Tuesday, June 29, 2010
I saw this on my SIL's FB profile and laughed and laughed and laughed. That was months ago. I'm still laughing.
Friday, June 25, 2010
I know I'm not on here all too often, but I wanted to give you a heads up to let you know that we are going away this weekend. I am very excited! We're going camping! Our first trip this year. Our first trip in over a year actually, since we didn't get to go away last summer. Yay for summer! Yay for camping! Yay for family time!
When I come back, I will tell you all about the last day of school and teacher's gifts, and my favourite sister's Convocation (yay! go Julie! I'm so proud of you!), and of Baby Honey's second birthday (wow, already?) and his accomplishments. Plus load you up on camping photos!
Have a wonderful fun weekend!
When I come back, I will tell you all about the last day of school and teacher's gifts, and my favourite sister's Convocation (yay! go Julie! I'm so proud of you!), and of Baby Honey's second birthday (wow, already?) and his accomplishments. Plus load you up on camping photos!
Have a wonderful fun weekend!
Monday, June 21, 2010
I love going to my sister's house. She's fun. Her hunny is fun. We laugh a lot. We eat snacks and chat. It's a fairly quiet and slightly empty home. There are no children there. No toys to step on. No little voices to listen to. ...Not to say that I find my own children encombersome or to imply that I don't like to be around them, it's just nice to get away and have some "adult time". The thing with going out with just adults is that I tend to want to...well..act like an adult. Drink adult drinks. Watch my tv shows. Have some music on after eight pm. When I go out, I can almost sortof pretend that I am single (in a harmless way, stick with me) and don't have children. I can be *young* again. Do Fun things again. Things I did before I wasn't single and had children. I can go out and do stuff like that and I like it. I do this on a weekly basis (if I can) and I come home happier and haven't you heard the statement "when mom's happy, everyone's happy"? It's so true!
Hanging around my childless and single friends reminds me of all the things I used to do before. I get excited to be with them again! I love going over our funny stories and memories, and attempt to do the silly things we used to do! However, I've discovered that having them over to my house is not at all the same. Even if you bring out the adult drinks and turn the music on after eight pm or put on a non-child-friendly movie. You can not pretend you are single or childless then! Not when there are toys all over the house. Not when you only have plastic cups to drink out of. And especially not when your own children are calling for you from down the hall! It's a sad thing.
I was realizing this the other day when we had friends over. I had a few drinks, enough to make me think I needed just maybe one or two more to make it really good, and enough to make me think of how it's been so long since I had felt that buzzy stage again, and enough to make me realize that it would be weird to get to that stage again. In my house. With my kids. I have heard that some parents don't feel that they should stop their young partying ways, but that's not me. As soon as I had children, I knew those days were over. I was Responsible now. Not haphazard.
Yet, I still feel those twinges. The desire to regain my youthfulness. My feet seem to be stuck in both pools of water still. I don't want to get rid of the past life, the one that many of my friends still live (not to say that they aren't responsible and don't hold down jobs or do important things, they just don't have the responsibility of children, and that plus a job and house, etc, are big deals and can hold you down. In a good way. But in a Big way.) And I really like my life and have many of my dreams come true. But sometimes it's hard to live the life I have chosen when you're the only one, the trailblazer of the group.
I hope my life is exciting to my single and childless friends. I hope I can make it look appealing. I hope I can be as hip as this family:
One day my friends will come to my side! And they'll understand! *smile*
Hanging around my childless and single friends reminds me of all the things I used to do before. I get excited to be with them again! I love going over our funny stories and memories, and attempt to do the silly things we used to do! However, I've discovered that having them over to my house is not at all the same. Even if you bring out the adult drinks and turn the music on after eight pm or put on a non-child-friendly movie. You can not pretend you are single or childless then! Not when there are toys all over the house. Not when you only have plastic cups to drink out of. And especially not when your own children are calling for you from down the hall! It's a sad thing.
I was realizing this the other day when we had friends over. I had a few drinks, enough to make me think I needed just maybe one or two more to make it really good, and enough to make me think of how it's been so long since I had felt that buzzy stage again, and enough to make me realize that it would be weird to get to that stage again. In my house. With my kids. I have heard that some parents don't feel that they should stop their young partying ways, but that's not me. As soon as I had children, I knew those days were over. I was Responsible now. Not haphazard.
