most of it but also did not move or cry. So overall the last minute decision to get their hair cuts was a good one. Now I have two little men walking around. And Benjamin peed twice on the potty today..to boot! Gavin also has been great sitting on the potty and has peed twice in the last two weeks on the potty and asked to sit on the potty a few times in a day when he feels the need to pee...we are working on it and hopefully soon we will have two diaperless boys.!

Summer 2009

2009-08-20T14:54:00.002-07:00

Wow, I can't believe how much the boys are all growing. Austin turned 7 yesterday.it was one of our best birthdays evers with him. We took him golfing at oxbow and then to montana's for desert with the moose hat. the video of him as they walked in the door ready to sing happy birthday to him is priceless. it was a perfect day and evening. And he was so happy to spend the time with us. Mor mor watched the twins for us. she actually took them to my god parents house. Apparently, they had a good time as Gavin kept telling me "i had a good time, chicken and beans!" ..haha. gavin and ben talk well for their age. gavin in particular can repeat almost anything and he carries a very good conversation. they both amaze me with speaking. Austin was not clearly speaking till after 4 and even then he talked so fast i had a hard time understanding. Gavin was speaking using "the
" and "to" and "I" and all the words that usually are missing when kids his age talk. instead of saying "want juice" he says "mommy i want more juice to please" the twins are super cute at this age. they have had lots of fun this summer discovering and playing. we took the kids to the Zoo on our way home from vacation at lakeedge cottages. super hot day and they had a blast. most the animals were sleeping of course we didnt' get there till 12 so the hot weather kep the animals inside. but they really liked seeing all the animals. they saw kangaroos and said they saw Roo from winnie the pooh. we rented this two seat buggy thing and they sat in there really well. it made the walking so much easier. They fished and caught their first fish this year. Gavin a sunfish and Ben a perch. Austin was the only one to catch a pickeral. small but still the only really "tasteay" fish as we call it.
we had the best week on our vacation. one of the best weather weeks we had all summer.
Austin is having his birthday party on saturday, his wish for this year was to get tether ball. Which aunt kim has volunteered to get him. He is going to be so excited..not to mention how busy he will be playing it all afternoon.
Aunt kim is bringing another boy cousin in our circle of family in October. her due date is 5 days before the twins birthday. I had the priviledge of seeing the little one in utero last saturday August 15th. He looks pretty darn cute. They haven't decided what to name the baby yet. they are throwing a name out that i have no idea how to spell but sound like "Mah-Tay- Is".
School will be starting soon again. Austin will be in grade 2!!!! wow. and the twins go next year. I'm hoping for a full time monday to friday like the government stated but i'm pretty sure they will be changing it again. i could take more children in or take a job if they did but if not then its going to be confusing and challenging
to figure out having kids here and driving to take them and pick them up while still having to make yet another trip to pick up austin at the end of the day..
Well thats my little update..i've got to get supper ready. Austin wasnt to go out and spend some of his birthday money from Marfar that came in the mail today.

Gavin's surgery

2009-08-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

So Ben had surgery so i guess that means Gavin has to have surgery? haha.
Gavins surgery was not for a hypospadias like Bens but his was for Hernia.
he was crying one day and his left side(his right) was inflammed so we had him looked at.
we found out he had a hernia and needed surgery..NO not another surgery. I wasnt' as scared this time
but there is nothing like your child going under teh knife. this time i held him down as they put him under. I wanted that..however after i left and was getting out of the gown i was shaking. Poor guy was probably remembering when he was having the 2nd circumcision and was screaming for one hour..UGH. I'm glad i could hold him and talk to him while he was put under. I was so happy to see him in recovery..he was so cute. barely could open his mouth to speak when he tried. His cut is healing super good and the next day he was barely affected by it. running and playing. he didnt' even notice the cut till the next night. Tonight will be his first nighthe will be having a bath that isn't a sponge bath. he did find out that he loves popsicles.banana at t hat.
He vomited on me that night..everywhere. so sad but he wasnt' upset. he didnt' even need meds after..not even once. we gave him half the dosage of prescriped medician before bed but other then that he never needed anything and never showed signs of pain. I hope that my boys do not have to have anymore surgeries.
However, i feel very blessed that their conditions were not serious.

an update..between updates

2009-03-18T08:22:00.001-07:00

So its been a while so i thought i would just update a little.

the boys are getting so big..even austin has sprouted out and definitely no

longer looks like the little boy i once new. I am struggling with his

new found attitude of I wants and I should have and how he never

gets to do anything. But he is so loving dispite that.

