confused

i taught another class on Saturday. it was a pretty busy day. i also kept myself up late on Friday night. and Thursday night. by 5pm Saturday i was exhausted! the good kind of exhausted.

i also hadn't eaten much that day, so it was a treat to eat my supper in front of the television. it is a rare treat. then i promptly closed my eyes and had cat naps for the next 2 hours. by the time my down-time was done i felt so much better. a little reminder to relax at times like that and not worry about the work that should have been getting done.

when i started my little rest time it was cold and rainy outside. 3 hour south of us was already on their second day of snow.

when i rose from my fabulous quiet time i learned that the air turned even colder and the rain turned to snow. as Aidan put it, "there is snow falling and getting mixed up with the rain."



May 29. snow. it was just a few weeks ago that we hit 30 degrees Celsius and we had the air conditioning turned on. we smelled like sunscreen. we were enjoying any and every meal we could eat of hamburgers, steak and grilled suppers.



this is what it looked like this morning.

yuck.

our "plan" was to do some major yard work this week. the "weather" plans to rain. rain. with a few days of sun.

que sera?

the things they say

many years ago i got a tip from a fellow teacher. he commented how interesting conversations between kids got when they didn't think you were listening. he was referring to a day when he drove a group of the students on a field trip and they chatted happily in the backseat. he also learned things about them that were really interesting. {this theory could also explain why kids are so loud in the car...they think the parents turn off their ears!}


what i am noticing at this stage of our family is the interesting things they learn or think they learn. goes back to the old adage, "don't believe everything you hear". better yet, a reminder to my teaching days when i used to frequently say, "if you believe everything your child says that happens at school, then i'll believe everything they say that happens at home". 


early in the school year i overheard Aidan tell Kiara not to make funny faces. his reason was that her face would stay that way. 
ha! sound like something your mother told you? 
at this point, i had not said that to my kids. after a few questions i learned that one of his classmates told him this news of great importance. it was also determined to be true because "his mother told him". 

last night i was privileged to listen to another conversation of great importance to the universe. a few boys chatting during a soccer break.

first kid: "my mom said i have potatoes growing in my ears"

second kid: "my mom says i have honey growing in mine"

{note the "my mom says" holds great value here}

then my son pipes up: "i have an eardrum"

{note that he does not begin his statement with "my mom". it should also be noted that he loves to read any book of research on space, the human body or star wars.}

at that point the conversation switched to another topic. we all "love" a little nerd shaking up the thought process that a mom's statement can be wrong. gasp!

the other night he accidentally kicked one of the mom's feet. i think his legs are growing too quickly that he doesn't realize where they are half the time. i asked him to apologize with a quick sorry even though he didn't intend to do it. he was not so willing. the parent was fine and understood, but he's old enough to accept the consequences to his actions. even if it was accidental and no one was hurt. i want him to be considerate of others and not be selfish or develop a mean reputation.

it took a few minutes, but he finally managed to get the words out.

later, he commented about the situation. he said that he didn't like some of the things her son tried to get him to do. he also felt a bit bullied by the boy. i'm right there watching most of this, so i understood what he was saying. he does what he can to handle himself with him, but will come escape to me if it is more than he can handle. as it turns out he didn't want to apologize to the mother of this boy who was so unkind to him and the others on their team.

i found his perspective interesting.





last night they played a team that was quite aggressive. there were a few tears from several of the players on our team. at one point there was a pile up and the ball was in the middle. Aidan was one that was on the bottom of the pile and near the ball. the kids are so young that all they can think about is to kick the ball! in the commotion, Aidan ended up getting kicked a few times in his leg. it took every ounce of strength in me to not cry with him. sometimes parenting just sucks!

when he started to feel better he told me that he wanted to take more gymnastics classes. as i listened i couldn't help but remember the day when Kiara fell and how i felt about it. i was beginning to contemplate keeping my kids in a padded room! he explained to me, if he could take twice as much gymnastics then he would be strong enough to go back to soccer and not let anyone hurt him.

where do they find the reasoning to think of this stuff?!


