Carla's Rumblings and Ruminations

PS

2012-01-27T20:59:00.000-07:00

As it turns out, we lucked out and vacated Southern Alberta during the coldest week of the winter. Trevor gloated the entire week we were away and gleefully pointed out the sub zero temperatures at home while we enjoyed 20ish degree Celsius days.

Now, back home, although it's back up to above 0, the wind is once again howling.
I miss Palm Springs.
Maybe we'll move there.

We had a nice week away.

Trevor and I drove with Sierra to Disneyland one day. A great day!

We thoroughly enjoyed being outside at the playground and pool and for walks.

We went to a zoo and almost got to feed giraffes. Of course the one time they weren't hungry was when we were there!
We wondered through two flea markets and perused the locally made items for sale.

We looked longingly at the gorgeous golf courses wishing we could be on them.

We ate a lot of Cold Stone because we had two-for-one coupons.

Amid the fun of a holiday I did learn some things this time around (note: this is not really complaining):

1. My kids need to be in separate rooms. Correction: Sawyer needs to be in a separate room. He is a lighter sleeper than his sister and often woke up earlier than normal. As soon as he heard the rustle of a blanket or Sierra going to the bathroom he was hollering to get up. Our days started before 7 so sleep was not attained. I was more tired upon our return than before we left.

2. We absolutely can NOT push Sierra's bed time, especially with early wake up times. We can maybe get away with one day that is a little more intense but then the next day must be a catch up day for her. This was learned the hard way with a couple of spectacular melt downs on her part and a worn out mother from dealing with them!

3. A spacious condo is the way to go with little kids, especially regarding meals. We cooked and ate the majority of our meals there and that made eating far more relaxing. It also saved us money. We did go out for a few fast food lunches and one nicer supper. For the supper out we were at the restaurant by 5:30 armed with a DVD player. The kids were also hungry, having been denied afternoon snacks and having had some pool time, so they ate and watched a short movie and we managed to be out in an hour just as Sawyer was getting squirmy. (Note all this to self for future meals out.)

5. One week is far too short. 10 days to two weeks would be better. We barely felt like we were in the groove of relaxing and it was time to go home. I say this with every vacation. Since we only get two weeks a year we have to use the time we have efficiently.

I would love to post pictures but our camera software is not working on our new computer (or something) so you'll have to use your imagination.

Much Better!!!

2012-01-19T12:38:00.001-07:00

No snow. No wind. No cold.
Sun. Palm trees. Warm (but not hot).
Fun.

We Are Outta Here!!!!

2012-01-15T15:43:00.001-07:00

So, we're on the first leg of our journey to......Palm Springs! Oh and the best part? We've been hit with winter and it is forecasted to be darn cold and snowy all week!!!
(note current temperature on van thermometer in picture below). Hopefully my next pictures will be of palm trees and no parkas.

All You Need is Love...

2012-01-13T08:26:00.000-07:00

I was reminded of something I heard/read somewhere not long ago when Sierra was having a particularly emotional and unreasonable episode.

It lunch time and not only was she weepy and didn't want anything she was also being rather disrespectful. At the back of my mind a little thought surfaced, "Maybe she just needs some love."

"Sierra," I said interrupted the crying.

"Whaaat!" In a teary voice.

"Would you like to just sit with me for a few minutes?"

"Yaahhh!"

We sat and cuddled for about ten minutes and then she was back to her old self.

These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

2012-01-11T16:17:00.002-07:00

My Mom and I found these babies on Boxing Day! Sierra loves to splash in puddles and now I can join in the fun!

Winter Blows

2012-01-09T20:31:00.002-07:00

Literally.

This winter has been WIND-DY!!!!

When I say windy I mean windy. Gusts blowing up to140km/hour on occasion which is considered hurricane force. Highways shut down because of the debris and tipped over semis. Roofs and other parts are being blown off of buildings. It howls and roars with such fury our house shakes. Our toilets have whitecaps in them. Okay, maybe not waves but the water does lap up the sides of the bowl.

No I'm not pulling your leg. This is true.

I'm pretty sure if the wind ever stopped I'd drive right off of the highway because I'm so used to compensating!

Prairie grass fires have also been a hazard. The wind has sucked up every drop of moisture so the smallest spark and the gale force winds are a dangerous combination. The west side of our city was evacuated due to fires and high winds a month or so ago.

Sure, there has been no snow and it's unusually warm for this time of year. What good is warm when you can't go outside at all for fear of being picked up and carried to the next province? The only good thing is the low heating bills!

Did I mention the headaches? The crazy wind is a fantastic migraine inducer - which Trevor is so blessed to get. While I don't get migraines I've certainly suffered my share of headaches. My hair is static-y and in a constant knot and my skin is dry and flaky. Oh, and my eyes are full of grit from all the dirt in the air.

Bring on the cold and snow!

At least it won't blow.

Photos

2012-01-06T08:20:00.000-07:00

Popcorn - the worlds best snack! (I fully agree)

Play Dough cake masterpiece.

Watching TV with the aforementioned worlds best snack.

He loves this dog. It was actually a gift to Sierra from her Aunt Amanda but Sawyer has taken ownership.

Mmmmm! This is delicious soup!

He gets this sitting configuration from me and, yes, I can still sit like this.

Holiday Recap

2012-01-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

~ Christmas was really good.

Everyone got along, behaved and had fun. Kids sure do bring an element of craziness to it! Gift opening was a scene of flying paper, ribbons, bows and boxes and I've finally admitted that calm family dinners simply don't exist anymore. (although our turkey dinner wasn't bad because we ate during Sawyer's nap) The hot tub was completely awesome to have (my parents rented one for a week). Sierra thought it was the best thing since chocolate, and Trevor is dreaming up ways to buy one for ourselves. Christmas Day was brown, a bit windy, sunny, and relatively warm for these parts (10 degrees Celsius).

`~ We hosted a New Year's Party and had eight adults over. We indulged in a Toblerone chocolate fondue. There is nothing better than totally obliterating the nutritiousness of fruit by smothering it in melted chocolate! We also laughed our way through the final two hours of 2011 with a game of Taboo. By the time everyone left and the chocolate high wore off it was 2 A.M. The kids had us awake by 6:45. We suffered all day today.

~ No major resolutions in play for me this year.

The usual maintain-a-healthy-lifestyle- make-the-most-of each-day kind of thoughts are circulating. Since my life is so fly-by-the-seat-of-the-kids'-pants there's no point in aiming for anything because it is most likely to be altered or dashed. Oh, that is so not in my personality as I'm such a planner and doer but Sierra and Sawyer have forced me to set that part of me aside and live a little more relaxed and with lower expectations.

~ We leave for a vacation in two weeks. TWO WEEKS!!!

We are looking forward it, yes, but with reserved anticipation. Kids are so unpredictable and going anywhere with them is so much work. "Restful" doesn't describe our holidays at this stage. On second thought, it doesn't describe our life anywhere at anytime! Anyway, I believe it will be worth it because there should be lots to do and it will be different than the every day norm. I think that's the key - having enough for the kids to do. Otherwise all we'd have is bored cranky kids in an unfamiliar place. This vacation has suddenly come upon me and I suddenly feel a bit of stress with all there is to prepare..but it is still a vacation so I shan't complain!

Christmas Cheer

2011-12-23T07:34:00.001-07:00

A coworker of Trevor's did this for Sierra and I

Then I did a bunch of hot tubbing and cleaning and they are already chipped off. But it was fun for a day.

Four Days Before Christmas....

2011-12-21T08:17:00.001-07:00

1...my house is almost clean from top to bottom, and even inside closets and cupboards. Wait, let me rephrase that, I have cleaned almost my entire house from top to bottom and inside closets and cupboards. Whether it is still clean is the question. Nothing remains in its clean state for too long, if at all. But I feel better knowing that is was clean very recently.

2....I've been done shopping since Saturday and all but one gift is wrapped and where it needs to be.

3....I braved the mall yesterday with my kids and bought stuff for myself! I know, I know right before Christmas not such a smart time to be buying things for oneself but the pants were 70% off - $10! I could not resist. Besides, no one will be giving me pants.

4... it looks like we're to have a relatively warm, brown Christmas this year. We had a bit of snow last night but it assuredly won't stay.

Cue music: "I'm, dreaming of a white Christmas....."

5....my parents decided to rent a hot tub for the week over Christmas. I wholeheartedly approve of this and enjoyed a little soak already last night. I think I might move back home for the week.

6...I so love experiencing the excitement Sierra is displaying over Christmas. The decorating/decorations, buying gifts, wrapping gifts, guessing gifts, baking etc. I also love it as she takes in the true meaning of Christmas that we are trying to intentionally incorporate as well. We want to make sure she knows it's not just about presents. (Although, presents are awesome)

"How many more sleeps?"

Sawyer has no clue.

7...we did not send or gift out any cards this year. Time simply did not afford us this. Maybe in the New Year. Maybe not.

8....Trevor's mom sent us some little German cookies called peppernuts and my kids ate them all in 24 hours. Trevor got none, I got two or three. So we made more with my Oma yesterday.

A large bag.

If they remain in existence until Christmas I'll be impressed.

Diapers

2011-12-15T09:27:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I officially gave up on using cloth diapers for Sawyer.

First of all, my son seems to have trouble producing solid poop. Sierra never had issues in that area and solid poop is super easy to clean up. Secondly, the cloth diapers I own have had the elastics stretch out completely around the legs. That makes a messy combination - I'll spare you details - and I hit my breaking point in dealing with that.

I am quite disappointed in the diapers themselves. Research sang the praises of this particular brand and I anticipated saving money on being able to use them through at least two kids. Alas, they failed me. I complained to the company and they sent me "elastic repair kits" but that will require a lot of time and work for the 18 diapers I have. I do not have time.

