catching up

it has just been one of those seasons!

i remember laying in bed one morning a few years ago and thinking that soon enough my mornings would not be off to a slow start.

i'm not a morning person. it was a treat to not HAVE to get out of my pj's every day. sometimes it was nice to cuddle with my babies and read books in bed. or talk about teddy bears and dreams. or just lay in bed quietly while i could hear the kids rustle around. {i knew i was okay as long as i could hear them....it was when it was quiet i knew i was in trouble!}

after the kids had their breakfast and diapers changed i'd take care of myself. they would be fed, rested and happy. i had coffee and some breakfast, my laptop or magazine or television. and i could slowly come to life.

there were many days these past few months when i wished myself back to those days....

then i realized that those "quiet" mornings were really only an hour in length.

i had forgotten the toy clean-up duty. diaper duty. missed the toilet duties. not napping grumpies. or just plain ol' grumpies.

but if i could just turn back the clock to enjoy that one hour again....

i enjoyed having babies and toddlers more than i ever thought i would. here my kids are today with plans and thoughts all their own. no more short stubby legs. no more big diaper bums.

as much as i have fond memories of those days, i am thankful for where we are today. they are older. more independent. make me laugh. cry. scream. but i don't have to worry as much about leaving stuff laying around. {note i said 'as much'. yes.}

one activity i heard about last year was Rainbow Pancakes. as it happened it was shared on another mom's blog. a blog who happened to have a lot of readers. some with some very vocal opinions! she got a major backlash from some who could not believe she fed her kids food with food colouring. it was quite the event!

the day after Halloween, Aidan did not have school. once Kiara was home from preschool i suggested rainbow pancakes as a lunch idea. it came up after Aidan asked me if i would eat green eggs and ham. see? life gets interesting as they get older!




i can't remember how the blogger did it. {can't recall which one she was...sorry! but i did find her link on a post on NittyGritty Jody's blog}

for my method, i mixed the batter up first. then separated it into bowls.

added a few drops of food colouring to each one. you really only need a few drops. then stir.



you can see they got golden brown on the sides. but the colour is still apparent. we each got one pancake of each colour.



some syrup and chocolate milk kept us happy and flying high the rest of the day. not really. but we enjoyed them and made some great memories. Kiara was determined to eat ALL of hers. not sure where she found the space!


we also had a pleasant surprise that week.



yup.
first tooth is outa' there!
i do believe that it was the first tooth that grew in too. it took nearly as long to grow into place as it did to loosen enough to pop out. it popped out at the end of the school day. as he was walking to meet me. after i cried, i shook my head at the thought. we had just checked the tooth the night before and figured it still had a few days or weeks of life left!

today was another school holiday. a good day to remember the freedom that was fought for us.

the community school had a great presentation yesterday. the kids made wreaths as a class and hung them in the gymnasium. i have video but no photos. each child traced and cut out their handprint from green construction paper. then they made poppies and glued them on top. there were different variations of the wreaths. Aidan was thrilled to be able to read a poem with his classmates.

we had a somewhat quiet day. the kids spent several hours making cards for their upcoming fundraiser. can you believe it is their third year an a row doing this? Kiara surprised me that first year when she joined in. she needed a lot of assistance, but did very well. she loved glitter glue. ha!

after each card Aidan will come to me and ask, "do you think i need to stop here?" it's really funny. he has been saying a lot of funny things lately. last night he prayed that God would keep ALL his teddy bears on his bed, beside him, all night long. too too too cute! he said something else today, but it has slipped my mind already.

i am not sure if life is slowing down, or if i am getting used to the busy-ness. there is still a long list of 'to-do's. i've reached that point where i am ready to paint some walls and make some decisions on picture placement. considering it took us several years - without children - to take action on that in our last home....i guess we aren't doing too bad. painting that house would have been delayed too, i'm sure. but those cotton candy pink walls had us crazy the day we moved in!

for now i remind myself {when i can} that the walls and laundry and cleaning will ALWAYS be here. but this special age of my kids will not. some days are free enough to sweep up the dust bunnies. other days, we'll just have to ignore the hand streaks on the bathroom mirror. {among the list of many things you find in a lived-in home.} such is life.

