Spring break

We made it through spring break. It wasn't really "spring" break this year. Well, honestly it never is!

Gavin had a lacrosse camp most of the week, which he really enjoyed and he also took a couple ski lessons, which he loved. I'm so pleased that he is enjoying a couple sports, just don't know why he had to pick such an expensive one (skiing), maybe he could take up yachting next?? The girls do activities all winter, but Gavin has had nothing on this year. So he crammed everything into one week! Ha!

Wes and Gavin also took a snowboard lesson. I asked Gavin how Wes did and he said, "Well," big sigh, "he fell a LOT." I'm just so proud of Wes! So proud that he is willing to try new things and spend time with his boy!

The girls had a more relaxed week, we still did lots of fun stuff, just more casual fun stuff.

We were all a bit bummed to be back at school, but they love it and the routine is good for them. And, I finally got my laundry folded. It is amazing how my time gets sucked away when they are home. But, they are pretty good company!

Mari and I are off to Ikea with a friend. I'd say a friend of mine, but Mari loves her to bits, so she would take exception to that!!

Oh and I finally downloaded pictures and found some! Wow! I guess I do take pictures, I just forget.

 

Last of the deep thoughts

Does anyone else miss Jack Handey's Deep Thoughts. Sigh. They were awesome!

I promise my next post will be of children playing and being cute as buttons, but I haven't been taking pictures and the kids haven't been doing anything terribly cute, thanks to the super cold weather - that is unless you consider playing on their various tablets cute! Which I don't! But warmer weather is coming and so is the cuteness - I can just feel it.

Recently I saw on Facebook an initiative to encourage "random acts of kindness." I love this! Love it! The world can always use more random kindness - this is exciting.

But...

This got my mind whirling. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could start a campaign for "Consistent Consideration." Where we could bring consistent change to our daily lives in how we see others and our concern for their well being.

Take for an example a soar spot for most of us - driving.

Imagine how things would change is we (and I am including myself in this):

- left room between our car and the one in front of us, not only to have the room, but to allow for others to merge into the lane we are in. Positioning our car in a considerate way.

- or upon seeing someone signal that they want to enter the lane we are in, we slowed down and let them in rather than speeding up to get ahead of them.

- or really believed that people merging onto Deerfoot also have the right away as the sign says, and not treating a merge sign as a yield.

In short, what if we treated other drivers with a courteousness that they may or may not deserve. Because as in most things how we treat someone says less about them than it does about us.

If even a few drivers did this it would make life so much more bearable, as I discovered this morning when a driver allowed me to turn on to a very busy road and even smiled at me!

Will this prevent accidents and incidents - no. People are human and make mistakes, machines malfunction. But, wouldn't it be an encouragement.

This is just one example, imagine if everyone in the office put their own dishes in the dishwasher and didn't expect the receptionist to clean up after them. There are a million little things we can do.

I have to confess I am often thoughtless and self absorbed. But I have also discovered that making changes to other people and my surroundings can be quite difficult. Perhaps I could focus on changing myself and my own attitudes, what will be the outcome?

So here is my suggestion. For today lets try to see the world through the eyes of others and try to make the world better for them. It may do nothing to change the world, but I bet it will change us!

What do you think?

The modern mom

There is so much pressure in our world, our society to be a great Mom. Now while I think my mom was a great mom, I know she didn't spend a lot of time obsessing about how she was doing it or if she was making better choices than other moms. Maybe its the internet, blogs, pinterest or facebook, or maybe its older moms looking to find the same markers and job satisfaction they had before entering the world of snotty toddlers.

I'm not sure what is causing it, but it is undeniably - out there. I read blogs that refer to the "judgy-ness" of other Moms (Yes I did just make up that word - its my blog!). The stay at home Mom writes about the virtues of her role and defends her choices, rightfully so. The working Mom writes about the complexities and struggles of balancing all of her responsibilities, and rightfully so.

