Bamboozer

Bamboo, our 3 year old black cat he:

enjoys scratching (our furniture)

enjoys eating a very expensive non filler non wheat cat food

enjoys using a litterbox but not cleaning one

LOVES Madigan.. that kid packs the poor cat everywhere and has the facial scratches to prove it! He tries to warn her politely but she earns every last scratch!

loves cuddling with Maeve.. Maeve has yet to receive a scratch.. I call it the reap what you sow effect!

LOVES attacking Michael's feet while we are playing Guitar Hero.. I found it totally hilarious until he did it to me.. not as funny I assure you!

Loves wrestling with Michael.. we now own part shares in Polysporin!


Michael also seems to enjoy having another man around the house (Bamboo) sometimes I see them cuddling (crying) together when all the estrogen is a little to much for them...

Disneyland!

Ok friends! It has been AGES since we went to Disney and fortunately (NOT) Michael and I seem to have some extra time on our hands. Stupid Disney... anyhoo, We redirected one of Michael's last Disney paycheques right back to the corporation Sept 29-Oct 2. Here are some pictures!


After much arguing on where we should watch the show, here we are watching the fireworks show in the Disneypark. Almost the best seats in the house!

AFter more than 15minutes of hostile negotiations, I finally managed to get Maeve on the very "scary" its a small world ride. After going once, realizing what a non scary ride it was, we continued to ride it in excess of 2XDay! The song is just now slowly coming out of my head!

We says, "Teacups". Maeve says, "Boring". Just kidding, Maeve loves this ride but it was SOooOOOo hot! Michael and I got mad props from the Teacup operator because we spun that MoFo like no body's biznazz

Mr Gorgeous and his two little gorgey creatures! Michael has lost alot of weight and he looks great! Another very sunny (HOT) day at Disneyland. Did I mention the temperature was 113 degrees... thats 44 people..we start moaning at 30degrees!

Whole family getting ready to go in the park. It is before 9am and already smoking hot. Thank god I only packed summer clothes!

Well its been wiggly,



its been growing straight out a la Nanny McPhee



Now...


it's.......





GONE!! Way to go Maevey Baby! You lost your front tooth for back to school, just as you scheduled it!

Where have we been?

Hi faithful readers! Where have we been you ask? We have been busy as usual! Maeve is in Summer Daycamp, Madigan is at 3 Corners Child Care, I'm still working and Michael is working a banana's schedule! Because we were soooo busy, we took a week holiday and have been everywhere...man!

First we went camping at Lac Le Jeune, about a half hour north of Merritt BC. We had a really nice campground the stars were AMAZING! It never really gets dark enough in the city to really appreciate how gorgeous the night sky is. In the middle of our first night camping Maeve had to get up in the middle of the night to go pee! Flashlights in hand we made our way to the toilets when Maeve looked up and said, "WOW look at all the stars"! Michael heard her in the tent and chuckled. Our city kids sure don't get to see it enough!



Michael took the girls on a hike around the lake, I read a really great book "Water for Elephants". google it i'm too lazy. We got to eat our favourite camping treat, junk cereal. We had some good meals, some fffffreeezing nights unfortunately for everyone, camping 5 days wasn't for me so i bribed them into leaving early! We took the girls to see despicable me... ps awesome movie! You might be wondering why we didn't go swimming... that is because the lakefront was teeming with Canadian Geese and their disgusting poop all over the place. No offense to Canadian Geese lovers but my god the beach was gross. There was no WAY I was going in that water so I packed up the fam and drove into Merritt to swim in their public pool! Don't judge me, it was 30+ degrees!


