Happy Hallowe'en

Hallowe'en started on Friday for us this year. Truman's JK class put on a parade for the school, so I thought I would dress Olie up in his costume too so he could prepare for Sunday night. Little Olie stole the show in his "little stinker" costume! In fact, there were strangers taking pictures of him and Oliver didn't mind at all. Truman was so proud to be wearing his shark costume....he loved trying to scare his friends.

Truman enjoyed trick-or-treating this year...Jerry took Truman in the neighbourhood, while Oliver and I handed out candy. Oliver had to put the treats in the bags and would get upset if I did it.... my little helper. We even took Oliver to a few houses so he could get in on the action. These days he just wants to be a big boy too!

When Truman got home (after an hour) he really wanted a treat or two, how could I deny him on this night? So Truman settled on a bag of chips, and said that he would share them with Oliver and I. Well, the door bell rang and Truman went to help Jerry hand out some candy. My youngest son never misses an opportunity, epsecially when it comes to food, so he went over to the table and grabbed the bag of chips while his brother was busy. I can't tell you the commotion that this caused, but luckily there were still a few chips left for Truman!

I'm not sure if you noticed, but if you look closely in the top picture Oliver is wearing two different shoes, one brown shoe and one blue shoe. Oliver loves to play with his shoes, trying to put them on, or sometimes hiding them in places. Friday morning, I went to put on his shoes and realized that some had disappeared. I looked everywhere for them in the small amount of time I had to get the kids out the door and to school. For the next day I tore apart the house trying to find the missing shoes. Finally, Saturday afternoon we found them in my pasta pot in the kitchen!

Hope everyone had a fun and safe Hallowe'en....now I need to go and take down all the decorations!

Begging for Donuts

Almost every Saturday morning we head to Tim Horton's for breakfast. We have been doing this since Truman was able to eat bagels and possibly even before. We now have our close friends and neighbours the Smith's join us. The three older boys (Harry, Truman and Jude) share a sprinkle donut, that is until the youngest child took notice, and wow does he notice. Not only does he want in on the deal, we often have to hide the donut until he finishes his bagel. My youngest son has a sweet tooth! He loves Tim Horton's so much that even when we are out for a walk and we pass the restaurant he starts to shake in anticipation of getting a timbit (please note I hardly oblige). Earlier this week we were playing at the park. All of a sudden Oliver gets up and starts walking towards a woman with a Tim Horton's bag. My child starts begging her for some and didn't stop until he left with half a chocolate donut in hand. Yikes!

On Monday Oliver had his 15 month appointment. We were not surprised to find out that Oliver weighed 25 lbs and is 77 cm in length. Funny however, this puts him only at the 50th percentile for weight. Who are these other babies? I want to know! Oliver didn't even flinch when he received his first shot, the second one sent him in hysterics and into my arms. Poor thing.

Earlier this week we had our first library class and I had my first glimpse of Oliver following in his brother's footsteps. Wow did my son put on the charm. He hardly sat on my lap, but instead worked the room. He sat with the teacher, danced around to the music and checked out the other kids. The only time he would come to me was for a hug now and again. By the end of the class, everyone knew Oliver's name!

Truman has been such a delight lately! Funny how right now, Oliver is the more difficult child. Other than not listening to me, Truman has become, shall I say, almost easy? He is kind and helpful to his little brother, wants to help me out in the kitchen, and he is very interested in doing his homework every night. So much so that on Friday night when my parents were babysitting, Truman had gone up to bed and then told his grandmother that he couldn't go to sleep yet because he needed to finish his homework first! My mother told him it was Friday and that he had the whole weekend to complete it which seemed to satisfy him. Hopefully, when he is in high school he will still have the same attitude. I can only hope!

Fall Fun

This past weekend, the family went on our annual trip to Chudleigh's Apple Farm. This year we unfortunately were minus two family members. My mom couldn't come as she was sick and my dear hubby had a work function. It was blistering cold and felt a little more like winter than fall. Good thing we all brought hats and mits to keep us warm. But nothing could keep us away from picking some more delicious apples. Avery and Truman had so much fun playing together, feeding the animals and just being little monkeys. I can only imagine how much fun it will be next year when there are four little boys running around!

What else has been happening this fall? Well for starters, Truman got his first goal in soccer. We were all so proud of him! Although, he did pick up the ball, run to the net, put the ball down and kick it into goal. A goal is still a goal, especially at this age. He was beaming!