So I reluctantly diaper my son in disposables. It is much easier and cleaner but I still fell guilty.

I cringe every time I put a disposable diaper in the garbage can and am sick with how many of them accumulate after only a few days - and he doesn't even use that many.

I by no means judge the 95% (or whatever the stat is) of you who chose/choose disposables, I get that it is simpler. Cloth was my choice for a number of reasons, I'm just sad that I can't follow through with it.

I Did It!!!!!!

2011-12-14T09:13:00.000-07:00

It took four months, a month longer than the prescribed schedule, and the last month was like slogging through quick sand (which was in part due to a strained neck) , but I did indeed complete it.

P90X!!!!!

I can't believe I actually made it through the entire grueling program. I have never been as tired and sore for so long but I also have never felt so good.

(Does that even begin to make sense? No.)

I definitely notice/noticed a large improvement in my strength and stamina and flexibility. I actually feel strong when I perform the moves as opposed to the wimp of the century that infested my body when I started. I toned up and all my clothes fit nicely. I didn't actually loose much in the weight department, maybe a couple of pounds. But when you factor in muscle growth (and muscle weighs more than fat) and lost inches I'd say I met my initial size loss goal that I made nearly a year ago.

So yes, I feel good.

I have no intention of quitting now. I'm going to keep up a casual work out schedule for the next couple of weeks and then after Christmas attack it hard core again. Maybe I'll even incorporate more of the eating plan in and see if that scale will budge a little more!

Oh - and as for my no sugar or caffeine plan? After the first successful week and half I gradually slid back towards my old ways. What a difficult time of year to cut sugar! I also began to feel better in terms of my heartburn/indigestion so I had less motivation to continue. I'm not sure I actually felt better without caffeine or not. It was definitely harder after noon some days to stay motivated and accomplish anything. Maybe I didn't give it enough time.

I wonder if my not feeling well had more to do with a flu bug going around than anything because it was making the rounds. I'm still limiting the sweets because even if it was sickness that afflicted me there are certain foods that disagree with my innards no matter what!

La Tree

2011-12-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Because I have an iPhone and

because I can easily take pictures and post them and

because this is what I'm looking at right now and

because I thought it would be fun to share!

Please ignore the black blob, that is our cat, he is not part of the decorations even though he thinks he is.

Sierra made this in preschool. Isn't it cool?

I made this when I was about her age - isn't it cool?

Joining In

2011-12-08T13:26:00.000-07:00

Until a year ago I was using a ten year old Nokia cell phone. It was a monstrous dinosaur of a phone and I never took it out for anyone to see unless absolutely necessary. Anyone who saw it thought it was my cordless phone from home! I had it strictly for emergency purposes. Then the charger got lost and it was rendered useless.

Last fall Trevor bought me a pay-as-you go phone from 7/11. It was a tiny little thing and I was no longer embarrassed and I did use it more as a result. But as far as cell phones go, it did very little compared to what's out there.

Then I ran out of minutes and we began to evaluate our phone situation. With texting and cell phones becoming more and more common Trevor and I were gradually missing out on more and more various things

due to cell phones being a major form of communication among our friends. So we took the plunge and now we both have iPhones.

I love it!

I kind of hated to succumb to the social pressure of 'needing' such a device but it was turning into more than wanting a 'new toy' just because they're fun. We were actually missing out on stuff. It is a bit sad, actually, where society has gone with that but it is also the reality.

Like I said, I am quite enjoying being a part of the modern cell phone age.

Diary of Going Sugarless - Week 1.5

2011-12-01T08:27:00.001-07:00

The first five days went extremely well. While I didn't end up completely avoiding sugar I consumed less than normal. It didn't help that I made cinnamon bread for Sierra's Wee College class last week, and fresh cinnamon bread cannot be resisted. It wouldn't let me! But I did keep it to small pieces and no more than one each day that I had it. Saturday and Sunday didn't earn me as good a grade. Saturday I had 7-Up with Grenadine to drink, which I ordered without thinking at my work Christmas party, plus a piece of chocolate brownie-type dessert. Sunday I had a horrible stomach ache all day and drank one and half cans of 7-Up to calm it. As a colleague from work said, it was medicinal so it doesn't count.(?)

As for this week...we baked sugar cookies and iced them on the Sunday I was ill.
Sugar cookies. With icing. Need I say more?
Actually I've been very controlled and limited myself to only one per day.

Now, on to caffeine. I managed to start out with only one cup a day. Then with that stomach bug coffee was the last thing I wanted and went two days without. I am now drinking decaf most days and hoping to keep the caffeine intake to 3ish times a week.

So how do I feel? The indigestion (aside from my weekend ailment) has greatly subsided. Mentally I feel a bit sharper, less foggy. I am more tired right after lunch and I hope that subsides as my body continues to adjust.

Introducing.....

2011-11-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

Princess Fussy Fuss and Captain Destruction!

(Doesn't that sound like a great kid's book?)

Captain Destruction, I mean Sawyer, succeed in breaking one of our kitchen cupboard doors off last week. The door actually split. Fortunately a little glue and all is well. He has also learned that chairs can be pushed around so he can now reach things like light switches and the tops of counters.

NOTHING IS SAFE unless it is also out of my reach!!!!

Sierra, A.K.A. Princess Fussy Fuss, needs her blankets arrange very specifically each night. Last night she woke me up because her toenail was breaking off and required clipping IMMEDIATELY at 3:13 A.M. The crusts of her morning toast must be cut off very precisely, the Nutella spread on very thickly, and then cut into bite sized pieces. She simply cannot eat unless her place mat is clean, she has her milk and a napkin.

Yesterday I went to Superstore to get out of the house and get a few groceries. I spent some time browsing, located what I needed and went through the self checkout. I reached in my purse for my wallet to pay.....and discovered that it was at home.

It's no wonder with Captain Destruction and Princess Fussy Fuss in my care! I can barely keep those two in line so to remember other important things - like wallets - is an incredible feat.

Those two descriptions above? That doesn't even touch the surface of it.

But I love them to bits.

Sugar Free

2011-11-22T08:00:00.001-07:00

It was triggered by my neck strain that occurred nearly two weeks ago.

Couple that with being woken up in the wee hours of morning by a little girl every few nights and you get a Carla that hasn't been feeling so well.

I've been tired, unmotivated and my heartburn is being rather problematic.

For some reason it often flares up this time of year. I also have acid reflux due to a weak valve.

I'm tired of being tired and sick of feeling sick and motivated to be motivated.

I have decided to try and eliminate two two components of my diet: sugar and caffeine.

I've known for a long time that caffeine is not good for heartburn . My main source of it - coffee- is acidic in itself so that makes it doubly bad. I only really started drinking it daily after Christmas last year and I have two-three cups every morning. Prior to that it was only a couple of times a week. When I was nursing or pregnant I abstained completely. I won't go cold turkey, I'll drop down to one cup a day for the first week and go from there. This will likely be the harder of the two to go without because I really like the taste and warmth and have been using it as my energy boost each morning.

As for sugar - I've been reading and hearing of people who forgo the stuff and result in feeling and looking better. I don't believe I eat that much sugar but it is present in a lot of food, often in things you don't think would have it. Subtracting sugar from my diet will mean no deserts or other obviously sugary delights, and cooking with as little sugar as possible (i.e, sauces). I do pretty well at eating only whole wheat bread, noodles etc so that won't be an issue. Fruit will be okay since it's natural sugars and I don't eat copious amounts anyway. Oh, and artificial substitutes will be used minimally if at all. I think my eyes will be opened to how much I actually ingest without realizing.

I'm going to do my best at this endeavor for one month and then evaluate how I feel. It won't be easy but I believe it will be worth it.

Crazy - eh?

2011-11-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

White flakes were falling softly.

Snow crunched under our booted feet while we walked.

Our breath created wispy smoky-like puffs.

Cheeks and noses were a rosy red.

The downtown city park was illuminated by trees decked out in colourful Christmas lights and bonfires cheerfully crackling. Two horse-drawn wagons were providing rides around the park and hot chocolate was being passed out by people wearing large box-trays around their necks. People in large puffy parkas milled about laughing and enjoying the festive atmosphere.

We went with the kids.

It was a fun outing.

As we stomped our feet and clapped our mitt-clad hands hands in front of one of the fires I couldn't help but wondering if only Canadians were this crazy.

You see, it was -17 degrees!

It was COLD.

Random Ramblings

2011-11-10T08:05:00.004-07:00

We bought a new computer.

Our internet is now operating at the speed it should thanks to the internet-provider repair man.(2.7 instead of 0.35! - if these numbers mean anything to you)

My kids are actually leaving me mostly alone for a bit - even with no TV (see below).

So there is no excuse.

Well, there's always an excuse.....

Life just plugs along.

It's November already. Christmas is popping up everywhere and it feels like people are getting into it super early this year. My Christmas cacti are also jumping the gun -they are in full bloom already!

I pulled a neck muscle doing chin-ups the other day. I know, I know - what in tarnation was I doing chin-ups for? P90X. I can actually perform some. What annoys me is that I've been doing them for three months only to injure myself now? Oh well, as I tell Sierra with her daily 4028 cuts/bruises/sores/aches/pains is that

"It'll get better."

After attempting numerous 'nice' tactics of dealing with Sierra and her "bad dreams" I finally reached my limit. I felt like I had a newborn again and was walking around in a sleep deprived haze and couldn't function well. The last straw occurred when I got woken up three times Saturday night by Sierra for "bad dreams" and was consequently was awake for three hours. I put my foot down. I told Sierra she had to learn to fall back to sleep by herself or there would be no TV the following day. I've had three uninterrupted nights in a row. She knows I'll follow through with it because we had this issue last year over "messy blankets." (don't ask) I genuinely believe this started with a bad dream but it developed into Sierra's way of getting my attention at 3A.M.!! Anyway, I got three uninterrupted nights and then an interrupted one - so we're a no TV zone this morning. It's so nice and quiet. 'Quiet' being a relative term with kids!

