Happy Mother's Day 2013

I hope all my lovely mom bloggers are having an amazing mother's day! It's so nice to connect with you all. I never thought I would enjoy blogging as much as I do. I've (virtually) met so many amazing women. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to check out my blog and comment. Your love and support means the world.

I'd also like to send out mother's day wishes to my own mom and grandmother. They are the glue that binds our family together. Without their love and support, I'd be lost. They are two truly amazing women, and I'm so lucky to have them in my life. I can't thank them enough for all they do.

I've had a very relaxing mother's day. My lovely fiance made a delicious breakfast for my mother and I! (Eggs, bacon, ham sausages, toast and smoothies!) Afterwards my little guy and I cuddled and watched movies. He's sick at the moment, and is taking antibiotics. I took him to the hospital last night, and it turns out he has a very bad ear infection. He hasn't complained once! He's been a trooper. Now I'm off the spend the rest of the night relaxing.

I love you Tyson-roo! You're the whole reason I get to celebrate mother's day! Thank you for changing me for the better. I wouldn't want it any other way.

Sharkey's Cuts for Kids - Moncton NB

My son finally had a great hair cutting experience! Ty typically hates anyone touching his hair, but thankfully today was different. He was so excited to sit in a jeep, watch a movie and get a toy afterwards.  He wanted the red car, but unfortunately it was too small. He then went for his next favorite, a pink jeep! (Pink is his favorite color by the way.) Typically I have to cut his hair, and it's not always pretty. I have never been talented at styling hair, let alone cutting it. Tyson moved around a bit during the hair cut, but the hairdresser kept calm and made him at ease. 

The salon recently opened in February and seems to be doing well. It's absolutely adorable, clean and the staff are fantastic! I would highly recommend Sharkey's cuts for kids to any parent. Especially if their child hates haircuts. Another bonus is parents can get their hair cut as well! They have an area set up for older children/adults. I think next time while Tyson is getting his hair cut, I'm going to get a trim. 

Thank you Sharkey's for the great experience! My family and I will definitely be back.

Summer Is Near! (Pictures)

The weather has been absolutely beautiful here in New Brunswick. It's only May, and it somewhat feels like summer!!

The family and I have been spending as much time outside as possible. We've been going for lots of walks, playing at the park and even had a picnic with a friend and her dog yesterday. 
I hope all of you are having an amazing May! Before we know it, it will be summer. Bring on the bonfires, beaches and fun!

1st Blood Test

I've been dreading getting Tyson's blood tested. He hasn't had it done since he was a newborn. His pediatrician wants to make sure his iron and sugar levels are good. Especially since he has a gluten intolerance. 

I've had myself worked up about this appointment for days. All I could think about was Tyson being traumatized by the needle. I couldn't get the thought out of my head.

Well, today was the big day... And, it went great! I am SO happy and relieved. Tyson's Nana (my mom) came in the room with us. The nurse explained what she was going to do, and was very calm and sweet. She told Tyson she was putting a "seat belt" around his arm, and that she had to find a special spot in his arm. Tyson smiled, and went along with it. I passed Ty my phone so he could get his mind off what was happening. Once the nurse inserted the needle in his arm, Tyson's face flinched. He whined a little, but nothing like I expected. When the nurse was finished drawing blood, everyone in the clinic cheered and clapped. It brought tears to my eyes. They were all very caring and understanding. Afterwards Tyson got to choose a band-aid, and toy.

I can't thank the nurses enough. They were absolutely fantastic and helped make Tyson's first blood test great. (As great as a blood test can be, that is!) Hopefully the next one will go just as well.

Sobey's New Gluten Free Section = Happiness

Today was a very happy day for my family and I. Our local grocery store (Sobey's) created a gluten free section. (It doesn't take much to make us happy!) As most of you know, my son has a gluten intolerance. If he eats anything containing wheat/gluten he breaks out into hives, has severe stomach pains and behavioral issues.

As soon as we walked into the store, we found signs indicating there was a new gluten free section. We assumed it was just a small assortment, with a few products. But, to our surprise it was huge! There were an assortment of crackers, cake mixes, chips, pastas, baking products etc. The section isn't fully complete yet, but from what I've seen, I'm very impressed.
We ended up spending WAY too much money, but we have one happy little guy. He is so excited to have breakfast in the morning. He's going to eat oatmeal for the first time! (I'm keeping my fingers crossed he likes it.) I plan on writing a few reviews on some of the products. I'm sure Tyson would love to help me out, and give me his opinion.

Thank you Sobey's in Amherst Nova Scotia! We now have a new favorite grocery store!

Surprise Golf Par-Tee!

Over the weekend I had a small surprise party for one of my close friends. She loves golf, so I decided a golf themed party would be perfect! The cake, jello shots and decorations all went with the theme.

** Happy OFFICIAL birthday, Tasha! I hope you had a blast both on Friday, and today. **

The Tysonator Reading (Age 5)

Ever since my son was a baby, he's loved books. He enjoyed flipping through the pages, and looking at all the pictures. He would sometimes even make stories up. Now since he's older, he's able to actually read! He's been reading words for awhile, but now he can complete a small story book. He's very shy when it comes to showing his talents. So, it made me super excited when he agreed to make a video.

Speaking of Tyson being shy, we received his test results from school testing. The results weren't the best because I know he could do a lot of the tasks. But, I'm still proud of him regardless. He'll just blow his teachers away in the fall when he enters kindergarten. He does need to work on behavior, and some comprehension skills. Thankfully he's back to having four hours of therapy, instead of two. I already see an improvement. Both his therapists are great with him. They are patient, kind and understand. We are lucky to have such great help.

It's only going to get better from here. I look forward watching my little boy grow. As much as it makes me sad he's not a baby anymore, it makes me so happy he's achieving amazing milestones.

Rainbow Tie Dye Cake

Step one:
Prepare your favorite white cake mix. Divide mixture into 6 bowls, and make each bowl a different color with food dye. (I used red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple.)

Step two:

Grease two 9 inch cake pans with butter, pam spray or whatever you prefer.

Step three:

Layer cake batter in concentric circles. Use roughly 3/4 of the bowl for your bottom color. Then, gradually use a little less of each color as you continue.

Step four:
Bake your cake as directed, and make sure not to overcook.

Step five:
Allow the cake to cool cool completely, frost/decorate as desired and enjoy!

***
My cake is far from perfect, but I wanted to show how I "tie dye" a cake. I had so many people ask how it was done, so I thought posting a blog would be easiest.