doot doot Dora, doot doot Dora

Well, what a week so far! We STILL haven't sorted out the wire transfer from the UK to Canada so our things are STILL in storage here! GRrr very frustrating going on month 4 without our things! The only good news that comes of this is that it is just stuff. Not having your stuff sure makes you realize just what is important in your life!

So, here are the top 10 things that you should know about Madigan.

10) She is very cheeky
9) she puts her arms out to be held by random old ladies on the bus
8) She loves, adores, worships her big sister Maeve
7) she doesn't care for vegetables sans ketchup
6) like her big sister she loves Dora the explorer
5) She can crawl up the stairs faster than Maeve
4) She can say "banana"
3) She can say, "Dora"
2) She can say, "mama, dada"
1) She can say, yell, screach, holler, bellow NO and uses it in almost any/every situation

Here are the top 10 things you should know about Maeve

10) She is very smart
9) Her hair is growing in more and thicker every day
8) Maeve loves her Daddy more than anyone
7) Maeve now pithces a fit when the lunch menu doens't meet with her approval
6) Maeve still loves Dora but HATES swiper and the grumpy ole troll who lives under the bridge
5) Maeve can turn on, select a dvd, pull up the dvd menu, select an episode of Dora and watch it faster than I can.
4) Maeve loves Madigan but doens't really like her!
3) I'm pretty sure Maeve can read and it scares me.
2) Maeve Loves... LOves... Loves the movie My Neighbour Totorro (japanese but dubbed english)
1) Maeve is bored stiff here at home with me and needs to be in some sort of preschool ASAP

Bank Holiday Weekend!

This Monday was a holiday in jolly old england... so with the masses we flocked to warwick castle. Well, that was the plan anyway! We got an early start (rare for this lot). Waited over an hour for the bus before realizing (asking someone) that we were on the wrong side of the street to take the bus to the castle! We were wondering why the bus we were waiting for just kept driving past us! Yes we are aware that the cars drive on the opposite side of the street! So, gorgeous day, girls are happy, mommy and daddy are too. The bus ride to the castle totally uneventful until we look up and see the most ominous of black clouds. Everyone gets off the bus, cue HORRID rainstorm! Fortunately we are prepared and had the girls in their stroller bubble faster than you can say asphyxiation! So, we did the most logical thing in the world, strolled the girls into a pub for lunch! After lunch we pop back outside and voila, rain gone, black clouds, gone! Hurray! So, we head out down through Warwick to the castle! The whole fam damily climbed over 503 steps to get to the top of the castle. It was gorgeous. I was a little scared as the only light comes in through the arrow slits and let me tell you those stairs are TINY! Michael was carrying Maeve and I had Madigan strapped to my back! All that came to my mind was the steps to the pyramids at Chitchen Itza, our tour guide informed us taht once an older lady fell and took out a whole pack with her... I so didn't want to be that woman! So, we made it back down the 503+ stairs mostly unharmed! The castle was great, there is lots of things to do that doesn't involve climbing thousands of miniscule steps in the mostly pitch black! There was jousting (we missed it), archery (saw it last time), hawkery (i'm sure I didn't spell that right). Lots to eat and to see.. there is even a spooky haunted castle tour... OooOoooooo! All is well here, Madigan keeps fooling us about her non walking. We've come to the conclusion that she can walk, she just chooses not to! Rumour has it I did the same thing when I was a baby! Maeve is busy drawing pictures for Makenna and her new baby Saige.

Long time no hear!

Hi everyone! Sorry about being MIA. Madigan is working on choppers 7 & 8. Maeve is working on my very last nerves and... well I'm just SO happy to have Michael back it almost hurts! From last thursday until Monday night has been the longest, hardest 5 days of my life thus far!!! I'm sure it will get harder and really, I look around and I don't have too much to complain about! The reason Michael was gone was because my birthday gift idea for Michael was to secretly get a flight to Canada so he could attend one of his oldest (haha) best friends. I basically passed the hat around and Michael's flight was very generously sponsored by Michael's father, Grandmother and Mother! He was put up by Auntie Erin who also did all the nail biting ticket finding. Turns out Michael was on the last seat out of england.... and no, not just at any airport, Auntie Erin checked them ALL! So thank you very much to Michael's family for helping me give Michael what was quite possibly the best birthday present he could have asked for! Now because I'm so sneakily evil, I didn't tell Kenny or Shannon, that Michael would be attending. Now poor Kenny has had heart problems that are being worked on and its a good thing he is paying such close attention to his diet because as Michael' tells me, when Kenny saw that Michael was there his poor ole heart almost stopped! I wish I was there to see his face because, no one loves Michael more than Kenny Oldale! Mr & Mrs Oldale are on their way to Sunny San Diego and I wish them the absolute best for their honeymoon and married lives together!

I cannot wait until there are more little Oldales running around, loudly bossing their best friends that they quite literally will have forever!

Judgers, get out yer gavels!

Ok, so from the pics you can ascertain that:

A) I'm in my pajamas alot.
B) I'm clearly a slovenly housewife (Ok, we dry our clothes outside and had a surprise rainstorm so there they sat)
C) Must obviously have a drinking problem or a have had a stroke causing partial paralysis on my right, you left side.
D) I have a sweet... sweet rack!

So, Madigan is cuter than hell. Maeve is getting to be a great photographer but her subjects need work (ie. me). We are all doing well and are happy that it is saturday!

Thursday?