Sawyer is definitely approaching the big #2. He has taken to laying on the ground and wailing when he doesn't get what he wants. Yesterday he ran over to our fireplace and pounded on the glass while screeching.
Nice.
This is going to be fun.

I hate time change. I feel like I'm in a fog for a week after.

I've been questioning whether to continue to blog for some time now. Truthfully, it has felt like a chore more than I'd like and I've enjoyed expressing myself through writing for as long as I can remember.
I had hoped that NaBloWriMo would inspire me and generate some more readers. I know I have some very loyal readers but you are all just very quiet lately. The comments have been few and far between. Comments, even if they are sporadic are what keep me going. Perhaps I'm not a very inspiring or interested writer. Perhaps it's the content. Perhaps you all are just shy. Perhaps none of the above.
Perhaps I need to re-analyze why I blog and decide if I do in fact still enjoy it.
Maybe I need to have a contest and bring you all out of the woodwork!?

About A Ceiling Fan

2011-11-05T20:40:00.001-06:00

I finally got mad at the ceiling fan in our bedroom.

Nothing against it personally, we actually quite appreciate its air moving abilities during the warm summer month. (no, missing the 's' on the end of 'month' is not a typo)

It was anger towards what was on it.'

You see, every night for the past couple of months I would lay down, look up and see the dust collecting on the blades.

I would think that it was obviously high time I dusted up there. Laying in bed about to go to sleep was not that time.

Over the last couple of weeks the dust grew tails, both long skinny ones and soft puffy ones. The deep brown blades began to turn kind of grey.

I would think that it was really getting rather disgusting and that I really should clean the fixture. Once again, laying in bed about to go to sleep was really not that time.

Well, today was that time.

Trevor actually did it because I can't reach it, even when standing on our bed.

I then got inspired and dusted all the bathroom light fixtures, fan, tops of the doors and so on. Our bathroom and room are now as clean and dust free as they can be for now.

Tonight I will lay in bed, look up and not think about cleaning the ceiling fan as I am about to go to sleep.

Recap

2011-11-01T22:28:00.000-06:00

Well, NaBloWriMo is over and I didn't do so well.

We've had computer and internet issues and I've had a child who keeps waking me up at night so I've been tired which makes it hard to post and with the 'net not being readily available....

That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!

Anway, it was fun. I hope to keep up with fairly regular posting.

We'll see.

Clothed

2011-10-30T20:36:00.000-06:00

I love buying clothes for my kids. It's pretty obvious by the amount of clothing they have.

Then again, I also love buying clothes for myself and my closet is far from empty.

I rather dislike doing laundry and only really have to once every two weeks or so. Sawyer rarely makes it to the end of the day with his shirt still clean, sometimes two shirts a day is necessary. Sierra is successful in keeping her clothes clean all day about half the time - then again, there are days when she goes through three outfits a day! (she is such a girl) My point is that they have enough clothes to allow me that two week allowance on doing laundry.

It helps that both of my kids are small and can wear their clothes for quite awhile so although they may have many items I don't shop for them often. I also never buy anything that is not on sale, and it has to be a super good sale. It is not common for me to pay more than $5 or $6 for an item. I also try and carry over clothes from summer to winter by layering T-shirts over long-sleeved shirts in order to prolong their wearing lifespans or adding leggings to skirts.

I could do laundry more frequently....

I figure this way when I get to the point where laundry is a must I have enough dirty clothes to make it worth my effort. I have front load machines and can cram an awefully large load in at once. Laundry less often uses less soap and less water and therefore balances out the cost of the clothes.

Right?

Works for me!

Embracing the Craziness

2011-10-29T21:02:00.000-06:00

My day started at 6 A.M. today.

Sierra awoke at that hour and decided it was time to get up - despite the fact that she knows full well she is to stay in her room until 7 A.M.

"But my clock is taking too long!!" Was the response to our objections to the hour of her consciousness. I did manage to convince her to go back to bed and by 6:30 I snuggled into my warm bed for what I hoped was another 45 minutes of sleep.

"Ah!"

Came from the other room now.

Seriously?

I tried rocking Sawyer back to sleep but failed. So I took him back to our bed where he quietly lay and squirmed for another half-an-hour before Sierra once again awoke. The next hour was complete mayem as breakfast took place and I was actually glad to escape to my job.

I had a busy day at work, a rehearsal at church immediately after and when I arrived home it was as if I never left. Chaos and noisy, demanding children dominated every aspect of my senses - and I only have two kids!

The scene was one with food and toys and bowls tossed every which way, sibblings squabbling, tantrums thrown, time-outs given, and much yelling and screaming - all by the children. (Trevor and I managed to contain our responses mostly to eye rolling and sighs - yes, really!)

Then bedtime and.....

silence.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

But I wouldn't have it any other way with my kids because they are healthy and normal.

My heart is heavy this evening.

Some good friends of ours' six month old baby is currently being closely monitored in the Alberta Children's Hospital in Calgary with low blood pressure and a low heart rate. The baby was recently diagnosed with a medical condition and we think this is a reaction to the medication, but that is pure speculation. We know that that this baby is not well and we are praying fervently. If you pray, please pray along with us.

I hugged my kids a little harder this evening despite their wiggling and yelling.

80/20 - Really?

2011-10-27T20:59:00.000-06:00

Did you know that a person's weight loss/gain is 80% to due with what a person eats?

(I was told this today by a fitness expert)

80%!!!!!

I've been working my butt off with P90X and while I am attaining results it's nothing dramatic.

I don't eat poorly at at all but I do have my vices and "bad" foods I enjoy.

So that explains it. Assuming you believe that, which I actually do.

Darn.

Halloween

2011-10-26T10:23:00.000-06:00

As Halloween is fast approaching and it is, naturally, on my mind.

I've never been much into Halloween.

As a kid I didn't mind dressing up but I did it mostly because my friends got into it and I didn't want to be a loser. Of course I loved the copious amounts of free candy but I was quite shy and going up to strange people's houses was very hard for me. My mom and dad never made a big deal about the day but we still handed out candy and did the token decorating ( with items made by my sister and me) and pumpkin carving. Our church held an annual "Pumpkin Patch Party" that we also went to for a non-scarey, fun atmosphere.

After I "grew up" and left home Trevor and I spent many Halloweens hiding in our basement suite/house with the lights off. We disagree with the spooky, scarey, gory aspects that the day can represent and being Christians, any reference to demons or Satan is not cool.

Now that we have kids, one in particular who knows what this day is about, we have been forced to participate somewhat and scrutinize what the day means to us and how to approach it. We have some friends who don't involve their kids (ages 6,5, & 2) at all in trick-or-treating but still hand out candy, and some friends who are taking their kids swimming instead. (6months and 2 so not quite at the age of knowing what goes on) Then their are others we know who go all out with Halloween. I respect each for their decisions.

We first took Sierra trick-or-treating when she was 2 yrs 4 months and once she figured out what was going on, she absolutely loved it.

"I knock on a door, say trick-or-treat and I get free candy!!!!" went her little mind.

Last year she, at age 3, she got into the dressing up part and the receiving of free candy took on even more importance. To her credit she also enjoyed giving out candy.

This year, at age 4, she has talked about it for over a month, thought out her costume, anticipates pumpkin carving and is getting into having fun with it.

We have chosen to get involved in the positive aspects of Halloween and make the scarey parts insignificant. We love doing activities with out kids, we love seeing the glee and excitement on Sierra's face when she's doing something she enjoys - trick-or-treating being one of them. Sierra certainly recognizes that spooky is associated with Halloween and although we don't deny it we don't really talk about it. When she's ready we'll explain why we don't like that side of the day or ever "go all out" with it but for now, as far as she is concerned, it will be a day to dress up and get a sugar supply large enough to keep her bouncing for weeks!

(we'll be regulating that part too)

Catch Up!

2011-10-25T14:34:00.001-06:00

Is it really Tuesday? Have I really missed many days of blogging in a row?

Such is my life.

Busy.

But it is a really good life these days.

We celebrated a belated Thanksgiving with my family this weekend. My sister and brother-in-law live out of town and couldn't make it until now. It was a really nice day that began with family photos at a lovely park. BBQ'd hamburgers for lunch. A long nap for me and Sawyer during the afternoon. A huge turkey dinner and a board game finished off the day.

We've also been enjoying some really quality social time with friends lately and it's been enriching. With the disjointedness of summer and being busy as we entered fall activities we stepped back a bit for awhile and it's good to connect again.

I've been thinking about money lately. Well, okay, I think about it a lot because it is so dang vital! I don't obsess or worry all that much but I make sure I'm aware of where we are at so we don't end up in deep waters.

I finally feel like our finances are not spiraling out of control. Not that we were in trouble at any point but with our choice of me working as minimally as I do it means that our spending needs to be fairly strict. For the last number of months I'd calculate everything out in advance and double check it and it all would add up satisfactorily. Then this expense would come up, and that would come up and all of sudden it was a jumble of numbers that totaled past my initial sums. An ideas of saving money flew out the window month after month.

As I looked over our finance spreadsheet the other day I saw that last month was good, and this month is shaping up to be good. I'm scared a huge error is going to rear its ugly head and my savings will fly away again but for now I'll enjoy the mostly-secure feeling. Of course this doesn't mean we can relax and spend willy-nilly but the line is straight right now.

With Christmas coming up I am already planning and thinking about how we are affording it. That's how we have to be with major things like that - prepare in advance. I have some ideas brewing and hopefully can follow through with them. I love Christmas and I love giving and receiving gifts. I know it's not about the gifts but it sure is a major part for me.

Next week I could be singing a different tune and feeling the need to get three more jobs but for now...we are good.

