Lazy

It's post-holiday bliss.
We sleep in late. We play hard with new toys. We venture out to have mini-adventures in our fair city.
We eat leftovers and too much baking.
We love being on Christmas holidays!

Holidays - building anticipation

Home made Advent Calendar created and hanging - check
Tree up and house decorated - check
Christmas lights up on our new house - check
Christmas picture/cards/gifts mailed - check
Family bake day - check
Claire and Simon's church Christmas concert - check
Gifts bought and wrapped in fun fabric bags - check
Extra baking (just because) - check
Staff Secret Santa organized and executed - check
Picture of the kids with Santa - check
My contributions to our families Christmas dinners - check

Now, bring on Christmas!!!!

I love Christmas and all the build up. I love the cooking and the traditions and the looks of glee on my kids' faces when they realize all the special things coming their way. I love planning and creating marvelous things. Other then my cinnamon bun dough and a few stocking stuffers to wrap, I think I'm done. Now, I can put my feet up and drink my cup of eggnog. Tonight, Trevor and I will sit by the fire and watch a movie. Now, I'm on holidays. :)

DVRC

This morning, we went out to camp for the Sunday service.
Simon happily played in the bushes the entire service and Claire had one of her grand mal meltdowns for who knows why (did I mention she's a crazy toddler now?)

Trevor and I grew up as campers at Dallas Valley. We both played wide games with enthusiasm, rode horses and climbed high on the wall there. I have vague memories of a tall boy chasing me during Capture the Flag and giggling with him during a Drama skill. He remembers a very loud girl (who me?) who would tease him relentlessly. I have his phone number in one of my old journals.

Later, we worked on staff together. We have a collective memory of more wide games, drama skills and the chokecherry Olympics. (Later, we hung out in university, lost touch, got reacquainted and then fell in love).

Camp was the place I longed for every summer. It was the one place, growing up, that I felt totally free to be me: silly, ridiculous, clumsy and outdoorsy. I loved being a camper there but, even more so, I loved being a staff member.

Every Monday, new campers would roll in, spend the week challenging me and changing me and then, roll out on Sunday. Rinse, later and repeat for 8 weeks and camp life made me the person I am today. I loved the structure, the goofiness, the Christ-centeredness and the friendships that was my summer for 8 years.

It's weird going back now. I still know a lot of the staff. They're former students and campers and they've grown up so well. I still know the songs and the routines. However, my life has changed. I've grown up and moved on. I get sad about that. Sometimes I wish I could braid my hair, slip on some cut-offs and flip flops and go run around for a week or two.

In a few years, Claire and Simon will be ready to be staff kids and I'll braid my hair, stick on a bandana and head back to camp. I think I'll cook instead of counsel. I'll be in my late 30s by then and something tells me I won't be cool enough to be a counselor anymore.

Maybe, if I'm lucky, there will be a tall custodian who will chase me during Capture the Flag and give me his number. Maybe we can teach our kids the Chokecherry Olympics. (I'm always a sucker for a good camp romance.)

Lately

Here's some pics of our life lately. Nothing really of the house. It's still in a state of disarray - I expect it'll be this way for a while.

Swimming at Grandma and Grandpa's

Our amazing moving crew!

Chaos - beautiful chaos

Family wedding

Super awkward family picture - this is where we're at, folks. (Happy 6th anniversary, love!)

Little Miss Coy

Finally - Someday!

We're in!

On Monday, we had 11 wonderful men unload our trailer in 1 hour and 15 minutes. AMAZING!!! My Mom and wonderful sister-in-law lined our shelves. We dropped the kids off at the baby-sitter and went hard the next day figuring out where the heck to put all our stuff. We slept in the house with the kids on Tuesday. Wednesday morning, we sent the kids back to the baby-sitter and organized/assembled some more.

Now, we're sorting and assembling while playing and checking out all the parks in our new neighbourhood (found 3 so far - another one's being built).

