Brilliant!

A woman I *know* (read: online) and respect has finally decided to compile some of her very wise words into a blog. It's about time.

Yes, I know what causes this, and we're good at it!

jumble of thoughts

Friend of mine in town here had her baby (girl) early this week. She was hoping to have her early, and did. Good news. Then, we got a call today that a member of Rob's extended family has died. Bad news. Also, the news that another extended family member is ill.

So often, it seems, that a birth and a death in people's lives tend to go hand in hand. Take Roo's birth, within a day of my grandmother's death. Richard (the family member who died) was actually our first visitor in our little home here. He leaves behind a wife and a teenaged son. A filmmaker by trade, he never got to finish his legacy project, the film about the family bishop.

Just another reminder that we can plan our lives out to the minute...but our plans are just that - plans. We don't get the final say on how things work out. We don't get to decide exactly how our lives play out. That reality doesn't take away our responsibility to make choices that set us up for good things - education, savings accounts, RRSP/RESP accounts, whatever. We can say dumb things like "I'll never live in Saskatchewan" to friends, and have them laugh at you a few years down the road while you pack moving boxes.

Do I know what life will look like in 2, 5, 10 years? Not really. I have my ideas, our dreams and thoughts...but we don't know for sure. A life-changing phone call is always a possibility. A diagnosis of something unexpected, or a strange bend in the road can sneak up on us at any time.

It's a very good reminder that we aren't in control. My slight control freak self doesn't like that thought, but it is a reality. However, knowing that God is in control, that brings peace. There is peace in knowing that when we are believers, that death here on earth isn't the end. That there is more to come. That is hopeful, encouraging and uplifting in the times that aren't quite so good.

I don't know where everyone's hearts lie, what the "state of their soul" is...but I do know that facing the harder times is easier to bear when you have hope in the one who created the world, sent his son, and brought eternal life. Amen for that!

guess whose brother was out to visit?

can you see the family resemblance?

well, check this out

My first 'harvest'! Yes, I have had a zucchini from the garden already, but this was the first time getting two at once!

Note the kleenex box to show scale.

Now I don't want to go to camp, because my garden is about to produce. :) My cherry tomatoes are turning color, my zucchinis are growing, the strawberries are about to produce a new crop. I don't want to miss out. Now I need to figure out how to deal with all my flowers while we're gone too.

on inlaws

My life as a daughter in law has never been that easy. From the moment Rob and I were dating, my mother in law (MIL) and I haven't often seen eye to eye. hmmm, maybe because I'm so much taller (giggle). I've worked with it, dealt with it, tried to be the best daughter in law I could be.

But I'm just done. Done. I'm beyond making an effort anymore. Yes, that may make me sound petty, but whatever. I need to really just step back and not try anymore, set a boundary to keep me from being hurt more.

I'm tired of feeling like our family doesn't matter to the inlaws. I'm tired of our kids blog being a replacement for relationship. I'm just tired. When you are married for 11 years, and your inlaws still can't recall when you got married, or even how to spell your name, it's probably a sign that it's not a bad time to take a break from making the effort.

blah

oh, ETA - they did call on Rob's birthday. for the first time since March.

gone with the wind

Every time we have a party here, it seems, we get some strange weather. Our first April here, it snowed on Isaac's birthday, the following year it blew a rainstorm in during his party, this year we were forced to move the party inside because the wind was gusting so badly we couldn't open our back door.

Today was no exception. After days of heat and low breezes, we had a cooler day (yay!). Perfect for Rob's birthday "fiesta" party. Everything was
ready, and people were arriving. Fun was being had by the large quantity of children (things really change party-wise post kids). I got our taco bar ready for supper...and the wind turned up a LOT. We couldn't sit outside anymore, because everything was blowing away!




So, like at Isaac's 5th party, we moved inside. We didn't have quite as many people tonight, only 15 kids and 11 adults. Still, it was pretty crazy getting the kids to picnic on the kitchen floor. Fun though. Oh, and we did the pinata with the kids inside. I was very thankful that I had bought a pinata that had a ribbon option, so no small children (Isaac was the oldest) needed to wield a broomstick in order to gain candy. Lots of fun. (yes, I am wearing a princess tiara, it's one of the girls' ones)