He wrote me a note yesterday while i was at work telling

me that i'm the best mom and asked me how my night went.

He also has been randomly giving acts of kindness since he has learend this in school.

helping with his brothers jackets and shoes, sweeping, getting my boots for me stuff like that.

its so sweet. he is going to spend a few days with Mor Mor and Papa Jack over march break.

they are picking him up today and keeping him till saturday..i'll be going there to visit when i pick him up..which will be nice. winters are so long and we don't visit there because stratfords roads are always closed..

As of two nights ago..the boys no longer have suckies in the night. rather then buy new ones they chew we attempted to go without. and it was really easy. although they ask for them each night.

next Potty training..which i know they will do but have no interest in going in the potty whether they sit on it or not..i'm just glad that the potty doesn't scare them. They are really talking up a storm..not all understandable by all means but you get every 3 word or so. they can tell me to look at something, that they want to eat, when they need a diaper change, what toys they want to play with. They love books..ALOT.

apparently they since twinkle twinkle for daddy but i am yet to hear it.

they absolutely adore their daddy..even more then austin did. so again Mom's left out in the cold..*pout*

OH i so look forward to football season come a few years from now...NOT.

Maybe Aunt kim will have a baby girl..i'll have to take her and do girly things just to survive the mental torture and testosterone in the home. Yep, my sister is having another baby. she is due in October.So the same month as my boys. We wish her the best with this little addition to her family ..

I am looking forward to the summer with the kids. they are at an age i believe where drive ins and adventures like the zoo should be fun.

we're going to a new cottage this year ..still not hte price i'm happy with but it should be great. great view, hot tub, boat, great scenery.

So untill the next update. i've got lunch to cook, supper to prep and some kiddies to play and giggle with.

Flash Of Genius Premier

2008-09-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

So the Day Finally came. I met Bob Kearns Jr and went to see the movie my boys are in. On September 6th 2008 I went to TO with my friend Charlene. We spend Saturday driving and then met Bob Kearns Jr and his friend Dave later at Milestones then moved to Jack astors patio..where we drank and just hung out talking and being silly. It was an amazing time. After speaking to Bob for over a year on the internet and having this movie to look forward to it was great to finally meet him. He was truely exactly as I imagined him to be. When we sat on the patio it was like haning out with old friends. I felt like for once I was able to really enjoy my time away ..it was like a mini vacation. We got a little silly and headed over to The Grand hotel and spoke obsurdity of breaking into the hot tub room on the upper floors..we made it in and up the elevator and proceeded to try and open the door in front of the survelience camera. Yeah..um..lets leave it at that..we hopped back into the elevator while charlene proceeded attempting to swipe in with our Delta chelsea hotel key. All in which she doesn't seem to recall and is a little set back at the loss of memory. Just a block of memory between leaving the restaurant and coming back from the Grand is seemly absent from her memory till this day. LOL..sorry Char..still funny. Charlene I'm so glad you came with me..I hope its a kick start to some more great times together. Anyway, i was certain the police would be waiting for us downstairs ..but had enough to drink to just go with the flow and not be really worry to much about that...LOL. but we headed back and after Dave and Bob caught a cab as it was late and we had big day on Sunday Char and I start in a fit of laughter that found us sitting on the sidewalks of TO in tears. what a pair..i know. Don't worry though we made it back to the hotel. As for what we were laughing about..can't remember.

So Sunday after a little recooperation sunday morning by extending our checkout at the delta chelsea Bob calls me to let me know he has invited us to the TIFF after party..!!! Sweet! Now that i'm to excited to sleep I get dressed and leave charlene to sleep while i head down for some breakfast at the cafe we had seen the day before while walking around TO. I brought a coffee and bagel back for Char and we started getting ready so we could head over to the Elgin theatre. The visa screening room was where Flash of Genius was being shown . The line was so long to get in so we sneaked up and budded conveniently walking in as Greg and his wife entered. So i snapped a picture from our side of the doors.

Inside we bought 4 .00 popcorn and some water. i said hello to Linda (greg's makeup girl) and sat back to enjoy the show after Marc Abraham introduced Greg, Alan, and Lauren and a few members from Universal studio. Marc thanked the Kearns family for attending as well. In attendance were Bob jr of course, his sister Maureen who was so easy to hang with and his brother Pat..and he also brough his cousin Danny. All who were very nice and we had a great time hanging out with.