Yet, I still feel those twinges. The desire to regain my youthfulness. My feet seem to be stuck in both pools of water still. I don't want to get rid of the past life, the one that many of my friends still live (not to say that they aren't responsible and don't hold down jobs or do important things, they just don't have the responsibility of children, and that plus a job and house, etc, are big deals and can hold you down. In a good way. But in a Big way.) And I really like my life and have many of my dreams come true. But sometimes it's hard to live the life I have chosen when you're the only one, the trailblazer of the group.
I hope my life is exciting to my single and childless friends. I hope I can make it look appealing. I hope I can be as hip as this family:
One day my friends will come to my side! And they'll understand! *smile*
Sunday, June 13, 2010
I was informed on Friday that there are only 9 days left of school! Wow. It's all coming to an end so quickly. And I feel bittersweet. On one hand I am very excited about summer: no more lunches to make, no more driving back and forth to school, no more homework struggles, no more forgotten permission slips...I'm looking forward to our family going out on small trips camping or to the beach or the library and I'm really looking forward to sleeping in! *smile* What I'm not ready for is saying good-bye to teachers and routine and friends and books and hearing them chatter about what they've learned.
Kai's teacher is pregnant and due in the Fall, so she won't be returning to the school next year. Knowing that makes me happy (because she's having a baby and babies excite me!) but also sad (since I won't be able to bump into her on the school grounds and chat a bit). I'm going to miss her. Which surprises me too. When the year began, I wasn't too sure what I thought of Mrs. V. She wasn't instantly warm, like Abi's grade 1 teacher or their K teacher, so it took a while to get to know her. But I will admit now that I love this woman. She is quiet and gentle, yet firm; she has a good grip on these children! I'm not ready for school to be over yet!
Kai's last class newsletter came home this week, and it stated: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,....Blast off to grade Two! and my heart leaped in my chest! Grade Two? Already? They're still little and only in grade one! I'm not ready for this! Gleeps!!!!
It turns out I'm a *bit* sensitive and emotional! LOL
It's just that Kai has done So Much in one year! He has grown so incredibly much, it amazes me. He can read with such ease! He's making lots of friends (even girl friends, teehee) He's one of the fastest runners in class too, which I am overjoyed about! Not only does it make me happy to hear how good he is athletically, but it tells me that his heart is doing good. I'm pleased. I'm proud. And I don't want it to end.
Kai's teacher is pregnant and due in the Fall, so she won't be returning to the school next year. Knowing that makes me happy (because she's having a baby and babies excite me!) but also sad (since I won't be able to bump into her on the school grounds and chat a bit). I'm going to miss her. Which surprises me too. When the year began, I wasn't too sure what I thought of Mrs. V. She wasn't instantly warm, like Abi's grade 1 teacher or their K teacher, so it took a while to get to know her. But I will admit now that I love this woman. She is quiet and gentle, yet firm; she has a good grip on these children! I'm not ready for school to be over yet!
Kai's last class newsletter came home this week, and it stated: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,....Blast off to grade Two! and my heart leaped in my chest! Grade Two? Already? They're still little and only in grade one! I'm not ready for this! Gleeps!!!!
It turns out I'm a *bit* sensitive and emotional! LOL
It's just that Kai has done So Much in one year! He has grown so incredibly much, it amazes me. He can read with such ease! He's making lots of friends (even girl friends, teehee) He's one of the fastest runners in class too, which I am overjoyed about! Not only does it make me happy to hear how good he is athletically, but it tells me that his heart is doing good. I'm pleased. I'm proud. And I don't want it to end.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
This was posted on my friend's FB page this weekend and it made me laugh. Knew I'd have to share it here. My many mom friends will totally get this. Hopefully my DINK friends will understand-- if they didn't already! *smile*
*DINK: double income no kids
*DINK: double income no kids
Friday, June 4, 2010
Some days are so much easier than others. Today was one of them.