joke is on me!

would you believe i had to bribe our children to come INDOORS a few days ago?

i'm a little cautious when they are in the backyard alone. i don't have to sit outside with them and watch them every second anymore. however i am not comfortable working in a part of the house where i can't see or hear them.

it was quite windy this week and neither of them actually wanted to ride their bikes for long. although they are thrilled that the snow has pretty much melted. just a few piles that they can shovel and move to another area. the sandbox is also a big thrill again.

basically all the toys that they haven't seen since October are new again!




we have had this little car since Aidan was 20 months old. it was second hand. that first winter we actually brought it into the basement so that he could play during the winter. i have a few photos from 2 year old Aidan and 4 month old Kiara sitting together on the seat. Aidan has the wheel and Kiara was content to sit beside him and let him decide where to go. not much has changed. i can picture them in 13 years {gasp!} doing the same thing with a real car.



this car was used for a lot of their imaginary games this week. i don't usually play a part in those games. but i hear a lot of interesting material! if they can write out these stories as well as they can act, then we will have many years of entertainment on our hands.

this has been a fabulous neighbourhood for spring. we have yet to make it to the park. however the back path is kept clear of snow, so it is ready for bikes quite early. the yard even has a slope so that the water drains properly and in good time! maybe tomorrow will find us spending some time at the park. this will be the first year that i should be able to sit off to the side for most of the playtime with a book or magazine. it could possibly be my new addiction! i can't see much complaining about that from anyone either. yahoo!!



given it was April Fool's Day today, my joke started early. it was not my brightest moment when i decided to put the kids' easter treats in my closet. nor to leave them there after Kiara discovered them and tried to open a package already. you know what's coming. you may recall this event.

last night had me working downstairs and Kristian upstairs. Kiara managed to sneak past him with a bag of their easter treats. at 10:00pm Kristian discovered Kiara nearly finished an entire chocolate treat. a hollow tinkerbell that was nearly her size. at 10pm. that is 3 hours past the time we tucked her under her covers for sleep. this added more sugar into her system than she has ever had before. not to mention the lack of sleep.

again, i was very excited with the products and ideas i had for the next layout class at Urban. i was anxious to also put the assignment away and spend some family time this weekend. with glee, i worked hard on the page last night. then i crawled into bed at 3am.

Aidan was up at 7:30am and in a totally happy mood. and he was humming the Star Wars theme song while he ate his cereal.

happy Fool's Day to me!



knowing Kiara and i needed sleep...i begged him to be quiet. turned on the laptop so that the could play games. i also turned on the iMac so that he could pick an iTune show to watch if he got tired of games.

it could have been a terrible joke. thankfully he was very respectful of our moods and sleep needs. most likely he was thrilled to play computer games uninterrupted for a few hours!


supper is about to be eaten and the tears have been very minimal with all things considered!


phew!


**added: no photos of the unfortunate chocolate incident this time! shucks!!

blur

typically, i've discovered, January and February are my low photo months. when i look through my photos  this year i have more photos of my scrapbook projects than my precious family. yeesh! i prefer to use natural light when i use my camera. even though i have a fabulous flash. so the overcast days don't really help. i have lost track of the number of times when i missed some possibly amazing shots because i didn't have my camera or i forgot to use it. must change this mistake for next year!!

i put a post on my other blog, thinking i was posting on this one. so perhaps it wasn't just the sky that was overcast? yes, just a little busy! perhaps a reading lesson?

it was one time when i fortuately remembered that i had a camera and had a perfect time to use it!!