Afterwards we walked outside and chit chatted before we headed over to Toronto street to the Rosewater where the after party was. We met and spoke with some of the Kearns children actors as well just outside the theatre. Once at the Rosewater we met Lauren at the steps..she pretended to remember me..ah ..okay so maybe she did..it may be hard to forget a mother of twins you held for 3 months only just a year ago..and we headed up a stairwell where we were greeted to have our belongings taken and immediately brought a tray of sparkling water followed by a tray of red and white wine. I felt like i was at a big wigs wedding on the set of the O.C. Oooh..benjamin who plays ryan in the O.C..now thats someone i would love to meet..ooops. sorry..getting off topic..however, if you dont' know the story ryan in the O.C 's real name is benjamin..Hense the Benjamin ryan one of my children..how convenient is that! okay okay..on with my TIFF story. So...as we are catered with booze we are brought trays of fancy appetizers with raw salmon and seaweed with fancy looking mushrooms. As well as some chicken on skewers and countless others. There was food choices all along the walls..one with the biggest turkey i have ever seen. One side with Salmon that i did not get a chance to try or see until the end of the night for that matter, pastas, pulled pork and a huge selection of tarts and cakes and pies ..mmmmmmmmmm. listen to me..you probably want to know wether i talked to any one famous..Well i walked over to where Bob had gone to speak with Greg and i headed over the Helen Kinnear and before i could say one sentence she totally remembers me and extends her hands to reach out to mine..wow..i feel so honoured..she was such a delight to speak to and it was so nice that she remembered me. Guess i'm just unforgettable..haha. she introduces me to Rick..wish i knew who he was because he seemed important..but i have no idea. he told me to keep my kids out of hollywood though..i promised it was just to help out with the college or university..and giggled. I then hugged Helen said good bye.

So i then extend my hand to Greg and remind him who i am and he remembers me to. God he is more handsome then i remember. we spoke for a moment, about what i'm not sure..to star struck i guess to remember..haha ..the press comes over and starts taking pictures of

of Bob Jr, Greg, Lauren and Marc.

I was going to head over the see Alan Alda for my dads sake but even Bob didnt' feel comfortable going over to him..he is NOT approacheable he told me and i take a sneak shot from behind Bob's shoulder instead. However, Char did get dessert with Alan so Kudos to you Char. you should of asked for photo!!!!hehe.

anyway..we ate, we drank and we talked away the night and slowly we began to say our good byes. charlene and i huge the kearns family and walk in the opposite direction to obsorb it all. Till this day we are in awww that we had this great opportunity and were able to experience this event in such extravagence.

Oh..and the movie..the boys were in it so muchmore then i had anticipated! 10 times i say them..not including duplicate scenes. Close ups of both boys! the court scenes are suprisingly funny and entertaining and the end brought tears to my eyes. I hope Greg wins the oscar for this one..that would be absolutely the icing on the freakin Cake.

Thank you to Greg and his wife..both whom were so kind and generous. To Dermot who waved to me from the trailer when he recognized me after seeing me only once prior and saying a brief hello then..To Marc Abraham who raved about my boys on screen and made me feel welcome. To Myron (assistant director) whom i never met again after filming..for always saying hello and making me feel like i belonged..Holy Shit Myron how do you do what you do..i do not know.

To Miles who gave permission so wardrobe to give me photos (even though they didn't)..i appreciated it. To Neesha who helped me communicate with Greg so we could get the photos we did with him last day on set. And last but i'm sure not least. Thanks to the Kellys who opened their home to us so we had a place to stay while we were in TO.

Wow, what a memory. I would never of thought i would have experience this.

Summer Vacation 2008

2008-07-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

So off we went to Rice Lake June 2008.

A vacation to remember ..great weather, good fishing, and Quality family time..what more can you ask for?

We spent time in Cobourg which had an amazing beach, sail boats and a splash pad the kids couldn't get enough of.

We ate Ice Cream at our leisure and had lunch on the boat every day. And we watched a sunset like this go down each evening..6 of 7 days we watched the sun go down while on the boat. Can't wait for another vacation like that one. Vacations should always feel that good.

Life should be like that everyday. We take that time to really appreciate what we have. I really do love my family.

Tanya

FLASH OF GENIUS IS COMING SOON!