3 A.M.

2011-10-20T21:24:00.000-06:00

I'm deep in slumber land, possibly dreaming, snuggled under my thick warm quilt. Then out of the dark, comfortable depths my conscience is aware of a small touch or push. I roll over and reach my hand out and, sure enough, I feel a small trembling body standing beside me.

"What's up Buddy?" I groggily whisper.

"I had a bad dream."

I drag myself out from under my blanket into the cold, silent, house, throw on my housecoat and quietly walk with my little girl to her room.

I cover her with her two blankets and lay down beside her.

I speak softly about nice things and caress her face and try to bring her mind around to happier thoughts and images. Soon she is relaxed and calm.

I give her a kiss and hug and go back to my warmth.

Milestone

2011-10-19T10:45:00.003-06:00

On Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend my husband put on his wedding ring.....

....and left it on......

....and can still wear it.

For those of you who are new here, he was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis last March. He's now had it for just over a year (although we didn't know for the first six months). Go here for the story. He has not been able to wear his wedding ring on his finger since February.

I/We are incredibly thankful for doctors and modern medicine.

We are also thankful to our God who has provided healing in this way.
All Glory to Him!

It's been a long journey, and although it is not over, we are able to rest a bit for now.

Puddles!

2011-10-18T16:15:00.000-06:00

What kid doesn't love a good puddle? So I let Sierra play in some.

A Butter Story

2011-10-17T21:33:00.000-06:00

So I get home from work today and see a popcorn container sitting on the stove and Trevor informs me that Sawyer already put out his request for bed-time snack.

Sierra chimes in "I want some too!"

I say that's going to be a bit hard since we're totally out of butter or anything that resembles it.(we always pop our own in the microwave and add butter and salt)

Sierra turns on the water works and the flood comes a gushing. There's also wailing and more wailing and when I suggest Bits n Bites as an alternative the wailing and the water intensifies. Because I'm tired after working all day and I have a headache I say we'll find some butter so there can be popcorn later. We live a small town, the store is not far.

Later comes so Sierra and I go to our local grocery store.

Yay, the large tub of margarine is on a super sale.

I get to the till to pay and....no wallet in my purse.

Mutter, mutter, grumble, grumble.

I go to my parents house, they are on the way home and by now the kids' bedtime is near and to go home for my wallet and go back to the store would take too much time.

My dad offers me a package of microwave popcorn.

Great! Sierra likes this version too and it's easier.

I get in the van and explain our good fortune.

There is much whining.

I go back in and get butter.

I drive home.

On the way Sierra says to me, "Mommy, if you can't find your wallet that's okay, I can just eat Bits n Bites."

There was popcorn for a night snack

With lots of butter.

The End.

One Man Wrecking Crew

2011-10-16T13:22:00.000-06:00

Starting in the ensuite off of our master bedroom. I see a pair of my glasses lying upside down on the floor. Upon opening the bottom drawer I observe that every single spectacle case has been opened and the glasses they supposedly were protecting are now in a heap in the drawer.

Into the bedroom I see that one dresser cupboard door has been opened and whatever articles of clothing that were once neatly folded and stacked are now scattered on the floor. A little stool stands next to the dresser and my jewellery box drawer is open and necklaces now prettily adorn the top of the dresser. Trevor's alarm clock radio had been turned on and both night table drawers are open and who-knows-what is missing from them. There was a time when there would also inevitably be used Kleenex littering the floor around an empty garbage can, but that fascination seems to have waned. But if a Kleenex box is left within reach.....

Now I go into our walk-in closet and shoes are no longer on the shoe rack and my shirts have been yanked off their hangers. Back into the bedroom the return-air vent has been ripped from the wall.

Sierra long ago learned to keep the door to her private domain and the main bathroom constantly closed so those rooms are relatively in tact.

The second bedroom often has books and clean diapers scattered haphazardly on the floor. The diaper pail lids are also off and a lovely smell permeates the room. (I use cloth at home) Occasionally there is a sopping wet spot on the carpet near the change table and the water container used for wiping is now empty.

Continuing down the hall one might trip over a large plastic truck or step on a Mrs. Potato Head piece and as I enter the main living area toys can be seen tossed here and there. In the kitchen there are plastic containers EVERYWHERE and two empty drawers. All of Sierra's colouring and sticker books are under the kitchen table and not in their comfy basket.

Going downstairs now. Watch that you don't trip on the hazards laying on the steps and observe the pile of 'things' at the bottom. Every so often our poor cat has no food or water in his bowl, but the floor is not thirsty or hungry. One day fresh cat litter had been flung as though it were confetti. The $400 surround sound system with DVD player, IPOD dock and radio is now useless because numerous DVD's were fed into it and the system jammed and broken and the IPOD dock was snapped off. The cat also gets to watch TV a lot.

The novels in the office do NOT belong on the shelves and if the laundry/cold room door is open Mason jars make a fantastic crash when thrown onto the concrete floor.

Pool balls roll great on the laminate floor and DVD's are so pretty and shiny and fun to take of their cases. (hence the broken media system)

If it can be ripped, emptied, opened, or thrown it's been done.

It's a real good thing he's so cute!!!

A Day In The Life Of Me

2011-10-15T07:47:00.000-06:00

This time I really was going to post this yesterday, it was typed and everything, why I didn't at the time I don't know. Anyway, here it is!

It is mid-afternoon and I am very satisfied with my day thus far and what is anticipated to come.

My house is actually clean! The product of a successful morning and help from my ~~slaves~~ kids. I know this won't last past breakfast tomorrow but at least I should get until then!

I also had a delightful hour or amid the cleaning playing with my awesome kids. I entered the fun world of dolls with Sierra while occasionally amusing Sawyer with this toy or that to prevent him from destroying doll-land.

Lunch was a bit of disaster with some melt downs for unknown reasons so I'll push that out of my mind because writing about it will make me shudder.

I had full intentions of getting my workout in this afternoon but since Sawyer officially has my cold he couldn't nap because of congestion and coughing. Trying to exercise with Sawyer around is simply not possible.

I snuggled with my kids for a bit of quiet time on the couch instead before showering and getting ready to go out.

Later we are off to the chiropractor and then McDonald's for supper. It has been ages since we've been to McD's and thought it would be a nice treat. Sierra loves the Play Place and a "regular" restaurant would be a disaster since Sawyer refuses to sit. After we've stuffed ourselves with grease and a horrendous amount of calories maybe we'll attempt to work some of it off and take in a little shopping - you know exotic high-end stores like Canadian Tire and Wal-Mart.

Then kids to bed and a few precious hours of peace and quiet before we must give in to the necessity of slumber.

Not too exciting, I know, but it was a day and a good one at that.

Annoyances

2011-10-13T21:21:00.001-06:00

Things that irk me:
(I'm in a bad mood or anything, this is just something to blog about)

1. When I ask a question at work about a certain procedure and the person answering me begins by stating that he/she is frustrated with having to explain it yet again. For the record it was a follow up question from last week and if I had done said procedure incorrectly than the books would be screwed.

2. Having only two weeks of holidays per year.

3. Not getting sick pay, or paid personal days, or medical days or basically any days paid that aren't vacation. If we're not there we don't get paid. Period.

4. Crumbs in my kitchen drawers.

5. Dirty socks laying around (although this situation has improved lately)

6. Sawyer cramming who-knows-how-many DVD's into the DVD player and now all it does it make a horrid clicking noise and the DVD's don't eject.

7. Wind. We get insane amounts of wind in the winters that blow insanely strong.

8.Waking up before I have to.

9. Feeling like I don't know what I'm doing at my job despite 13 years experience because we switched computer systems and our lens supplier.

10. Loosing both sets of van keys.

Cinnamony Goodness

2011-10-12T12:54:00.000-06:00

As fall quickly descended with cooler, windy days and the leaves began to turn into brilliant oranges and yellows my enjoyment of baking returned.

Yesterday morning, despite feeling ill, I managed to get the scent of cinnamon, brown sugar and butter floating through my house via this:

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

It is quite possible that Sierra and I ate half a loaf that afternoon! It is a good thing the recipe makes two loaves. The second one will be gone by tomorrow I'm sure.

I'd double the recipe but I just don't like the taste of baked goods as much after they have been frozen and thawed. I'm a purist I guess.

Oh, and I wouldn't tease you with something so good without sharing the recipe which was passed on to me by my mom.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

1 Cup warm milk

1/4 cup warm water

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter or marg

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

5 cups flour (I used 1 cup whole wheat and then 4 1/4cups of white)

21/4 tsp yeast

Filling: I don't measure these ingredients, I just dump. Be GENEROUS with the sugar.

2 TBSP butter

1/3 cup sugar (I used brown)

1TBSP cinnamon

Mix yeast with water and 1 tsp sugar and let rise, about 10 minutes.

Add other ingredients as with any yeast baking and mix well.

Let rise until double

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide in half.

Roll each portion into a 10 x 8 rectangle (mine was even longer) . Brush with butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. *Do not skimp on this part. Cinnamon bread/buns are meant to have lots of brown sugar and cinnamon otherwise what's the point? They just taste like plain bread/buns.

Roll up tightly jelly roll style . Pinch ends and seams and place seams down in two 9x5 in loaf pans. cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled , about an hour.

Bake at 350 for 25 min. (I took mine out at this point since and they were done) Cover with foil and bake for another 10 min.until golden brown. Remove from pans , cool completely and glaze with icing if desired.

Enjoy!

Short and Sweet

2011-10-11T17:27:00.003-06:00

Sick.

Exhausted.

Longing for my bed.

Not in the blog mode.

Had a great couple of days visiting with out-of-town friends and that is keeping me smiling.

Thankful

2011-10-09T22:26:00.000-06:00

Since it is Canadian Thanksgiving and I'm a Canadian living in Canada being thankful seems appropriate for today. It's too bad I'm once again doing this later than my cognitive likes.