I had it all figured out what we would do today, so that made it run more smoothly too. Hunny is gone all weekend; he actually left yesterday morning, to go on the annual Men's Rustic Getaway our church holds in June. The intention is that he'll go and fish, since it's something he loves and he always complains that he doesn't get to go out often enough and well, he has his own fishing store, so he should go out and test product and such, but I'm sure he won't log too much time on the boat. He usually ends up manning the barbeque! But he loves that just as much, so I guess it's all good! He bought this HUGE BBQ a few years back (it can hold like 20 steaks on it at once, plus potatoes for everyone! he's very proud of it!) with the thought that he'd lend it out to our church for events. His heart for service makes me weak for him even more! He doesn't even recognize how much he gives and that's what I find so wonderful about him. So right now, he is up at Chataway Lake with a group of 20 other men, likely sitting around a firepit. He's most likely NOT roasting marshmallows though! He, for one, doesn't like them, but another thing is that he told me that men DO NOT do that! The men had a good laugh at our associate pastor for liking them and bringing up his own s'more supplies a few years ago! *giggle* I am praying for safety for the men, but mostly I am praying that he will be able to relax and enjoy his manly time away. He's been under a lot of stress again at work and it concerns me. So this weekend away is a good thing. He returns on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully he'll be happy and rejuvinated.
With Hunny gone for 3 nights, I thought I'd plan some fun things for the kids to do with me. Tonight, we had pizza and a movie night. We don't do that too often. Mostly because it's hard to find a movie that will work for all of the kids. I have sensitive children. I'm sure I've mentioned that before! But I've decided that I think they are ready for Star Wars! Of course, I want to jump right into Episode IV, because the originals are Classic! But...I'm a fan for continuity, so in order makes the most sense to me. Plus, the second segments are more "family friendly", if that's the right definition. Okay, some of them are. Okay, the first one is! So, I borrowed Episode I: The Phantom Menace".
Kai was so excited about watching the movie! He was counting down the days. I told him that we'd watch it when Daddy left, so he kept asking each day if he was leaving yet! How upset he was when we didn't turn it on last night! Most of his friends (if not all) have already seen the movies, and they all talk about it, and while I have been impressed with how much he has figured out on his own, I thought it would be nice to know some of it himself! The other kids weren't as excited, but well...sometimes it's nice to watch something other than a Barbie movie! (which makes me think of how much Abi has control over things despite being the only girl and very outnumbered!)
I made homemade pizza, which I'll admit, sucked, but well, I'm trying to discipline myself and not order out dinner! We could sure use the extra money on other things, and well, the pizza crust (which is what sucked. Don't bother with the President's Choice crust. Just a head's up!) needed to be used up because there is no use wasting money by purchasing things and letting them go to waste. Just sayin'. Then the boys played outside while Abi & I made cookies. (I was really craving the cookie dough from Papa Murphy's! Does anyone actually bake cookies with that stuff? lol) Then it was time to put Rhys into bed, and then movie time!
They cheered for Anakin during the pod races. They were confused with Jar Jar Bink's language. They laughed when Anakin flew the ship accidentally. They were in awe when Obi Wan and Qui Gon faught Darth Maul. (Kai actually stood up and watched in excitement, saying, "if it were me, I'd just stab him!" I didn't know if I should be proud of his bravery or appalled that he had a solution!) All in all, the movie was a big hit! Even I did good! I tried not to get too annoyed with their constant questions ("why is he doing that?" "Where are they?" "Why is he covering his face?" "why is she dressed like that?") and the need to get up, sit down, move here, move there and their constant need to talk. I tried real hard. I do admit to telling them, on several occasions, that they'd never learn if they didn't stop talking and start listening!
They are ready for Episode II! Or, Kai is. Or, he thinks he is. We'll see how things go. They were all excited to see that there was another disc in the case, and I had to tell them that it wasn't the next movie, but just the extras. Which of course got them giddy. Extras? Like funny things? No. Not likely. More like them talking about why it took them 20 years to make this movie. I was stalling, ok? I needed them to head off to bed and had to quelch the excitement! But that just got them to ask more questions. Oops.)
It was the bedtime that made it all worth it. I tucked Bryn into bed first. It was a surprise that I wasn't carrying his sleepy self there but instead following him. He was tired all right, but stayed awake for the whole movie! (I've got my fingers crossed for no bad dreams) I took the time to snuggle with him, brush his hair off his forehead and kiss his warm face, telling him how happy I was with him. His smile brightens up a room. He does melt me.