Trevor heads back to work tomorrow and the kids and I return to our regular summer stuff (play dates and parks). We still have a pile of boxes to go through but, we've got most stuff in new homes.

I feel like we live in our own little resort. I keep pinching myself and gleefully giggling. I never want to move from here!

Today's our 6th anniversary. This house is a pretty good gift that we gave each other.

30-Something

I turned 33 this past week.
Trevor turned 32 this past week.
My lovely niece turned 3 this past week.
We celebrated it all last night.

I remember a show on TV called 30-Something when I was a kid. I have no idea what it was about except that I wasn't allowed to watch it.

Now, I'm imagining it was about getting excited about socks for your B-day, having a kid puke up all his sushi on your B-day (at the inlaws place - in the spare room), waking up every night with an hysterical 3 year old, losing an earring (diamond - sigh) in the grass while "wrestling" a one-year old and Zumba fitness. Yep - this decade is shaping up to be completely different from the decade of bliss that my 20s was!
:)

Actually, this is exactly where I want to be in life. This is a good thing because, I can see things carrying on this way for quite a while.

(15 work days left until summer - I can HARDLY wait!!!)

This Old House

Six years ago, we moved into this cute little bungalow and made it our own.
I learned about flowers and compost and painting and cleaning.
Trevor learned to drywall, build a porch, rip up carpet and clean gutters.
We became happy home owners here.
Fergus came into our lives and ate our baseboards and snuggled at my feet every night.
We brought home our sweet, sleepless little Simon.
We spent many nights pacing the hardwood and bouncing in the bathroom.
We brought home our sleepy, silly little Claire.
We hosted friends, neighbours, parties, play dates, birthdays, daycare, dedication days, game nights and wedding showers.
We danced with each other and with our babies in the living room.
I baked my heart out in my little alley kitchen.
I marked over a thousand assignments here.
This old house has allowed us a home in which to live life to the fullest, and we have!
Tomorrow, we move out.

We're a family in transition. Our "Someday House" is still for someday... whenever the builder finally gets it done (mid-June, fingers crossed). We'll be at Trevor's parents' place until then. It's kind of home. We're telling the kids it's a holiday at Grandma and Grandpa's.

Arena Bound

I read The Hunger Games series after Christmas break. Every time I stuck my nose into the books, it felt like I was submerged under water and I could barely breathe until I had to break the surface back into my reality. It was that intense, folks. If you haven't read it yet, where have you been? under a rock?

Normally, I would read the series and be done. However, I teach Middle Years now. I have built this elaborate community of readers (my students ROCK) and they watched me read The Hunger Games series during our Silent Reading time (any teacher who doesn't read during Silent Reading is missing one of my favorite parts of the day - yes, I am modelling and yes, I am reading for my own pleasure - it's awesome). I have Book Talked the series with every kid that has read it in my room. We have had the best discussions about love, family, the Roman Empire, government, power and sacrifice. Even better, all these conversations have been student led and we've been equal participants. (The girls and I have held lengthy debates about who's cuter and better: Peeta or Gale. It can get quite intense!) It's a level playing field when you talk to someone about a mutual love for a book. That makes it real to life instead of just something the curriculum requires. I love it!

Now, I've been roped into leading a Hunger Games Book Club at school. A bit of a challenge as all my participants are in varying parts of the series. Our first meeting is tomorrow. I have a cornucopia of ideas planned (literally). Should be fun.

Today, I booked tickets for Trevor and I to go to the movie. (It was supposed to be a surprise but I don't have a poker face and my husband can read me like a book.) Date night + a movie version of a book that has played a huge role in my 2012 so far = a very happy me!

On the Eve of Love

Tonight is the eve before Valentine's Day. I'm happily baking heart shaped sugar cookies. Simon and I coloured his valentines yesterday. I have a sweet surprise for my sweetie and we're going to attempt our fancy crab legs tradition with the kiddos. Should be fun!