When we got back from camping we had a couple hang out at home kinda days then Michael's work took us to playland! The girls had a BLAST! They rode on all the rides they were tall enough for, we met up with Mel, Carter and Monkey. Had a nice BBQ llunch a couple of cold drinks and then packed it in for the day. The next day found us on the BC Ferries headed to my Mom's for the Birthday BBQ Bonanza! Poor Saige wasn't feeling well but we couldn't come all the way over and not visit her! When we got there Linds had just taken her to the dr. Poor fevery little thing. We got to see Bro and LInds' temp home while their new home is being built.. right beside my Mom's... next summer is going to be AWESOME! Had a good visit, got to see Jac Rob and have a visit with them, Mike Danica and Winter came over later and we got to see all her cool new tricks, jumping and all sorts of cuteness.. Danica looks great and all pregnanty and stuff! Jason and Barb came over and we got to have a visit with them too. Unfortunately Big Robin scared the crap out of us, went to the hospital sunday am around 2 thinking he was having a heart attack. Thank goodness, it was just his gall bladder. Emergency surgery a few hours later and he was back at work within 2 days. Crazy week right? Well we still aren't even at Sunday! Soooo sunday we leave my Mom's, take the ferry back to the island to celebrate with my beautiful family 12... yes bitches 12 years of marriage! July 25, 1998 was the hottest day ever but that isn't why I remember it so well. I married Michael and we started out on the path that would bring us this family that we have been lucky enough to make!

Maeve had her Talent Show at school. It was a surprise for me to hear what song she was to sing. I wont wreck the surprise for you but you'll never believe this unless you see if for yourself so here is my beautiful, shy, quiet but so fricking confident daughter Maeve! Listen closely for the end where my child BELTS it out!



Thats my girl! She comes from a long line of strong women! Hear us roar! Speaking of roaring, this saturday was my Mom's birthday but we aren't making a big deal about it as she is slowly approaching 50 or so! We'll be celebrating her bday and all the July birthdays with a big bbq at her place when we actually have a summer!



Michael took the girls to Auntie Sara's water wonderland for father's day with Papa George!





I have the best life! Even when it is tough and I feel I'm overworked and underpaid, I have the love and support of such a fantastic family! Michael, I complain about you alot but you really are the best thing that has ever happened to me!



xo
v

Wednesday

As usual a whirlwind flurry of activity at chez Mussellam! I'm busy, Michael is busy and the girls are too! Maeve joined an after school art club that she seems to love! Madigan is waiting for a kids hip hop class to join and I'm working my tail off! Well. last checked it is still here but you know what I mean!

This week was Maeve's school's Spring Fling. A really great fund raising event and planned months in advance. I say this because I knew it was coming, I should have done it sooner but I was up until 11:30 making this:



cake mix (yes mix) 1.99
canned frosting 1.99
fonant/fondant roller/fondant cutter
food colouring gel/star cookie cutter 66.00
hours of last minute cake making/
throwing together..........................priceless!

Who cares how much the crap cost when your daughter goes to school with a home made cake, proud as punch!

Bad picture but trust me, many a man hour went into it!

MOnday...er... tuesday!

Hi gang,

I guess we are blogging again! Today has been THE WORST! What a crappy day! Thank goodness the girls are so well behaved because I have had a tough tough day at work and Michael will be staying late at his. :( Yesterday we took the kids fishing at Cultus Lake. Uncle Kenny and Kara met us there too! We had a pretty fun afternoon, had an early dinner and then made it home!

Here are the girls, not necessarily from this weekend but hey, beggars can't be choosers!



****
Here we have Maeve and Madigan involved in some sort of 'slave' labour! Imagine having to unpack and stack 30+ toilet paper rolls... oh the humanity!



**** we also may or maynot have permission to place Melanie Snagg's picture on our blog.. hehe maybe she doesn't read this!

Sports Day

A well deserved long weekend is finally here! We had planned on going camping but at the last minute, decided against it! Good call because it is now pouring rain!



Here is our lovely Miss Madigan enjoying our lush tropical balcony forest!


Maeve had sports day on friday! I snuck out from work to grab a few shots and cheer my girl "Stephanie" on! Maeve's teachers were, "Captain Underpants and The Masked Shamed Canuck Fan" boys will be boys!

Team "Super Duper Kids"

It is sports day at Maeve's school tomorrow. Having been to the costume store and viewing all the girls halloween costumes (read totally slutty), we have opted for a more age appropriate costume! Maeve will be going as 'Stephanie' from lazytown

You'll note that the real Stephanie wears a wig but Maeve's Mommy is cheap and handy with a pair of scissors so, voila:






Two blogs in two days! Beat that bitches!

xoxo
v

Just Beachy!

