To Beat of the Bum-Drum

What is a bum-drum you ask?

One afternoon while I was standing at the sink doing dishes, out of the blue, little Liam (then four years) started hitting my bottom rhythmically .

"What are you doing?" I asked in surprise.

"I'm playing your bum-drums." was his pert reply.

Thus the 'bum-drums' came to be. Often it is hiding around the corner waiting for a bum to play apon. It has become part of our family culture - the kind of family culture that could only have been created by a boy.

I love my sons so I wanted to include diary articles about those amazing, ridiculous, hilarious, heartbreaking, gross things they do. My hope is to capture the essence of 'boy'. I hope you enjoy.

Yummy art for Mama...

Liam and I share a favorite artist - Tasha - she is from Toronto. For Christmas Liam drew his study of Under The Stars with Kitty . I was so excited to get it for Christmas and am presently looking for the perfect frame to hang it. Aren't the colors yummy!

Liam's favorite reads...

Liam has started reading this year quite on his own. We wanted to share 3 of his favorite books.



If you haven't read this series I would have to say you are missing out on something special. Liam loves to read this book - there are 4 in the series but this one is his favorite because it makes him laugh. He can identify a great deal with Tom Sawyer. What boy can't? The illustrations are wonderful and the stories are funny. Liam laughs out right while he is reading. He chooses this book time and time again.



I am personally an Arnold Lobel fan and he does
the illustrations for this book. Liam loves the stories.
He asks to read this book nearly every time.
It inspires wonderful discussions and family activities.

This is a Classic in our home.
Liam is a softy - and this is our mussy-cuddle time read together. When Liam reads any book he creates voices for each character. It's quite charming to listen to. He gives each animal their own voice in this book. We share many hugs and kisses after reading Nancy Tafuri.

Liam's Christmas gift to Grandma and Grandad

He's six.
I'm a proud mama.

boy

"What is genius? -

It is the power to be a boy again at will."
James Matthew Barrie

A Brother's Love - pictures taken Dec 2007

"I use to be the cutest one, now Emma Is!" ~ Liam

Is there anything more wondrous than a brother's love for his little sister?
I don't think there is. Liam carries his little sister around with such pride and devotion. Just the other day he changed her diaper. The tabs were put on askew but tenderly. He was so proud to be of service to her. Moments like these make parenthood one of the most rewarding adventures I have yet to experience.

The Toxic Waste Challenge

Toxic Waste Lovers Unite!
We at the Nicol home send out an invitation - a toxic waste challenge!

Get your hands on this stuff (Lethbridge Movie Mill) and take pictures of your reactions.

Send them my way www.stacyanne31@yahoo.ca and I will post them on our blog.

More Toxic Candy Encounters...

Some friends give it a try...

Toxic Waste

Jim brought home these horrible candies and we each took our turn trying one. I can't describe in words just how disgusting they tasted - I thought I'd let the pictures do the talking...

And now it's Tristan's turn...

Liam art - Nov 2007

This is art in acrylics. Liam is the artist. I love the orange! He was learning about primary colors and secondary colors that day. He loves to paint - not so fond of cleaning the brushes afterwards - but the painting part he loves.

clay play

These are delightful creatures that Liam made one afternoon.

Chasing seagulls - originally written Nov. 2007

My boys chase seagulls. They seem to like congregating in the baseball diamonds (the seagulls not my boys). Here Liam tries to sneak up on them - slowly inching towards them until they can tolerate the threat no longer. In one torrent of white feathers they lift as Liam bolts to grasp at legs. He has yet to catch one but I am sure when he does we will have to name the poor creature, keep it in Liam's room and feed it french fries.

This is a tradition Dad started. One afternoon he called the children together and told them he needed to show them something. He had them put on their shoes. Once they were outside Dad was off like lightening chasing seagulls. The children watched in amazement. Had Dad lost his mind? Before they dared answer the question, each jetted after him screaming and laughing in due fashion.

I wonder what the neighbours think? No...I don't want to know.

Collecting: Dreams of pretty things

Ever since I watched Iris starring Judi Dench and Kate Winslet I have fallen in love with this sleek beauty. No, it isn't a film about a pen. It's a film about Alzheimer's disease (such a tragic illness) but there was this scene in the movie - Iris is writing madly in her study with a fountain pen. The image is forever seared into that part of my brain which fancies pretty little things.

I am saving my pennies for her and I will call her Iris when I can bring her home. Iris and I will write many stories that make us happy - in our yellow study tucked in a corner of the basement.

Emma

Emma is going to be 6 months at the end of January. She has been talking for months now. I heard her laugh for the first time just last week but can't seem to get her to do it again. She is almoooost rolling over - she gets that leg over but hasn't quite figured it all out. She can squirm out of position all too well. She likes to sing in high pitched shrills - yes, glass breaks. Not to mention, the drooling has begun. Floods and floods of baby saliva making puddles everywhere - a Nicol-baby trademark.

God is awake

"Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake."

Victor Hugo