Happy Halloween, folks

Simon caught on to the trick or treat game and thought it was the best thing ever. Claire carried a small box of Smarties from house to house and was content just shaking it.
The kids are asleep. The trick or treaters are done (I'm guessing close to 35 this year).
Trevor and I are nursing head colds.
Oh yeah - I raked up bags 21-26 of our leaves today. I think I may have 8 bags to go and then our yard will be done.

Little Nugget

Today, Trevor brought me this little nugget home.
I'm still stunned and I'm still squealing my excitement.
With work around the corner, I want easy access to my kiddos. My baby-sitter is very into texting so, I'll be able to check on them at recess and before I go home so that I know how they're doing. This will ease my anxiety quite a bit. Also, it'll be great to have a phone in case of any commuting emergencies.

I've never had a cell phone with a plan before. We have my Mom's old phone and we do "pay as you go" for trips and I used to have a sweet Nokia (bought at the turn of this century) that I also did "pay as you go" until I was told my phone was obsolete. This is my first "real", grown up cell phone. (I'm 32.) I have no idea what to do with it. I'll be a grandma texter for a while.

I'm excited to be a part of technology of the 21st century.
My husband ROCKS!!!

Teeth + Tantrums = Tylanol + Time Outs

Yep - I have two little people in my house. Claire is a teething fiend. Normally, she's a ray of sunshine but lately, she's a clingy little mess. Simon is testing boundaries and pushing limits like a normal 2 year old. This has lead to consequences and the introduction of the time-out mat.
Yesterday was Simon's day to not shine. Today is Claire's. Can I call dibs on tomorrow, kids? I just want to be held, read to and have my favorite food prepared.

With going back to work just around the corner, I'm going to spoil them a little more and snuggle them a lot closer.

My Austrian Connection

I went to Bible School in Austria when I was 19 and when I was 23. I was young, naive and in love with adventuring. My first time there was for Fall School... a semester of Bible teaching during the fall semester. I learned what love isn't (I had a disastrous long-distance relationship with... eek... a wrestler and I had a crush on the tall Albertan boy that sat next to me in the Lecture Hall), I redefined what my home and Canada meant to me, I deepened my relationship with Christ, I drank alcohol for the first time and my world opened up to new ideas, people and possibilities. Every fall, I think back to that time of blissful innocence when the I was standing on the cusp of adulthood.

I went back later, with Tim, for the Summer adventure program and I hiked my heart out. Once again, I learned what love is not (the cute Southerner on my team), how to rely on Christ in the midst of chaos and that I could really push myself above and beyond my what I thought. It was a perfect place to prepare me for my first year of teaching.

Every year, I order myself a pair of Austrian slippers, or "cottage shoes". Yesterday, I got them in the mail and slipped them on my feet. I remembered my adventures, the Alps and the friends I made and I smiled. (My feet also sighed with pleasure - Austrian slippers are AMAZING!)

(I bought Simon a pair when I was pregnant with him - because of his casts and then his feet, he never could wear them. Claire, however, wears them well. The above picture is of my ratty last year's slippers and her adorable baby ones.)

(If you ever want to wear the most amazing slippers ever, check out the Austrian Online Shop. Order me a Milka too!)

A important link

I'm not sure how to write about the heartbreak my family is experiencing right now. We're preparing to lose a beautiful and amazing friend. I can barely process that this is really happening.

I keep reading and rereading a post she wrote in 2008. Here's the link. I'm taking some comfort from her words.

Caped

I finally got around to making Simon's Halloween cape. He's going to be Captain Canada (this was almost as easy as letting him be Tigger last year). I also made Tigger a cape and a little play cape for Claire. (If you want an easy sewing project - check out this free cape tutorial.)

The kids and I got the flu shot on Thursday and we haven't been the same since. Simon must have caught something from his sweet cousin and I think the flu shot triggered it. Now, we all have it. Blech! I spent the day feeling yucky as well as feeling like I was being held hostage by my very emotional toddler who cries at the drop of a hat. Fortunately, Claire's reaction is to cuddle... that's so much more bearable then yelling.
Simon's on the mend and I think Claire and I will be fine as of tomorrow. I'm thankful to be feeling this way on a weekend when Trevor's around to pick up the pieces!