I'm thankful for modern medicine and our medical system. Trevor wore his wedding ring for the first time in eight months today and kept it on! (for those of you who are new, he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis this past March)

I am thankful for two healthy active kids.

Family.

Friends.

My house.

Good food to eat.

Pretty normal stuff I know, but it's the normal stuff that so many people don't have and I don't want to take any of it for granted.

Harvesting

2011-10-08T22:23:00.000-06:00

If the three days of torrential rains hadn't rendered the remainder of my garden a mud bog there would be carrots and tomatoes to add to this picture.

50lbs of potatoes and 20 pounds of onions.

The 25 apples did not make the picture. I'd like to say they are already in pie form or something delectable like that but no, they are just chillin' in the fridge.

Lucky Seven - WILMA!!!!!!!!

2011-10-07T08:45:00.000-06:00

I may be dating myself but remember the Flintstones? And Fred constantly bellowing

"WILMA!!!!!!!!" for one reason or another? I do. I don't remember much else about the show but that yell is imprinted in my mind.

I admit to raising my voice with my kids, especially Sierra.

She has been known to be afflicted with sudden onsets of can't-hear-itis. Flare ups typically occur when she takes something that her brother has and and she "needs" right that moment. Or with any other sibling 'moments'! Like she has this bizarre need to push him over for no reason. (Ah, the love)

After numerous attempts at asking/telling Sierra to stop/give it back with no avail my voice eventually must escalate to a much higher volume. Sierra's ears eventually turn back on and she wails because I yelled at her and I attempt to explain that I tried speaking normally but since she didn't obey I assumed she couldn't hear me so I had to be loud. My logic is lost on her most of the time.

My vocal chords also work a bit harder when Sawyer is into something (99.0% of the time he's awake!).

Strong "No's" and "Sawyers!" can often be heard throughout the day.

Two things have made me step back and analyze this tactic:

1. Sierra has taken to hollering at Sawyer if he does something he shouldn't or that she doesn't want him to. I tell her not to yell at him and I can tell by the look she gives me that she's thinking "You do."

2. I heard a mom repeatedly disciplining her child recently and it was always in a very loud, firm voice that had an angry quality to it. It was enough that Sierra was actually a little scared. My thoughts were, "Do I sound like that?"

(Now I don't know this mom or the situation(s) behind what was going on, I know only know how it came across to me.)

So I've been making a conscious effort to attempt a different approach. It involves stopping what I am doing and going up to my child and getting down to their level and speaking to them. If they continue to ignore me than a time-out is in order.

It's surprisingly effective. I still overcome the can't-hear-itis, and I don't feel like a rotten egg when the situation is dealt with!

I don't want my kids to have imprinted memories of me hollering at them.

VI: Presenting.....

2011-10-06T08:25:00.000-06:00

Pictures of my Wieners all dressed up!

This is quite a change from the usual food and snot smeared Sawyer and the messy-haired Sierra who would wear PJ's 24/7 if I let her.

My little princess as: The Flower Girl.

The ivory dress is vintage from the later 1980's worn by my cousin (sister to the groom) when she was four. Sierra's silky blond tresses were painstakingly curled by me while she was mesmerized by the TV. She is also wearing a touch of Sweet Nectar lipstick. (The tank top underneath, the leggings, socks and shoes aren't anything special but represent a part of Sierra's idiosyncrasies and they kept her warmer in the cool outdoor air.)

Here's a full view of the dress.

Handsome little dude but that mischievous twinkle of trouble can't be masked no matter what he's dressed in! Ironically, his little suit matched the groomsmen outfits to a T and Sawyer was not a member of the wedding party! It was a complete fluke.

Ain't that a good-looking fam?

Mommy and her girl.

Day 5 - The Little Things.

2011-10-05T08:15:00.000-06:00

I was going to quickly type a post for yesterday and totally lie and say that "somehow" it didn't post even though I swear I hit the "publish" button, but I then I thought, "why?"

The truth of the matter is, I completely forgot.

You may get a double whammy today - you may not!

Last night our church "care group" (a group of five couples who meet weekly to study the Bible) met and we challenged each other to 'find God' in the mundane, in the little things. I confessed last night that despite what I've always believed to be a strong faith I haven't been giving God much though lately.

(No, I'm not going to preach to you or anything but my faith is very real to me and I write about it from time to time.)

Since my mind is refocusing on God/the positive here are a couple of things I've already come up with:

Yesterday I horsed around with both my kids on our bed. They love being tossed into the pillows and we had about fifteen minutes of pure fun. At one point Sierra says to be "You are the most specialist Mommy ever!" My heart melted. I am blessed to have two fantastic, healthy kids who I can play with.

I have gorgeous pink flowers blooming on a plant of mine - despite the fact that it is often forgotten and only gets water when the leaves are droopy!

I love the sunrise, and although the fact that I get to see it every morning means the days are getting shorter and winter is on its way I'm still enjoying its splendor. The colours I get to peer at through bleary, sleep encrusted eyes while my two kids are hollering for TV, milk, breakfast etc really are quite lovely. I'm sure God made sunrises beautiful because He knew mornings would be hard for many of us and that we needed something to cheer us first thing! Not that I take the time to notice every day but....you get the point.

I'm curious to see how looking for the small blessings will impact my general attitude. Simply thinking about it last night had my attitude doing a 180.

3 - Our Wieners.

2011-10-03T22:11:00.001-06:00

It's late, I worked all day, went for a walk with my kids and husband, then walked again with my mom and now I'm tired and my creative juices are a little like molasses right now.

So I told you a bit of completely random and useless facts about me, how about my kids? Or as Trevor and I affectionately call them, our wieners.

OK.

Sierra is four, can't seem to do anything by herself (nor allow me to do do anything alone) beyond sleeping because she's likely to keel over with sudden and intense loneliness She has a ratty old bunny that goes EVERYWHERE with her and a blanket that shows just as much love but doesn't quite go everywhere. She's Mommy's girl by far. Her name was chosen in a round about way after GMC Sierra trucks.

Sawyer, nineteen months, will wander off and play alone all the time. If it's too quiet I definitely have reason to be concerned. He loves to chuck toys, sippy cups, toy strollers, shoes - ANYTHING - down the stairs and then look at me with a super concerned look on his face and say "Uh Oh!" His blanket is his "thing", no stuffed toy yet. He is mommy's boy but leaning a little more to his dad lately. His name was chosen out of a baby name book but when we used to watch the show Lost we did comment on the name (one of the characters was named Sawyer) and that we liked it.

Stay tuned for pictures - one of these days, I promise!

2/31 - Odds and Sods About Moi!

2011-10-02T21:26:00.000-06:00

1. When I was in high school I wanted to marry a cowboy/farmer. I ended up marrying a city boy, who grew up on an acreage near Vancouver, but a city boy none-the-less. He thinks cowboys are ridiculous and that country music is a scourge to the industry! I love him anyway and can't imagine being married to a cowboy/farmer now.

2. I believe that my birthday needs to be celebrated for at least a week every year. I usually succeed and it's great! This year happened to be a rare failure in that area.

3. I think it's normal to have 17 pairs of glasses. (I know, I know, a benefit/hazard of my occupation)

4. Pickles and popcorn rock! But not together or even at the same time.

5. I can still do a flip on the trampoline.

6.My heritage is as Mennonite and German as one can get yet I don't speak German or attend a Mennonite church anymore (not because I no longer believe the faith but because I thrive more under a different style of worship than the local Mennonite churches offer).

I do still have regular affairs with their food though!

7. I enjoy "train wreck" TV shows, as Trevor has termed them, such as "Sister Wives" and "19 Kids and Counting."

8. My husband is a hockey fanatic. I enjoy it once a week, not the three or four times per week his team plays. I usually join in his excitement of the season starting, not this year.

9. I can't stand football.

10. I only have complete vision in one eye, and even that eye only sees well with correction.

1 of 31

2011-10-01T12:24:00.001-06:00

I think I'm a sucker for punishment and stress.

I've signed up for the NaBloWriMo - write a blog post a day for the month of October. I have so much time these days I thought I'd give myself something to do. You know, because I've been soooo bored.

(insert sarcasm) I have no idea what you're going to read from me or even how successful I'll be but here I go!

While putting away my 4 baskets of clean laundry this morning - a job I really dislike by the way. I don't mind sorting or rotating or even folding the laundry but putting it away....sometimes the clean laundry sits folded in the baskets for over a week and then I have to start over. Anyway, while I was completing this particular task (after only 3 days of sitting in the baskets by the way) I had an idea:

I would like to have a Halloween party.

I want to invite tons of people, dress up, eat lots of food, and enjoy each other's company.

I normally really dislike Halloween. I don't know why exactly, but it is generally my least favourite time of year. Now that I have one kid who is totally into it and another likely to join her - I mean what kid wouldn't like it with all that free candy! - I suppose I should try and enjoy it for a change!

I do love a good party....

Who would come?

Sigh

2011-09-29T12:55:00.000-06:00

I'm having severe writers block these days.
I often take my cues from pictures but I haven't had the time to go downstairs to the office where our other computer is and upload the photos from our camera. The days are just a madhouse of activities and chasing my ~~animals~~ children. If I tried to accomplish said task Sawyer would be emptying the bookshelves, garbage can, cat food bowls - basically wreaking havoc. Do it while Sawyer naps, you say. Well, Sierra usually insists on sitting on my lap and trying to do anything with a 4 year old blocking the screen is impossible. By evening all I want to do is collapse. Hence, no pictures.

Then when I sit down (usually during breakfast and lunch because it's the only time my kids are occupied and quiet so it often takes me days to get a post written) and try to come up with something witty and interesting to write sans picture, all that surfaces are whiny, complainy type thoughts and when I go back to what I wrote a few hours later I make a face and determine that it is unpostable.