Kiara got into my valentine chocolates and ate herself to sleep. the pictures are priceless. pat on the back to myself that i did not let those moments pass.


another hindrance to my slack photography is the age of my kids. they aren't as easily to catch in action.






they move quickly!

i was in the middle of taking yet more photos of my projects and squeezed in a few of these special projects!

i am starting to recall many forgotten {or blocked} moments when Aidan was 3. being three is just not a fun age for our kids. {or us, their parents!} not to suggest that Aidan is perfect, but he certainly gives us hope that we will have better days when Kiara is 4! oh the stories she is giving us. daily. sometimes even by the hour. one tough part of parenting is seeing ourselves in our children. seeing those traits that we don't like in ourselves becoming evident in our precious children. oh the irony!

this morning they had a sibling switch! our loveable and goodhearted daughter shone like a rainbow. on the other hand, Aidan took a page from Kiara's 3 year old hand book.

thankfully a 5 year old using some 3 year old behaviours was much more tolerable.  ha!

on the flip side, i'm sure they think that we, as their parents are always amazing. of course they see our perfect behavior. we never get upset. we never need a break. believe that?

today is a reminder that we should accept each other - the good and the not so good. these are precious times. even with the "bad" moments, i am so proud of my kids! they both have some pretty exciting moments and memories that they share. they are courageous. especially with the number of changes they have experienced in their short little lives. i am so often humbled by the love they share with us and how much they demonstrate that bond of love with us.

Aidan had some big goals a few weeks ago. i wasn't sure if he would be as successful attaining his goals as i thought he may be dreaming he would be. i told him that i would be proud of him if he succeeded and if he failed. apparently we had never had such a conversation before. he was surprised. since then he has reminded me of those words i shared. how important for them to be reminded that our love for them is unconditional.

it seems like the teaching and learning never ends. it also goes both directions. their child-like love for us, their parents, is completely unconditional. they truly grasp what it means to forgive. they remind us every day that no dream is too big. i don't think a day ends when they have not showed their true personality and allowed themselves to be true to who they are.

as exhausting and frustrating as some days end, it is still the most amazing experience. i love to look at their faces when they have fallen asleep at night. especially after one of those impossible days. the look on their faces and the tilt of their mouths indicate nothing of trouble in the hours prior. it only exudes sweetness and peace.

being a parent, i have gotten a greater grasp on the love given to me by God. he created me as i am. he understands the frustration of reminding Aidan and Kiara to do (or not do) something 50 million times. yet, he can still look at my face and know my heart. despite the challenges i face each day, the number of times i disappoint him by falling into my own selfish will, he still loves me the same. this is a new lesson for me. i always thought the love God had for me was conditional on my behavior or attitude. there is nothing i can do or think of doing that would change his love for me. or for you. just like the love we have for our own children.

i suspect we have many more life lessons ahead. i prefer to think that life is not a race we run being perfect. instead it is a journey where we understand we are not perfect, but rest in the desire of doing our personal best.

more smiles

this has seriously been the most amazing month!

there is some "gossip" about me. heehee

craft gossip. yup. go HERE.


it's been a long and busy couple of weeks. i am really looking forward to putting my feet up and watching a movie with the kids. or maybe even just sleeping while they watch the movie. either option sounds great. i have a hair appointment to look forward to. ahhhh pampering. one of these days i need to schedule a massage and then the hair appointment in the same evening. that would be bliss.


before i forget...i have decided that learning to take better photos is soooo worth it. again, i came across the most perfect photo moment and did not have my camera! murphy's law strikes again!! this morning there was a bit of hoar frost and light fog. clear skies. a completely visible full moon. even better were the colours with the sun just rising. i really hope i get another moment like that when i have my camera and the knowledge of how to do the photo justice to the real thing. a nice way to start the day don't you think?

mountains and valleys

{warning: a more serious post! if you don't want to read, you can enjoy the photos instead!}







did you ever play with one of these?







they are filled with air. and there was a bag of sand at the bottom. you could try to push or punch it over, but it would always pop back up.

rather an ironic toy, now that i think of it!

our year has felt much like we have been the punching bag. we have kept getting pushed and pushed. at times it has been really hard to pop back up again. and other times we've been pushed back down before we've had a chance to pop back up again. phew! not something i'd recommend to anyone.

some of the pains we've felt have been in empathy of others too. that has been hard.

some of the pains was inflicted on us by people we were close to and had thought were supporters. that was difficult.

but despite the challenges, we have had a lot to be grateful for.

we are all together.