Bagged

One of my 2011 goals was to do a create practical gifts to reuse. I succeeded. I made 100 cloth bags for my sister-in-laws and me. That's a pile of sewing, a pile of cloth and now, a pile of bags. I happily gave them away during our Thanksgiving feasts. I'm delighted with the thought of not having to wrap much of anything FOR THE REST OF MY CHRISTMASES!!!! (except for stockings). I'm also excited that I was able to do something for three lovely ladies whom I love a lot.
(Special thanks to my mother-in-law who helped me cut and serge those bags and to my Momma who helped me with fabric selection.)

Now, I need to hunker down and sew Simon's Halloween costume and a pile of taggie blankies to get me through another year of babies.

What kinds of projects are you up to? (And, how much has Pinterest made you feel like there is soooo much more you should/could be doing?)

Where's my Maid?

"My housekeeping tasks fall on the same day for every job I take: on Monday, I oil up the furniture. Tuesday, I wash and iron the sheets... Wednesday is for scrubbing the bathtub real good even though I wipe it down really good every morning. Thursday is for polishing floors and sucking rugs.... Friday is heavy cooking for the weekend and what-have-you. And every day is mopping, washing clothes and ironing shirts... and generally keeping things clean. Silver and windows, they're as needed." (p. 47 The Help by Kathryn Stockett)

I read those lines last night and I wiped my brow because I was tuckered out just thinking of all that housework. Yeesh - I'm happy if I get the floors cleaned twice a week, the bathroom cleaned once a week and the laundry done every 3 days. Of course, we do a general tidy every night but, that's just so we can walk through our house without kid debris.

Today, I finally washed the windows (inside). Trevor's going to do the outside sometime this weekend. Those maids of the 60s would be so ashamed of me...

(PS - Just started The Help and it's as fabulous as everyone says. I may even watch the movie if the reviews are good.)

Fall

I'm luxuriating in my free days of playing, sushi eating and park going. Claire's hit a sweet spot where she naps (sans me) for a while in the afternoon. I can leave Simon to his own devices (sans paper books) in Quiet Time and I can do little projects and clean the house (hahahahaha!).
When I turned the page of the calendar the other day, my anxiety about going back to work ramped up a bit more. Eeek... just 1 1/2 months left of sweet Momma bliss.

Quiet Time Trouble

Simon stopped daily naps when Claire was born. Slowly, he's weaned his naps down to 1-2 times a week. This week, he hasn't napped at all. That hasn't stopped us from giving him Quiet Time. Usually, he sings, reads his books, plays with his animals and does weird 2-year-old things.
Yesterday, he ripped 2 library books to shreds. Eeeek! Major Momma disappointment!
"Simon ripping books, Momma!" was how he gleefully explained it when I entered his room.

After a chat about how that was bad and my removal of all his paper books from his room and a talk about how I had to pay for those books, I had a sorrowful Simon.
Today, I gave him a sticker activity book and a MagnaDoodle to keep him entertained. I'm about to walk into his room to see how that went over. I heard lots of chattering and singing so - I'm hoping for the best.

What do/did your 2-year olds do during their Quiet Times? I'm looking for some ideas to help keep the destruction at bay.

Stranded

Claire and I come late to church to accommodate her napping needs. Trevor and Simon go early for Sunday school. This week I remembered Simon's library books (only a month late). I stuck my keys in the book bag (I also wore a dress - haven't done this is a long, long time).
When we went to leave church, I realized that my keys were still in the book bag that was on it's way home with Trevor. We called to let him know. Since he was playing in the yard with Simon (waiting for us), he didn't get my messages right away so, Claire and I were stranded at church for a little bit. We ate baby cookies, played in the shade and ripped petunias to shreds. We were rescued in time for lunch and naps.
This may be a reason for the both of us to finally cave and get cell phones... and yet - they are such a pain to charge, pay for and remember to bring.

the Momma bubble

I used to be quite knowledgeable about current events. I used to have great work stories (at least I thought they were great) and I used to have a pile of other adults to share information with.
Lately, I'm realizing my life is kind of a bubble... a Thomas the Train, FB, laundry all the time kind of bubble. Unless you want to hear all the details of my kids' lives, I've really got nothing to say. Sigh...
There's really nothing wrong with this because a) it's a season in my life and b) it's temporary. However, it's weird to feel boring.

