Happy Birthday to my Oldest Son on his 17th Birthday

When my boys were little, I started a tradition of writing Christmas letters to my boys on their birthdays. My hope is that they can always find their letters on my blog and know how much I loved being their mom--at every stage of their lives. Today I share my letter to my oldest son on his 17th birthday.

Dear Cameron,

As you turn 17, and look forward to your graduation in June, I can't believe how fast the time has gone. It seems like I was just holding your hands as you learned to walk, and now you are driving yourself around. You are a very good driver, but it sure was scary seeing you pull out of the driveway on your own the first few times. 😊

I'm so proud of the young man you are becoming, and can't wait to see what the next chapter of your life brings for you. I know you'll do great! 

Here are some of the things that make you the special 17 year old that you are:

• You aren't afraid to try something new. This year you joined the high school basketball team even though you have never played organized basketball before.
• You still love hockey. You love watching it, playing it, talking about it, and reffing it. 
• You are really starting to love golf. You got a job at the golf course and joined the golf team at school.
• You love to spend time with your family, friends, and teammates. You especially love your summer vacations in PEI with your Ottawa cousins and your all your adventures with your Halifax cousins.
• You are a fantastic student. I never see you stressed, and your time management skills are impressive. I can't wait to see how you apply these skills in university next year.

Even though you are almost ready to leave home, you will always be my baby, and I will cherish every day I have left with you under my roof. I love you to the moon and back!

Love,

Mom

A Birthday Letter to My Youngest Son on his 13th Birthday

With three boys under four, I was not very good at keeping baby books up to date... especially for my youngest. lol So, many years ago I started writing annual letters to my boys on their birthdays. My hope is that I'll capture "snapshots" of my boys' personalities each year. Someday, they'll be able to read through their letters and understand how much I've enjoyed being their mother through every stage of their lifes. Today, I'm sharing my birthday letter to my youngest son on his 13th birthday.

To my sweet "baby" boy,

I can hardly believe that you are 13. Seriously, it seems like only yesterday you were taking your first step and picking up your first "mini stick". Now, you are heading into your last year in the junior school and starting your first year of Bantam hockey. 

I'm super proud of the young man you are becoming, and here are just some of the reasons you are a special boy:

• You always have interesting facts to share -- random thoughts of things you wonder about, things you've learned at school, and trivia you have read. I love how your mind works!
• You love everything about being a goalie -- the gear, the practices, and the game. I love to watch you play, even though I sometimes find it stressful. I'm super-proud of the physical and mental effort you put in.
• You had your first (and hopefully last) broken bone. You were so sad to miss hockey… but you were tough. 😊
• Crackers are your favourite food. You also love all dressed Crispers and Froot Roll Ups.
• Playing with your brothers is your favourite activity, and I love seeing you playing in the yard, shooting hoops, and heading to the golf course together. You are definitely best buddies! (You love spending time with your friends and cousins too.)
• You are smart and funny. You have a quirky sense of humour, and you aren't afraid to be silly. I love your dance moves -- especially "the gritty".
• You enjoy all sports, but hockey is definitely your #1 -- though your love of golf is growing with every round.
• You give the best cuddles and foot rubs, and your smile lights up your eyes.

You may be a teenager, but you'll always be my "baby". I love you to the moon and back!

Lots of love,

Mom xox

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL Traditions... 2022 and still going strong

My boys are getting older, but they are still humouring me by letting me continue our last day of school traditions. I think it's the promise of ice cream that gets them every time. 😁 Here's a peek at how we celebrated today... on the last day of school.

1) First, we always get ice cream on the last day of school. I don't have a picture for 2019, but here's a look at our ice cream trips from 2011 to 2022. Pretty cute, right? It's amazing how much my boys have grown up.