It was good. Very good. I was happy that Carolyn liked the drink I styled after the one she served at D's birthday this week better than the one she had. I was thrilled that so many of our newer friends came out to help celebrate Rob's day. Thrilled that we have more playdates lined up. Even more thrilled that Billie helped me clean up "because I wouldn't want you to get too tired, so you will have more of these great parties". Good food (or so I was told *wink*), good conversation, good times. We may just be finding our home here yet.

summer days

Lazy summer days are here. Isaac slept in until 9:30 this morning, when Rob went in to wake him up. We linger in the yard, kids playing while I weed the garden. (will the weeding ever end?) After lunch and some attempts at naps (ha!), the children and I head out to a birthday party. A lovely, low-key yard party for a just turned 2 year old girl. Cake is ignored for watermelon slices and juice. Moms giggle over frozen strawberry slush, which could only be better with vodka (did I just say that?). Despite layering sunscreen, the sun kisses our skin and warms our skin tones. The sun sets late, and the living room is sweaty hot in the evenings. A cold drink is a blessing on days like this.

Rob's birthday is tomorrow. We're off on a day trip for some shopping - mainly stuff for our week at camp (what? how did I become the craft director?) and VBS. A lunch out is in the plans, as is running the kids like mad at a park. I have a small birthday party in the works for Saturday evening. Scratch that, it's going to be bigger than that. Hopefully it goes well, and that people show up. I'm doing things on the "last minute fly" here. A Mexican Fiesta theme, with a pinata for the kids.

Speaking of Rob's birthday, a small package arrived for him today. the first contact aimed in our direction in 3 months...or is it 4 now? Perhaps a phone call will follow tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath. In the package were two small 'assembly required' vehicles, of the paint your own variety. I'm guessing they were for the kids, or maybe just Isaac as they are indicated for a 5+...on the other hand, we have 3 children. hmm.

Happy Canada Day!

Our town does very, very little to commemorate this day. So we planned our own fun. My mom is up for the weekend, and we decided to plan a picnic. The village where Rob has his smaller church does a Canada Day parade and events, including fireworks. We thought a picnic on the beach, followed by the parade was a good call. Fireworks would start way too late for my crew, given the long summer nights.

A few bumps in the road. Rob now is dealing with the illness that sidetracked our children over the last 2 weeks. He actually had to cancel one church service (at our church without running water), and called for backup here in town. So we didn't have Rob with us, but we pressed on!

A picnic is a lovely thing on a warm, sunny day at the beach. It would have been even better if I remembered to bring swimsuits. Not that inadequate dress stopped my children. I was glad to remember extra clothes, at least. They all splashed and paddled in the shallow, warm water on the sandy beach. They even ate a bit of food.

Then they greatly enjoyed the (somewhat short) parade, especially the candy being thrown from the floats. You know you are in a small town when one of the biggest floats is commemorating the 50th wedding anniversaries of 2 couples in town. Waving little Canada flags, and cheering, they had a wonderful day in the sunshine. Two out of three fell asleep on the way home. Soon enough, they will be old enough to stay up for fireworks too.

not getting along with produce

why oh why is all my produce going off on me lately? mold, mush, ick, goo...blah! Yesterday, it was strawberries and a watermelon half. Today, 3 tomatoes that were earmarked for Greek salad. The other day it was a cucumber (and with the rate we go through cucumbers this is shocking!). Frustrating.

Speaking of ick and goo, it's now day *11* of on and off vomiting from the kids. They are mostly taking turns, until last night when the girls decided to go in tandem. Isaac had a couple of days of being feverish, and now it's Norah's turn. I'm worried that I'm next.

On a related note, the Bryers company is pure, pure EVIL. Strawberry ice cream is so, so good, and I wish it wasn't on sale this week at the Co-op.

On another related note, I 'harvested' my first zucchini today. It's cute, and I can't wait to bbq it up tomorrow. Now I have to go to bed, because odds are someone will wake me up at 1:30 am.

life with littles

There have been some interesting times in our home lately.

Isaac is playing around with a new-found aggressive streak, which challenges me in ways I never dreamed of. I need to find ways to help my little man-child learn to exert his desire to go faster, further, harder. I'm often at a loss as to how to process what he's doing, and to keep up with him. I also feel badly that he often gets the least of me in the day, as he is rapidly becoming so very able to do things on his own. Then he will climb into my lap and say "my body is telling me that I need a snuggle".