10 (and all those stats I'm going to want to remember one day)

I see this little imp of a girl emerging. I see it in her mischievous grin, the way she coyly looks at others to lure them in and then lunges back to Momma and I can hear it in her newly found "talking" as she tells us what for on a regular basis. She's beautiful, she's determined and she's mine and I'm soooo proud of her.
Claire - age 10 months
weight - Momma guesstimates 20-22 lbs
clothing size - 12 to 18 months
vocabulary - Mommommommom, Dat, Cat, Nuuuah, Imo (Simon)
mobility - still bumming around, can stand for 3-8 seconds, learning to pull up on people and objects
sleep status - morning and afteroon naps (~1 1/2 hours each) - requires some cuddling for the last half of her afternoon nap (of course); nights are pretty good; morning typically comes between 6 am and 7:30 am
favorite foods - chocolate, ice cream, cheese (good thing she has Wiens metabolism), any kind of berries, yogurt and bananas (she out eats Simon at most meals)
cute things she does - LOVES kisses; snugs up way too close to Simon in the bath; LOVES Bob and walks; loves pictures of herself; enjoys flap books and pull-tab books; likes Baby Einstein; gets super excited when Trevor comes home; Fergus is her boyfriend

Oh my goodness... she's going to a one year old soon... really soon.... ahhhh!!!!!

Summer of 2011

Older people, especially ladies, tell me to savour these moments with my kids. This summer has been pretty perfect. This is how I want to remember it:
-Splash Park or other parks almost daily
-coffee for me and cookie for Simon and a nap for Claire
-reading stories to Simon on the Canada chair while drinking chocolate milk
-Simon's sneaky places and peek-a-boo tree
-teething on crab apples
-lots and lots of BBQ
-grocery shopping in the dark (the power went out but, everyone kept shopping - weird)
-picking endless amounts of dandelions for Simon to play with (and Claire to eat) on our "Bob" walks
-Fergus runs free
-loads of family time
-sushi lunches (my kids' favorite)
-maple leaf treats from 711
-Simon's "Big Boy Bed" success

I wish I could bottle up this summer and take it out in 10 years in February to savour all over again. I guess I'll just have to lap it up now!

9/11

A decade ago, I drove to school wondering about the plane that crashed into the Twin Towers. I listened to the radio and couldn't make heads or tails of what had happened.
My co-op (I was interning) and I tried to disseminate the news as it came in and share it with our students.
For P3 - we took our kids to the library so that we could watch CNN coverage on the TV.
I remember a lot of shock and silence from those grade 11s as we sat there.
One of our modified History boys predicted that the US would use the terrorist attacks as an excuse to go after Saddam Hussein. I still marvel that what he predicted came true.
This was only the first week of my teaching career and yet, it was such a formative day.

Today, I remember.

Crafty

Claire's starting to sleep the night (cross fingers). She's also starting to let me put her in her crib for her afternoon naps. With Simon in Quiet Time, this leaves me with a little bit of free time in the afternoons. Do I clean the house? Bake? Sit with my feet up and drink chocolate milk? Plan for my teaching job? Prep supper? Do laundry?
Well... I do a little of that.
I also get my craft on. A little sewing and a little digital scrapbooking and I'm a happy lady.
It just feels good to set a little goal, do some menial labour and voila... something I've created.
I'm not all that great. I'm kind of a slap-dash kind of girl but, I'm having fun and making stuff.
Yah for me!
(Thanks Claire!)

Adventures in his Big Boy Bed

Saturday, we switched Claire over to Simon's crib and Simon into a Big Boy bed. Claire was in a hand-me-down crib that I was comfortable with her in until she started to move (which is now)... I wanted her to be in Simon's crib by then. Simon inherited Trevor's Super Single bed (from back in his super single days). We haven't put up the frame, just the mattress on the floor.
Since nap times have really become "quiet times", nothing much has changed. Oh... except Simon can wander his entire room wreaking destruction wherever he goes. Mostly, he just reads books and sings on his bed.
Last night, after being up way too long with Claire (we made her cry it out - we're mean like that), I heard a huge thud. I checked the monitor and didn't see Simon's sleeping body on his bed anymore. Somehow, he'd fallen off. However, since I also didn't hear any crying, I figured I'd better let sleeping toddlers lie. In the morning, I checked the monitor again and, he was back on the mattress. It looked like he had just crawled up from the floor and fallen back asleep. Good for him.
(I guess, Claire, that's why we're teaching you to cry it out now - so you can solve sleep problems on your own in the future.)