2008-07-17T14:25:00.000-07:00

Lights, Camera, ACTION!

Yep the movie its finally here..well sorta. The previews start this friday and I'm so excited. When I got the news from Bob, I clicked the link and started to watch it..Brian was down stairs and i was not expecting it when suddenly I see Ben's head in a shot during the Trailer! What, No way! I immediately realize what i am doing as i am in aww and i run downstairs..I can't watch this alone! "Brian! I saw Ben in the trailer..well sorta...you can't see him but ...(brians trying to figure out what i am talking about) ..i have only watched a few seconds come up and watch it with me..!! The boys! Ben and Gavin are in the trailer for the movie i think!" so up he comes in confusion to my babbling and i start the trailer over..He sees Ben's head then

we carry on to see the rest..and at 51 seconds we see Gavin at the supper table in the trailer of the movie!!!! i'm beside myself in excitement. I wanted to scream in glee..( I'm allowed a moment here) Its coming true..its been like a dream but the movie is here and I can't wait to see it..to remember what it took to be part of even just a little part of it. To meet Greg Kinnear and his family. To experience it behind the scenes..
Dispite its challenges and close calls its all falling into place now. Even if we don't ever get a job again I will remember this for the rest of my life. This week on ET it will be mentioned and on Friday the trailer starts.. Same day as Mamma Mia..Its like Icing on the cake.

I can't wait!!

To my friend Bob whom I have never met but have talked to several times thank you! thank you !!thank you..!! For getting in contact with me.. for giving me information and including me in your anticipation. For listening to me chat away when we first met..and for you kindness. I hope one day I get to meet you and you can meet the boys to. This story about your father, your family and your life through this ordeal has made our lives cross paths and I'm thankful for that.

I just am in aww that I had the opportunity to see this ..to be a part of it and have it bring excitment and anticipation to our (my) life. I look back at my pregnancy with the boys and I can't believe i went from not knowing if i would ever meet my boys to being blessed with their healthy arrival to them being in a movie with Greg Kinnear(From Little Miss Sunshine) , Dermot Mulroney (from My Best friends wedding),Mitch Pileggi (from the X-Files) , Alan Alda (from M*A*S*H) and Lauren Graham(from Gilmor Girls) and Bill Smitrovich (from Law and Order)!

Will this bring more opportunities our way..who knows..but this one was pretty special all on its own.

Oh if you want to see the trailer..just google "trailer Flash of Genius"

Tanya

For those of you who didn't know what kind of surgery ben was having.

2008-05-03T19:35:00.000-07:00

Ben has a hypospadias..it is a deformity in his private area.

He could not pee properly however still could pee so that was good. His urine hole was not in the proper spot so the surgery takes foreskin and create a tube that will ultimately make the urine hole in the correct spot on the tip of his penis..this was a 4 hour procedure. with days of recovery.

he has a cathader that will be in for 7 days as to ensure the tube does not heal shut. this does not mean it will not still heal after that ..there is a risk of infection as in any surgery however given the area that is worked on 3 baths a day 2 days after the surgery is necessary to help prevent that.

I think that about covers the reason for the surgery and what it is...

hope that helps..

BEN'S SURGERY MAY 1 2008

2008-05-01T16:35:00.000-07:00

BENS SURGERY UPDATE

Okay everyone so hear it goes..so we left a 8 and signed in..he played for 1 1/2 hours and he was happy to discover all these toys..AND I MEAN ALL THOSE TOYS, tv, video games, doctors kits..all play toys to stack . throw and suck on ..cars, trains, planes , books, big boats to play in and much much more..he had a blast while mom and dad watched him in worry ..he was so unexpecting of why we were there. Which in the end is a good thing i'm sure

I have posted the rest of the pictures on facebook regarding his stay. so check there for them.

the surgery ended up taking almost 4 hours. it was a little more difficult then they expected..a little to hard to explain..but not as minor as they thought but not all that complicated at the same time. my heart was beating so fast and i dont' know how i kept the tears in..i really don't..

i was a ball of messy nerves..brian and i read our books at the hospital and had lunch..My friend tina who works at the hospital came down to visit and then was sweet enough to come down and check on us again to see if we had an update in the waiting room. thanks Tina..I really appreciated that..sorry if i seemed out of it..i was soooooooooooo stressed.

