Mari video

So I just wanted to sneak in a little video of our little spark plug Mari.

We are doing fine

I haven't been posting much. Simply because I am either too tired, don't have the time or can't get myself organized to sit down and do it. December is always such a crazy month.

The kids are enjoying life these days. Likely want to be outside a bit more than they are allowed but it has been so cold. Bronwyn doesn't much like the cold or the wind so she is fine staying in more.

Last weekend we built gingerbread houses at Mom's. The kids all did such a great job. It is becoming quite the tradition. A sticky tradition but a tradition none the less. After doing the houses we were all a mess. I had icing all over my pants which is bad enough but Mari decided to lick the icing off my pants. Crazy kook!

Gavin has four days left of school before he is done for the holidays. That is pretty exciting for him. My challenge will be to keep him sufficiently occupied so he doesn't get too bored.

The kids are having a movie night right now with popcorn. Mari is marauding around trying to steel everyone's popcorn. Even though she has some of her own. I guess stolen popcorn tastes better!

Mari really is at a funny stage these days - so cute! Lots of trouble but very cute.

Earlier tonight Gavin wanted to wrestle with his dad but they had to have an early bath if they wanted to do movie night so he had a tough choice. I heard him say to his Dad, "I have an idea, how about you wrestle me out of my pajamas." I heard lots of screams and laughter after that which lead me to believe that Daddy figured this was a good compromise.

Bronwyn is doing good too. She likes to say, "That is bery cool."

Mari is stuck on the little people garage at the moment. She'd like down but I'm not sure I want to rescue her.

Our Christmas tree is up - earliest EVER. It is in varying states of decoration - some days the balls are all over the floor (thank heaven's they are plastic) and some days they are on the tree. It just depends on the mood of the kids.

Hope your Christmas is starting to look Merry.

Mayhem upstairs

I have been downloading a few pictures. While I am doing this Wes is upstairs with the kids. They decided to string the lights that Grandma brought us in the kids room. I think Grandma intended them for the outside of the house. She is desperate for us to not be the only house on the blocks that doesn't do anything for Christmas!

There has been a great deal of activity, yelling, stomping, laughing and general excitement. I'll have to go up and check out what they have done.

Mom and Dad were here for supper. They were babysitting for us, as Wes and I went for Gavin's parent teacher interview. He is doing very well. It seems that he listens well, is a keener, is very clever and has finally gotten over his school-phobia.

We are very proud of the sweet boy! Now if I could figure out how to get him to be a listening keener at home - well then we'd be cooking with gas eh?

The kids played outside for a while before going to school this morning. I took these pictures. Mari can hardly move in her snowsuit and boots. Its quite funny!

Its been a week

Wow - I haven't posted in a week. I'd like to say its because I have been so busy, but I have just been a bit lazier than normal to be honest.

Even tonight I don't have too much to say. So I thought I'd dredge up some fun stories about the kids and slap a few pictures up. Just so you know we are still here.

Mari - What a girl! She is becoming such a little individual. She is a real live wire but still so sweet. Mari is our singer. I hear her in her crib in the morning singing "Da daa Da daaa" on and on. In different pitches too. She really amazes me. The other two are musical - particularly Gavin but Mari takes it to a different level. Maybe she'll be the opera singer I always wanted to be.

Mari dances too. She sways her head back and forth and then stops and stamps her feet like she's running on the spot really fast. It is so cute.

She has a couple new teeth - just in the last couple days. She seems to do her teething in rounds. The first 6 all came in within about a two week time span. Kind of nice not to have it drag out.

She has stopped throwing her food on the floor if she is done or doesn't like it. I was getting tired of mopping up all the time.

Bronwyn - Oh, Bronwyn. She was feeling not so good at the beginning of the week and she had me a bit worried, but she was her normal perky self today. She has a wonderful innate ability to get her brothers goat. I have no idea where she picks it up. She'll get a whiny singsong sort of voice and taunt, "To bad, you don't have a Mommy." And other such things. Gavin just gets so furious and then he turns it on her and does the same and then she screams blue murder. Guess she can't take what she dishes out.

She is such a chatterbox. You wouldn't believe it if you meet her. But as long as she is with people she is comfortable with she'll chatter non-stop.

Gavin - I am pretty proud of my little boy. He is pretty amazing sometimes. He told his Grandpa that he is a genius. Not quite sure where he got that idea, but his Grandpa didn't disagree with him. He often tells me that he "loves me almost as much as Mari." Apparently that is quite a lot. Thankfully he can't manhandle me the way he does her.