when his daddy was a boy, he attended a pretty rough school. i think he saw more nasty stuff in those first 10 years of his life than others do in their lifetime. {i am friends with one of his teachers, and she has quite a few crazy stories as well. runaway kids at recess. knives in the classroom. stories that make you cringe and thank God for your present situation!}
a few of the kids did not like being bullied by the gang members. {imagine that!} instead, they formed their own gang of the "good guys". Kris was the gang leader. {oh the irony!} we don't plan to set Aidan up for the same experiences as his daddy...but i think that "must help the less fortunate" mentality must be very much a part of his own personality.

something

we're nearing the first year anniversary of being in our new home.

we are celebrating by giving the yard an much needed makeover.

you see, when we were looking for homes we really wanted one that was landscaped. "landscaped" in a new build area means about the same thing as "finished basement" in an older neighbourhood. we wanted to do nothing more than enjoy someone else' hard work, with the biggest chore requiring the lawn mower.

we learned a new lesson.

many people who love to live in new homes have learned that "landscaped" yards sell better. these same people lack any care of what they plant, instead they buy from the sale rack and pay no attention to planting directions.

we now also know that there are others out there that use a hand shovel to dig the hole for a sapling. or at least can't dig a hole larger than the bucket it was sold in.

sigh.

i guess we can be thankful the topsoil and sod is in?




time to break out the old garden shovel.

we consulted with another neighbour who happens to be an experienced and trained landscaper. he got our vision started and now we are EXCITED!!!

Kristian will rent a rototiller next week and we will have some awesome garden beds. we went a little shopping crazy at the greenhouses this weekend. the weather was awful, so the yard work and sweat had to be delayed.



i brought 4 of these little spruce saplings from our old home last summer. 3 did not survive the winter. this one is doing very well. it was just a single stem last year. this was a total surprise. our guess is that it is a baby blue spruce. but that could be completely wrong.



we planted the apple tree. of course it had blooms when we bought it, but now they are done. it is doubtful we will get any apples this year, but all four of us are excited about having a brand new apple tree. quite funny, really.



this is a new one for us. Coppertina Ninebark. so far, it is my favourite.

we also have a Tannenbaum Pine tree. it is tiny and cute! we finally bought some cranberry bushes. Kristian has some blueberry bushes and i have a rose bush. a plot of daylillies and irises will be planted too. i bought another clematis vine too. did i mention the couple who bought our old house chopped down my HEALTHY and full clematis? it broke my heart. i would have gladly dug it up and moved it with me had i known.

anyways. it is awesome to see the old, dying trees gone and slowly being replaced with our choices. i think it is all good in the end. it feels like a fresh start. the kids are at a perfect age where they care and enjoy choosing with us. Kiara wants a purple tree with pink flowers. Aidan thinks it is awesome we will have a tree with real maple leaves on it.

we also had a few days this winter that saw the temperature reach -50 below. i've never felt it that cold. sadly it was brutal on some of the trees as well. even though we would probably get reimbursed for it, i'm glad we didn't plant anything in the fall.

there you have it. the season of yardwork has now begun.

learning can be fun

today is a perfect rainy day.

i may send the kids outside later to see how wet they can actually get. time will tell how adventurous i will be!

a few months ago, one of our neighbours introduced us to an old 80's band that now has children. you could say their music has changed a bit?

check out They Might Be Giants.





i know Kristian will make comments about their lyrics not being completely correct. since he is the Materials Engineer with the Masters Degree we let him have his opinions. for the rest of us we quite enjoy learning the "not entirely accurate" information! okay, he's not that critical. just don't start quoting TMBG on your university science essays and expect to do well.


if you have young children such as mine, you may hear the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song a few times each week. performed by TMBG. can you sing the Hot Dog song as well as your kids? also performed by TMBG.

sunny days

are happy days around here.

although when the weather is not so agreeable, i find the kids enjoy playing with their indoor toys. it is almost like they are brand new again.

today we are expected to reach 31 degrees Celsius. hard to believe we were kept inside by snow and cold wind just over two weeks ago! the kids will be thrilled out of their skin to play some water games in the backyard. {i'll take photos and hopefully get some reading time}




the bunnies on this side of town are quite the characters. i don't remember having trouble with them eating my plants at our old house. less food choices for them out here in the 'burbs? one of my neighbours has had them eat down to the root of some of her plants. while other gardens are left alone. it really makes you scratch your head.