The last few Friday afternoons after school, I have taken the boys to Sherway Farmers' Market. Truman, Oliver and I meet Tina and Avery there for some shopping and then lunch. Truman loves to pick out a type of fruit or veggie to take home. Tina bought him a pumpkin on our first excursion and he has wanted to bring one home every week since! Sad that the market is only open until the end of October. Only a couple more weeks to bring home the harvest!

Oliver has changed so much in the past few weeks. It is amazing the independence that walking has created. He seems so much more confident in himself and is turning into a toddler. Oh how sad and exciting at the same time. Oliver insists on trying to use a spoon and fork at meal times, which can be quite messy at times. If Truman does something, Oliver copies his every move. My oh my is my youngest son strong. If he wants to get into something (usually a cupboard) he wont hesitate to push me away! Strong like ox!


Oliver continues to be sweet as ever and gives the best snuggles. However, according to my sister, he does seem to have a mischievous or adventurous side. The other day I found him climbing up on the piano stool, just standing there, on top of it. You see he saw Truman do it a few days before. So, I am sure he was thinking, if my brother can do it, why can't I?

Four Year Check Up

I am still having a hard time putting my head around the fact that I have a four year old, that he is in kindergarten, and that my life revolves around what to pack for lunch and what activity we have on any given day. How quickly life changes. A few years ago, sans children, Jerry and I would lazily wake up on a weekend morning around ten, somewhat hungover and our biggest decision would be where we would go for breakfast. Now weekends are packed with trips to Tim Horton's, the market, soccer games, playing at the park, birthday parties, going to the zoo or some other event of one kind or another. Just writing this list makes me exhausted!

Oh, so where was I going with this? Yes, I remember! I took Truman for his yearly check up on Wednesday. My eldest son weighs a mere 45 lbs and is 44 inches in height. This places him in the 90th plus percentile for both weight and height. Yikes! Soon, I will be looking up at him when I have to discipline him, which probably won't go over too well, especially since he seems to think he's the boss most days. In fact, I am fairly sure I heard him tell his father that over the weekend. Ahhh, the joys of having a four year old!

Truman started soccer last weekend, and he is part of the Polliwogs team. He really seems to like soccer. To our amazement we watched him run and kick the ball with ease. I know, not a huge feat, but for our somewhat uncoordinated, not very athletic son, we for a moment thought we had the next Beckham on our hands. His favourite position? Goal keeper!

Oliver's personality is showing more and more each day. He is starting to hold his own with his big brother and loves to mimic everything that Truman does. If Truman is doing something, you can be sure that Oliver too wants to try. Oliver prefers walking to crawling now and he desperately wants to "talk" to us.

Today we ventured to Chudleigh's Apple Farm. I took some pictures with my blackberry that I wanted to upload, but unfortunately they were small and not that clear. Regardless, we had a wonderful time even though it was extremely busy. The Topolski family will be travelling there again soon with the Braun's and O'Brien's. I can't wait to get some more Honey Crisp. Delish!

Truman's First Day of School and Oliver is walking

We are so proud of our eldest son, today he started his first day of kindergarten. It was touch and go, as last night we discovered that Truman had a double ear infection. When he woke up Wednesday morning, he wasn't himself at all, he had been crying for over an hour, he complained that his ear hurt, and he was quite mopey. Completely not himself...here I thought that it had everything to do with starting kindergarten....mommy's spidey sense was off.

We debated all night what we should do about the first day of school, but when Truman bounded into our bedroom this morning and bounced all over me, I had my answer. Wow do antibiotics kick in fast! Truman was so excited to wear his backpack and told me about all of the things he saw in the classroom that he could play with. He gave me a kiss and off he went and enjoyed his first day. Mom didn't even shed one tear!

Our little Oliver has changed so much in the past few weeks. He is really trying to communicate with us (or just communicate with anyone who will listen). He has recently become obsessed with a little bear that aunt Misty gave Truman when he was born. So much so, that Oliver must have it with him at all times. He loves "bear bear" so much, that I believe he helped Olie start walking, as he loves to hold him while on the move. So mommy's life just got busier as Olie now prefers walking to crawling. We just have to work on his stability a little bit!

Happy 4th Birthday Truman! Oliver takes a few steps!

Today, my baby turned four. I have been thinking about Truman's birthday now for weeks and anticipating how it would affect me. You see, not only is Truman turning four, but on Tuesday he finishes day care and then in a few weeks he is off to kindergarten. When I think about Truman leaving day care I am in tears....funny, considering three years I had the same response as I dropped him off for the first time. I am just not ready for my angel to go to "big boy" school...although I am also excited for the year to come. I can't tell you how many times today I just held Truman in my arms and hugged him as tightly as I could.