He is getting very good at math and has started to learn some piano too. I don't really push him, I just sort of wait for him to express interest in something and then we delve into it a bit.

They are a wonderful little group - but I have to say that - I'm their mother!

Reflections while grocery shopping

I don't like grocery shopping. In fact, I hate it. Always have. Goes back to my childhood. Having said that, I do grocery shop. Tonight we were all going to go, but in the end we decided that just I would go. So off I went.

The one advantage to grocery shopping is that I get a bit of time to myself, to think a bit. Time alone is a luxury I just don't have.

I am very routine in my shopping. I have a pattern. I start at the deli counter and I move through the store from there. I could literally do it blind folded, but I'd likely hit a few other shoppers - so I don't. I decided tonight to swing by the magazines to see if there were any interesting puzzle books. Score! A math puzzle book - yeah with lots of cross sums. I love doing cross sums.

As I paced up and down the aisles, occasionally stopping to add groceries to my cart, I reflect on how my purchases have changed in the last 6 years. Mostly just a lot more food in the cart now.

"If you could read my mind" sung by Gordon Lightfoot started playing on the store sound system. Wow - now that is nostalgic. No matter who records that song it will never be as good as Gordon's version. That song is just him. I love that song. Who doesn't!

By now I'm feeling down right sentimental as I head down the spaghetti sauce aisle. Why are there so many options for spaghetti sauce - how different can all these brands be? I mean they are basically tomato sauce with herbs? Oh well.

As I push my cart into the produce area I am shocked at the number of young men shopping. Apparently this is the night to be out getting your groceries (if your a young guy). I start to laugh when I realize that my first reaction is not checking them out (as I might have 15 years ago), but rather resisting the very strong urge to turn to one of the young men and tell him to pick up his feet when he walks. Apparently once you are a mom you obtain super mom powers that give you the right to treat anyone like a child. Just cause I could be old enough to be his mom doesn't mean that I am! So I hold my tongue, and laugh at myself.

Boy, carrots, why do they sell the little bags of ready to eat carrots. I mean how hard is to peal a carrot? But who am I to... oh ya, I'm "Super Universal Mom" I don't need permission - I can have any opinion and share it randomly. Ha - OK. That idea is getting old already.

As I get to the till an amazing thing happens. I walk right up to an empty till. I start loading my groceries. The gal running them through is doing it so quickly and proficiently that I am having to rush unloading. I am a bit compulsive in my unloading. You know - heavy things first, grouped by food group as much as possible. Meat together yadaa yadaa. Again, more hang-ups from my childhood. This speed messes up my system.

The teller laughs when I tell her that she was so fast I didn't get my weekly meditation time. As I am finishing up my purchase another lively and familiar (but apparently forgettable cause I can't remember it) song blares over the speakers. As I leave the store I smile as I watch various tellers and patrons nodding their head to the beat. An infectious and happy atmosphere tonight.

Returning home I realize the stress that I often feel. The pent up energy and worry that just sits at the back of my mind. The slightest thing can bring that worry tumbling forward.

I reflect on the conversation I had with Bronwyn's cardiologist earlier in the day. A few medicine changes, a need to have another echo in a couple months, a "mild concern." None of it is earth shattering, none of it is alarming. Just a reminder that this will be with us always. Her health is always in the balance - there is no fix for it.

A tear drops from my eye. I muse on the change between my thoughts between the grocery store and home. As I throw open the door with my arms full of groceries I am met with screams of welcome.

"Mommy," says Gavin.
"Happy Birthday!" Yells Bronwyn.
"Agghhh." Growls Mari (yes she growls a lot).

Do I Worry? Sure.

Am I Loved? You betcha!!

Saturday night

We are having a quiet and relaxed Saturday night. We watched a kids movie while eating nacho chips and salsa for supper. Wes is bathing the kids now while I (well truthful while I do this but I shouldn't be doing it - hee hee) get the basement cleaned up and ready for movie night.

We had guests last night, Marj and Kayley (a K I think - sorry if I'm wrong Katie - wink wink). We just enjoyed that so much. After they left this morning we wandered over to the neighbors for "Igagks" (Bronwyn's version of Isaac) birthday party. Hard to believe he is already two. Whoo time flies.

We had a nice week. I have enjoyed my family this week. I really liked being a mom and a wife this week - even more than normal. A good week all in all.