Confessions of a Sunday Heretic

I've always been a faithful Sunday church goer. Part of it is that church is a good way to re-connect to Christ weekly and in a communal way. Part of it is social. Either which way, I love going. I love my church and the people there.
However, this is the 3rd week in a row that I have "skipped" church. Today, I miss it.
Claire naps at 10 am. I like her happy and not cranky so, I like to ensure good naps for her. Church is on summer hours until next week and it starts at 10 am. That means, I have to choose between church and a nap. Normally, this would just mean choosing a cranky baby, sticking her in the nursery where she's happily distracted and letting her pass out in the car on the way home. Except, because it's summer, there are no nursery workers. That means that if I go to church, basically, I am going to the nursery to play with my cranky baby.
What's the point?
I did it for a few Sundays and I was just frustrated. All I was doing was hanging out in the nursery (usually looking after a few other people's kids as well as mine) and the price: a very cranky baby and then, a very cranky Momma. There was not the benefit of enjoying church to counter-balance.
I'm a little peeved that only 4 couples signed up for nursery duty from mid-June until mid-September. Sure, it's one thing if they're not around however, if their bringing their kids to the nursery week after week, why didn't they sign up and share the load a little?
So, today, I'm sitting at home with my napping baby. I did laundry. I cleaned up morning dishes. I did a little landscaping. I'm feeling a little heretical but, this too will pass.

Baby Blues

Levi and Claire - almost 7 months and 9 1/2 months.

Washing Desks in a Sunny Room on a Thursday Made me Smile

Today, I entered my 10th classroom (I've had admin who likes to play "Musical Classrooms"). I put up some bulletin boards (wow - elementary school teachers are a bit weird about these - I'm more of a poster girl), did some basic set up and cleaned my desks. I was excited to have some time alone in my class because that meant I was able to pray for each of the 22 students that will walk through the door on Tuesday.
My replacement teacher and I met for a bit and then, I went back home to my sweet kiddos who were getting to know and becoming re-acquainted with our amazing baby-sitter.
It feels weird to not be starting up the school year. It feels even weirder to only have 22 students for a full year (I'm used to around 100 a semester). It's also pretty strange to be in an elementary school with short people.
Ah - times they are a changin'...

Library Rant

After an indoor picnic lunch date with Trevor, I took the kids to the downtown library because we were downtown already and it was raining (not conducive to the park). There was so much I wanted to say to the other mom who was there with her 3 girls. Thus, the rant.
Dear Lazy Lady at the Library,
Taking your kids to the library on a rainy day is a great idea. I love that the library is free, has thousands of cool stories and a plethora of toys to share. However, there is a sign that asks that all children under 10 years old be supervised by an adult. Supervision, my dear, means paying attention to the antics of your children instead of watching YouTube videos on your portable media player. That way, when your oldest daughter forbids a 2-year-old from entering the LEGO castle because he's a boy, you'd be aware of how awkward it is for his Momma. And then, when his Momma tries to reason with your little lady, she is sassed. (Really - who sasses a stranger holding a baby?) Also, when your 3 snooty little girls start taking toys away from the cute little 9 month old sitting so nicely, you should discipline them and not smirk at her Momma as she cries. Lazy lady at the library - you suck!

End of rant - now I feel better!

City Parks Review - 2011

One of the best parts about teaching is that I will always have my summers. One of the best things my kids and I have found to do in the summer is to hit up parks. Here's my review of our more frequented (or less frequented due to a poor review).
Candy Cane Park
A lot has changed here since I was a kid. Gone is the grungy wading pool and unsafe candy canes to climb (who's idea was that?). There is a snazzy new goose but, the slides are a little too steep for my kiddos. Simon LOVES the bus and the slide area. Claire LOVES the baby swings. Both kids can be highly entertained for hours here. This park often requires the use of Claire's Bjorn so that I can chase after Simon. This is by far one of our most favorite park. We're giving it 5 out of 5 stars.