Kris and i were talking about it the other day and truly amazed at how much stress we have been able to handle. of course "handle" being an inadequate word! truthfully it is much more like struggling to catch your breath and at that same time realizing that you're not alone.


we are thankful for many blessings and great opportunities this year.

i've been working on photos we've taken this past year. it is amazing the number of memories these photos can bring. they're kind of like evidence. in a way.

with digital photos you can end up with too many. i've learned that it is good to have a mix of photos. not all have to be happy. they don't have to be to taken just at special occasions. my favourites are the ones that are from a typical day. the kind that aren't posed. and some of them show the true feelings of the person at the time. they tell a story. yes we have photos of thinking faces, tear faces, funny faces, serious faces, happy faces, sad faces.... definitely evidence of sad days and happy days. life.







here is one of the pages i've put together. we visited this park every couple of weeks. we spent many hours here each time. i usually left with one or two cranky children! i learned that the key to a successful visit was to not have expectations. those were the best days. i think there is a lesson there.

a garage that took longer to build because a daddy knew that his greatest supporters needed his prescence. the memories tied to the building are worth much more than the building itself. Aidan was part of the planning process. he wore his work gloves the day it came down. he was outside nearly every day that action was happening. the day they poured the concrete foundation....he was in his sandbox making his own with sand. he had his own hammer and ladder. all the days that he missed his daddy last winter were balanced with the amount of memories those two created this summer. even though the garage was always behind schedule. sacrifice.



this little album has been a great reminder of these three important people in my life. so thankful for their unconditional love. acceptance. encouragement. gratitude.




i realize more as i get older how important it is to have those closest to you believe the best in you. even when you are not showing any signs of "goodness".


i want to be one of those people for family. they know how far from perfect i am. yes it is true!! and trust me, i know their lack of perfection too. yet it doesn't matter. so we try to find the balance from overlooking imperfections and praising positives. some days it is really tough. for all of us!


the biggest lesson we have learned this year is that love does mean sacrifice at times. our little family is our priority. we've learned that we need to say no to some things. that has not been easy. as the kids get older we see how important Kris and I are to them. isn't it ironic how if we keep a priority on maintaining a happy and healthy marriage, our kids will feel more secure and happy? it seems like we're walking backwards....like we should be putting more priority on them than ourselves! oh the irony of life.


as difficult at 2008 has been. as many changes as i would have liked to have made. i cannot complain about the results so far. i'd prefer to have less difficulty. oh yeah. and at times i need big reminders to look at the big picture. not that it makes it easier....it just reminds me that the problems are bigger than me.


i am so fortunate to have had several people in my life support me. even in sad times.



another bump in the road has come up for us. the timing is terrible. especially so with Christmas. ever since my grandpa died, thirty years ago, my grandma has been anxious to join him. today she got her wish granted.

for almost twenty years she had been suffering from a loss of vision. she was a very talented lady, especially in the creative department. i think it was grandpa who arranged to move one of the old wooden granaries close to their mobile home and converted it into an art studio for her. at one point it also became a guest house! i remember finding old drawings of hers stored in boxes in one of the garages on the farm. i was told they were probably from a long distance art course she took. their were still life drawings...and some nudity too. that was a shock to a grand-kid of a religious grandmother! up until her vision became severely poor, her art and crafts was part of her daily life. i have many happy memories watching her blend colours and transform a canvas into a sunset. or watching balls of yarn become blankets. i recall how peaceful those times were. however...i wonder how peaceful it was for her to have a talkative child nearby?!

for most of this past decade she has suffered from dementia. she was living in the past. happier times i think. for the most part. i learned more about her life during this stage. funny how certain incidents or decisions are believed to be best kept quiet! dementia removed many of her inhibitions.