Then I had Kai make up his bed while I got Abi tucked into hers. We snuggled and kissed and giggled, doing things that only girls can. I thanked her for all her help tonight, and told her how special she was to me. She is such a blessing and gives so much of herself.
While I love spending time with Abi and tucking her in and reading with her, it's the moments with Kai that are incredibly special to me. That's when my Little ("I'm not little") Man is Mr. Snuggly! He wasn't much of a cuddler as a baby, even though we (meaning myself and Abi) loved on him so much! But at bedtime, he gets this peaceful smile on his face, as if everything is all right with the world and he's pleased with his part in making the day as good as possible for himself. He also lets me snuggle and kiss him and touch his face and brush his hair out of his eyes and he lays his warm sticky hands on my face and we gaze at eachother. (who knew I was such a touchy-feeling mom? I didn't expect that until I had children! I want to touch them and hold them all the time. I won't let them pass me without me reaching out to them!) And we talk.
We talked about his favourite parts of the movie, and he tells me what he'd do if he were there and then he'll tell me about his adventures during the day and the things that happened in class, and it's just an incredible moment of connecting with my son. Kai is full of energy and spirit and has this tendancy to be a handful. Not because he's intentionally trying to be difficult, he just doesn't know how to focus. And I struggle with knowing how to teach him that. It's so easy for me to shake my head and fret that I'm doing it all wrong, but in all reality, Kai is a wonderful boy. He amazes me as much as he frustrates me, if not more! We have very similar personalities, and that has it's benefits as well as struggles, but I'll be honest when I say that I think I was a pretty darn cool kid so it's self-explanatory how awesome my own son is!
I left the bedrooms with a smile on my face, feeling as though everything were all right with the world and that I could tackle anything! I love my children so much. It's impossible to express just how much. They are amazing and I am so blessed! They make me smile. I am so thankful for nights like these, that remind me why I do what I do, why I want to continue doing this, why I feel I was made for this, and that God has given me the strength and the love to do it all!
I had it all figured out what we would do today, so that made it run more smoothly too. Hunny is gone all weekend; he actually left yesterday morning, to go on the annual Men's Rustic Getaway our church holds in June. The intention is that he'll go and fish, since it's something he loves and he always complains that he doesn't get to go out often enough and well, he has his own fishing store, so he should go out and test product and such, but I'm sure he won't log too much time on the boat. He usually ends up manning the barbeque! But he loves that just as much, so I guess it's all good! He bought this HUGE BBQ a few years back (it can hold like 20 steaks on it at once, plus potatoes for everyone! he's very proud of it!) with the thought that he'd lend it out to our church for events. His heart for service makes me weak for him even more! He doesn't even recognize how much he gives and that's what I find so wonderful about him. So right now, he is up at Chataway Lake with a group of 20 other men, likely sitting around a firepit. He's most likely NOT roasting marshmallows though! He, for one, doesn't like them, but another thing is that he told me that men DO NOT do that! The men had a good laugh at our associate pastor for liking them and bringing up his own s'more supplies a few years ago! *giggle* I am praying for safety for the men, but mostly I am praying that he will be able to relax and enjoy his manly time away. He's been under a lot of stress again at work and it concerns me. So this weekend away is a good thing. He returns on Sunday afternoon. Hopefully he'll be happy and rejuvinated.
With Hunny gone for 3 nights, I thought I'd plan some fun things for the kids to do with me. Tonight, we had pizza and a movie night. We don't do that too often. Mostly because it's hard to find a movie that will work for all of the kids. I have sensitive children. I'm sure I've mentioned that before! But I've decided that I think they are ready for Star Wars! Of course, I want to jump right into Episode IV, because the originals are Classic! But...I'm a fan for continuity, so in order makes the most sense to me. Plus, the second segments are more "family friendly", if that's the right definition. Okay, some of them are. Okay, the first one is! So, I borrowed Episode I: The Phantom Menace".
Kai was so excited about watching the movie! He was counting down the days. I told him that we'd watch it when Daddy left, so he kept asking each day if he was leaving yet! How upset he was when we didn't turn it on last night! Most of his friends (if not all) have already seen the movies, and they all talk about it, and while I have been impressed with how much he has figured out on his own, I thought it would be nice to know some of it himself! The other kids weren't as excited, but well...sometimes it's nice to watch something other than a Barbie movie! (which makes me think of how much Abi has control over things despite being the only girl and very outnumbered!)