Anyway, after the surgery we went to see him and he was already awake and in someone's arms..that upset me a little..i wanted to be there when he woke up..he was still out of it and she gave him to me right away and he woke up to my voice..i guess they were trying to wake him as he was in recover for 40 minutes before someone came to get us. ben never cried..he looked groggy and his eyes opened the second he heard and saw me..he drank 6 oz of juice before we even moved to another recovery room ..

we got the meds and were given two different instructions on how to take all 4 meds..

nobody had what was the right way..take codene and tyonel together or seperate alternating every two hours. so who knows..

we were heading out of the hospital and it took 1 hour and a half to fill the prescriptions but they wanted us to fill them there as to make sure we had what we needed. so we didnt' get out of the hospital until five thirty.

ben fell asleep a little while waiting then again in the car on the way home

they said he wouldn't be able to walk because he would be frozen however was walking to their amazement at 4 oclock..they said he shouldn't eat to much he may throw up but he was so hungry when he got home we gave him a little rice cake and a cracker ..he began running around the house giggling and screaming in glee.certainly not the behaviour of a boy who just had surgery on his hoo hoo..but currently he is sitting behind me on the couch..never to far from me..he is talking and gooing and looking a little tired..guess now we wait to see how the nights are..he will need 3 baths a day starting saturday..and his cathader will be removed in 6 days now not 3..well thats all i have for now..

thanks for all yours prayers and well wishes .

I am very thankful

stay tuned on facebook for photos..

Tanya

its 9:30..bens gauze came off..that needed to be on for at least two days..called the doctor and now if he bleeds or clots we are back to emerg tonight..but noones here to watch gavin..

its 8:30 am friday morning after surgery..Ben slept 10:30 pm to 5:30 am and had some tyenol last night around 3..we opted to let him rest. when he woke we gave him meds and changed his diaper which is heart wrenching..he freaks out. we gave him 3 kinds of meds at 7:30 am as he starts 2 new ones today antibiotics and the spasm meds and he passed out shortly after..all the drugs he takes cause dizziness and drowsiness. oh my i think i'm spelling everything wrong..hehe

well thats the current post opt update..couldnt' be more pleased that he rested and didnt' have to head to emerg last night

Austins first swimming lessons

2008-04-21T20:35:00.000-07:00

Austin had his first swimming lessons tonight. He got in the water right away he listened for the most part and everything he was asked to do he attempted..I am so proud of him.

He splashed, he laid on his back, he spread his hands and put his face in the water..(plugging his nose though) he had soooo much fun. In the picture you can see how he trusted Alex his life guard to lean him on his back and float..

He cant' wait till next week..the class he is in is called Sea turtles. He will learn to float, stay above water, to put his head under, how not to be afraid of splashing water, walking in water and basic water rules. The classes he is taking are at the Aquatic Centre next to sherwood forest mall. Even a girl named Emily was there in his class. That was very exciting ...i saw a LMBA member their Julie with her kids to..Daddy and the twins and I enjoyed watching Austin on his first day! We are so proud of you Austin!

A weekend outside..Summer is officially here!

2008-04-21T20:28:00.000-07:00

So it was the Twins first trip to a playground.

They both loved the slides and went down alone after Bev showed them the ropes while i went clicker happy with the camera. Gavin loved the swing..Ben hated the swing. Gavin loved the see saw ben didnt' mind it..Ben and Gavin both seemed to thing sand and stones were for eating..it was a few hours of discovery and laughs. with us was Austin, Bev and Ethan..we had left over pizza and tons of snacks for a picnic and headed over to DQ for dessert. it was the first really hot weekend of the year and it was well spent outside both days..in the backyard and at springbank park east of the Guy Lumbardo bridge. Daddy was at a pool tournament this weekend and did very well coming in second. Way to go Daddy!

2 Weeks of NO GLUTEN

2008-04-16T20:08:00.000-07:00

Okay, so my doctor suggested I try two weeks of no gluten (no wheat)

to see if it contributes to my tummy issues that I have dealt with for the last 15 years. So i'm researching and its going to be tough..either i 'm going to

spend tons of money on non wheat products as they are very over priced or i spend a weekend making some recipes(with expensive ingredients but still not as expensive as buying the groceries) for the weeks to come. I 'm really curious if this is going to work..this new doctor who i love and of course is leaving her practice and moving to start a new one in Ireland..(this always happens to me) has really helped me like no doctor has and i have only seen her 2 or 3 times this winter and spring..she helped me by finding out that i am b12 deficient and very low in iron..which iron used to be an issue only when i was pregnant. after 2 months of vitamins my life changed in my energy levels and my hair is thicker.it really has helped me with my kids as i'm not exhausted all the time.