2) The boys always get a little gift. In the past it has been a book, but this year I thought I'd change it up a little. We always have a "gift card" day as part of our summer checklist (where we gather up all our gift cards, and venture out to spend them... all in one day). So this year, I purchased a few gift cards for my boys to take with them on our "gift card adventure" day. I think it's an inexpensive, practical and fun grading gift idea.

3) And, of course, my boys always run through a "finish line" on the last day of school. We started this tradition in 2012, and we've done it every year since. Here's a peak at our first year... 

And here's how it looked this year...

How are you celebrating the end of the school year? Congrats to all the kids that have finished school... and happy summer!!!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

A Birthday Letter to my Oldest Son (on his 16th birthday)

Every year, on each of my boys' birthdays, I write them a letter. My hope is that I can capture a "snap chat" of their personalities each year. Today, my oldest son turns 16, and I can hardly believe it! Here's his birthday letter.

My sweet first born son,

It seems like only yesterday you were a baby in my arms, and now you are getting ready to drive and only one year away from graduating from high school. I honestly can not believe how quickly the years are flying by.

It's sad for me to see my little boy slipping away, but I couldn't be prouder of the young man that you are becoming. I am grateful every day that I get to be your mom.

• You LOVE sports... especially golf and hockey, but you have many other interests as well. You especially enjoy: playing outside with your brothers, hockey pools and video games with your buddies, playing guitar, reffing, movie nights, and spending time with family.

• You've faced the adversity of multiple broken bones over these past few years, but you focussed on your diet and fitness, and you are having a great hockey season. Your positive attitude and strong work ethic make me so proud of you!

• You are a master of time management. You make balancing sports, school, and social activities look effortless.

• Your brothers are your best buddies, you love your cousins, and you have tons of friends. 

• Peanut butter sandwiches, pasta, and steak are your favourite foods. You love the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews is your favourite hockey player, and your hockey number is 34.

Happy birthday my darling boy. You may be turning into an adult and driving a car, but you'll always be my first baby. I love you to the moon and back!

Love, 

Mom

xo

First Day of School Photos - 2021

Today was our first day of school, which is always a bittersweet day for me. I'm so proud of the young men my boys are becoming, but they are growing up way too fast. Here's a peak at our morning!

We always start our day with pancakes in the shape of their grades. This year my boys are in grade 7, grade 9, and grade 11. Not sure how I have two kids in high school!

Then, I take a picture of each boy holding an 8x10 picture of them on the first day of school the previous year. We have been doing this since preschool, and it's one of my favourite traditions.

Here's my "baby"!

Here's my oldest!

And here's my middle son!

The morning of the first day of school is always chaotic, so I'm grateful every time I manage to get them to stand for a quick picture. :-)

I can't wait for my boys to get home after school. It's always fun to share a special treat and hear about their day. 

Happy first day of school!!!

♥
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)

You might also like the school lunch ideas here.

A Birthday Letter to My Middle Son on his 14th Birthday

When my boys were little, I started a tradition of writing them each "birthday letters" on their birthdays. I love that they will always have annual literary "snapshots" of their personalities as they grow into young men. Today, I am sharing the letter I wrote to my middle son for his 14th birthday.

My sweet boy,

I can't believe that my crazy, curly-haired, spunky toddler has turned into a giant 14 year old (who now towers over his mother). As you head to high school, I hope that you continue to be the same sweet boy (with the sparkle in his eyes). Here are a few of the things that make you the most special 14 year old in the whole world

* Even though you are taller than me (just shy of 6 feet), you still like to sit on my lap during movie night. It's not the most comfortable for me, but I will never ask you to stop. 😀

* You have a huge heart and continue to be one of the most sensitive, empathetic people I know. 

* You are soooo easy-going... until you come up against something you believe is not right. Then, you become super-stubborn. As a mother, it's not always easy to deal with, but I know it's a quality that will serve you well in life.

* You have a wonderful, positive attitude, a dry/mature sense of humour, and a fun spirit. You treat all people with kindness, and because of this, people love to be around you. You are a loyal brother, son, and friend.