So, how did we celebrate? On Saturday morning we had a cooking party for Truman at Loblaws. We had a blast as we hope did all our guests. The kids made fruit kabobs, pizza and then decorated cupcakes. Fun! Later in the afternoon we had the family over for (two) cakes (made by Tina, of course) and coffee. Tina, being the super awesome aunt that she is, made a chocolate cake just for Truman. I had a piece tonight, and it was delicious, as was the watermelon ice cream cake.

Today, since it was so hot outside, we spent the entire day in the pool! What a great day to have a birthday. Then the Topolski clan went out for a nice family dinner together at a local restaurant. Both Jerry and I were amazed at how well both boys behaved. Maybe the threat of losing a cupcake helped Truman be on his best behaviour?

Our little Olie is gaining his confidence and has been taking a few steps solo over the last couple of days. He still prefers to cruise, hold your hand or crawl at high speeds, but on occasion I can trick him into walking towards me. He is gaining an interest in books and is following his brothers footsteps in his love of animals. His three favourite words seem to be "dog", "cat" and "duck", although at times these three words can sound the same!

The next few weeks I will be busy preparing for the upcoming school year. Trying to figure out what to pack in school lunches and planning after shcool activities. I am sure I will be fighting off tears on Truman's first day.

Truman, I want to wish you the most wonderful birthday. I love you with all of my heart and I am so happy that you are a part of my life. I look forward to learning more about you and watching you grow.

A Trip "North" and Six New Pearly Whites

Two years ago the Topolski Family made the (short) trip up to Geneva Park, which is just outside Orillia, or for those who like to gamble, about three minutes from Rama. This year, our family decided that a reunion was in order. So family members from all over came for this joyous mini get-away. The Dietrich-Topolski Family travelled from Belgium, Ola and Eric joined us from Vancouver, Peter and Danka from Calgary and Sharon and Morton from Windsor. We rented a lovely 11 bedroom home and it accommodated all of us wonderfully. The Topolski Family have been vacationing at Geneva Park for the last 40 years, so it was great that so many people could attend.

There were many great memories made on this trip. Truman and his cousin, Joachim played amazingly together, they meshed like salt and pepper. When Truman woke up in the morning, the first thing he asked about was Joachim. Each morning, we sent the boys to the Shire (where Anya and Truman attended when they were kids). I was a little worried about Truman on the first morning, Wanda had gone to check on the boys and she saw Truman playing on his own, away from the other kids. I had to go and see him in action myself. When I got there, he was bossing a couple of the other boys around - now that's the Truman I know. I guess he needed the time to get comfortable.

Aunt Ola was amazing with both children, no surprise there since she works with kids for a living. She also ignited Truman's desire to spell things....he had started to be interested in how words were spelled, but now he asks about almost everything. Amazingly, he remembers how to spell the words that Ola taught him. Love it!

One afternoon, I took Truman to the beach after lunch, while Oliver was napping with Daddy. Truman and I had fun collecting shells, making sand castles and swimming. Luckily, Oopa and David came to relieve me for a bit and played in the water with Truman. The water was amazing, since it only reached chest height on the kids, so no life jackets were needed. I can't even tell you how many times David threw him under the water and Truman kept coming back for more. We finally had to pry him out, shaking from the cold water, blue lips and all. I think he spent a total of 4 hours in the water.

Poor Oliver had a little bit of a rough trip, five teeth decided to pop out at once. Although, he wasn't that cranky considering the quantity of teeth coming in, he definitely was not himself. He barely ate (except for bread) and had extremely long naps. Oliver for whatever reason did not like the lake water (he's a pool guy) and also didn't like touching sand. So, basically he is not that into the beach. His favourite pastime was climbing the stairs at the house, he loves to climb stairs!

One evening, we decided to let the boys have a sleep-over, thinking that it would be a good idea, and that the kids would easily fall asleep because they were so tired. Well, both Joachim and Truman are talkers, so you can only imagine where this was going. Truman and Joachim were discussing whether or not monsters exist and if they were under the bed. After a few empty threats, turning on lights, turning off lights, nothing was going to get these kids to sleep. Both boys were exhausted, and Truman easily fell asleep in his own bed, alone. Although, when Truman woke up he asked where Joachim was. Maybe, we will try again before his cousin returns to Europe.

Baba, the amazing woman she is, also joined us at Geneva Park. I could tell she was so happy to be with her family. She completely stunned me, when one late afternoon, she walked down to the beach with Danka, to see her four great-grandsons play.