before the kids were born i was able to visit her more often. each time i never knew if it would be my last. when i was expecting Aidan i once stopped by during a singing time at their home. Grandma always loved singing, even when her voice lost it's tune with age. she had a streak of silliness that never left. she had no idea who i was. nor did she care to miss her chance to sing. i stood behind her and watched the group of seniors sing songs. i thought it so interesting that they could remember these words to songs they rarely sang....but forgot faces and names and events that were most important to them. and there was grandma waving her white cane in tune to the beat of the music. terrorizing the two people she sat beside as they watched the cane come closer and closer to them. the more they tried to stop her, the more animated and silly she became. while grandma sang loudly - and offkey - her two neighbors were not singing, but trying to avoid getting bruised. it was a totally humorous moment. but at the same time i was embarrassed that my grandma could possibly injure someone and laugh about it.

these were the last good photos i was able to take of her.

on one visit i went on my own with two kids. Aidan took her walker for a walk around the home. Kiara had her blanket "stolen" by another patient. i don't think the camera even got turned on once.

grandma once told me that many people used to tell grandpa how lucky he was to be married to "Reenie". apparently she was very light on her feet and a popular dance partner. i never got to see her dance. i may have inherited her creative side...but i definitely missed out on the coordinated part! (those of you unlucky enough to have watched or danced with me will defnitely agree!)

it had been more difficult to visit with her in the last two years. the kids were a challenge. but the medication she had been on made her sleepy, so she was rarely awake when i've shown up.

my last visit, while she was awake, she was wearing a bright red nail polish. i realized that i had never seen her wearing bright colours on her gorgeous nails. she informed me that a group of them had gone out the night before and had a good time dancing. oh the lies told by seniors with dementia!

she was always quick to point out that she "was just visiting this home herself and did not live far away". when asked where she lived, she always said, "oh, here and there." i could never get anything more specific from her.

she lived for 98 years. her 99 birthday would have been next year. on ground hog day. definitely a life well lived.

for now we'll mourn her prescence. it is a sad day for us.

soon we'll celebrate that she is where she always wanted to be. dancing. singing - on key! being silly. home. reunited with the love of her life. happy.

today

is better than the day before.....

still so many questions that don't have answers.

but i keep reminding myself that God is Sovereign. and the tough part is to remind myself that life needs to go on. so for the past few days i've done my best to focus on LIFE.


as usual we are very behind planting our garden. but Aidan and i managed to get it done while Kiara was napping. and i think i've trained the boy well enough now....he can do the planting on his own next year!

he was responsible -- with direction! -- on the little area closest to him. the only vegetables he cared about were peas, orange carrots, while carrots (otherwise known as parsnips), beanstalks (i guess he'll figure this one out soon enough that he planted beans) and peas. he also wanted "punkins" and sunflowers. but we put a big patch of those in another area. i made sure we had lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, zucchini, swiss chard and spinach. not sure why those didn't excite him as much....haha

so we should see some sprouting of life soon enough in the garden. and then a lively little boy will be heard throughout the neighborhood.

these are the apples on our newest apple tree. this is the second year we have had it. and i am astonished at the number of apples already growing.

the pear tree is hard to get to these days. its surrounded by dirt hills, concrete, wire....not exactly orchard surroundings. still it is managing to bear some fruit.

spring is a great time of year with so many trees in bloom. lilacs just bloom. flowering fruit trees just bloom.

but the genuine fruit trees bloom with a purpose.

all of the blossoms last for such a short time. they are beautiful. thankfully the smell of the blossoms on our fruit trees do not get my allergies into action.

the blossoms don't all begin at the same time, nor do they end at the same time.

but the fruit blossoms remind me of LIFE. without the blossoms, we would not have the fruit. and in order for the fruit to be produced it needs the blossom. (and of course some pollination!) but the blossom and the fruit cannot exist at the same time. the blossom needs to die in order for the fruit to present itself. the blossom serves a purpose that can only be fulfilled by dying and becoming edible fruit. the purpose of the blossom is to produce fruit.

just the reminder i needed of 2 Corinthians 4.

so fragile.
so perfect.