Kinsmen Park
We spend a lot of time at this park because it's a good walk. We also get to go by Auntie Andrea's and visit with her if possible. Simon LOVES the spray pad. We wish it had softer turf (like Rick Hanson) because the asphalt hurts when you fall. Claire likes it when we let her meander through the puddles but, she's not a big fan of the actual splashes. The equipment is great. Both kids have things to do. Simon loves crawling up and sliding. He's also a big fan of the little house and teeter-totter. Claire is our little swinger and she also feels pretty important when we let her stand in the little house. It'll be interesting to see how often we get to this park once we move. It's a definite 5 out of 5 stars.

Kiwanis Park
We went here once to check it out. The equipment was much to challenging for my toddler and I was nervous carrying Claire up the play structure. The slide was too steep so, we didn't stay for long. We did, however, enjoy the Mac's across the street and the waterfall nearby. Right now, it's a 2 out of 5 but, it has potential for when my kids are older.

School Parks
Since kids have been out of school, most school parks are pretty empty. We've taken advantage of their slides. Most school parks we've been to are pretty good but, they lack baby swings. They are a good option when we need a change. Most school parks rate a 3 out of 5 for us.

Rick Hanson Park
We did venture north this summer and we checked out the RH Splash Park. Simon really like holding on to the hose but, he was frequently pushed out of the way by bigger kids. It was really busy and, the play structure was fun to climb up but, Simon didn't LOVE it. It was such a large play structure that I had a hard time keeping track of where Simon was while carrying/entertaining Claire. Once again, I think this is a great park but, I don't think I'd like to go back until the kids are older. It's a 4 out of 5.

Marina Park
The park at the Marian has a super location. The kids both loved hanging out by the fence and watching the geese. The play structure was pretty good and I really liked the rock formations. We'll probably go back as the kids get older. I'll give this a 3 out of 5.

We've been to other parks but, these are the ones that really stand out to us. I'm sure things will change up a lot by next year when I have 2 adventurous movers.
What's your favorite park and why?

Peeky eyes in Toronto

I felt excitement radiating from my children. Their eyes reflected the beam of the flashlight as we stood in Simon's closet, which he was referring to as Toronto. As we searched for "peeky eyes" in Toronto (the closet), I realized we were entering the wonderful world of imaginative play.
Simon spent most of the evening "flying" to Toronto (where the Rider game was). He asked me to come along and then pulled me into his closet. He was kept babbling about "peeky eyes"in Toronto and needing a flashlight to see them. We laughed so hard together that my sides hurt. Claire was thrilled (because she was included).
Finally, we're starting to leave behind the world of chewing, and emptying containers and getting to the good stuff: the world of imagination. As a drama teacher, a former improv participant and avid daydreamer, I have been longing for this since Simon was in utero. Bring on the search for peeky eyes, the random trips to other places, make-believe and anything else Simon (and eventually Claire) can imagine. I am pumped for this kind of play.
I remembered my improv rules and, rather then say no to or re-direct Simon's ideas, I prompted him to build and explore. This led to even sillier ideas and even more laughter.
Who knows where we'll go tomorrow...
(By the way, the Toronto idea was inspired by the Rider game. I'm sure that Simon, Claire and I were the only happy prairie people talking about Toronto tonight.)

9

Claire,
You're 9 months old today. You're an incredible little lady. You eat solid foods with wild abandon (resulting in raspberries and banana always in your hair). You want to go, go, go even if that involves dragging your poor Momma around by her hands. You want to be a part of everything and feel hurt if you think you're being left out. You can sit and play by yourself for chunks of time (which comes in handy while I run Simon to the potty or administer time outs). You show your tongue when we ask you to, you give me hugs and kisses when I ask you to and you do this great hand dance when you hear music.
You think you can walk with your walker (I hold your shirt from behind) and your goal is to either chase Fergus or Simon. You love walks in the Bob. You're starting to pester your brother by touching him to get a reaction (and boy, do you get one - I can see the entertainment factor). You're a stinker when it comes to naps because you LOVE to be held but, your night sleep is pretty stellar.
I love to dress you up in dresses and girly clothes. I love putting your hair in piggies and sticking in pretty little clips. (Our biggest fights tend to come from me doing your hair or you trying to eat your clips. I think hair fights are common for Mommas and daughters.) I love your giggle and your ready smile.
You're a lot of fun, little lady!
Love, Momma