I'm having trouble with motivation these days. I'm getting no results from anything so my enthusiasm is fast waning. We can't get ahead financially yet the bills continually go up. My house is in a constant, varying degree of disaster no matter how much I clean and tidy. Our yard and garage are also in desperate need of attention. I have been exercising diligently for two months and the results need to start being more noticeable or I"ll just succumb to the ease of being a lazy sloth and live on chocolate and bonbons. The comments in blog-land have diminished so I feel like I'm writing to myself, which essentially I am I guess but knowing I have readers is nice too!

That is that.
I'm not depressed or sad or anything.
I'm just a little frustrated with the demands of my time and the tremendous lack of it and the absence of results where I do put forth energy and effort.

Recap

2011-09-23T08:24:00.000-06:00

(*I wrote this yesterday intending to add pictures later in the day. Never happened. It will though. Eventually)

I just downed my fourth cup of coffee for the day. My usual is one-and-a-half.

That about explains how well I'm recuperating from our Island!

It was a really good - albeit whirlwind - three day weekend. Our adventure began when the alarm shrilled at 3:50 Friday morning and ended when I flopped into bed at 1:15A.M. Monday morning. I wouldn't say it was fun exactly but we had a mostly enjoyable time. Chasing Sawyer, who was extremely sleep deprived and

therefore going on delirious energy (you know the kind where you're so tired that if you sit still you'll pass out so you run instead?), was our main activity Besides that I spend Friday and Saturday on "Flowergirl duty". AKA staying excited and upbeat and portraying this as an extremely special opportunity so that Sierra didn't run away wailing. (there was a moment...) We ended up being "Team Flowergirl", a term I came up with where we would do it together so that she would do it. A candy bribe from Granny sealed the deal and she ended up walking down the aisle by herself. Phew!

Overall the kids did very well for kids but traveling and being at occasions like this is quite the experience with them.

My Thoughts After Spending The Day Preparing For a Weekend Trip

2011-09-13T17:24:00.001-06:00

* We are headed to a family wedding on Vancouver Island this weekend and trying to pack with two "helpful" kids is aggravating. Sierra seems to think we should be able to take anything and everything and Sawyer unpacks as fast as I pack!

At this exact moment I feel in control. That scares me.

Don't ask me how I'm feeling Thursday night.

(we fly out at an unearthly hour Friday morning)

* Sierra is very traumatized at the idea of Bunny and Dolly having to go through the X-ray machine at the airport. It's a good thing I told her in advance or it would not have been a good scene at 5 A.M. on Friday!

*I'm a wee bit nervous about how my kids will travel on the plane. Sawyer hates sitting still and Sierra hates loud noises.

*Sierra is to be the flower girl at this wedding. I did a trial run on her hair today. After I was done she called the curls"slinky" (I suppose the curls do resemble a Slinky), bawled for ten minutes and yanked on the them because she didn't like it.

She'll get over it.

I'll bribe her if I have to on Saturday.

( Side note: I must have bought good spray because the curls mostly withstood the yanking)

*As excited as I am to be attending this wedding there is regret mixed in as well since we will be missing a different wedding of a good friend. Seriously, what are the chances of being invited to two weddings occurring on the same day? And it's a non-long weekend in September. And we don't even know that many people in the marrying stage of their life.

*I'm sure we'll all come home exhausted and cranky and the kids will make me pay for a week after but it will be worth it! I have a great extended family.

Contortion Sleeping

2011-09-11T11:42:00.000-06:00

Sleeping like a pretzel after a particularly hard (?) morning.

The Mother Bear Surfaces

2011-09-08T12:49:00.000-06:00

The hair on my neck is standing up and I'm pacing back and forth growling - one of my cubs has been threatened!

Here's the story:

Yesterday was Sierra's first full afternoon of preschool (last week was just an intro session). We baked chocolate chip cookies in the morning so she could have a special treat for snack time. I also hadn't been grocery shopping in awhile so the options were limited otherwise.

Off she went with her little backpack and lunch bag.

The first thing she says to me when I pick her up, in a slightly dejected voice, was,

"I have to have a healthy snack."

Pause.

Oh really?

"Who are you to say what my child eats?"
I think in my mind as my defenses rise.

Through some discussion I discovered that a teacher made a healthy snack comment to her. I also recognize that Sierra is only four and it may have been a very innocent comment misconstrued by a four-year old mind.
But no matter what they are trying to teach the kids why are they even saying that? How many three/four-year-olds pack their snack entirely on their own for pre-school? What do they mean by healthy? Sierra had a homemade cookie and often I cut the sugar and add healthy ingredients such as oatmeal, whole wheat flour and flaxseed in my baking. That one cookie had less sugar in it than many yogurts. So what if she has a treat for pre-school? They don't know how she eats the rest of the time, maybe pre-school is the only time she gets treats. (not the case but they don't know that) Besides, most fruit doesn't survive well once cut up and Sierra will not eat veggies for a snack.
I could rant on.
Seriously though, what business is it of theirs what a child eats?

(Yes, I was a little offended to say the least!)

Now I've since heard that more and more schools are going to limited sugar, such as banning any beverage other than water or milk because of issues such as ADHD. I scoured the school website and read all the letters they've sent me in detail and the only thing mentioned in regards to the content of said snack is that it should be peanut free.

When the first thing Sierra says to me is in reference to her snack I know that it affected her.

So this mama bear phoned the school and confirmed that there was no policy regarding sugary snacks. The teacher said it was a general comment to the entire class about bringing a healthy snack along with a treat. I explained that comments like that affect my daughter negatively and that I would appreciate being told personally regarding issues like that.
Like I said above, most four-year-olds don't pack their snack without parental guidance so why even tell the children?

I told Sierra that if she wants to bring a cookie for a snack, or if she wants to bring a fruit or something "healthier" for a snack she sure can as long as Mommy says she may.

Grrrrr!

My Little Eden

2011-09-06T08:45:00.000-06:00

I absolutely love my vegetable garden this year!
I sowed seeds in a plot of soil for the first time in three or so years. Wouldn't you know it, those seeds actually grew and are flourishing vegetable plants - with vegetables!

I grew up helping my mom and dad with their large garden and enjoyed fresh vegetables every fall so gardening was not a foreign concept to me. Once I finished high school and left home gardening went a little by the wayside. I went to college, got married, lived in rental suites with crappy yards, and then when we built our first little house we reserved an area for a vegetable garden. I was quite excited by the possibilities.

But by the time the yard was garden worthy we sold the place and relocated.
When we first moved back to this area seven years ago the house we bought had a mature, established yard complete with a garden plot. So I planted a garden.
I pretty much hated it.

The weeding.
The watering.
The weeding.
Hoeing the impossibly hard dirt.
The weeding.

The only thing that kept my me going was the fact that I love fresh, home- grown vegetables.
We sold that house after a few years, built another one and now, four years later, I once again have a garden worthy yard with a garden.

This time I've enjoyed the entire process:
The weeds have not been hard to control.
Underground sprinklers make watering a cinch.
The newness of the soil makes it unnecessary to hoe - much.

It looks so pretty as I stare across the yard. So full, and green, and satisfying!

And we've been enjoying the produce. Green beans and peas are it so far as the garden was planted late. Tomatoes will soon be in abundance, then corn, then potatoes, then carrots...
Yum!

Ketchup Boy

2011-09-04T08:27:00.000-06:00

Awhile back, while hanging out with a friend at McDonald's and visiting while Sierra played in the "Play Place", Sawyer discovered ketchup. I ordered a small french fries for the kids and Sierra sat nicely dipping each piece in her little container of ketchup. Sawyer, who'd learned to enjoy fries early on in his sold-food-eating life, was refusing the fries and whining. Huh? Eventually I figured out that he wanted to dip his fries in ketchup too!

Since then ketchup has been deemed the best thing ever, no matter what the food is. This is much to my chagrin as ketchup is not a tidy way to eat!

School Girl!

2011-09-02T20:13:00.000-06:00

Sierra started preschool this week.

When I dropped her off she gave me a fierce hug than walked right in without looking back.

I cried on my drive home.

It's not like I haven't left her before.

It's only two afternoons a week.

But it's in a real school and represents the beginning of the passing from one phase into another.

There's a small knot in the pit of my stomach.

"Stop, time, stop!!!!"

No, wait.

As my mom said, growing up and changing is a good thing with kids because we wouldn't want to be dealing with any particular age or stage forever anyway!

P23X

2011-08-31T15:32:00.001-06:00

"Who in their right mind does this?"
I thought to myself ten minutes into the P90X Yoga DVD for the first time - back in, oh, January! I forged on, practically cursing as I "chatarunga-ed" and "downward dog-ed" and did "warrior" poses, wobbling and falling as I awkwardly attempted to contort my body. Finally after nearly forty-five minutes (the yoga exercise session is an hour and a half in duration) I quit, stomped upstairs, and vowed I was never putting myself through that again!

What a totally dumb form of exercise.
Bring on the jump training, the push-ups, the chin-ups and the kickboxing - but yoga?
Nope.

Fast forward seven months: I have since made it through the entire yoga DVD with a different attitude - more than once even - and not hated it or cursed my way through it.

(whispering) "I even enjoyed it yesterday!"

You see, I have determinedly began P90X again.
For real this time.
Previously, I was doing one weeks' worth of workouts over the span two weeks. It was good with my schedule but other than getting me to exercise it didn't achieve any kind of routine or noticeable results. I actually nearly made it through Phase 2 of P90X (there are three 4 week phases) Then excuse number 5429 caused a longer-than-normal break in my "schedule" and before I knew it I hadn't worked out in awhile and my clothes were a wee bit snugger than I prefer and there was a family wedding looming up and I wanted to look decent in a dress.