Now we're trying the gluten free and if that doesn't help my distended stomach (as a two month cleanse didnt help) she will refer me to a GI before she leaves to Ireland. no doctor has worked wiht me on my issues ever..!!! i'm sure the new one won't either but for now i have mine and i'm going to listen to her suggestions and get the help i can while she is here..

I hope that it helps to lessen the Gluten..she doesnt' feel i am celiac or anything..i'm not sure why..but i'm assuming her reason was that if i was celiac my symptoms would be much more severe. which makes sense. anyway its helping me be proactive on teh medical point which is nice for a change..

March break

2008-04-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

Well for once i did something for march break. its been a long time since i did something on march break. it was only one day but that was fine with me. Just that i got to spend some time with my oldest son ..some focused time.

Austin,Cousin Ashley and Myself went swimming and then out for supper at Smitty's. We had a great time. Austin loved the water and really showed some great signs of learning to swim. I love you Austin! Thanks for coming along Ash I love you.

Heath Ledger Batman July

2008-03-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

Check out this video
http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-CA&brand=sympatico&vid=fdfa1dcc-eac9-4d01-ad5d-a4aade8dd0b7

Silly Sock Day

2008-03-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

Okay so Austin is So going through the terrible twos..yes i know he is 5. See Austin was the best kid..never gave us trouble..was such a good boy.

Let me tell you he is making up for it!

The back talking, The bad listening, ATTITUDE with a capital A, the fighting UGH..he is a character thats for sure. Its a work in progress.

Then he has a silly sock day at school and we have a big hoopla over creating the hat and what the teacher said he was suppose to do and how he doesn't want a tail because he will be embarrassed blah blah..tantrums and tears..agh! and the end result? well ...look at that picture.

How can i be mad at a face like that?!..

A little absent minded.

2008-03-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

Okay oKay

So sometimes you forget things when you travel with 3 kids..there is a lot to pack you know!. Grandma fixed it though. Daddy's Old T shirts from highschool!

Kids craft website

2008-03-02T10:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/
A friend of mine suggested this site...its looks interesting.
check it out if you have kids who need some distracting..
giggle

Reinventing God...Oprah endorses the New Age Book

2008-02-27T20:35:00.000-08:00

A quote from the article i'm linking says:

Our true Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is being reinvented, redefined, and blasphemed right in front of our eyes and hardly anyone seems to notice or care. If we want the world to know who Jesus Christ is, we need to also warn them about who He is not. There is a false New Age “Christ” making huge inroads into the world and into the church. The Apostle Paul said that “it is a shame” we have to even talk about these things, but talk about them we must (Ephesians 5:12-16).

Read this article its interesting..Make your own Judgement.

Take a moment to read this:

http://www.crossroad.to/articles2/007/smith-oprah.htm

it was on the Oprah show yesterday ..i taped it so i could watch it and make my own assumptions about the author and the book.

Prayers were answered.

2008-02-22T09:42:00.000-08:00

True miracles. This is the story about my twins who we were told had little hope of survival
We never gave up hope and I have a new outlook on prayer. We lost a child in 2005, I was 3 months pregnant. It was a sad time however I felt blessed with Austin our 5 year old son and knew so many were worse of then us and we lost the baby early which was not as traumatic as some who have lost way later in their pregnancies. Even though there is a sadness about loosing a child at any stage and those who have experienced can only know. Let me say thank you to my mother and my close friends who saw me through it and lent their ear and hearts. Special thanks to Trisha and Tina and of course my mother who truely is a gift to me. I don't know what i would have done without you. To my husband who held me and cried with me that day when we got the bad news. Tragidy really can bring you closer together.
Brian and I started trying again after a few months and in March 2006 I got pregnant..many doctor issues led to little monitoring of my pregnancy. I wasn't getting the care I needed and with a lot of stress and tears a receptionist "Denise"after patiently listening to my story got me a maternal screening test. This test showed some major concerns and we were to be scheduled for an early altrasound and Genetic counselling. Still my doctor would not get me an altrasound.
I think he felt playing god was in his hands but ignoring the possibilities but that is not his decision to make..knowledge can save a childs life and he was not participating in the well being of my baby. I left his office advising him that i was not returning and called denise in tears. Denise was shocked and utterly discusted with the lack of care i was recieving and worked her magic getting me in to an altrasound on july 10th. I was experiencing a lot of discomfort and we were pretty sure our child had Downs or SP or something based on the results from the blood work. I went on vacation and for a week full of worry and sat on the deck listening to music and watching the lake talking to God and praying for things to be okay..I talked to my baby and silent tears would fall in my pleas to have this baby be okay.