* You enjoy being outside, and you really love playing basketball, golf, and hockey. You especially love being part of a team.

* You conquered another year living through a pandemic, and although you missed a bit of school and hockey, you took it all in stride. I think you actually enjoyed the extra downtime with your family.

You are strong-willed, helpful, "go with the flow", and kind-hearted. I'm so proud of the boy you are, and I look forward to seeing the man you will become. I love you to the moon and back!

Love,

Mom xoxo

A Birthday Letter to my Youngest Son on his 12th Birthday

Every year on my boys' birthdays, I write them a "birthday letter". My goal is to create an annual "written snapshot" that captures each boy's personality. I want my boys to know how much I love them, and how much a treasure EVERY year I get to be their mom. Today, I'm sharing the letter I wrote my youngest son today... on his 12th birthday.

My sweet "baby" boy,

As you turn 12, I realize that you are almost a teenager, but as my youngest son, you will always be my baby boy. 😀

I could never put into words how much you mean to me, but here are a few of the reasons you are so special to me:

* You finished your second year as a goalie, and I'm so proud of how far you have come. I'm proud of your skill improvement, but I am even more proud of the way you have learned to handle the stress and adversity that comes with the position. As a sensitive and competitive person, I know being a goalie isn't always easy, but you are growing with every practice and every game... and I'm super-proud of your effort.

* This is the second year that you are celebrating your birthday during a pandemic, and I am impressed (again) by the resiliency you have shown. You wore a mask, you had a few weeks locked down in our house without friends, you flipped from school -- to home school -- and back to school again. You followed the rules, and you kept a positive attitude. In fact, you seemed to enjoy the extra time at home with your family... especially when we turned our house into "fake Florida". 

* You tried "intensive French" at school this year, and you did great. You faced your fears and anxiety around public speaking and failure, and you thrived. You are really brave. 

* You are extremely goofy and funny. Your quirky sense of humour keeps us all laughing. I love that you aren't afraid to be silly.

* You love playing with your brothers, your cousins, and your friends. You especially love being active -- always up for any game with a ball or a puck.

* You love to quietly observe situations, you are a great judge of character, and you ask insightful questions. 

* Your favourite colour is green, you love hockey and golf, and your favourite foods are multi grain crackers, all dressed Crispers, and Froot Roll Ups.

* You give the best cuddles and foot rubs.

As you turn 12, I hope you know that you are a very special boy. I'm so proud of the young man you are becoming, and I love you to the moon and back!

Love, 

Mom xoxo

Our Family's LAST DAY OF SCHOOL Traditions... 2021 and still going strong

This school year has been a bit different because of Covid, but our last day of school traditions are still going strong. The pandemic has definitely taught us to be adaptable and resilient. Here's a peak at our THREE favourite last day of school traditions... 2021 edition.

1) First, we always get ice cream on the last day of school. I don't have a picture for 2019, but here's a look at our ice cream trips from 2014 to 2021. Pretty cute, right? It's amazing how much my boys have grown up.

2020

2021

2) The boys always get a little gift. In the past it has been a book, but this year I thought I'd change it up a little. We always have a "gift card" day as part of our summer checklist (where we gather up all our gift cards, and venture out to spend them... all in one day). So this year, I purchased a few gift cards for my boys to take with them on our "gift card adventure" day. I think it's an inexpensive, practical and fun grading gift idea.

3) And, of course, my boys always run through a "finish line" on the last day of school. We started this tradition in 2012, and we've done it every year since. He's a peak at our first year... 

And here's how it looked this year...

I think I'm going to need a bigger doorway soon! lol

How are you celebrating the end of the school year? Happy summer!!!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

2020 New Year's Eve Year in Review Questionnaire

*** Find a 2021 version here.

New Year's Eve is a time for reflecting on the past year and looking forward to the new one -- not just for adults, but for kids too. With this in mind, each year I put together a Year in Review Questionnaire for my boys to fill out on New Year's Eve. Here is the 2020 version.