Norah has had a language explosion that takes my breath away. Sentences like "perhaps if I got a ladder and climbed up the tree, I could see the birds better" or "do you know that I'm using my imagining right now and that I'm not really a princess?" are commonplace here. Her use of such complex words combined with her grasp of the subtle nuances of our language is shocking to me. Yet she has no desire to use the potty. Given that Isaac was slower on the language front, I'm just stunned by Norah on a near-daily basis. She recalls song lyrics that we haven't heard in weeks, recounts the intricacies of Dora the Explorer plots, and is very good at timing a "I love you" when she senses that mom is going to enforce a boundary.

Ruby, 'the baby', is less baby-like every day. She is trying with all her might to keep up with the siblings. She climbs, runs, jumps and self-dresses. A cheesy grin is pulled out whenever she catches your eye at mealtime, she is a natural clown. Typical of her year and a halfness, she is quick to meltdown when thwarted from, oh, say whacking her sister with a book or climbing on the kitchen table, or when she can't fit two legs in one pantleg. She's a little chatter too, and loves to point out motorcycles, dogs, balls and hats..and will point them out with increasing volume until you acknowledge her. I love watching her grow, but am often struck with how bittersweet her growing up is. Her 19 months seem to have passed faster than her sibling's did. I don't get it. How does that happen?

There are so many wonderful moments with them. Which is wonderful at making up for the nights they spend throwing up (or worse...don't ask), or driving you crazy because they just. don't. stop. at. all. for. 10. minutes. already!

Much as there are days that seem to knock me flat, I cherish the golden, precious moments when I wouldn't trade them for all the venomous snakes in the world (who often seem less difficult to take grocery shopping).

Summer!

It is now officially summer. The days are as long as they are going to get, and late sunsets are here. It looks like our summer is going to be a busy one, which will bring lots of excitement and (hopefully) good memories. The garden is growing, including a pile of weeds that I'm forever pulling out and muttering over. We have already 'harvested' a few strawberries, and there is a zucchini that should be ready to slice up and bbq in the next couple of days.




As for summer plans, there are lots. A week at camp. Rob is running a week of VBS in our smaller church. I'm hooked up with the Lutheran church to help run a week of VBS here in town. Rob's brother, his wife and our niece will be spending the good chunk of a week here. Then there is the big event - we've been given use of a cabin at the lake for 10 days in August. woo hoo! I'm so excited about this, and beyond thankful for the chance to use it. This will free up what we were expecting to spend on a cabin rental to now use as airfare to possibly fly out to Vancouver for 2 days in December for N and G's wedding.

I just completed a 2 day course in car seat safety, and provided I passed the written exam, will qualify me to be an official car seat installer/inspector. This will allow me to conduct car seat clinics in town through the association that paid for my training - which I will even be paid for. Not paid much, but enough to fill in some gaps in the budget. :) Let me know if you need your seats checked out! Not to toot my own horn, but during the clinic we ran as a test on Wednesday, we only saw 4 seats that were installed and used correctly...and 3 of them were mine.

I'm already *done* with mosquitoes for the year, but it's only just started. I'm currently on the lookout for something to keep them repelled that doesn't contain DEET or citronella. One is a chemical I hate to put on us all daily, the other makes me wheeze. So far, not much luck. I'm tempted to order something I've found online, but I'm hesitant to buy a lot in case it doesn't pan out for us. I just hate how the kids and I get those huge welts from the little beasts. They are also predicting a big year for the West Nile Virus carrying mosquito species. fun.

Life is moving at warp speed right now, and I'm just shocked that we are almost half way through 2007. I never believed my parents when they told me that years would go so quickly once I was a grown up. I guess that time runs at a different speed when you aren't waiting, counting the days until your next birthday.

a little fyi

I'm taking a blogging break on the kids blog, for an undetermined time. A few reasons behind it, and none of them are 'happy reasons' for me. Just putting the word out here.

they grow too fast

This morning, N woke us up with a knock knock joke.

"knock knock"
"who's there?"
"I" (pointing to her eye)
"I who?"
"Isaac!"
not bad for a not quite 3 year old!

Then, I just sat down next to me. We're talking about what we're going to make for Father's Day dinner. He proceeds to read Mozzarella off the computer screen. Mozzarella! It looks like a good recipe too.

Introvert/extrovert

It would seem as though I live in a family of people who all walk the line between being extroverts and introverts. When Rob and I have done those personality tests, he generally scores slightly higher on the introverted side, and my score pretty much hits the same mark on the extroverted side. We both enjoy being around people and spending time going/doing/whatever, but very much cherish our down time on our own.