Hello Everyone. So sorry that there are no pictures and that I haven't updated in so long! I know I know, two kids, living in a new country, trying to locate our belongings, should be easy to keep you greedy buggers up to date with Maeve and Madigan pics I know!
Today we had the health visitor come round. She was lovely, we chatted for hours! Hahah someone must be starved for adult conversation! Good thing for me was she was too! She said to me, obviously you have no concerns over your children's development ! What a nice compliment! Ok, so I took it as a compliment! She was wowed by Maeve's social abilities and how fast Madigan is! She was more than a bit shocked to learn that Madigan is still breast fed!! She was certain to inform me that breast milk isn't essential and that she should be getting most of her nutrition through solid foods! Like Maeve I intend to nurse Madigan until she weans herself! She might be 20 and my boobs might trail behind me but hey.. this is the one gift I intend to give my children freely and frequently until they decide they no longer need/want it!


Holy, sorry for the rant there! We've just sent a rather important package off to vancouver so.. hopefully you get it soon! Love you all and miss you quite horribly at times!

xo
v

Every mother's fear

Isn't our Madigan sweet. She has such a nice smile and her eyes twinkle. I sure am lucky to have such gorgeous girls!

Nothing says, "sister love" than a half nelson! We used the self timer on this one and wondered why Madigan was crying! The good news is in about another week Madigan will be in the same fighting weight class as Maeve so it will be ON!


Yes, it seems true. Michael and I hang our heads in shame. Seems our eldest is going to grow up to be a pole dancer! Too bad we can't have video up here because Michael captured quite the routine!!!! We are all well here. Things outside are grey but we have lots to do this week! Hopefully our things finally make it here and the girls have something to play with!!

Hurray for Friday!

Today was make your own playdough day at the Mussellam compound. Looks like the colour mixing went a little south of what was anticipated! We didn't do too bad, only a little tasting of the playdough! So happy friday to you all and have a great weekend!

the girls

The "twins" are doing nicely today. I used to hate this when my mom did it to me and Danica. but it is honestly too cute! and for 2GBP a piece.. how could any mother resist?



Boo for me today because i left my laundry on the line and it rained.. wahh!

silence

Yes, well i figured I would observe a few blog days of silence following Michael's flattering post! hahah no, things have just been busy around here. So, today's pics will disturb you. One pic is poor Maeve's toe... yes, the toenail and Maeve have said their goodbyes... no one could touch the poor dangling thing or she'd scream.. we couldn't even look at it without her going off into shrieks... so... Daddy timed it right and snipped that thing right off while she was sleeping... poor toe.. looks gross but she has a new one on the way!

Our missing toenailed girl is quite the paparazzi these days.. we let maeve have the old digital cam and she snaps 100's of pics all day long. She is getting alot better at actually capturing her subject! This snap of MaDIGan near the gate is Maeve's. As is Maeve's self portrait... she is really technicalogically sound... ( i may have made up that word) Maeve can also work the mac. she can turn on her video, choose an episode or a preview.. don't get me started on how she has mastered the teletubbies website. She can play every game on there.. including the puzzle ones... YIKES!



Our girls (and Daddy) really dig the ice cream... but we try to be non junky for the girls so they get fruit "ice lollies" really, popsicles but they aren't that bad for you.. whatever every child deserves a treat.. unfortch with Daddy around it is ice lollies after dinner every night! We are having a tough time because with Maeve we just didn't eat crap infront of her so she never got junk until she was much older... poor Madigan watches Maeve eating an ice lollie and drools... so, sometimes when Mommy isn't looking a very kind big sister gives a lick to her underpriviliged little sister..

Hello fans, Michael here and I'm guest writer this evening. Yes, I've been nominated to stun you all with my gi-normous wit. Forget it. I'm my own boss.
Instead it's my privilege to present a couple of pictures that speak for themselves: Maeve got her face painted into a beautiful butterfly. Why? Well, because today was Elephantasia here in Leamington. Yes, Elephantasia in the middle of England. Apparently, there where a couple of elephants who lived around the town in the roaring 20's, and decades later the people of Leamington gather around bonfires, chanting to their gods and dancing, hoping for good luck in stalking the great grey beasts!
Well sort of.
I've not seen any "elephants" (or "Oliphants" for those in the know) around here lately, but I once in a while I think that I've heard a trumpet noise late at night... now that I think of it, it's usually when Vashti's in the loo.. humm.

Well anyway, I see that my time is up so have a good evening all!

Good night!

cut camera...

IMGP0052

IMGP0052
Originally uploaded by Clan Mussellam.

ok, so today wasn't without smiles! this is the reason for being so crabby, look at those chicklets!

IMGP0013

IMGP0013
Originally uploaded by Clan Mussellam.

this sums up our night last night.. and our morning.. and our afternoon.. and our early evening.. and now, she sleeps! boo on me for braggin how well she's been sleeping! ok Ange revenge has been meted!!xo

breakfast

breakfast
Originally uploaded by Clan Mussellam.

Here are the two gorgeous Mussellam girls at breakfast. Pantsless as usual! I wear pants, I wonder why I never put these two in them. I had to upload via flickr because blogger was being tempermental. There is another pic I uploaded and you can see it by clicking on the above pic! Happy thursday to you all.

boo tuesday

The Mussellam family has been struck by one helluva stomach virus. These are archive photos because no one wants to see us right now. trust me!! Maeve is all better, Madigan never got sick, Michael feels better and is back at work and I'm afraid to eat! Hahhaah I'm sure I'll get over that tho!!!