Hello!

Its been so long since I've blogged and I'm so sorry! It sounds like I say it all the time but we are so busy! Work is cuhrazee, the kids are fantastic and since the weather is bananas we have almost always been at the beach! So far we've hit Second Beach repeatedly, Centennial Beach, Jericho Beach and most recently Porteau Cove which is, you guessed it, a beach!

We are so lucky to live in such a fantastic City! I'm constantly amazed at all the things we get to choose to do! I also can't believe we are coming up on the end of the school year! Where has the time gone??????

We've slowed down today because of the rain, this is why I've gotten a chance to blog! Hopefully I'll manage to steal a few minutes to blog more often.. ok Mom??

xo xo love to you all!

Holy cow, who is a lazy blogger? Me thats who! So apparently this just in,



We had Christmas! Auntie Erin/Don came over and shared the holiday with us. Can't prove it though as they eluded the camera!


We got to spend christmas day with Cousin Jakie & Co at Gramma Susie's & Darryls! They have a great very child friendly home.. even has an awesome playhouse in the back that Darryl is going to have the kids paint! They are SUPER excited!

Maeve and Madigan.. same but sooOOoooo different! I love them each so much!

What a Weekend!

So in a continuing trend, the Mussellam family is full speed ahead! As usual I'm falling way way way behind on the blogging side of things. I do love you all, I'm just so bloody busy! This weekend, as is next weekend, is birthday weekend! We phoned in some birthday love to our girls' cousin Siobhan. We didn't manage to sing to her but hopefully she heard the awesomesauce we recorded on Robyn's voicemail! We had school friends birthday (Maeve) and our great friend Miete's 2nd birthday on saturday. Miete's birthday was really fun once I got there.. but thats a whole 'nother story! Miete rang in her birthday with a cake made of rumballs! yes I said rum balls! She loves them! Sunday brought us over to "The 'Naimo" for our baby Winter's first birthday! Danica and my Mom did such a nice job! Danica as usual, made fierce cupcakes and my Mom just whipped up forty or forty five dozen hotdog buns from scratch! Way to go ladies, I sure do love you both! Auntie Erin and Uncle Don were there, Don of course proving me incorrect at every opportunity stupid iPhone! Lexie brought us a special gift... we got to see Logan who has grown SO much since I first met him! He now weighs over 7lbs! Uncle Bro & Auntie Linds were there with their girls, they all had so much fun! Saige was rocking a suhweet ponytail! We got to see so many of you who we love so much and we missed some of you who we love that didn't make it this time!! Sorry it was such a whirlwind tour but we were thrilled to get to celebrate Winter's very first birthday! I can't wait to spend Xmas with everyone, I promise we'll stay longer than a couple of hours! Don't worry Papa, we wont stay for a week this time!! ;)

So we logged just a few ferry hours this weekend. Auntie Caca gave some cool favors for Winter's bday so here are the girls with theirs!



Please note that at least one of these gingerbreadies are wearing panties!



All in all, we had a great weekend. Now that I'm working full time its becoming clearer and clearer that the most important thing is family. I am so happy and thankful that I have such wonderful people in my family. I love you!

Report card time!

Maeve is in a class where her teachers co-op. Ms Foran is tuesday-thursday and Tony is Monday and Friday. There are 20 children in her class! 2 of the children in her class have special needs and they have a support worker named John. Let me tell you right away I do not enjoy the tues -thursday teacher and i was considering taking Maeve to another school after our first meeting with the teacher. Maeve absolutely, would not ever change schools so I decided to cool my heels and wait and see. I am so glad we did wait, Tony brings something special to the classroom. All the children love and adore him! Last month we had a parent teacher conference a goal setting conference if you will. I was happy to see that Tony 'gets' Maeve he is very proud of her accomplishments and both teachers enjoy having Maeve in their class. So Maeve got her report card and she is fully meeting the teachers expectations. These grades the kids don't get a's b's c's they get N(not approaching) A(approaching) M(meets expectations) F(fully meets expectations) and E(Exceeds expectations). Michael and I are so proud to have Maeve, she has friends in every class, loves to help and loves her teachers!