Aidan and i joined Kiara and Kristian on Saturday morning. he has been involved with Kiara and her soccer. Aidan and i brought our cameras with us.




the uniforms are pretty big on most of the kids. they remind me a lot of the characters in the Charlie Brown comic books.

Kiara enjoys the practice times. their coach has the most creative warm-ups and games i have ever seen. she has learned a lot of skills already. their team name is the "Thunderbirds". one of the dads managed to get little bags for them with their team name on it. the best thing is that the bag is just their size!



games are a bit confusing for a few of them. it is fun to see them either freeze when they get a ball or be so happy to kick it and fire it into their own goal.


she is doing so many things independently now. conversations with her are always interesting.

after playschool one day we drove past a field of dandelions (her favourite flower). she burst into tears. with some coaxing i managed to get her to calm down enough to tell me that she had picked dandelions at school, but forgot them in the classroom. she felt better when we drove back to get them. the only problem was the door was locked by the time we got there! she handled the disappointment very well.


in a chat with her daddy, she asked him if bad germs could tickle. he replied that they couldn't because they were too small. her response.... "too small to have hands?"


her favourite treats include: lolli-plops....which we all know as "lollipops". slurshees....a combination of "slurpee" and "slush" and "slushee".


she is in her first non-parent swimming class. it is apparent she loves the water as much as the rest of her family. when it came to going down the kiddie slide i heard her clearly say to her teacher, "i can do this by myself. don't catch me!" then she went right under the water. came up spurting and laughing. this is not a response that is common in that particular class.


she has her moments like the rest of us. she is full of personality. my heart melts when she says to me, "oh, thank you mom! you are the best. i love you so much!" or when she bursts into tears because Daddy left for work before she was awake and she didn't get to say good-bye. or when she gives Aidan a big hug and closes her eyes with a gentle smile on her lips.



these are the days i want to remember and wish could last forever.

taking time

to enjoy the simple things.

last week i found these adorable little "lunchables" at the grocery store.



my neighbour was shopping at the same time. right away we both thought this would be a fun little treat for a day at the park. the "french fries" were just potato chips, cut to look like fries.



just big enough for little hands.

i was really impressed with the job she did adding her ketchup and mustard. my little girl is growing so quickly.


it was fun to spend a few hours at the park together. despite being interrupted by the park cleaning staff. always interesting how watching someone clean captures a kids attention. it was windy and actually felt chilly. that was when we left to go and try flying kites!





with the beautiful weather here, Kiara and i are developing a new routine. i love the number of walking trails in this community. when it is time to take Aidan to the bus, Kiara will ride her bike. after the bus whisks Aidan off to school Kiara and i extend the walk home. we make sure we go by the duck pond. the fountain is not turned on at that time, so the only noise are the birds. chickadees. mallard ducks. Canada geese. and the redwing blackbirds, like in the photo. it is noisy!

now if i can only remember to put on my running shoes and gear....that would be perfect.

go fly a kite

"With tuppence for paper and strings

You can have your own set of wings

With your feet on the ground

You're a bird in a flight

With your fist holding tight

To the string of your kite

Oh, oh, oh!

Let's go fly a kite

Up to the highest height!

Let's go fly a kite and send it soaring

Up through the atmosphere

Up where the air is clear

Oh, let's go fly a kite!"