Tonight (as I ice sugar cookies), I plan on watching the Bachelor. It's true, this trashy TV show is quite an addicting vice for me. I've already written a post a few years back about why I find endless amusement in the fact that those very, very beautiful people wearing gorgeous clothes, going on incredible dates and traveling to exotic locales are so unhappy. They are unhappy because they don't have what I have: a soul mate... someone to "do" life with. Therefore, as entertaining as it is for me, I am a little smug. My eye-rolling husband will be sitting nearby tolerating my addiction just as I tolerate every pro-sports season that plays across our TV screen. This, folks, is true love. :)

Tomorrow, we won't be wining and dining, dressed to the nines at a fancy restaurant. Instead, I will watch the man of my dreams play, snuggle and bathe our kids. Then, we'll probably snuggle up and watch nothing much on TV and daydream about our "Someday House". This, Ben and Bachelorettes of 2012, is how love looks in real life. It's pretty sweet!

Happy Valentine's Day, folks!

Quiet Supper

Every other Wednesday evening, I leave the house and go off on my own for a "quiet supper". Usually, this is a meal at a nearby mall, an ice cream cone, a trip to the library, a walk around the mall and a delicious hour of reading a book. No feeding little mouths or wiping little faces or meeting anyone's needs. It's delightful.
In total, I usually spend 1 1/2 - 2 hours away from my kids. It's a wee sanity break in a busy, blissful little world.
I'm so thankful to have a wonderful husband who realized my need and provided me a way to meet it.

Holidays!

Simon's been walking around the house today saying that he's on holidays (little does he know that his life is a constant holiday). Trevor's off work for a week and we're heading east for some fun in the sun and some relaxing with Trevor's extended family.
I am super pumped.
This is our first family road trip with Miss Claire Berry and I'm curious how she'll sleep, eat and travel. She did well in Ottawa but, that was half her lifetime ago so, we'll see how things go this time.
Our little Mazda 3 is going to be packed sooo tight, we'll be nearly bursting. Good thing there's no IKEA to visit in the city we're headed to or we'd be in real trouble.
We finished the last of the cloth diapers in this cycle and, I won't be starting another cycle until we get back. I love my cloth diapers but, I'm excited to be a bit lazy for a while.
It's our anniversary on Friday and I can't think of a better way to spend it. I always like it when we can travel on our anniversary. That way, I can remember specific locations for specific years rather then have a jumble of restaurant nights out blurred together over the years.
It's also amazing what having 2 parents around can be like. I don't feel pulled in two directions all the time and both kids love the extra attention.
Happy summering to you all!

My beautiful man

Happy B-day (yesterday) to my love. Thanks so much for making me feel great even though half of my plans for your B-day were taken over by the kiddos. Thanks for going to work every day even when you're exhausted from a rough night with the baby. Thanks for accepting me for who I am. Thanks for your sense of humour, your great listening skills, your positive attitude and for the way you look after me and our little ones. You're the best husband and father of our children that I could hope for. I love you soooo much!

Friday Nights

It was just 5,6 and 7 years ago that a Friday night meant a long drive to my parents' place from Lanigan to have supper with my family and Trevor. Then, we'd stay up way to late talking before Trevor left to go back to the city.
Swimming lessons have started so now, our Friday nights will be lessons, Burger Baron (maybe Milky Way if Claire's okay) and home for bedtime by 7:30ish.
Definitely a decade of change and I wouldn't want it any other way. :)

Dear...

Dear Nora from How I Met Your Mother and Brad from the Bachelor,

You know that dream life you talk of... the one with kids, a little house, both of you pursuing careers, a pet, quiet evenings, etc. Your dream is my life! Please stop idealizing it!
I LOVE my life. It's just somedays, the bum wiping, booger picking, baby crying, sleeplessness, cat caterwauling, laundry, sink overflowing with dishes, house a mess kind of life gets a little much.
Nora and Brad, when I saw you both describe your dream lives, you were sitting in very clean clothes, with your hair done and you were in luxurious settings.
I think it's hilarious that you long for my life.
It also makes me feel good that I am where it's at.
This is as good as it gets! It's hard but, it's good.
Sometimes, I need to remember chubby toddler hugs, delicious freshly bathed baby smell, smiles that melt my heart, a husband who still makes my heart skip a beat, a warm house, the dream of our someday house, rolling over, singing the alphabet, warm baby breath on my cheek and big, big blue eyes staring at me with all that trust.