LIFE.

we're working hard to enjoy every minute.

we set this up yesterday afternoon. my $5 garage sale winner. and it works.

they played with it again this morning. it was the first thing they went to. and you know...the rocks actually make it more realistic. if it were only deeper....then the boats and the rocks could fit!

it is neat to see the two of them playing things together. Aidan is lucky right now. for the most part, Kiara wants to do whatever he is doing at the moment. and i predict he will have another six months of that utopia.


i have to confess. they did not do this entirely on their own. but at the same time i have to congratulate myself. i stated, "ok. it is now book time." and this is what i got. now, if i can only figure out how to get 100% success every time i ask them to do something.....

tonight we had a party. Grandma Olsen is another year older. she celebrated by buying everyone else gifts! we won't tell her it should be the other way around....

for Father's Day Grandpa Olsen was given a large television. by his good son! haha. no it was not the one i'm married to. heehee. and then he was given a wii. with MarioKart. he loves car racing. but i think that they will need a couple more controllers for the little boys to play now. that provided some fun entertainment on Grandma's birthday. and it got the boys out of our way while we got to sip wine in the backyard while the kids pretended to be teachers, worker-men and families. Kiara is growing up so fast....she has no clue what they were really doing. but she was happy checking out the play space and the little chairs. and the patio door. she could open and close it by herself....or "self" as she phrases it!

and i did stop by Urban last night. just for a quick hi. and how was it that i ended up buying more scrapbooking supplies?! those girls are just too good at their jobs. ugh! it did get me to tidy my craft area (note that i did not say "room"....) they have these corner rounders that can punch through steel! well...not quite steel....but thick stuff like chipboard and artboard! the only thing i would change about it was if they could have designed it like the EK success ones....you could take off the "plate" and then use it to make a scallopped edge. but then, how often will i want a scallopped edge on steel anyway....

i made some cards today while the kids had their quiet time. that was very therapeutic. i don't normally make cards. but i had to make one for Aidan's teacher. and i liked how it had turned out. and i liked the ones i made today. but those were given away to grandma as gifts. she liked them. she has been working away at cleaning and organizing her house. she has a tough time saying good bye to old things, and an easy time saying hello to new things. i think i spotted an antique traffic lamp in her basement tonight. where in the world did she find that?! for the kids, it is an exciting place to explore.

well....i have two goals for tomorrow. one is to bake A LOT of cookies for the memorial service. the other is to keep the kids out of harms way...AKA let Daddy and Grandpa work on the concrete forms. with any luck we could have those done this weekend. oh, i hope so!

and well...if all goes well....it would be nice to do some scrapbooking.

those are the plans.

photo

frenzy


just having fun taking some photos.


it was a big surprise to download my photos tonight and actually have only 38 photos. a few of only 4 "scenes". and i just cropped these. no touch ups. yes i believe that is a record. and i should celebrate.


Aidan is fascinated by dandilions. the yellow ones. and the "fluffy" ones. i managed to snag a photo of this one before it was blown to smithereens. (is that even a word?) a part of me is repulsed by dandilions because they are an annoying weed. but there is a part of me that is amazed by them. they are the first flower in springtime....other than tulips that is!

and since "bug" as my lovely babies named it got some attention....these dutiful and hardworking ants should have their moment of fame too. again, i have a love-hate relationship with these creatures. as long as they don't ruin my garden and stay out of my house, they can stay. and i have a special place in my heart for those that eat aphids. saves me the time and trouble.

and this was the scene inside and outside of my kitchen yesterday. as Aidan calls them, "the worker mens" were here. these two were entertained by two fellows digging a big hole just under the window. then they were just as delighted to see the "digger machine" make the hole even deeper and larger. they came just in time for me to make supper. and i wish they would come every day at that time. free babysitting. sort of! it was the first night i have made supper without being bothered. Kiara had her moments of boredom and got curious about all kinds of things around the sink that she had never seen before....but the view outside of the window still ended up being more interesting all around. there were a few groups or teams of workers that came during various stages. they seemed to all enjoy the extra attention they recieved. i caught one of them smiling at Kiara and jumping up and down on our deck. and of course Kiara trying to imitate him. you get the idea that most of these guys were pretty rough and could care less about children...but then you have an experience like this. rough guy jumping up and down to make a little girl giggle....not the picture that i had in mind!