Being a mom, no matter how you do it is hard. But I think maybe we are making it harder. We parent like we are living in a mirror, watching our own movements, playing back the tape, reviewing our errors and vowing to make changes. Momming (yes I made up another word), has become "competitive," like Olympic figure skating, or bobsleigh.

In the face of that atmosphere, I have a confession. They say confession is good for the soul right? Well, by any standard set by any group or camp, I fail. I suck. You just need to come visit my house, after stepping on a few dozen fish crackers and cheerios (and no my kids aren't toddlers any more so there is no excuse for me), you will see that I am not a good house keeper. I'm not even a sort of good house keeper. Now in my defense, my house has and likely always will be in various states of renovation. A joy to try to work around I assure you. But, not even being to hard on myself, I quite happily admit that I do not like house work and I only do it when forced, or when the family members start making comments.

So, I must be good at something, at least you work right? No don't do that either. OK I try, and try is the operative word to do my husbands book keeping. I'm not a book keeper and frankly I suck at that too - just ask our tax accountant! Don't she might be too candid.

I occasionally pick up a few jobs here and there with the company I used to work with, but I fear I've lost my edge, I don't have the same "clued-in-ness" (yeah I know - I'm on a role) that I used to have.

It would seem the only thing I am still good at is making up words! I'm good at that you have to concur.

Having said all this, I don't mind one bit. I rather like being in this no-man's land of the mom world. You have no idea the respect I have for my working mom friends. How they manage it is beyond me. I know men mean well, but the decisions about the kids and the house and the cleaning and the laundry and the childcare, usually (not to lump all men together), usually fall at the feet of the mom, whether she works or not. So to you moms that work and make the worlds still turn for your families, kudos! You are my hero.

For the mom who stays at home and may even (horror of my personal horrors) home school their children. I don't know how you do it. To bring such meaning and earnestness to your work at home, to your children and their successes. You too are my hero!

Lets just remember that being a mom is just part of who we are. We are whole people and lets not judge ourselves solely on our success or failure in one area of our lives. Even if it is super important (I get that - don't worry).

Because, it is important, even for the more mediocre of mothers to have heroes! So press on and stop being so stinking critical of yourselves. No one else sees your mistakes and if they did, they should sympathize not judge. If you feel judged, sit down and ask yourself, am I actually being judged or am I doing this to myself. If you are being judged, brush it off (easily said I know). You are permitted mistakes, you are allowed to be imperfect.

If you are reading this and you feel judged - DONT! I love the many and wonderful ways we express ourselves as Moms. So go out today and express yourself as who you are and remember you are "fearfully and wonderfully made."

The problem with platitudes

Our world is full of them, platitudes. Sayings that typify or answer a great question. You've seen them - if you've ever been on Facebook. Usually written on some lovely picture, for added inspirational value.

Here are a few I have heard over the years:
 - God never gives you more than you can handle.
 - What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
 - Whenever one door closes another will open.

Here is a story about a platitude that I have more respect for than the above mentioned. "This too will pass." Let me talk about the last one, as an example of my issue with platitudes. When I was in University and I would be all bent out of shape about something, my Grandma used to say. "This too will pass." And I'd grind my teeth and huff under my breath. Because at the time I didn't understand. I was young and I had no idea that there would be a time in my life when I could care less what I got for a grade in eighteenth century restoration fiction.

Now! Now... I get it.. well, at least I understand more than I did at the time.

Some times we say things to help encourage others. We mean well, really we do. We often don't know what to say and we sure as heck don't know how to fix the problem so we start looking for silver linings, ways to encourage. And this my friends is beautiful in itself, the motivation is always good.

The problem is that sometimes these things can ring empty. But we still need to say them, because we care and we are helpless to do anything else.

I have had several conversations lately where I have been at a loss for words. Friends whose lives have taken such complicated turns that I wouldn't know where to start. So I default to platitudes. Ughhh!!! What the hell is wrong with me!

Perhaps the platitudes are better really because without them my usual repertoire includes things like:
 - Wow that sucks!
 - Go big or go home!

See, as I have said before, sympathy and understanding are not my strong suites.

