It's the most wonderful time of the year.....

I've started humming that commercial....2 more weeks.
That is all.

Until then, I have 13 days to fill with interesting things to occupy 3 little boys. It's hard.
They are tired of riding bikes and playing with the same neighbour kids all day every day, and truth be told, I'm tired of those kids too.
I've disabled my doorbell because of the constant ringing.
put masking tape on it and wrote in big green marker "NO"
It appears to have worked so far - should have thought of that back in July. Much easier to ignore a knock than a doorbell, and really, I have a doorbell happy next door neighbour who was ringing several times a day - Even when one of the boys came in to use the bathroom, there would be the inevitable doorbell ring "can he come out" (Dude, let the boy pee for heaven's sake) or even worse I'd get the "Can I come to your house?" to which he'd get a "no" and a blank stare until he kind of meandered off to find something to do.

so ideally, I'd like to find something to do with my kids that involves not being in our house, or our street, or anywhere near the neighbourhood kids that they've been playing with all day every day for the last 6 weeks. That much closeness inevitably leads to bickering - they are all starting to act like brothers rather than friends and that means petty arguments, namecalling and stomping off home. It also means that they are getting bored and getting into more trouble. Bikes can only be fun for so long so hey, lets throw some rocks, or dig holes in the yard or (gasp) climb on the cars (yep they got yelled at for that halfway to the roof of our minivan).

But another day down.
This weekend is an anniversary weekend for me and the hubby - so we'll be jetting off to Niagara falls (or driving off in our fuel efficient Civic is more like it) for a fabulous kid free celebration of 11 years together. We really need this time to ourselves - just to enjoy each other's company without distractions. It seems that all around us we are seeing friends splitting up, marriages crumbling and the stress that comes with kids and ever rising prices is enough of a strain on any marriage. Getting away just the two of us without the distractions of kids and work and obligations is going to be so nice and so welcome. We are both looking forward to it - and the fact that the kids are going to be having a fabulous fun filled weekend at Grandma and Papa's complete with *sleepovers* means another few days that I don't have spend entertaining them.

Matthew of course is aware that he will be sleeping over, but has still voiced his displeasure at it. He hates sleeping over anywhere and while he loves going to Grandmas, at the end of the day he wants his own bed thankyouverymuch and anywhere else is cause for tears and anxiety. When I went away to Boston for the weekend, he did spend 2 nights at Grandmas (not in a row, it was Thursday and Sunday) but this is going to be 2 nights in a row which is a very very long time for him to be away from home and he is already telling me about how he will miss me and remember when I went to Boston (oh yes I do) and he mist me SO much (yes he 'mist' me, he wrote and told me so)

But when I come back it will be only one more week until school starts and that is SO close and means that there will only be 8 days for me to fill with wonderful happy memories. One of those days we will take them to the CNE ('The Ex') as it is a rite of passage for all Canadian Children to attend the Ex at least once in the summer time.
So that leaves 7 days.....
So if you have any ideas on what I can do to keep 3 boys occupied for 7 days, beyond the usual, I am all ears.

1 day we'll go to the local splashpark and have a picnic...
1 day we'll go to MacDonalds playplace - Probably the day before school starts
1 day is bound to be rainy and horrid so we'll go to the video store and rent movies and make popcorn and have "theatre" day

and now I'm down to 4 days...
help.....
me.......
not long now.