This year Maeve is on student council and goes to meetings on her lunch break. She has a 'big buddy' named Suraya who plays games with her, reads to Maeve and lets Maeve read to her. I am proud of Maeve on a daily basis as she constantly amazes me! She has a wicked sense of humor and has a depth of understanding far beyond her years!

I was pretty shocked to find this in her backpack on friday:



Yes, that is Maeve's first script! I am constantly amazed by this kid! She is so quiet, calm and down to earth and now she is going to be an actress! ok ok i'm probably putting the cart before the horse but what is a blog but a place to brag about your children!

I can't believe it is December! Would someone like to tell me where November went because I obviously didn't blog about it! Last thing I remember it was Halloween! Next thing y

Buzzt... bzzt.. sweeewwoooozt.




Is this thing on? What? Okay ...

Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, lurkers and the rest of you lot.
This blog has been hacked by the man of the house. To the ma'am at the back; please stop screaming, I'll make it painless. Thank you very much.
Now, please sit down and we'll begin.
Right.

*cough*

As some of you know, my lovely wife has taken it upon herself to go back into her beloved chosen-field, taking on the job of Infant Care Supervisor at our brand new local community centre. Well I'm happy to report, that besides missing out on sleep (which apparently we need less of as we get older), she is doing wonderful; all happy, "glowy" and dropping weight like a hot potato. You'd think she was pregnant again! Must be all the hours caring for babies that you can give back at the end of the day.
As this is day two of full-time work, I'm interested to see how things are in a week.
I'm guessing; still blissful:




What else do we have.. oh yes, Maeve and Madigan.

Last weekend they got a special surprise, Vashti's awesome friend Mel (with the help of a prison-style laundry hamper) snuck the girls to a showing of Disney on Ice.
Here they are dressed up to for the unknown surprise (and moment before being wrapped in old linens to avoid the guards):



Once they were allowed out of the hamper, they were thrilled to witness the "Cast Members" doing their thing to the delight of thousands of awed hoodlums ...er, kids (Notice the flower-men with whips cleverly dispersed along the edge of the rink to make sure things go according to plan):



The dazed and overly happy girls (after being captured and forced to wear mind-numbing giant flowers. Here you can see that Madigan, being cleverer than her average uncle, has recognized the danger and is trying desperately to defeat the Smiley Techology TM and break out of the Matrix ):



But enough about them.

Sadly, there wasn't enough room in the laundry-hamper for dear old dad, but don't worry, I wasn't crying in the corner, I took the time to sneak away to slap a puck around. Of course we won the good ole hockey game even though I didn't get any opportunity to score. Yes, it was a sad day for padding my points. The memories are too fresh and this hurts my heart so let's move on.

*cough*

We never want our daughters to have to wear spectacles, but Madigan looks pretty cute in Vashti's vintage X-Ray glasses (we removed and destroyed the swirling "clothes removing" X-ray lenses once we reached our 30's. No one wants to see that, though I suspect that Vashti was wishing she had x-ray glasses while watching the latest Twilight movie!):



That's about it. Oh yeah, our niece Winter came to visit for a week. She and the girls had a great time devising ways of destroying the house and driving Auntie/Mommy to drink:



But I've said too much.
Leave your "all important comments" at the bottom.
Good day!

~M

bzz zark

Snip snip

This weekend we took the girls to On the Fringe
Both girls came out with beautiful haircuts! Not everyone is impressed that we cute their hair (My Mom) but everyone else really loves it! The girls brush their own hair before school it makes life SO much easier for me in the morning! The girls seem to LOVE their beautiful new hair!


We are all doing well at the Mussellam casa. The childminding torch has been passed on from Danica to my Mom and now to Erin. Auntie Erin is watching the girls for us while I work full time. I am EXhausted! Life as a full time working Mommy is definitely challenging. Don't worry, I wont bore you with all the details but trust me, I'm tired!