The problem is that we can't answer the problems of life with a saying or a statement. Our worlds are messy, our worlds are complex. The answers can't be simple and pre-planned.

For me, I am discovering (too bad I'm a slow learner), that I am a better friend when I stop trying to help and just simply listen.

Postscript

So the inevitable and unenviable happened... I got sick Friday night and shortly after I started Bronwyn also began. So we all got it. Unfortunately the timing meant that Bronwyn couldn't go to her dance recital.

The good news is that I was sick enough that it prompted me to feel a bit more sympathetic to my wonderful children and husband who suffered it before me! I vow to be a better wife and mother. I promise!! (wink wink)

Sick week

About a week ago I was thinking about how healthy we have all been this winter, so far. I was surprised that other than the odd snotty nose we'd had a pretty great run. I should have known better...

Friday night Wes came home and announced he had the flu and went to bed. Which meant no furthering of the renovations for me!! See how sympathetic I am.

Sunday Gavin and Mari woke with bad coughs, so we all stayed home for morning, but it just seemed to be a head cold nothing more.

Monday Wes felt well enough to go to work so off he went - to work on other people's homes (not that I'm dwelling on that fact - ahem!). I kept Mari and Gavin home, not that I thought they were that sick, but their coughs sounded bad and I figured people wouldn't appreciate them coughing everywhere. My fear of what people think out weighs my concern for my children's health.

Late Monday night Mari obviously had the flu, and based on the frequent trips to the bathroom, so did Wes. GREAT!

Tuesday I kept Mari home but sent the other two to school as they were fine.

Mari seemed to rally, Wes had a very restful day.

Tuesday night, Mari wasn't over it.

Wednesday kept Mari home, Wes went off to work and I wondered what we were going to eat, since I had not had a chance to get to the grocery store. Not an issue for Mari, she wasn't hungry, but what about me, I asked, yes, what about me? So I found and ate chocolate - yes old Halloween chocolate, by the handful. By the evening Mari has rallied and is playing with her siblings.

Wednesday night Mari throws up again. REALLY!

Oh but wait, now its Gavin's turn. Unlike his little sister who is excellent at making her way to the toilet, Gavin has now puked everywhere in his room. With no warning, no calling for Mom and Dad, just there you are!!

The whole house is now awake as we clean up the mess and the kid and I try to be the sympathetic mom. I do not sleep for the rest of the night. I lay there half resting waiting for any sound that he might start up again. At the first sounds of rustling I run grab the bucket and try to chase his flailing head so we can minimize the clean up. This is fun for me. Sort of a game of catch in the middle of the night.

I call the school in the middle of the night and say that none of the Davis kids are coming. What about Bronwyn you ask? No, she is not sick, but I figure with the interruptions to her sleep she needs the rest. We all finally sleep. Until our lovely neighbor calls to offer the kids a lift to school. Such a kind offer.

Long story and yes, I realize this took as long to read as it did to live through. They are all on the mend now and its a PD day so they are resting and eating home made chicken soup - although I've been told that its a bit yucky and they would prefer Lipton's noodle soup. Thank you offspring! Thank you!

YEAH!

For Elaine & Gerald

Hey there Aunt Elaine and Uncle Gerald,

Click on this grey type - Our Other House Blog.

This is what your nephew has been up to!!

A new year a new page

It is January of 2014. Wow. I was pondering today how that this day 100 years ago the world had not seen the dawn of the new age of war. The world in 1914 was extremely different to what it is now. We are having a terrible winter for snow and yet we still haven't beat the record snow fall, that was in 1912. One hundred years ago life in Calgary would have looked very different. Hmmm. Just caused me pause today. I guess I had a couple minutes to think.

We have been very busy as usual. We spent the last couple weeks at my parents house. Lovely time. They could not have been more gracious. We truly feel so blessed to have them in our lives! The kids were super sad to not see them today.