Tresspassing

Last night, we went exploring with the kids. We drove out to our "Someday House", climbed into the frame and toured the main floor and peered into the basement. Trevor and I drove away feeling so pumped. We both dreamed of the house in our sleep. I know it probably won't be until next summer when we make our big venture to the north west but, it sure is fun to see our dream becoming reality.

Generous

We have an overproductive crab apple tree in our backyard. I don't do a thing to it (except pick the weeds at it's base) and it always wants to give me a million little crab apples.
One year, I made some desserts with the apples. Most years, Trevor has lawn mowered them. Some years, I pick them up so as to not attract the wasps.
This year, however, Simon has discovered them.
"Simon pick apples."
"Simon eat apples."
"Simon is super apple man."
"Simon give apples to Baby Claire."
"Momma pick apples off tree for Simon."
"Momma say Gross."
"Simon Gross."
He eats so many apples (rotten and not rotten) that some of his diapers have been atrocious.
Claire likes to bite hard and suck. She's teething and this seems to make her happy.

I get to pick weeds in peace.
Thanks, crab apple tree. I'll miss you, your blooms and your fruit when we move to the Someday House.

Little Gangster

When we picked Fergus (our cat - I know, it's been forever since he's shown up in a blog post), we chose him because he's beautiful. We ignored the snuggly little female who purred on my lap. Instead we chose the Ferg; his reaction to this was to hiss at us. We thought that was cute. We should have taken it as a sign.
Fergus is an alpha male. He's aggressive and he likes to dominate.
We've finally given up and we allow Fergus to wander the mean streets to his heart's desire. This has lead to a very contented, snuggly and sleepy cat when he's home and inside. Outside, he's a beast to be reckoned with.
Other cats in the neighbourhood totally kowtow to him. He's the alpha male on our block and the other kitties tuck in their tails and skirt around him when he's lounging in our front yard. The other day, he was carrying a nearly dead adult bird in his mouth. Fergus had caught a bird?
This is my confession - I let my cat wander. (We've all been a lot happier about it.)

Yuck!

Last year, when I introduced Simon to food, I couldn't get over how GROSS he was. Claire is now at the GROSS stage. I hate, HATE, hate the floor cleaning that I do daily. Sticky fruit, star puffs and who knows what else all over. There's two of them and, they team up against me.
(Someday, I'm going to miss this!)

Life's a Beach

Happy long weekend, folks! We took the kiddos to the beach yesterday. It was really windy (precursor to a very intense summer storm) but, we loved being mellow, eating "bips", trying out a new slide and wallowing in the sand.

Blink

Maybe it's because she's the second child but, Claire's babyhood seems to be disappearing in the blink of an eye. Today, I put her hair in pig tails for the first time and I swear she aged. Then, she proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon (it was a short nap day) driving Simon's little car. She gets this little glint in her eye, cocks her head, and moves those little feet as fast as she can. She's pretty fast too.
She's trying to wean herself (any advice on this - I'm not really ready to pay for formula so, how do I keep nursing until she's one?) and all she wants to do all day is walk, walk, walk (assisted, of course - my aching back!) She's wearing 12 month sleepers (she's pretty skinny in them but, she's definitely long enough) and I've put away most of her 6-9 month clothes.
She has 2 teeth and that's changed all of her expressions. Gone are the days of gummy smiles and now, she bares her teeth at us and sticks out her bottom lip to express an array of emotions.
She's a sweet little live wire. I can hardly wait to see who she's becoming!

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.

Away

Boardwalk walking. Beach sitting. Wading with a toddler. Wet towels drying in the sun. Playpen sleeping. Book reading. Outside eating. Picnics. Ice-cream delights. Family visiting. Oma and Opa story reading. Catching up. Anniversary-ing (5 years). Being spoiled. Sleeping in.
We loved being away.

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!