(from Mary Poppins)

we did.

the air was clear.

we sent them soaring. to the greatest heights.

two hours worth of fun. for the price of a Toonie.

really tough to beat that.

unless the kite lands in a tall tree. then that simply sucks. {fortunately a team rescue mission saved the day!}

winding down

i put myself in a pickle! i had these perfect, mind-blowing ideas to put on my next class layout. the only problem was they were only perfect in my mind. ever have that problem? not complaining about the layout i made, just frustrated that it took me so many days to actually finish it! thankfully no great late nights were spent and the kids were so happy to be playing on their own while i agonized over roses and placement and colour and butterflies and ribbon. meant to be done on Tuesday...finished Friday.

and it also gave them extra time to strategize for mothers' day! as with all things i could have finished it early had i given myself a break. it is done and ready for the next stage in the class preparation!

i had been telling Aidan and Kiara about PLEASE wiping their hands and faces in the washroom after eating. PLEASE not on the furniture. PLEASE not on the walls. "it's builders paint and it's cheap!!" i finally stated. "it collects all the oils and dirt from your hands. AND it's impossible to clean!"

neither of them could wait past Saturday morning to give me their school made gifts. Kiara presented hers already opened! both kids gave me lovely frames. cards. so precious. both gifts featured this poem that had me crying before i finished reading:

'Sometimes you get discouraged

because I am so small

and always leave my fingerprints

on furniture and walls.

But every day I'm growing-

I'll be grown some day

And all those tiny handprints

will surely fade away.

So here's a little handprint

just so you can recall

Exactly how my fingers looked

When I was very small."

so forget that damn builders' paint! before long we'll be repainting anyway!!

Kiara added a flower to her card, which her teacher helped her to scribe: "I love my mom because....I love her so much!"

more tears.

Aidan gave me a photo he had taken on Christmas day. one of me taking a photo.

just give me the whole box of kleenex.



it is so very important to not let any of these little moments slip away from us. opportunities to love each other. hugs and kisses are innumerable in this home. i am grateful for that.



the rest of Saturday passed in a blur of 2 sets of soccer photos, a tinkerbell princess party, haircuts, shopping....


while Kris hung out with the kiddos and made more plans for the next day, i got to hang out with these fantastic mothers:





Arlene is my amazing and energetic sister-in-law and Nicole is a long time friend. (actually a former neighbor of Kris' when he lived with his parents growing up.)

Arlene planned a semi-surprise evening for Nicole with my creative help. they wanted to do a project involving scrapbooking and learn some new techniques at the same time. they had no idea what they got themselves into!

given my desire for perfection (cough!) on the class layout....this project got pushed back majorly. i also couldn't find the time to visit the store to choose papers. thankfully i am there often enough that i at least had some ideas in my head!

Friday night....had me working. i picked up the lovely 7Gypsies photo trays. sigh. they are so amazing. i looked at 3 paper lines before i settled on this one. divine intervention. it had just arrived in the store that morning. and was selling very quickly! after work i shopped and planned. fast. why can't i make decisions like that all the time!!!




i was tired after work so i went to bed early and hoped for energy and a very strong burst of creativity in the morning!

i HAVE to start with photos. had none i wanted to put in here. since it was still early i took a look at some i had taken a few weeks ago. cropped and photoshopped, then sent them off to Costco!

nothing got glued down. but i did cut. added pop dots. poked holes.

then ran the marathon of the afternoon, to come home and quickly put my scrap room in order. a few weeks of pulling stuff and piling stuff really adds up! the girls needed a place to work, so that seemed more important than finalizing the product.

normally i do like to think through the process of where to start, the middle and the end. this time the 3 of us sort of decided together. i also pre-cut papers, ribbon and make little kits. nope! made them do all the dirty work too. which adds to the creativity even more. they put on their happy faces and humoured me! and i filled their brains with as many crafty secrets as i could! i took photos of their projects. that i love. so similar. but some different spin-offs. fun!



this is a sneak of mine. i'll post the photos on my other blog later this week. including theirs!

it was the first time i had made one of these trays. can we say "addictive"? it's like making a set of cards that coordinate...then assembling them into a layout.

thank you to Arlene and Nicole for completely trusting me. and indulging me in a quick card-making session at the end too! you girls rock!! when you have fully recovered from your night, please come again. it was so much fun.



then came the "real" mothers' day. i was allowed to sleep in. just before i was ready to get up, i could hear these quiet feet tip-toe-ing into the bedroom. i knew they belonged to one of the kids. since the babe didn't wake me up, i knew it was Aidan. {for sure, Kiara would have said something like "are you sleeping, mommy?" .....and not leave until she got an answer!!} he left a stack of more cards and a gift on my night table. then he ran from the room!