While we were there Wes was at our house ripping out the kitchen and moving walls around. We are just rejigging our small space to allow for a bedroom for Gavin. We are kind of modern pioneers. We don't add on, we make due with what we have and find creative solutions. I'll post pictures soon, but I'll wait until we have some after shots. I'll try post the plans too - since it is hard to see what we have done from pictures.

The kids are back in school. We have two functioning bathrooms and the current bedrooms are all fine, but we have no kitchen. The good news is that we live very close to lots of places that do take out and our fridge is plugged in. So we are managing fairly nicely. We are living in the basement while and sleeping upstairs.

The only issue is Wes' time is now divided. Now that everyone is back from the Christmas break there is a great demand on his time so... we are hoping to get some of his time so we can get our lives back to normal. But we are managing either way.

I feel that 2014 will be a good year for our family. We have love, we have each other and we have hope for the future. All good things.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
            1 Corinthians 13:13

Annual Christmas card 2013

I am truly sorry for my absence from the blogging world. I have no excuse for myself - just that we have been very busy.

The kids have been doing well and are now happily on their Christmas break. They were getting very tired - so I am hoping they get some rest and maybe bored enough to be happy to go back to school!!

We'd like to wish you all a Merry Christmas from our family. God bless you all in 2014!

Love to you all.

 

The mystery of the tracks in the snow

I was extremely impressed with myself for solving the mystery. So impressed, in fact, that I woke my sleeping husband to tell him. He was slightly less than impressed.

But I'm getting ahead of myself and this story will sound better if I tell it from the beginning, you know the background details.

We have a rather dilapidated fence. It looks rather like a toothless grin with several boards missing. There is a large gate which has been broken since we moved in. We are in a fairly central city location so we try to keep as many vagrants and thieves out (its the rabbits that kill me - seriously - how do I keep them out!). So we have a clever system. A board jammed up against the fence, which is intended to keep the gate from opening. It apparently doesn't work, but perhaps it may slow intruders down?

A couple weekends ago we had fresh snow. The following day I was gazing out my rather dirty kitchen window and saw tracks in the snow. There were lots of rabbit and cat tracks (little lizards!!). But there was one very distinct set of tracks. It came from the back fence, which sat slightly ajar, the board having been dislodged from its duty, right up to the kitchen window and back out the fence again.

I called Wes to see if he had come around the back of the house to grab a tool that may have been sitting by the back kitchen window. It didn't seem likely, since the only thing that is usually in that location is an old barbecue that we haven't got around to discarding yet. But it was worth a try.

Wes had not been in the back yard at all. So we puzzled over it and couldn't figure it out. But it was plain to see we had an intruder.

I tried to dismiss this from my mind but it puzzled me so much. Why would a potential burglar come in the yard and not search around for a point of entry? Like walking up on the deck or going around the side of the house to check basement windows? It was puzzling. Wes had suggested perhaps it was a peeping Tom, but really there isn't much you can see from that spot. You'd have better luck standing across the alley since its sits higher than our fence. So I didn't see the peeping Tom idea either.

But yet there were the tracks...

Several days later, I was laying in bed. Thinking of this and that, unable to sleep. I wasn't thinking about the mystery at all and yet all of a sudden it came to me! I knew who had come into our yard.

I woke Wes up as I turned and exclaimed. "I know who walked in our yard." Wes mumbled something like, "ohyeahh?" I excitedly added, "The ATCO guy." His reader thing must not have been working in the snow so he'd have to come close to read the meter. The meter sits just behind the ancient barbecue that is rusting beneath our kitchen window.

Of course, he just came in looked at the side of the house and left the way he came. Normally their little reader thing works from the alley, but the snow may have interfered. It all made perfect sense to me.

I was extremely proud of my Sherlock Holmes style deductions! All those hours watching mystery shows has finally paid off.

As I said, Wes celebrated  bit less in fact his only reply was a loud snore. Some people don't appreciate the real joys of life.

Late Halloween pictures

I am sorry, for those who have been waiting to see the kids in their costumes - we have been a bit preoccupied lately so I am rather late with these.