We are now home, and back into routine (somewhat) and are planning to enjoy the last few weeks of summer. Oliver has decided to pop one last tooth (why stop now?). We have Truman's birthday to celebrate in a few weeks, and one last wedding to attend. I also have a road trip to take with my girlfriends (sans kids). Woop woop! Summer, summer, summertime!

Happy First Birthday Oliver!!

One year ago, Jerry and I headed to the hospital for the birth of our second baby. We were having a planned c-section, so we believed that everything was in order. However, our doctor asked us to move up the date of the birth from July 14th to the 11th. Why would I even think about negotiating with the man who was about to cut me open?? Oliver Henri Topolski was born at 11:34 am and we could not be more delighted to see and hold him. We had been waiting for our baby for a long time. We were not shocked that we had another boy and to be honest I was happy to be giving Truman a little brother.

Since this was our second baby, things seemed a lot easier. Jerry and I adjusted very quickly to having a new bundle of joy at home. I was often told that having a second child is a lot more work, but I haven't found that. I mean, I am a lot busier, but Oliver has been such an easy baby and Truman such a helpful and excellent big brother.

I am often told by people that Oliver has a sense of calm about him. I couldn't agree more. Since his birth, he fills me with such a sense of peace and joy. He has a sweet, good-natured way about him and he rarely gives me trouble (except for eating). He takes his time with things and is very happy-go-lucky. I feel so very blessed to have him in my life. I really believe that our children teach us things about life and both Truman and Oliver have some good lessons!

We celebrated Oliver's birthday yesterday with family and a few close friends. It was a beautiful day and I am hoping that everyone enjoyed themselves and had a lot of fun. My dear sister, made the most beautiful cupcake cake and Aunt Misty was our photographer. A big THANK YOU to both!!! Oliver seemed to have a lot of fun (he loves kids) and enjoyed having cake for the first time! YUM!

There seem to be changes everyday in my youngest son, and he keeps surprising me with new tricks. He loves to climb up stairs (yes, we have baby proofed the house), he will blow kisses to say good-bye, and he loves to clap his hands and dance to music. He has become a very speedy crawler and I am hoping that he doesn't walk too soon! Then mommy will have two boys to run after!

Today we went to the doctor for Oliver's 12 month check-up. I was shocked with the numbers and percentiles. Oliver weighs 22lbs which is the 38th percentile and is 75cm long (42nd percentile). He's a chubby baby, so I thought for sure his percentile would have been higher! He's just lighter than he looks! He did very well with his shots even though the appointment was in the middle of his nap time.

I've attached a few more pictures of the party:

I think most of you already know, but recently I resigned from my job to stay home with Oliver and Truman. It is something I have been thinking about and considering for awhile now. I am very thankful and excited for the opportunity to be with them and experiencing the many, many milestones with both of them.

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY OLIVER!!!

What's New?

Oliver turned 11 months on June 11th (which also happens to be Avery's birthday...more about his special day in a little bit). Oliver is now doing a few "tricks" and has changed so much over the past few weeks. Firstly, he loves to play peek-a-boo...he will cover his eyes with an object and wait for you to say "Where is Olie" and giggles in delight before he shows his eyes! He also said his first word "dog" to Morrie of course! Although it sounds more like "dah", but I'll take it!

As I mentioned earlier, Avery had his 2nd birthday on June 11th. We celebrated at the O'Brien home and had very full tummies when we left. Tina out did herself once again, and I was grateful to have been able to sample most of the menu. Yum! Truman and Avery had a blast playing outside together. Let me tell you, that both boys were a filthy mess by the end of the afternoon!

Truman was very sad that he wasn't given the first piece of cake. I explained to him that since it was Avery's birthday, he got the first piece. He wasn't happy about it at all. Lately he wants to be the first at everything and treats every meal as a race. I'm so afraid he is going to choke, especially when he shoves a whole bunch of food in his mouth.

On Saturday, Oliver started crawling! A fabulous Father's day gift for Jerry. Oliver loves that he can move (although he was very content before) and explore. Probably like most babies he beelines for the electronics. Let the baby proofing begin. How life is about to change for me. Luckily I have the best helper, Truman who warns me when Oliver is about to approach somewhere he is not suppose to be or touch something that should be left alone. He is an excellent big brother, at least for now.

On Sunday we had the whole family over (Brauns, O'Briens, and Topolskis) to celebrate Father's Day. Avery and Truman once again had so much fun playing together. It is hard to believe that next year, Elliott and Oliver will be joining in on the action. We spent most of the day in the pool enjoying the sunshine and it wouldn't be a celebration without food!