just a great example that appearances are not always as they seem. good life lesson! i read another similar story yesterday on this blog. well not quite. it was much deeper!

today we had the second part of the gasline job completed. the hole was dug yesterday. today they moved our meter and lines from the basement to the outside of our house. so yes more excitement for the kids. fortunately they were able to delay the work until after gymnastics. but the unfortunate part was that it took longer than they expected and the kids missed a birthday party. thankfully they checked all of our gas lines. and found a line we had closed off---it was connected to an archaic heater in the basement which we removed a few years ago. they put a "cap" on the end. apparently it is code and was somehow missed by the company we hired to close off the line. just one of those things...if the gas line were to leak, or the valve turned....the house would have blown up...potentially. not liking to hear that! this house is so old. codes have changed a lot. everytime we get some work done we learn more about how dangerous the situation was. but we also hear that they see homes a lot worse. it is a miracle that so many of them are still standing!

tomorrow Kris and his brother are ripping down our old garage. i'm sure that someone could create a list of broken rules with that garage! like the integrity of the structure when they installed the automatic garage door for starters. i'm so glad that i just get to watch...have i ever mentioned how much i dread home renovations. no? i used to watch the home improvement shows and get tired. and go figure we buy a home that has needed home renos. i've survived so far....

and last night someone ran into our garbage bin shed. pulled it away from the fence. last summer someone backed into our fence. it's a pretty good guess who was responsible for both incidents. and a huge relief to learn that they are moving tomorrow. happy dancing.....

crazy

weather!

at least this time it has worked to our advantage. yesterday was a cool and breezy morning. not promising in the least.

Aidan had playschool. Kris was sleeping....yes another night shift. i knew i should probably stay away from the house so that Kris could sleep. and wasn't sure what to do...get the maintenance done on the car...go shopping....walk the mall...all of those fun things to do with wild and wacky Kiara. i needed coffee. bad. ended up going through the drive-thru at Second Cup and had Seana Collins (think she still works at GlobalTV) serve me a cup of coffee. Now that was a surprise!

so i then called my friend Ingrid and told her my glorious news. she only lives a few blocks from the coffee shop...and thought she may want somewhere interesting to stop as well if she had to go out. i ended up planning in impromtu visit with her at her house. something much talked about...never done. until now!

so her two girls and Kiara played. definitely a girl morning. and i realized that it is a rare thing for Kiara to have just girls around. hmmm....

a trip to Costco with Aidan rounded out the first part of the day nicely. i found some cool copper planters. and they met with metal-man-Kris' approval too. love that! once the flowers start to fill out, i'll share photos. and we made it home in time for Kiara's nap. gave Aidan and myself a quiet time while Kris finished sleeping.


by the time Kiara was awake, the weather was much improved.

isn't that crazy too?

we signed Aidan up for little kids' soccer this spring. he started last week. when it snowed. that was a bummer. little guy was so excited to play soccer. and i was really hoping that we would actually end up meeting this week. so i was thrilled when the weather turned so much better. not totally great, but a huge improvement all the same.

they each got their own jersey. he's number sixteen.

he gets the "listen to the teacher/coach" lecture every time he starts something new. he knows it so well that he repeats it back to me regularly now.

but that good listening paid off!

he now knows what part of the foot to use when kicking the ball and what it means to trap the ball. and now i know too! have i ever mentioned how much i detested teaching that part of the elementary curriculum. you know you are outclassed when 11 year olds could do a better job teaching the sport than the qualified teacher. give me a fun game to teach...or some obscure skill....but don't tell me to teach a game that involves a referee. because i suck. so all these active things we're doing with our kids is really helping me. wouldn't we all die of hard laughter when i end up coaching a junior high sports team? truly. but when you're all dead...you'll have no idea how awesome i am. crazy rambling mother....get back to talking about your angel son...

love this:

even Kiara wanted to get in on the action. she fulfilled every stereotypical girl move in the book.