The day after we returned from our vacation we went in for our 8:00 oclock appt. I prayed that the person doing the altrasound would be kind hearted person and it was..Her name was i believe Maureen. she layed me down, brian sitting in the waiting room, and spoke kindly to me and i told her what was going on. She put the gel on and placed the rolling device on my stomach. I was intently looking at her face for any reactions. Okay, she said after like 20 seconds. How far along are you? i told her 4 1/2 months. She then said, Okay i can't not share this with you ..are you ready? she turned the screen to me and pointed 3 items out..I was like "i'm having 3?" no twins she said. there is one and there is the other.this is the placenta. I told her "holy shit you scared me I thought you were going to tell me i was having triplets.." I then said.."i knew it, I knew it" and then she told me she had to let her boss know that she would be a while because she needed to take the time to find out everything about these babies because as of now I have not been taken care of and there was so much to watch for. She told me she had twin girls herself and she knows all the risks and she wants to make sure its all done properly. I thanked god for her.
Now remember brian is in the waiting room thinking i'm going to be tops an hour and1 1/2 hours go by and he's like "what is going on" and thinking the worst. Maureen, still monitoring my boys and checking each head and toe for defects and organs and all that stuff asks me why I am so calm. She didn't tell me any bad news how could i be upset. She then gives me a picture of my twins (one now on my wall framed ..of the two of them in the womb) and heads out to get brian.
Brian comes in and i look at him and she asks him to stand next to me and i show him the picture. he looks and i point out two things..he doesnt' really give me any idea that he gets what i am saying. then i say..are you looking? look at again more forcefully..Maureen tells me to lay back and relax and she will show him. she turns the screen and points them out..she says your having twins. I can't recall what he said (my mind was going wild) but i think it was something like "really?"
She explained why it took so long and then asked him why he didn't seem more shocked.
then he told her based on what he was expecting to hear that was good news.
He then told her about what happened in June. I saved this for now because at the time it seemed unbelieveable. I rented a fetal monitor when my doctor didn't check for a heart beat at 13 weeks. and i listend to my baby all the time..to know he/or she was alive and kicking in there.
two times i heard two very different heart beats. one was 60 bpm and one was 80bpm and one was up under my chest and the other found under my belly button. The baby is so mall at 3 months there is no way i felt i could get two heart beats that different in locations while running the monitor down my stomach..you could clearly hear it get faster. i wrote it on my baby calender and left it at that..and i let brian hear and he just brushed it off like i was crazy. its not like i'm a professional. Anyway, he told Maureen when she asked why he wasn't shocked..that secretly he believed that it might be true. So Maureen left the room to bring in a few others to check for a membrane and then we were told the news.

The news was that our babies were a late break in the egg. One placenta , one Sac. Two babies stuck in a sac made for one. They were one human being for some time before they split to become to seperate beings who share the same DNA. Its what happens when you dont' have conjoined twins. the risk of entanglement was high and knots are the number one cause of death of both babies. It was the beginning journey of Baby A and Baby B aka. Gavin and Benjamin.

Dispite all the scares and the little hope given by the doctors my boys beat all the odds.
I won't go into all the gritty long details because they are here and healthy but it was a long scary road. I spent 6 weeks in teh hospital (the pen as we called it) and the boys spent 9 weeks in the nicu/npcu.
So many people were praying and asking thier churches to pray for our boys. And i truely believe that was the reason they made it. I am not a religious church going person..I struggle with faith and this really gave me a glimse of hope and it strengthened me in the eyes of God. I had to fight so hard for their care and monitoring in the hospital. Many doctors knew little to nothing about this kind of pregnancy.

i had the support of some very special people who share my type of twins and experience and they were and still are an amazing bunch of families. I reaquainted wtih someone i met at work who i shared a room with and now am good friends with. Her name is Michelle . she had twins as well. claire and matthew. I met a few other moms in teh hospital as well like Susan but Michelle and susan are pretty consistent in my life. Two great people and i'm glad to have met them.
I watch Susans boy Daniel everyday right now..she and i had our boys on the same day..i stole her c section slot..Sorry Susan..hehe.