Endless Circle

Laundry and housework are like stringing beads on a thread with no knot at the end.

The floor under our dining room table makes me shudder (and I clean it at least twice a day).

Follow up and peace

I had a meeting today with the HR guy from my school division. I could have brought in an STF rep or our school division president but, I chose to go it alone. Did I want to appear non-confrontational? I hope it appeared that way. The truth is that I just didn't have the heart to inconvenience anyone at the start of summer holidays. Oh, to be a doormat... sigh.
It was a good meeting. I said my piece, aired my concerns, cried a little (professional tears and not the ugly sobbing this man encountered on the phone during our first conversation) and left feeling like a weight had been lifted from my chest. Nothing has changed about my situation. I am still transferring to an elementary school. I will still be scrambling to make long range plans for ELA 6/7, Social 6/7 and Career Guidance 6/7. I still experienced poor handling. However, this man took time to listen to me, encourage me and tell me that, at the soonest opportunity, he will move me back to high school. Nothing like a little hope to make a bitter pill go down better.
Now, I am closing this chapter in my work life. I have done what I could and now I am moving on.
Elementary school and short students, here I come!

Happy Canada Day

Happy Birthday, Canada.
We celebrated with cousins, sushi, cupcakes, not enough napping at nap time, flag waving, flag wearing and park going. Later, we left the kids with a baby-sitter and took in the fire works.
I think Canada Day is one of my favorite holidays. Don't even get me started about how much joy it brings my son. Captain Canada was ecstatic!!!

and again...

Last year, we spent a lot of time doing this:

Now, we're doing a lot of this:



Note that we found some walking wings (my dream from last year). We borrowed them from a friend last summer. Simon HATED them. Claire's too young to really understand. She's just really pumped to be up and moving. She's working on the backwards push crawl but, gets super frustrated. This is where she's happiest. Yeesh... she's barely 7 months old. I think I'm going to have my hands full!

Oh those British...

Every day, Simon asks me to buy him a British flag. Why? Because he's in love with the red, white and blue of Britannia. Today, we went to the British Tea Shop and Purveyor of British Goods. My assumption is that they'd have a British flag of some form or another. I forgot my Baby Bjorn and carried both kids in. Simon had made the connection of what we were looking for and hoping to buy. He was way too excited.
Unfortunately, the British Tea Shop and Purveyor of British Goods had no flags... except a lovely display flag that was not for sale (no matter how Simon tried to convince me to "Momma buy, Momma buy").
Sadly, I left the store with a baby on my hip and holding the hand of a devastated toddler who almost threw himself into parking lot traffic in mid-tantrum. (He's hard to hold on to while tantruming mid-parking lot while I'm trying to keep his sweet, wiggly sister on my hip.)
After many, many tears and much convincing that Momma will someday buy him a British flag, we headed on our way.
As consolation, we watched, on Youtube, the British flag while listening to the British national anthem. Sooooo boring but, made my little man very, very happy.

He also asks for an Italian flag and a Saskatchewan flag. If any of you dear readers come across or already have one of these flags and are willing to part with it, let me know. I have a flag aficionado on my hands.

Attach, Idiot, Attach!

I hummed and hawed and consulted like crazy. Then, I wrote, re-wrote, edited, consulted some more and created my letter of concern to my employer (see previous post).
I typed a polite little greeting, cc'd all those who needed a copy and fired off my letter.
Or I thought I did...
I forgot to attach so, I wrote another polite little greeting and attached my letter.
Eeeekk... I'm peeing my pants.
So much worry in so short a document.
I need to spend more time reading Philippians 4:6-7 and much less time fretting.

Little Miss Meek

After a lot of thought and persuasion from some work friends, I'm going to write a letter to the Teacher's Federation and my school division stating that I am upset with the way my transfer went down.
I know, I know, ooooo, a letter.
This is a really big deal for me. This means that I have to stand up to my employer, a figure of authority and say something that might not be agreeable.
This causes me stress.

Why is it that I can teach my students to stand up for themselves and to advocate for themselves but, I have the hardest time doing it for myself. It's less stressful to just roll over, curl up and cry.
Although I've accepted the transfer part and the new school and new job seem okay, I still cry when I talk to my colleagues about how things happened. That can't be good for my morale, can it?

