Camping with my extended family

This year marked our 20e long weekend family get together on my dad side. Every year, for the past 20 years, a big bunch of us meet up for the long week end at one of my uncle and aunt house. We camp, play games, laughs and eat too much.  When we started 20 years ago, everyone was in a tent except for one of my aunt and uncle. We were maybe 20.  Since then, almost everyone has updated to RV of every size.  There are only 3 tens left and we are one of them. This year, we were 45.  Usually we’re over 50, but two of the little children had chicken pox and their whole family couldn’t be there.

Here’s the view from my uncle back yard

 

To celebrate the 20e year of our family reunion, we decided to pay a caterer.  We ordered “fricot” (is like a chicken soup/stew).  That way all my uncles and aunts didn’t have to cook.  They still don’t let us do it and we are all over 30 years old.  We will remember the “fricot” for the rest of our life. The caterer had forgotten to put the chicken bag in when she took it off to get the bones out.  So our “fricot” had potatoes, turnip and carrots. Let just say that this was put down in our memory book. Ha ha!

We have activities/games on Saturday evening. Here’s Valerie try to take a bit at her apple.

 

Being with my extended family for the weekend is so relaxing. We are a really close bunch. I love that we stayed close even if my pépère (grandfather) passed away in 1987. There’s no stress. No one wears a watch and we are always wondering what time it is.  A man that was there for the first time commented that we look like a family that doesn’t have any problems and stress, and that enjoy life to the max!

 

 

It was a great weekend (as always). We did get a few showers, but it didn’t last more the 5 minutes at the time. One of my cousin even gave Valérie a ride on his seadoo. She was so excited.

 

I’m already looking to next year and so are the girls.

 

 

Close to your extended family? 

Nephews and Nieces

I’ve been babysitting my little nephew, Sébastien, for the past week.  My brother had to work last minute and his girlfriend new shift is 8 to 5. Oh how I love this little one.  Well, he’s not that little anymore. He is 3.8 years old. We are having a blast! The kids get along so well. I love that my brother lives close and we can see each other when we want to.

I am from, what you would call, a “broken home” or a “blended family”.   I have a total of 10 nephews and nieces, with two more in the making.  I honestly think that they are all precious. I love them all to pieces. They bring a lot of life in family reunions. It does bring me back to when we were young and running around with my cousins. As of now, the nephews outnumber the nieces.

Francis (my sister’s Husband son)-17yo

Chase (my brother’s)-4yo
Sebastien (my brother’s)-3.8yo
Brandon (Husband sister’s)-2.3 yo
Abygail (Husband sister’s)-9 months
Samuel (Husband brother’s)-1.3yo
Hugo (stepsister’s)-2.5 yo
Maelle (stepbrother’s daughter)-3yo
Noah (stepbrother’s)-11 months
Amely (my BFF’s daughter)-18 months

My brother’s girlfriend is expecting a little girl, Ellie (said in French) for the end of this month.  My husband brother’s wife is expecting a baby for December.  We will have to wait for the birth to know the sex of this one.  They want to keep it a surprise.

 

How many nephews and nieces do you have? Are you close to them? One more than the other?

 

 

Visit at the dentist

***Update: After only putting the little mirror in Valérie's mouth and $39 later, the dentist told my husband that she had lost the cap on her tooth (which was what I thought) and that he didn't do that as an on call dentist. "Here a prescription so she doesn't feel pain anymore, and wait for your dentist to come back from her vacation".  Wow! I was surprise. I though that he was there to fix thing. He knew that my dentist was on vacation until August 6th.  I will try to reach a dentist Monday. Hopefully I can get it fix before it gets worst.  We are leaving on vacation for a week on Friday. ***

My oldest, Valérie, came to me, crying, yesterday telling me that one of her tooth hurt so bad L  I ask how long it has been hurting? She told me it has been “a lot of days” but she didn’t want to tell me because she was scare that I would be mad at her. Poor thing! (You would think that I was a mean mom lol) I checked her tooth and could see that it was the same one that the dentist fixed when she was 3 or 4 (can’t remember).  The dentist had put a cap on, as the tooth had crack.  I’m guessing that maybe the cap is not on the tooth anymore and that is why she is in pain.