I am 23 days in of ~~punishing~~ benefiting my body by doing the daily P90X exercises. As I was putting my body through the paces of yoga last night I realized that I felt strong. I still worked up a sweat but no longer did I feel like my limbs did not belong to me or that I was going to fall over. I felt myself performing the fluid motions with familiarity and more ease (not to be confused with easy) than before.

I have never sweated as much nor been as consistently stiff and sore as the last three-plus weeks - and I've been working out on and off for over ten years!
But I feel great!

PS I have yet to get on a scale. I'm not sure I will. I'm not sure it matters.

Weekend Reflections

2011-08-28T21:15:00.000-06:00

It is Saturday morning, the sun is shining hotly with promise of another scorcher. I slept straight through the night until 7:10 (sleeping in for me!), eaten delicious whole wheat waffles, drank my two cups of flavourful, energy inducing coffee and now I'm feeling a little sad.

There's a certain project that Trevor and I have embarked on in this last month and it has taken him away from us many evenings and Saturdays. After dealing with the kids the other five days of the week I always enjoy having him around on the weekends. Someone else to referee the fights and distract them so I can at long last get a thing or two accomplished is always welcome. I was/am a part of and fully in support of this project but it doesn't make this any more fun and it has made Sunday mostly a write off as we try to recuperate from one week and rest up for the next. We should be pretty much done after today. I also have a little cold which never helps things and my parents have been busy or away so I don't even have them to spell me off. I feel for single parents, or families where one parent is gone a lot, or even families that don't have extended relatives close by for help.

Now it is Sunday evening and as predicted today was the "day of rest" we needed. As we sat outside this evening after another gloriously hot day the sun was already set before 9 o'clock and darkness was setting in. Alas, summer is gradually drawing to a close. I'm not ready for that yet. I'm loving the heat and ability to be outside any time and the lack of schedule. I stared at a yard that did not get nearly the attention I had hopes for. Oh well, there's always next year.

My (Lack of) Sanitary Practices

2011-08-19T12:48:00.000-06:00

Sierra and I had just finished baking scrumptious peanut butter molasses cookies and the kitchen had become its usual disaster when such an activity occurs. Sugar, flour and who-knows-what-else decorated the counters and floor. I turned and looked at Sierra just as she pulled the dish towel from the stove and wiped the sugar/flour crumb mixture from the bottoms of her feet and then hung the towel back where it came from to be used later. Then, the other day after my dad spilled some water on the floor he sopped it up with my dish towel, hung it back up, and it was likely used to wipe dry a dish or too the next day.

I'm being honest here. This is what goes on in my house.

Ideally, there would be a hand drying towel and a dish drying towel. A dish cloth for dishes and counters as well as one for the floor messes. I know quite a few people who are successful with this system, and those of them with young kids I especially applaud. I can totally see how this would be much more sanitary!
Someday I may strive to attain this higher standard but it is so not even remotely realistic in my world.

In the mean time, my dish cloths and towels get used for everything from feet to mouths to dishes to floors.

Gross?

Perhaps.

I apologize if I am appalling you. But this is the cloth/towel situation in my house. In the moment of a spill I can't be bothered to worry about which cloth/towel to grab.

I do try to change them frequently but there are admittedly days where after wiping a spill on floor the same towel/cloth is used on a clean dish.

Deep

2011-08-17T08:57:00.001-06:00

I fear this is going to be a long contemplative post as I am sitting in a Second Cup coffee shop, in Calgary,

ALONE!!!
(well, as alone as one can get in a public coffee shop!)

I am waiting for Trevor while he has his RA doctor's appointment and then we are meeting up with friends for dinner. This dinner is the sole purpose for me to even have made the trip with Trevor. Okay, okay, and also the chance to be alone. Away from my kids.

Here I sit, thoroughly enjoying my vanilla bean latte - sorry Starbucks, you don't hold a candle to Second Cup - and thinking about friends, my family, and my life.

My first thoughts run to my friends. I love my friends. My life is enriched and all the better for the many fabulous friends I have. The word 'friend' encompasses a rather broad spectrum within its definition and that is a good thing because the uniqueness of each person and their relationship with me would never fit inside a little description box.
We have many great friends both local and afar. I often feel guilty and frustrated that I don't/can't keep in contact with them nearly as often as they cross my thoughts. Facebook snooping doesn't count!

As our kids are growing I've been mulling over the fact that I have a family.
We live as a dad, mom, and two kids.

A family!

I don't know why that seems so novel but it does. Maybe because I feel like I still have to grow up, how can I possible be a mom?

Anyway, with that 'revelation' I feel the need to work on our family 'unit'.

Trevor, Carla, Sierra, and Sawyer.

We do so much with others that our little family hasn't had much of a chance to evolve as it's own entity. When I was a kid I absolutely loved the family times and outings my parents would make for us. I'm certain that has a large part in why we are still so close and enjoy spending time together. So much of the days and weeks are spent as 'me and the kids' or 'Trevor and the kids' because of the annoying necessity of work and our attempts to minimize the need for paid childcare. Our family is as large as it will be (unless God intervenes!) and I really want to cherish and enjoy each stage as our kids grow up. Not that the number of kids should affect this desire but knowing how fast time is passing already and that I will never again experience certain stages really makes me personally not want to miss out on any moment I have with my little family.

Between friends and family and everything else the fullness of my life has just kept increasing. Overall, this is a good thing. We are blessed and happy and wouldn't change most of it. This "fullness', however, has culminated in a stupidly busy life, oh, since January. It has felt like every waking moment is filled with something and there has been very little time to 'just be'. (sorry for all the quotation marks today)

I'm not complaining I'm realizing.

I have loved nearly every minute of our busyness and Trevor and I both thrive on an active social life.

But.....

I suddenly was finding myself tired.

At first I was blaming my going back to work, Trevor's RA, my kids, lack of sleep, the cat catching mice in the house at 3 A.M, the weeds that I've waged war on, the added work going on trips brings, or my ever-growing-never-shrinking-mile-long to-do list. As you can see, objects of blame were not in short supply. Then this little nagging voice inside was pestering me and hinting that maybe I was trying to do too many different things.

I know it's only August but there is already a lot of humming around the fall/winter activities that are too quickly approaching. I've had to dig into the recesses of my brain and face these thoughts that perhaps my life is a little too full. I already said "no" to one of my usual involvements for this fall and there may be more "no"s before I feel in control.

I'm feeling a little stressed with the need to change and balance my life a little better. I don't want to give up time with my friends, I want to concentrate a little more on our family 'unit', and we have an extended family we actually like, and Trevor and I need to keep our marriage strong and then there are activities, and, and, and....

How do I achieve this balance?
How do I prioritize?
How do I keep everyone happy - especially us?

About Where We Think It Would Be Fun to Pack Up A Whole Lot Of Stuff and Play Outside For Three Days

2011-08-11T08:36:00.000-06:00

For the third year in a row we packed our vehicle as full as it would pack with what felt like our entire house and went camping with my parents.

Whoever thought that sleeping outside inside on the ground protected by a small canvas room, cook and eat and play in the great outdoors along with 30 bazillion mosquitoes and other bugs, and not bathe or shower for three days FOR FUN was deranged of mind.

We must also be missing a few screws because we had a great time!

The sun was wonderfully hot during the day and the mountain air was refreshingly cool at night.

Sierra ran herself ragged (and us!) by riding her bike, swimming, building sand structures, zooming down the slides at the park and just being an active four year old!

Sawyer decided that eating small rocks would be a good dietary staple. Between constantly pulling pebbles out of his mouth and preventing him from going on his own walks he also wore us out!

By the time the kids were in bed each evening all we could do was sit by the fire and drink wine. Often we'll pull out a game or two, not this year!

After three days we stunk like skunks and our skin had turned a peculiar shade of brown that was not a tan. Also, because there were enough mosquitoes to drive one to the looney bin and we put on so much bug repellant that by the end of our excursion we could practically scrape it off with a spatula!

So was it relaxing?

Heck no!!!

Was it rejuvinating?

Yes, in a reconnecting-with-nature-forget-about-home kind of way.

Did we create fantastic family memories?

Definitely!

Will we do it again

Guaranteed!

We were constantly fighting with Sawyer to keep his hat on! Here's one of the rare moments it stayed put for longer than 5.6 seconds. (Pssst, don't Sierra he has her sand pail!)

I love little girl swimsuits with skirts!

One of the many water toys Granny and Papa spoiled Sierra with!

The first year that Sierra did not want to stomp down any and all sand creations! We actually got a castle built!

A tuckered out Sawyer, just sitting in his stroller. Soon to have a nap.

A tuckered out Sierra! I was reading her a story and all of sudden she rolled onto her side and started snoring!

Lounging.

(for a second or two anyway)

Snuggles with Papa.

Wining

2011-08-05T13:35:00.002-06:00

The highlight of our vacation was our little getaway to the Okanagan Lake area. Those two days felt exotic and totally vacation-y!

We met some dear friends there and had an absolute blast touring the wineries, drinking copious amounts of wine, eating, visiting, and forgetting about our kids.

The view from our hotel room.

A winery.

Day in Vancouver

2011-08-03T21:41:00.000-06:00

Yes, I am still alive.

Just when I think I see a hole in the craziness of our life something fills it in before I can even think about walking towards it, never mind jumping through it.

I think I am going a little looney with the stress.

But I'm not here to wretch and moan and complain, I'm here to share with you one of the lovely days we had on our vacation to the West coast.

We took a day and drove into the city of Vancouver to experience the Vancouver Aquarium. The weather was warm, not hot, with a bit of sun and cloud and made for a very pleasant day. We ate $6 hotdogs and marveled at the various aquatic animals and enjoyed a dolphin show.

Even Sawyer was totally taken in as we parked his stroller in front of the giant tank and the seals swam by.