I made homemade pizza, which I'll admit, sucked, but well, I'm trying to discipline myself and not order out dinner! We could sure use the extra money on other things, and well, the pizza crust (which is what sucked. Don't bother with the President's Choice crust. Just a head's up!) needed to be used up because there is no use wasting money by purchasing things and letting them go to waste. Just sayin'. Then the boys played outside while Abi & I made cookies. (I was really craving the cookie dough from Papa Murphy's! Does anyone actually bake cookies with that stuff? lol) Then it was time to put Rhys into bed, and then movie time!
They cheered for Anakin during the pod races. They were confused with Jar Jar Bink's language. They laughed when Anakin flew the ship accidentally. They were in awe when Obi Wan and Qui Gon faught Darth Maul. (Kai actually stood up and watched in excitement, saying, "if it were me, I'd just stab him!" I didn't know if I should be proud of his bravery or appalled that he had a solution!) All in all, the movie was a big hit! Even I did good! I tried not to get too annoyed with their constant questions ("why is he doing that?" "Where are they?" "Why is he covering his face?" "why is she dressed like that?") and the need to get up, sit down, move here, move there and their constant need to talk. I tried real hard. I do admit to telling them, on several occasions, that they'd never learn if they didn't stop talking and start listening!
They are ready for Episode II! Or, Kai is. Or, he thinks he is. We'll see how things go. They were all excited to see that there was another disc in the case, and I had to tell them that it wasn't the next movie, but just the extras. Which of course got them giddy. Extras? Like funny things? No. Not likely. More like them talking about why it took them 20 years to make this movie. I was stalling, ok? I needed them to head off to bed and had to quelch the excitement! But that just got them to ask more questions. Oops.)
It was the bedtime that made it all worth it. I tucked Bryn into bed first. It was a surprise that I wasn't carrying his sleepy self there but instead following him. He was tired all right, but stayed awake for the whole movie! (I've got my fingers crossed for no bad dreams) I took the time to snuggle with him, brush his hair off his forehead and kiss his warm face, telling him how happy I was with him. His smile brightens up a room. He does melt me.
Then I had Kai make up his bed while I got Abi tucked into hers. We snuggled and kissed and giggled, doing things that only girls can. I thanked her for all her help tonight, and told her how special she was to me. She is such a blessing and gives so much of herself.
While I love spending time with Abi and tucking her in and reading with her, it's the moments with Kai that are incredibly special to me. That's when my Little ("I'm not little") Man is Mr. Snuggly! He wasn't much of a cuddler as a baby, even though we (meaning myself and Abi) loved on him so much! But at bedtime, he gets this peaceful smile on his face, as if everything is all right with the world and he's pleased with his part in making the day as good as possible for himself. He also lets me snuggle and kiss him and touch his face and brush his hair out of his eyes and he lays his warm sticky hands on my face and we gaze at eachother. (who knew I was such a touchy-feeling mom? I didn't expect that until I had children! I want to touch them and hold them all the time. I won't let them pass me without me reaching out to them!) And we talk.
We talked about his favourite parts of the movie, and he tells me what he'd do if he were there and then he'll tell me about his adventures during the day and the things that happened in class, and it's just an incredible moment of connecting with my son. Kai is full of energy and spirit and has this tendancy to be a handful. Not because he's intentionally trying to be difficult, he just doesn't know how to focus. And I struggle with knowing how to teach him that. It's so easy for me to shake my head and fret that I'm doing it all wrong, but in all reality, Kai is a wonderful boy. He amazes me as much as he frustrates me, if not more! We have very similar personalities, and that has it's benefits as well as struggles, but I'll be honest when I say that I think I was a pretty darn cool kid so it's self-explanatory how awesome my own son is!
I left the bedrooms with a smile on my face, feeling as though everything were all right with the world and that I could tackle anything! I love my children so much. It's impossible to express just how much. They are amazing and I am so blessed! They make me smile. I am so thankful for nights like these, that remind me why I do what I do, why I want to continue doing this, why I feel I was made for this, and that God has given me the strength and the love to do it all!
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