Have you ever try calling your dentist or any dentist on a Friday and in July? I haven’t until yesterday, noon! WOW! What a job.  Call my dentist first. The office is close for vacations until August 6^th.  Then I proceed to call at least 10 more. On the 10, 8 were on vacations until the second week of August and 2 were close on Friday.  This mom was starting to panic. I wanted my daughter’s pain to stop like yesterday. Finally, I posted something on my status on Facebook.  A friend of my told me you could get information for a dentist on call from the hospital.  So I call the front desk and was given the number.  I proceed to call the on-call number.  The receptionist told me that the dentist would call me back within 24 hours, but that because it was 1pm it should be today. He did call back, but it was the longest 3 hours of my life!!! At least, Valérie wasn’t in pain anymore. I had given her Advil to help.

We have an appointment at 11:30 this morning. Hopefully, all will go well. I really hope that it is a great dentist, as Valérie loves going to the dentist and I wouldn`t want her to get a bad experience. My husband is going with her as he is able to stay calm. I, on the other hand will cry with her if she cries and I am honestly scare of dentist. So I don’t go with the kids so they won’t know it lol.

 

I’ll update my post later on tonight to let you know how it went.

Happy Birthday Audrey!

Four years ago, today, I gave birth by C-section to a beautiful 6.11 pounds little girl.  I was so excited to have another girl!  I wanted it so bad.  I have a great relationship with my sister and I wanted Valérie (my oldest) to have the same.  Little did I know that I would live through a lot of emotions and sleepless nights the second time around.  Audrey threw up after every feedings for the first month of her life. The poor thing couldn’t keep up with the flow of my breast milk coming out.  I had to pump as much as I could BEFORE feeding her. She was basically skin and bones. She was so tiny.

She barely slept at all. Her 3 naps were generally 15-20 minutes longs and she didn’t sleep through the night either. What a difference with my oldest that slept through the night at 1 month old.  Audrey just started sleeping through the night about 4 months ago. Yes 4 months ago, at 3 years and 8 months old.  How many times did my husband came from work and I would just look at him crying, giving him the baby and telling “Hi mon amour! I’m going to bed”? At least every second day.  Because of him, I was able to keep myself somewhat sane haha.  On the bright side, at least she was always a happy baby! Always smiling and giggling.

This tired mommy didn’t enjoy the mistletoe as other would have. Her first tooth, at 5.3 months resulted of her biting me while breastfeeding, ouch!  I so remember crying when she started crawling.  That meant that I now had no time to relax at all!!!  She was only 5.5 months old.  She started walking at 9 months and running by 10. 

I know I sound negative, but those were my thoughts back then. I still remember those feeling even after 4 years.  I always joked that Audrey made sure that I didn’t have a third child lol.  But beyond all of this, my little Audrey is a little clown. She always makes us laughs.  She’s a real sunshine! She a hugger. Once you know Audrey, you don’t forget her. That is the effect she has on everyone.

We had a GREAT day today, celebrating with little friends. We had a celebration over the week end with the family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins…).  She was so happy to see everyone.

 

 

I love the little girl she is growing up to be! Happy Birthday my little princess!  I love you so much xox

MAMANNNNNNNNNN (MOMMMMMMMMMMMMMM)

Oh the joy to be a mom!  I love my girls with all my heart, but after hearing MAMANNNNNNNNNNN practically all day, I (sometime) have a lot less patience toward them.  Audrey, my youngest (almost 4) is the one that would say it the most.  Today, I have lost patient.  When she said MAMANNNNNNNNNN (yet again), my ton of voice changed and I answer “WHAT AUDREY?”  Her respond was “I love you so much maman!”.  Ouch! This maman felt like hidding. I felt so bad for loosing patient toward her.  The lesson learned today: stay patient even if it’s the 100^th times I hear MAMANNNNNNNNNNNNNN.

One day I actually asked my oldest, Valérie-6, why they always said MAMANNNNNNNNNNNN even when PAPA was right there. Her answer was that they always say Maman cause I always answered right away, has for papa, they practically always have to repeat themselves. Lol Loved it! And it’s so true.

 

Is it MOMMMMMMMM or DADDDDDDDDD in your house?