Thanks Nora and Brad for reminding me that, as much "fun" as you may be having in your single lives, all you really want is what I already have. :)

Sunshine

Finally... a little sunshine for these cold prairie bones.
I can't get this song out of my head so, I thought I'd share it with you! (I was Made for Sunny Days by the Weepies)

Better Now...

Trevor's home.
Life is always better when he's home.
I sleep better. I worry less. I cook better (and eat better).I put my feet up and relax.
I usually forget, until he's gone, how wonderful his presence is.
I feel safe and sound, snug as a bug and content... all because of my sweet man!

Musical Journeys

I confess, I would be quite content letting music play softly on the radio in the background and it is not my normal to pay attention to what exactly is playing. I never had one style, one band or one singer that was iconic to my childhood. In my teens, I flip flopped between the alternative/grunge scene, jazz and country. Then, I married my musically astute husband and since then, a world of musical wonder has opened up to me.
Trevor's not a musical snob but, he is good at finding the up and coming independent artists before they make it big. He's good at knowing what is current and what is good. Of course we do vary in style - I like it a little more mellow and he's attracted to things a little more techno but, overall, I like it when he introduces me to new music.
This weekend, we drove to a city a few hours north and went to an Arcade Fire concert. I listen to Arcade Fire... on Trevor's Ipod. They're pretty intense. They were even more intense in concert. During some of the songs, they rocked it so hard that I had to sit down because either our baby was freaking out or he/she has got some intense, in utero dance moves.
The only concert I had been too (besides Raffi and other good kids' stuff) before dating Trevor was Vince Gill and Brian White. I guess all the youth events to Christian concerts count too except, I was mostly there to check out boys. (As an aside - I actually remember talking with Trevor at a Hokus Pick concert when I was 13 or 14. I was head banging in my hyper-colour shirt and I'm sure he was rockin' it in an extra-large T-shirt. It's funny that we knew each other then...).
Since dating Trevor, I've been to a lot more concerts. I like going. Even if I don't know the band or the singer all that well, I love being in such a happy, positive crowd. I love the shared joy and enthusiasm that overtakes people at concerts.
I like that Trevor's always finding us something new to listen to. It's better then having some radio disc jockey decide what's cool enough for me. I hope Simon appreciates that we dance to some pretty great tunes every evening after supper.

Team Work

My sweet man did something very noble today. He stayed home with Simon. Both Simon, our babysitter and our little friends that share our babysitter are all sick. I'm saving sick leave in case anything happens with Schmoo 2.0 and I need to be done a tad early.
Trevor stayed and played Mr. Mom all day.
Tomorrow is his EDO and he'll be grocery shopping, supper making, bathroom cleaning and doing laundry duty. On days like this, I just come home and play while he finishes supper and then cleans up. Then I put my not-yet-swollen feet up in my Lazy-Boy while he gives Simon his bath and puts him to bed.
Am I bragging? Heck yes!
My husband ROCKS!
I am one spoiled pregnant lady.
Am I super grateful! You bet!
I have an amazing man who takes our family and household duties seriously.
I thank God every day that I married him.

On a sad note, Trevor and I are getting our fall cold too. Blech!

Just a Memory

We spent most of our holiday with Simon strapped to Trevor's back. We tried walking up and around mountains every day. We had a fabulous time with Shiya and Marshall. We relaxed by the condo's pool in the afternoon when Simon slept. Simon was a super traveler. We played him out and he slept hard. Here are some of our more favorite pictures of the week.

My World