AKA (almost known as) SHAGGY DOG

Proof that Nathan was a dream child.  He let me dress him in this without complaint.

We thought we'd let our 4 kids have a hand in naming the latest addition to our family.  They decided if the baby was a boy he should be called Shaggy Dog.  We nixed that idea but the boys got their revenge and called him Nate Dog as a teenager. 

He was a dream child from day one.

• one hour total labour. That's right, one hour only.  Every mom should be that lucky.
• slept through the night at six weeks. Pure heaven when you have four other kids to deal with all day.
• rarely cried. Not even when his brothers inflicted pain that would have made even their eyes water.
• was always singing or whistling.  I was a bit worried when all he would sing was Backstreet Boys songs but he outgrew it. Phew!
• kind hearted.  He once offered his sister his ice cream cone when hers fell on the ground without any hesitation.
• happy disposition.  Not much gets that boy down.
• made friends easily. When he enrolled in a new school he told me he wouldn't talk to anyone for three days, he had a new best friend by lunch time.

That little dream child could also be a bit of a nightmare just so you don't think he was totally perfect.

 

He

• ate poop out of the toilet thanks to an older brother who didn't bother to flush or put the lid down. 
• stole cheese from the fridge all the time.  I was forever finding little bite marks on the cheese block.
• flushed toys and toothbrushes down the toilet. I can now remove a toilet seat and reassemble it in no time now, a skill that has proven handy.
• had a party at the house once when we were out. The only one of our kids to ever do this and get caught.  Don't think I am fooled you guys, I know there were other parties... Brittany....

I can't believe my baby is twenty three today.  Where did the time go?  That sweet, sweet boy is now a man I'm still wrapping my head around that one all married and grown up.  It won't be too long until he's a parent himself this is not an announcement although I wish it was.  When the time does come, he will be a great dad.  His nieces and nephews adore him and it's no wonder to me. 

Happy Birthday Nathan!

Don't worry Emily, those teeth have been brushed thousands of times since the "poop" incident.

SO THE SAYING GOES

In honour of Mother's Day this weekend  I took some old adages and changed them to reflect my experiences as a mother to four rambunctious boys and one sweet little girl.  No comments on the do.

• Silence is golden. - Silence is trouble in the making.
• A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. - A spoonful of sugar makes the kids bounce off the walls.
• An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. - An ounce of prevention means locking away crayons and scissors.
• A closed mouth gathers no foot. - A closed mouth is hiding tiny choke inducing objects.
• A job worth doing is worth doing well. - A job worth doing is going to be done by the mom.
• A rolling stone gathers no moss. - A rolling stone smashes windows.
• A thing of beauty is a joy forever. - A thing of beauty won't last long.
• Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. - Early to bed and early to rise just about kills a young mother.
• Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings. - Every time a bell rings it's probably an angry neighbour.
• Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. - Hell hath no fury like a tired two year old.
• Hard work never hurt anybody. - Hard work apparently kills teenagers.
• If it ain't broke don't fix it. - If it ain't broke, it soon will be.
• The more the merrier. - The more the scarier.
• You snooze, you lose. - You snooze, you'll pay for it.

There is no job more exasperating  rewarding in the whole world.  How very lucky I am to have 5 of the most wonderful people on the planet for my children.

A BROTHER'S LOVE

For years he called her four nostril bum face, teased her incessantly, and kept any potential boyfriends at bay but every weekend for the last month Matthew's been working hard in our yard doing landscaping in preparation for Brittany's big day. He offered to do it and it's been a labour of love. Some days I think I have the best kids in the world, other days I know I have the best kids ever.