Looks like the kids are following in our footsteps.

When we are going going going during the day, and spending time with other people, the kids generally do great. When we get home, however, they will all drift into their own space and unwind before engaging each other in play again. When we are home all day (like today, stuck inside with too much rain), they will play hard together, then step away to regroup with some quiet time. It's nice that we all seem to know what we need. If only I could convince all 3 kids to take their downtime when it was convenient for me. *That* would be nice.

the small, small world

This is really funny to me, but a touch hard to follow.

I did some of my high school in Quebec, grade 8 and 9. During that time, I was friends with N. When I moved to BC, I moved to the town that a boy N knew from birth was living in. Small coincidence.

Then, N and I connect on Facebook. She is currently living in Ontario, where she did her medical school.....with a guy I went to elementary school with in Nova Scotia! He's on her friends list, and it is 100% for sure him. T and I went to Kindergarten through grade 2/3 together in a tiny little town. Just a small, small world.

the love of a good cup

Home from a short trip to mom's. Children's Festival week in S'toon. Saw Sharon and Bram (Lois retired in 2000, in case you were wondering) with the kids. They sung so many of the 'classics'. One Elephant Two Elephants, Peanut Butter Jelly, and more. Of course they closed the show with Skinimarink. We got front row seats and grooved along. Afterwards, we waited in line for autographs on the cd my mom bought the kids, and we had a little photo op. I was a touch starstruck - but can you blame me? I grew up on their records, and saw them in concert a few times myself.

The Children's Festival was fun, lots to see and play with. Got some shopping done for yard stuff (which reminds me I need to go water the garden....). Rob and I even had a (short) coffee date at Starbucks. Where I fell in love. With a coffee mug. I spotted it as we were sitting and talking, and I *had* to have it. So I bought it. :) It was funny though, we had been talking about my frustration over the stuff of life, and how I just wanted to get up and feel energized in the morning when I saw the mug. "hey, walking around the house with that coffee cup would just be wonderful!" I said. So it is now mine. Not that I think that happiness is in a material thing, but a beautiful mug to drink from isn't a bad thing. Oh, and the orange colour? It's exactly the shade I want to paint the kitchen.

I guess I only wrote this post in my mind

because it's not here!

2 near death experiences in one day!

Monday afternoon, I was folding laundry. Felt something on my leg and turned to swat it away, assuming it was a mosquito that had flown in when we were in and out the back door earlier. Nope, no mosquito. Wasp. You know, the things I am very, very allergic to. On. My. Leg. And it was HUGE. I tried a basic swat it away technique, but it didn't move. So I did what any rational woman would have done. I started screaming for my husband to come upstairs and help me. Dear, dear man that he is, came running to my rescue. Got rid of the wasp, and pretty much saved my life. *heart*

then, later that day.

Was downstairs with the kids. Playing some game or other, when I went into the laundry room. Sniffed. Something was wrong. Called Rob again, and we both sniffed. Felt nauseated. Gas leak. Called SaskEnergy, and they sent someone out really quickly. I was actually impressed at how fast they had someone there. He confirmed that we did indeed have a leak. Minor one, but a leak was present. He managed to cut the gas to our furnace (source of the leak), so we are good to go...unless the temperature drops really low and we desire to heat the house. Good timing though, because Rob had his monthy church council meeting that night, so could drop the news that the rectory needs some more work....which is an ongoing story. Apparently, things ran well until we arrived, and the basement started flooding.

All in all, it was an exciting day, and not for all the right reasons.

These are for Mo

Pictures I took while we were on the phone today. You can see the garden in the background - and the field of dandelions behind us :/

Let's plan that trip, shall we? We miss you guys so much!

food for thought

This article from January 2007 in Maclean's magazine is a good reminder as to why Rob and I are so picky about the clothes our kids wear. No 'slogan' shirts or tube tops here.

the garden's contents

I currently have growing out back:

- sunflowers, carrots and peas from seeds
- 2 kinds of pumpkins
- lots of zucchini (fire up the bbq, we *heart* our zukes here)
- a bunch of cucumbers
- red and yellow peppers
- a watermelon
- a honeydew melon
- strawberries
- basil (because I adore it fresh, and can't find it locally)
- tomatoes - 4 kinds! red and yellow tom thumbs, ultra sonics, early girl and first lady. I picked them because I liked the names.

the basil and red and yellow thumbs are in the planters next to the deck.