On Wednesday, we went over to Baba's to celebrate her 94th birthday. Happy Birthday Baba! We celebrated with some delicious pizza (which Oliver has come to enjoy), cake and ice cream! What a lovely evening. Oliver also surprised me on Wednesday with his second word "momma" and I am quite delighted! It sounds so sweet when he says it too!

It is Better in the Bahamas!

We recently returned from a four night vacation in the Bahamas....Jerry has always wanted to visit Atlantis, so we decided this would be a great place for us to take a family vacation. Jerry had just finished his four month trial and we wanted to get away and just be.



Atlantis is huge, in fact we didn't even have a chance to explore the entire resort...I guess this means we will have to return again one day! Truman LOVED it! He couldn't get over all of the marine life. From turtles to fish, to sharks and dolphins. In fact, one morning Jerry and Truman took an excursion and swam with the dolphins. Truman fed his dolphin fish and gave him a huge hug and kiss!

We discovered an amazing water area designed just for little ones. Oliver was able to sit and splash in the water. My only complaint was that there was not enough shade....thank goodness for sunscreen. Truman loved the water slides and we had a hard time tearing him away from this area.

Truman loved the not-so-lazy river! I think he went on it several times with Jerry and I. For some reason, every time Truman and I would approach a rapid, we were heading through them backward....lucky us! They also had a very lazy river at our hotel which the whole family was able to enjoy - Oliver included.

The best part about the trip for me was discovering a Starbucks at the marina so that I was able to partake in my daily caffeine fix. Funny enough, it wasn't priced as exuberant as the bottled water ($1o USD for a large bottle)...insane! The food was good and thank goodness we were on the meal plan or we would have shelled out a small fortune to eat.

As quickly as we got into a routine, it was time to go home. We were all a little sad, but happy to know that we will probably return again sometime. Can you believe that we didn't even manage to get to the beach?

10 Months and the Gurgles

How is it possible that Oliver is already 10 months? I am so not ready to leave my little baby and feel that I have not yet had enough time with him. Oliver is such an easy child (I should bite my tongue), and the only difficulty he poses on me is that he just doesn't like to eat. I shouldn't worry about this too much, and remind myself about my dear sister who was a horrible eater as a child and now is a chef! By the way, how many cheerios a day is too much?

Oliver's favourite activity of late is standing. In fact, he hates to sit and wants to be upright on his feet all the time. He even has attempted to cruise along the table. He also will use only one hand to hold on to objects and is desperately trying to figure out how to bend and pick things up off the floor. I figure I don't have too much time before he is on the move. Although, I doubt if he will ever crawl!

And then there is Truman...my dear son! I had a true Mother's Day finale on Sunday night when I found my little boy in a pool of puke....he continued to throw up a number of times before all was said and done. He told me that his tummy had the gurgles and that he never wanted to gurgle again. Don't blame him! However, I told him that he will probably gurgle a lot when he goes to university. The worst part about it, he was so worried about the mess. Ah, he is his father's son!

Truman is full of imagination and story telling these days. For example, Truman has decided that our family needs another baby and that we should name that baby Jake. It doesn't matter what Jake's gender is, the name is decided on as Jake is his best friend at school. Today as we drove to school, Truman declared that we would need a bigger car as there would not be enough room for Jake. Needless to say, I will be breaking my son's heart.

9 Months and Tennis Anyone?

On Monday, our dear Oliver turned 9 months. We had not been to the doctor for three months, so Jerry and I were eager to find out Oliver's weight. To our surprise, Oliver weighed in at (only) 19.5lbs which places him in the 34th percentile. I was sure he would have been over 20 lbs. However, he is a compact little fella and is only 72cm, which is the 54th percentile for length. We also learned that Oliver has a double ear infection...which explains his crankiness over the past few weeks. We opted for no antibiotics at this time, as we are not sure if the infection is just starting or on the way out. We have a follow up appointment on Monday, so fingers crossed the infection is gone.

Oliver is turning out to be a babbler, just like his older brother. He probably feels the need to get a word...it can be difficult when Truman is around. Truman told me today that he really likes to talk! Really? I would never have known! Now, we just have to work on his volume, especially first thing in the morning.

Truman, not only can spell his name, he can also write his name (with some assistance). Last week when I picked him up from school he had a few pictures where he had written his name on them. I am incredibly proud of him. I have also taught him how to spell MOM. I won't however, tell you how I bribed him to learn it!

Truman had his very first tennis lesson this afternoon with his friend Harry. Since, we have tennis courts practically across the street we had to sign him up for lessons. Jerry and I were a little hesitant at first, not only because of his age, but his ability to pay attention. Harry and Truman were adorable with their raquets and both boys seemed to have a good time.