Kristian commented that the kids possibly enjoyed the day more than me. which says a lot, considering i really enjoyed the day!

i came home and fell asleep on our uncomfortable couch! with 2 tiaras balanced on my head.





what a treat to nap in the middle of the day!

i need to buy some eyeshadow with colour. green and brown is getting old. maybe blue? or gold?


Kristian also took the kids out while i was at work and purchased some roses. both kids have found their own opinions now. Aidan insisted they be red. Kiara insisted they be anything but red. Krisitan found himself as the referee. nah! they couldn't possibly be our children!! i'll post photos of them in a few days. any guesses how Kris solved the colour problem?

farvel vinter!

did i mention that soccer season started on May 1? it was a nice day. it was still cool enough that Kiara had to wear a sweater under her soccer jersey....but warm enough to not be freezing if you were standing still. we were spoiled royally by a burst of summer in the middle of April. it is hard to believe that it was hot enough for water fights just less than a month ago.

Aidan had his first game on Monday. we nearly froze! we all let the kids play because we knew they were excited, but after 30 minutes they were done too. a perfect excuse to visit Starbucks and treat ourselves to a hot drink.

Tuesday morning we woke up to this:




i heard Aidan comment about enjoying winter, but hoping spring would be back tomorrow. nothing like being an optimist!

later that day they enjoyed a perfect snowball fight with the neighbours.



they played like this for at least 15 minutes solid. considering their ages, that was impressive! you know what else was amazing? not a single tear or complaint.

on Wednesday, the snow was still here. Aidan and his kindergarten buddy played in the snow with his rescue heros. on one side of our house we still don't have a fence....so you could see their tracks into the neighbours yard. when i looked closer it looked like they were even in the next yard...but i can't be sure! the next morning the largest snowman i have ever seen was sitting on their deck. i need to take a photo of that sight. soccer was cancelled. obviously. but it was the first day of their swimming lessons, so it was nice to kind of get accustomed to the new schedule gradually and see how much time we will really have between swimming and soccer.

on Thursday Aidan and Kiara decided to build a snowman. i think they both still need some help with this. it appears that the snowman is laying down and watching tv. interesting. while they worked i stayed in the house and worked on a project i had started earlier, and made supper, and got ready for an evening out...never a slack moment? one of the times i checked on them i saw a lone snowball fly from another yard. and another. and another. i can't remember how many landed before they looked up! our other neighbour was in his hot tub and chucking snowballs at them. i did not get a photo. ha!

as i mentioned i had been working on a project. i have a class coming up at the end of the month, so i need to get the layout prepared as soon as possible. i was hoping to get it done by Friday so that i can bring it to work with me and move on to the next project! i am such a slow scrapbooker. it has been a challenge to find time to work on it this time around too. finally i got to the point where i could see my "plan" for the pages and just needed to put it together. to my relief and joy the kids allowed me the time to do this during the day! they played in the basement for at least 2 and a half hours. happily. not a single disagreement or fight. i couldn't believe how much i got accomplished.

at one point i had to take something to the basement and spotted them in the craft area. suspicious looks on their faces. "hi mommy. don't look!!! please" greeted me. all week Aidan has told me that he has a secret, and how special Sunday will be. i had some guesses what they were up to. then they started to make trips upstairs to borrow paper punches and pop dots. he came to me and his eyes were huge. "are you really excited for Sunday, Mommy? you only have 3 more sleeps."

so, i'm not sure how much of the special Sunday plans involve their dad. i've tried to find out from them, but they are being very secretive.

today the snow is still here. some green grass and leaves poking through the drifts.

tomorrow they have soccer photos scheduled. hmmm... the weatherman says warmer weather will be with us for the weekend. but soon enough for it to melt and dry the ground?

i've always stuck to the "put out your plants on the May long weekend" advice. so nice that we are getting closer to that date. let's hope that we can finally put the snowpants, mittens and shovels away until November.