Once we were fished out we invaded my aunt and her 7th floor 400ish square foot ocean- view apartment.

I'm pretty sure the place will never be the same.

I was admiring the view from her balcony while holding Sawyer when all of sudden I felt him shift and his sippy-cup went flying by my ear and over the edge of the balcony.

It did not fare well.

My aunt treated us to a nice visit, pizza, and joined us for a delightful walk along the beach.

Home

2011-07-25T19:59:00.003-06:00

As great a vacations are there is definitely something about returning to the familiarity of home. (although staying with Trevor's parents is kinda like a second home!) Home we are after a grueling 16 hour drive last Tuesday, and are trying gallantly to remember we even had a holiday as we've been catapulted back into our ever-busy life.

Traveling with a nearly 1 1/2 year old is an adventure.

When Sawyer wasn't sleeping, eating or enthralled by a DVD he was hollering. The hollering occurred approximately 90% of the time. He chose to yell

"AAAAAAH!"

at the top of his lungs periodically for no other reason other than to see how well his lungs work.

The are operating in tip-top shape.

The remaining holler sessions alternated from whiny wimper-like complaints to complete and utter displeasure yells. Translating would have resulted in something like this:

"Mom, I'm getting kinda tired of my carseat,"

"Get me out of this @#%^&* seat now!"

I nearly left him on the side of the road to hitch a ride with some other unsuspecting soul who would be lured by his incredible cuteness.

Anyway. I'm cured of any desire for long-distance driving for awhile.

Vacating

2011-07-14T10:57:00.000-06:00

We have temporarily vacated our home and province and trekked out west. Already half-way through our holiday we are having a geat time.

What I have learned:

A 14 hour drive with a 16 month old is not pleasant. Try as I might to entertain him Sawyer complained loudly for a good portion of the drive.

I can't wait for the journey home.

A sippy cup does not fair well after being throw off of a seventh story balcony and landing on concrete. Sawyer spontaneously decided to engage in that experiment while we were enjoying an ocean view from said balcony.

My kids can sleep in (7:40) if you run them ragged enough during the day!

Vacations are not for sleeping if you are an adult with kids. Catch-up evenings with old, dear friends take care of any thoughts of going to bed at a timely hour, then the kids ensure mornings come well before your eyes want them to.

But it's all worth it!

Humidity can made 18 degrees Celsius feel much warmer.

Jogging is easier at lower altitudes.

Sierra holds a mini-golf club like a hockey stick and the number of strokes is of no concern as long as the ball goes in the hole.

Sawyer loves watching fish of many varieties in large fish-tanks. He squealed and pointed and was totally enthralled during our outing to the Vancouver Aquarium.

(We thought he would be bored and just want to run!)

I've known this for a long time but with each visit I am reminded of how special and fortunate it is to have a great relationship with Trevor's parents - my in-laws. Their love for our children and us is very evident.

Talk to you on the other side - with pictures!

The Good, The Bad, and The Frustrating.

2011-07-05T15:58:00.001-06:00

The Good:

You know what I discovered two weeks ago?

McDonald's Iced Coffee with Vanilla flavouring.

Mmmmmm!

Perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day.

Aa - and, they are only $1 during the summer.

I may or may not have a new addiction and may or may not be constantly on the hunt for loonies so that I can satisfy my craving.

The Bad:

My allergies are causing me to want to ban the existence of hay forever. So what if cows and horses have nothing to eat in winter? I'm dying here people! And allergy pills make me feel sluggish and dopey.

The Frustrating:

We leave for vacation in less than three days. The vacation part is exciting but getting there is stressing me to the max! It is noon on day one of three to prepare and all I've accomplished is one complete load of laundry. Not only do I have to pack our entire house up (with kids there is no such thing as packing simply!) but we also have guests from out of town coming for supper and the night tonight, tomorrow is golf, and Thursday evening I work.

(I know, I know, I can hear you all saying: "Really? You're all in a snit about not having enoug time time to get ready and yet you still golf!" But, but, but... I've paid for it and can't miss it. )

On top of that I gots kids during the day that have a way of severely hindering fast, efficient accomplishment of tasks. I am feeling a wee bit frazzled as I sit and eat lunch while being on the computer so I don't feel guilty about being on the computer.

The Good Part II:

This all being said a mere three hours ago, a lot has happened since then. My dad took Sierra, Sawyer is napping and I went to town on the state of my house and my laundry. I've forgotten how much can be accomplished without kids around!

I think I might make it.

Hermitting

2011-06-29T12:56:00.000-06:00

Normally a very social person who is constantly on the go I have suddenly found myself with a need to be alone. There was nothing anyone said or did; I believe that I simply need some personal recharge time.

I need to just be at home with my kids without having to be doing something or be somewhere.

I need to get some of the mundane daily tasks done in a relaxed non-urgent manner. Such as folding and putting away the laundry I started a week ago!

I need to feel in control of things at home.

I need to play with my kids. My kids need to play with me

I need to get some yard work done. I hate weeds with a passion but they so need to be warred with right now.

I need to prepare and get things ready for our upcoming vacation. I think my mind is also telling me to take my alone time now because for nearly two weeks there will be practically none. I'm not complaining, it'll be great to reconnect with old friends and family. But I want the mental energy to enjoy it because it only happens once a year.

It's not as if I'm going to turn off my phone and lock the doors and hide the computer and avoid everyone - I'm just not planning as much as I usually do.

I'm not depressed or angry or sad or frustrated or anything. This is just my current state of mind and what I need.

Who knows? By tomorrow I might be stir crazy and phoning everyone I know!

Ranting

2011-06-28T12:31:00.000-06:00

I've expressed my frustration over finding childcare for my kids before but it came to a head recently.

I thought I had a great place lined up at the beginning of the month. It was in town, with someone I knew of by name and has a pretty good reputation as a day-home provider.
Then....
Here it comes....
Then
I got an email asking if I'd had a chance to turn in my paperwork to the agency. I had not as life has been C R A Z Y and I was having trouble printing the forms. I replied explaining this. Within two days I received another email saying that other families got their paper work in before me and the spots were no longer open.
Huh?
NOT ONCE did she mention that the spots were contingent upon my getting the paper work in, I assumed it was just a formality. Nor did she mention that there was possible competition for the spots. As far as I interpreted things it was a done deal.

Obviously not.
I'm still wracking my brain how I could have missed that and am rather devastated. Not so much about losing this particular day-home but that this childcare finding chore has been such a saga! It brings about all the pity-party thoughts and emotions of how I wasn't even supposed to have to work yada yada yada.

So at the suggestion of this person I phoned the day-home agency who gave me a name of someone else in town.
Ok, good, I could breathe again.
I met with her all encouraged and optimistic. I figured as long as she was nice and I had a good vibe this would be it. Yeah, she's all right but her fee system is ridiculous. Well, for my schedule of one day a week that is. She would charge me a monthly rate based on one full day a week for two kids. If I go on holidays or my day falls on a stat than no break in costs. Okay, I think I get that. Most jobs get paid stats and the holiday thing kinda makes sense too. Then again it is a home business (isn't it?) and most business owners don't get paid stats - like the optometrists who own my place of employment, or my dad when he had his own electrical company. What really got me was that she takes three weeks off per year herself and still takes payment for those times without providing an optional person(s) to take over for her. So I'd have to pay double on those days. She also charges a diaper fee for kids not potty trained which she so generously offered to wave since Sierra would only be half days in fall but I still have to pay for a full.

I can't afford this person.
I cried on my way to Walmart after this meeting.

Maybe I'm totally out to lunch on my child care expectations. Even if this is reasonable I simply can't afford it. If this is how it is I'm better off quitting work.

I get that operating a day home is a real job. I admire those that do it because I sure couldn't. If I was full time it or even worked a regular daily part-time schedule it would be easier. My one day a week is kicking me in the butt and beating me while down.

A good friend recently agreed to take my kids for the summer so the next two months are taken care of. I think my dad will watch Sierra in fall (it'll only be half a day with her in pre-school) so now I just have to find care for Sawyer.
At there is something in place for now.

But man am I FRUSTRATED!!!!!!!!!

Sierra Bear Turns 4!!!

2011-06-26T08:14:00.000-06:00

Sierra turned 4 years old on the 9th.

She is very proud to be 4 and informs nearly everyone of this feat.

We had a princess party for her with my parents and grandma to help celebrate.

I made fancy little sandwiches and we drank iced tea all while using pretty china.

As typically kid as a kid can get she tore into her presents with vigor and enthusiasm and had them all opened and examined in 2.7 seconds. Then, course, we had to try them all out.

It was fun. Next year I might throw her an actual birthday party with other kids.

Sierra has grown into such a nice little girl. Her energy is boundless but overall she has mellowed out some. She has a very strong mind of her own meaning there is never a question of what she wants or likes/dislikes. Believe me there are many-a-battle as a result of her confident personality but in the end she is a people pleaser and thrives on praise and affirmation.

We think she has amazing athletic leanings for a kid her age. She can whale a plastic baseball with a bat across our large yard or heave it way over my head with her hands. Her foot control with a soccer ball challenges me and she pedals so fast on her little bike I can't even run to keep up anymore! Sierra loves the swimming pool having recently discovered that water wings really do prevent her from sinking and that the big "zoomy" slide is way better than the little kid slide.

Yesterday I bought her a pair of Dora sandals (they were on sale) and once she got over the idea of having to get used they way they feel - as new shoes do - they became the best thing ever. When Trevor and I checked on her before we went to bed we saw that she had changed into her Dora PJ's (to match) and fallen asleep with her new sandals on! It was hilarious. I wish we would have taken a picture.

Anyway, I can hardly believe I have a four year old already but as I've been saying all along- Sierra is becoming more and more delightfully fun and increasingly enriches our lives.

I love you Sierra-bear!