Today, Little Miss Meek is about to make a peep. I wonder what it will be like to be heard or, if I'll be heard at all?

Blur...

I'm in a crazy blur stage of life right now. I feel like there's always someone attached to me and never enough time.
Claire is really struggling with naps in her crib... she'd much prefer just laying in my arms. So, we go out in the mornings because she still transfers so well in her car seat. That way she naps (usually a good hour and a half too). However, that still leaves an afternoon nap. Usually, we fight and I lose. Today, I just held her and didn't feel like such a failure because I didn't try putting her down a dozen times. That means my house is just on the edge of chaos and my desire to do yard work is depleted. I also wouldn't mind being alone for a few minutes in my day or answering my phone or making phone calls... sigh. Luckily, I get a pretty decent sleep at night.
Fortunately, even when not napping, Simon is content to have Quiet Time in his crib. He plays quietly or sleeps. It's good to look at him and remember where we came from... that gives me hope for Claire.
I looked at the calendar and realized that it's mid June already. Golly, how did that happen?

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!

2

Hard to believe that this pretty little Missy is already 2. Happy B-day, Princess!
Love, Auntie

32 Today

I'm 32 today.
Simon walked outside and said "Glorious day, Momma!".
I agree, Little Man.
Claire only woke up once for a quick feed and Trevor let me sleep in today so, I feel like SuperWoman.
I'm so very blessed with a fabulous little family (and extended family), great friends, a continuing work contract, a handsome hubby (who makes good French toast), a great home (and an even greater one to come), an amazing church, good health and a crazy cat.
I'm exactly where I want to be in life and my only wishes are more prayers about things I have no control over.
I've known Jesus for ~30 years and He's blessed me with so much.
Thanks for all your sweet B-day wishes. I'm reveling in the sunshine today and being completely spoiled.

Oh yeah - photo proof

Not the greatest shot as I haven't actually done it since it's been cut. I kind of like the crazy waves I've got going on... makes it easy not to do. :)
Here are my 2 favorite shots of the kids this week as well!

(Dr's appt today. Simon screamed bloody murder. Claire smiled and performed amiably. Claire is 18 lbs and off the the chart for height. Simon is a whopping 29 lbs 8 oz and almost a meter tall. Simon's got a cold and losing his voice - his little raspy talking is pretty cute. Claire's trying to walk when we hold her standing. Yeesh - time is flying by for me with my kiddos!)

Vanity

A good friend of mine is in the midst of chemo. She cut her hair short to prepare her kiddos for the potential hair loss that comes with chemo. A group of us girls decided to chop our hair short to support her.
This week I learned that I am terribly vain about my hair.
I love having long hair. I love the feel of it swishing from side to side in a ponytail, I love how Simon snuggles into it and how Claire wraps her chubby baby fingers around it while nursing. The last time I had short hair (the shortest it's ever been is just above shoulder length) was when I was 15.
I have basically had the same hair cut for 17 years. My hair style had grown into an eleventh grader. Yeesh. My biggest style changes were growing out bangs and long layers.
Last night, Lindsey P. from Sheers (awesome hairdresser if you're looking - there's my plug) chopped off my locks.
I still don't recognize myself in the mirror. My head feels light. Washing and brushing my hair feels ridiculous and my neck gets chilly. I've also realized that I have really wavy hair.
It'll grow back. Until it does, I'm going to embrace this changed look.
I know that we made my friend smile and that was the point.
(I'll post pictures when my kids are in bed - neither want to sleep this afternoon... sigh - too much of a shock for them, I guess!)

Outside

"Outside, outside, outside" is Simon's mantra every day. Rain or shine, all the little guy wants to do is run wild in the backyard or explore the many fabulous parks our fine little city has to offer. His favorite activities involve picking berries off the vine (and storing them in his cache in our apple tree), picking dandelions and playing in the mud or dirt. He comes inside covered in dirt, mud, grass stains and he has the grimiest little face and hands. Good thing we have baths and do laundry.
Claire's a pretty good sport. She's a happy baby in the Bjorn and she's trying new things like the slide and the swing. Mostly, she just wants to sit on the lawn and chew on pieces of grass or other things that make her way into her grabby hands.