1. run after the ball, catch it and then try to keep it away from the kid using it

2. pick up and rearrange all the markers

3. pick the most interesting blades of grass and hand them out

4. dance and get people laughing

5. cry when the ball is taken from you

well....two years....she'll be in Aidan's shoes and kicking the ball around too. i'm sure Aidan will teach her a thing or two in the meantime.

they have a fun coach. love it when that happens. and he happens to be a teacher. who is fully capable of teaching 11 year olds i'm sure! at the end of the hour, they all did a cheer.

and i found out that our neighborhood teams have a real name. kind of rounds out the learning experience.

and there are two Aidans on the team. big surprise! i think it was the second top name for boys the year he was born.

today was a gymnastics day. sporty 24 hours for us!

Aidan is the youngest in his class. he actually should still be in a parented class. but he is quite responsible and a good learner, so they let me advance him. considering that, i am amazed at how well he does. again the teacher in me....i continue to remind him that just because others aren't listening or goofing around or being loud does not make it okay for him to do the same. some of the older kids have provided him practice in this area! and Kiara. well, she has been joining Aidan's classes - as an observer - since she was 5 months old. first in the infant car seat. then in a baby bjorn. then as a sitter. and most recently as a runner and climber. so she acts as if she owns the place at times. attentive Aidan and crazy Kiara ride on....

again it helped to have somewhere to be so that Kris could sleep in a quiet house.

then we went bike shopping. cannot believe the prices on kids bikes. a fellow at one store was buying one for his nephew. he commented that he was surprised they were so cheap. that is what we need....a rich and single uncle. and most likely no cousins either. i suppose it makes sense. rich uncle....no kids to hang out with...needs lots of toys. and our situation....lots of kids to play with....forget the toys. okay enough of that. i was amazed that they even design bikes for these 4 to 6 year olds that have shocks (my cycling expert hubby is not nearby to inform me of the correct terminology...please forgive my ignorance on this subject as well). not sure what this age group needs that for. so i let the kids try out some bikes. quickly realising that helmets would have been an asset. one of the bikes that Aidan seemed the most comfortable on was a Tonka bike. with shocks under the seat of course! but i was impressed with the heavy duty training wheels.

a treat for lunch was a trip to McD's. ugh. we ate the food at the park. why do i bother to buy anything more than just fries? really. and wouldn't you know it...another Aidan at the park. i do think this is making my Aidan feel like a celebrity. he's still not talking about it. but you just have to wonder what those brain cells are thinking.

i am so hoping this will be the last of the night shifts. he may need to work one more night. so far he has worked 62.5 hours this week. i'm trying to decide for him which day to take off next week. heehee. a girl can dream. i know he'll get a day. two days of single parenting for 24 hours is my maximum. i should have known. next time i'll plan and book a sitter or something. being with the kids without help is tough in that all questions and needs have to be met by me all of the time. that is exhausting. makes me just want to be by myself. and being without Kris' company at some point of the day - even with him being quiet! is lonely without other comfortable adult conversation. which makes me want to get together with friends. and there i sit. wanting to be by myself and hang out with friends. can it get more ironic than that? no wonder it has left me feeling a little bonkers! i'm sure i'll look back on my posts this week and truly wonder where my mind was. and sadly i'll know. and unfortunately you've had to put up with the rambling.

and before you go...oh, i didn't realize it was like that. keep in mind that i did not lock myself in the house with the two kids and force us to be together. we were out and about, doing the stuff that had to get done. it just meant business as usual in the day. but no "coffee break" at the end of the day like i'm accustomed. and i did get together with friends. i did get out. i think it was just one of those ironic things...no simple solution.

well...maybe one. it's called a babysitter. and that, my friends, is the final lesson of the week! that is a choice i should have taken this week. get the babysitter to feed my kids supper. just one to two hours for 2 or 3 of the days. i think i'll start to call it "health money" in our budget. for the mental health of all of us....

and tomorrow. breakfast at IKEA. with our without the daddy. all three of us are really hoping that there will be a table of four needed.....