It is a pretty simple questionnaire, and you can download the free printable by: right-clicking on the picture (above), saving it to your computer, and printing it like a regular 8X10 photo. I usually print mine at my local office supply store where colour copies are $0.39 each.

I love seeing what my boys come up with each year. Maybe someday I will make a book for each of my boys using all the questionnaires they have filled out over the years.

Happy New Year!

♥
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

A Birthday Letter to my Oldest Boy on his 15th Birthday

Every year on my boys' birthdays, I write them letters letting them know how special they are to me. I think of the letters as written "snapshots" of the previous year, and I hope my words capture a little bit of my boys' personalities on paper. Today, I am sharing a birthday letter for my oldest son on his 15th birthday.

My sweet first born son,

It seems like only yesterday you were a baby in my arms, and now you are only a few years away from graduating high school. I honestly can not believe how quickly the years are flying by.

It's sad for me to see my little boy slipping away, but I couldn't be more proud of the young man that you are becoming. I am grateful every day that I get to be your mom.

• This year we lived through a pandemic, and you adapted to it perfectly. You missed your sports, but found other ways to fill your days. You played outside with your brothers, you organized a study group and homeschooled with your buddies, you learned to cook, you played guitar, and you travelled the Atlantic bubble with your family.
• You broke your arm in two places, and I couldn't believe you broke another bone (the third in three years). You were heartbroken (as was I), but you quickly turned your focus to the things you had control over. You focussed on your diet and fitness, you took a reffing course, and you continued to practice with your hockey team. Your positive attitude and strong work ethic make me so proud of you!
• Your brothers are your best buddies, you love your cousins, and you have tons of friends. 
• Peanut butter sandwiches, spaghetti, and steak are your favourite foods. You love the Toronto Maple Leafs, Auston Matthews is your favourite hockey player, and your hockey number is 34.

Happy birthday my darling boy. You may be turning into an adult, but you'll always be my first baby. I love you to the moon and back!

Love, 

Mom

xo

First Day of School Traditions... 2020 edition

The first day of school is an important milestone, and it provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate with kids. We keep our back to school traditions simple, but I love them. Today, I am sharing our favorite first day of school traditions... and a few back to school photos of my handsome boys! 😀

We always start our day with a pancake breakfast... with pancakes in the shapes of the boys' new grades. As you can see, they aren't fancy, but my boys find them fun!

Then, we continue our "first day of school photo" tradition. The boys hold an 8x10 picture from the first day of school the previous year. It's so wonderful to watch how much they change from year to year. This year I had the boys take one photo wearing a mask... as a tribute to our new "covid" lifestyle.

Here are a couple photos of my oldest son...

Here's my middle son...

And here is my "baby"...

I also made them take a couple of pictures together. I'm so grateful that they humour me.

And, of course, we ended the day with a "welcome home" treat.

We have had the same "first day of school traditions" for over 10 years. I have always believed that traditions and rituals are the cornerstones of childhood memories, and I really hope I am creating sweet memories for my boys.

♥ 
Gina Bell (aka East Coast Mommy)

First Day of School Cookie Bar

Who's looking for a special treat to serve to the kids on the first day of school? I love the idea of setting up a "You are one smart COOKIE!" bar, don't you? Here's one I made using my light box.

You could also download and print the sign below. Just click on the photo below, right click, save it to your computer, and print it like a regular 8x10 picture.

For my "one smart cookie" bar, I made two of my favourite cookie recipes.

You can find the recipe for my favourite chocolate chip cookies here.

And you can find the recipe for my chococolate cake mix cookies here.

I like the way the contrasting colours of the flavours look on the tray, but you could use any homemade or store bought cookies.

Discussing the first day of school over cookies and milk sounds like the perfect way to end the day, don't you think?

♥ 
Gina (aka East Coast Mommy)