The fog of waiting all summer for her surgery and all the drama of our time in Edmonton is lifting from my soul and I am starting to see the world around me. I am excited by things I had just been neglecting for months. I am able to see my way to organizing my world. How does the line go - My future is so bright I've gotta wear shades. Something like that.

Well - I best get my job done so the when the pajama gang descends on the basement I'm ready to start our movie night!

The dreaded shot

So we finally got the kids H1N1 shots today. It has been a bit of a drama. If you have been listening to the news at all you will have also been subjected to the wide spread panic and chaos that has surrounded this vaccination.

I had refused to take Bronwyn (who is our highest risk child) to a facility with hundreds of people to line up for hours. I just didn't see the sense in it. And then that all changed and they started doing high risk people only. The first day of the relaunch I just sat tight and watched to see what would happen. When things seem to have settled to a more rational system I decided to go the next day.

I checked the times, not aware that they were changing their times daily (and not the night before mind you). Wes came home early so we could take the kids. We drove to Stampede and it was closed. We drove to Avenida and it was closed. Huh!

So we took the kids to McDonald's as a treat - Yes the fat ban is off. Bronwyn has completed her time on the diet.

We decided to get the kids up before nap times and go this morning. We got to Stampede at 9. They were very well organized. We didn't wait at all. I had to whine and finagle to get Gavin a shot. The cut off is November 1st. His birthday was the day before - so technically he didn't make the cut off.

They kept saying no to us and Gavin thought he was off the hook. Until one of the administrators came and told us that he could have it. That is when the drama started.

The highlight was Gavin sitting on the floor wrapped around my leg, crying and refusing to stand up. Add to that a frustrated mother tell him sharply that if he didn't cooperate he would never see his new dinosaur toy again! Pretty. I know!

We finally held him down and gave him the shot. Now I have to break the news that he has to do it all again in three weeks. Ha - good times!

The material point is that we got it done. I can let go of some of my anxiety and breath a bit deeper for now.

I really don't know what to make of all of this H1N1 business. I believe for us that protecting our children (particularly Bronwyn) from bad flues is important. I am not sure that the media hype is necessary, nor do I think that general wide spread panic is necessary.

Cooler heads need to prevail and by the scene we saw this morning I think they are.

If you haven't got your kids vaccinated yet and you want to - Stampede is the place to go. It is well organized and we didn't wait at all. Now, even if there is a wait it is all indoors and they have people handing out juice. There is a waiting area with televisions to do the 15 minute wait after. It is well thought out and very organized.

It would have been nice to see this level of organization from the beginning. I can't imagine how awful last week was for the nursing staff and the administrators of the program. It wasn't their plan but they took the brunt of the chaos. They have my great admiration for even showing up for work the second week in.

Halloween

So it is Halloween day. We had to cancel the party. Gavin is sick. Not exactly sure what is wrong. No sore throat, a wee bit of a fever but no consistently (seem mostly before bed), no throwing up, just a really lethargic little boy with no appetite, a snotty head and not much interest in anything. He didn't even object when we cancelled his birthday party.

He did insist that he could go trick or treating. He was laying on the floor in his costume at the time. I told him he could just go to the neighbors across the street and then he'd have to come home. His Daddy carried him home. I just don't know what is up. Even with all the scare and hype I don't think it is this H1N1. He just doesn't show the symptoms. There is no word on any other flu going around - no one is interested in anything else. Hummpph.

If he is still sick tomorrow I'll drag him to the doctor on Monday. Poor boy. He was actually animated for a short period of time while he opened his birthday present from us. I think he really likes it but it takes a fair bit of figuring out and assembly. It has lots of little pieces - so we have to watch Mari.

The girls had fun this evening. Bronwyn was so excited to go out trick or treating. She had a blast and quietly at a heck of a lot of candy before I noticed this evening. I had sorted through her bag and set all the stuff with fat in it (mostly chocolate stuff) aside. She can have it later - only one week left - hurrah!!

Brad and his new girlfriend, Marci, came for a visit too. I forgot they were coming and decided to try an "experiment." They show up and I got so flustered. I served the most horrible meal. Really I did. I'm not exagerating. But we laughed about it and I assured them that if they came again I'd do my best to make a few improvements.

Mari just enjoys everything! She is such a little cutie. She is just in there wanting to do everything.

I am going to try get a better night tonight - I still feel awful. Grrrr.

Hope you all had fun today and didn't eat too much candy!