I will take this time to thank those who visited me regularity and kept in contact with me while i spend all those weeks in the hospital. You know who you are.

we were told that our babies would most likely not breath on their own, have many health issue, could still have Downs and many many other issues not excluding fatal conditions. Both boys came out breathing on their own and i was able to see both and hold one which they told me would not happen. They spent a long time in the npcu but with no major issues and today you would not even know they were preemies..It is joked that one year we have little hope and struggle with out babies to survive the womb to the following year them being in a hollywood movie with Greg kinnear..it doesnt get any more amazing then that.

Thank you God!

Hollywood Life

2008-02-21T11:07:00.000-08:00

The Twins were in a movie this past year.(2007) Yep a movie! With Greg Kinnear (who is an amazing actor and a quite the nice person might I add) The movie is Called "Flash of genius" you can check it out on the imdb website below. You will also find the boys pictures and names listed there as well.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1054588/

This experience was one I certainly never expected to have in my lifetime. It was crazy, exhausting, exciting and totally out of the ordinary for me. I learnd a lot about the filming business and have a hard time seperating what is going on around the actors when I'm watching a movie now. Its getting better but its funny to see that side of it.

I can only imagine what its going to be like to see my boys in a movie when we go and see it. Lauren Graham was in the movie as well. Both Greg and Lauren played the boys parents. Can't say i have much good to say about Lauren..she was a bit moody, not nearly as friendly as you would expect. I'm sure a lot might have been do to the stress and atmosphere of her job. She was decent to me throughout..well 8 days of 9 anyway. I cant' imagine what her life must be like and i don't know her. I can only tell you what i experienced. I miss seeing her on Gilmour girls and movies before I actually met her. As for Greg well, he was kind, considerate, funny and respectful to most people. I met his Wife Helen and two children Audrey Mae (1 years old) and Lily Katherine (4 years old at the time). His wife was pleasant to talk with and his children adorable. They loved their daddy. One of the lasts scenes we were in we all were in the same holding in this beautiful church where they held the children during mass and Greg came in and out talking to his wife and kids and it was like really normal but inside i was like.."holy shit, i'm in a room with Greg Kinnear and his family..this is awsome" but i never let that show. I felt very lucky and them being normal and nice just made it even better.

Getting this picture at the end of the shooting by far was the best day of all. He came back from set and we went into his trailer and took pictures. He said how adorable my boys were and how they did such a great job. He was pleased that they were so easy to work with. He should work with them now..don't think he would say the same thing..10 months at the time and now 1 1/2 years old ..they are not as easy going as they used to be. They do still love people though. We joke when we see him on tv and ask the boys if they remember their Movie Dad.

This is something I will never forget. I cant' believe I got to be on a set and have my boys play a part in a movie...wow.

2008-02-21T11:00:00.000-08:00

This is 2007's christmas. We open our gifts as a family before we start our travels to and from our families christmas'. As you can see Austin got his first toboggan/skiddoo board thingy and I got a nice picture frame from the boys. The twins got some blocks and self moving trains and Brian got a whole lot of vikings stuff. (one in which he is wearing) It was a good christmas this year. Not as much traveling as we usually do which was great.

Kuiacks

2008-02-21T09:13:00.000-08:00

Hello
I've decided to start a blog. Its the in thing you know.
With me being home a lot this can be my little project.
For those of you who have known me since highschool
you can use this to catch up or talk and get recent updates.
For those of you who are just getting to know my again
this will help you see what i've been up to over the past decade
or so. I currently have 3 children, and no I don't plan to have
more ..giggle. we were planning on two children and were surprised
with twins in 2006..so three it is..
I am married to Brian Kuiack. We met in 1993 or was it 1992. lets say we met
in 92 and started dating in 93..yeah that sounds more accruate.
He fell first, i was done with love for a while but he persisted and
well i couldn't help but fall back. He was like my dream boy after i got over
the long mullet hair . that lasted about a year before
real life came alone and reality love set in. And for the record i don't believe the honeymoon
has to be over dispite common beliefs. We've been through a quite bit and our love has
grown more then anything and I'm thankful for that.
My childrens names are Austin, he is five and Benjamin and Gavin who are a year and a half old.
Life is hectic and exhausting at times but i'm happy.