Gavin didn't get dressed up ahead of time, like I asked, so I could take a picture of him - oh well. Again, this year they went out with our neighbours, they always have such a blast. This year they really raked in the candy. They stayed out almost two whole hours. Crazy kids!!

Winter is starting to set in and we are hunkering down for the winter.

I hate three o'clock

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night and realized that you are the world's worst mother. That you are failing your children sadly and they will regret you for the rest of their lives.

Well, I did last night.

Not sure why, normally I'm quite happy to be an adequate to poor mother, doesn't bug me at all. I figure it will build character in my children. But last night I was just alarmed and vowed to be a better mother today. I would turn over a new leaf, I would be the mother they need.

Good news is - the sun came up... and equilibrium has been restored.

I have spent the morning telling kids to look for their library books later, yelling at them to get their coats on and then neglecting my youngest child while I chatted on the phone with a friend and then frittered away time on the computer.

Whew! Close call. But no worries I'm back to my high level of complacency that gets me through my life.

Perhaps, I should feed the third child...

Or tackle folding all the laundry...

or take a nap?

We are back home

Our whirlwind visit to southern Saskatchewan is over and we are home and looking forward to a relaxing weekend. Well, tomorrow is looking pretty brutal, so maybe a relaxing Sunday.

We did a lot during our quick visit. Visited family, had some fun and I even froze my biscuit off in the sub-zero temperatures at the Estevan pool! Yikes!

We have no photos of any one - except the kids. Apparently we can't be trusted. Well, the small camera was dead and we forgot the charger and the big camera is not good indoors, so unless you were outside running around with the kids and Wes there are no pictures of you.

We had a wonderful time and we were hosted so royally by everyone. Thanks to Wes' family as well as mine (that includes you Pippus family) for being so very gracious to us! It was wonderful to see you all and get caught up.

The kids were very sad to return home. They enjoyed their stay so much!

Long Overdue

This post is long over due and so is the road trip we are about to take. The Davis family is off to Estevan to see family. It has been far too long since we have ventured out that way. I thought Wes would be long done his big house project, but alas it is just at the tail end and it has been a real crunch. The break will be great.

The thing I just love about our kids is that they are SOOOO excited. It doesn't matter where we go really, they aren't fussy at all. They just love to go on adventures - even to southern Saskatchewan.

We hope and pray you all have a wonderful and safe thanksgiving. Safe travels if you are on the road.

First days

The kids were back at school today. Gavin has the same teacher as last year and since its a 3/4 split the best ever thing happened. His best buddy and neighbor is in his class this year! (Because of the cut off they are not in the same grade). Wow! What excitement that caused.

Bronwyn is now in the English program and is very excited about her new teacher. Apparently he can talk like Scooby Doo! Doesn't get much better than that, does it?

Mari had her first day of Kindergarten. Wow! My baby is in kindergarten. She looked so small going up the steps with her teacher. Big girl that she is!!

They all came home bubbling with excitement about their various days. Great to hear!

Aren't fresh starts lovely!

August happenings

I just realized it has been a couple weeks since I have posted anything.

We had a birthday party for Bronwyn on Thursday. She wanted a swimming party so that is what we did this year. It was a lot of fun and she seemed to enjoy herself.

Gavin has been doing his field lacrosse. Last weekend he had his first field day, this is their opportunity to play in games. He was a bit freaked out by it all and he tended to run away from the play area hoping no one would pass to him! Ha! He's starting to get it though - it will come in time.

Mari has been busy. I asked her if she is excited about school and she said, "Yeah, I go there all the time for Gamo and Bona (how she says Gavin and Bronwyn)." No biggie eh? I don't think that she has grasped the concept yet.

My kids are good!

I have to admit the last week of my life has not been all roses. Not sure why. I think the kids are having mid summer blues and I, well I have been with them 24/7 since the flood shut down the city. So...

On top of that I am not what you might call a "natural" mother. I think I might have been better and more flexible had I birthed my children before getting old and grumpy, but here I am - Old, grumpy and a parent of young children.

The kids have been attending VBS and this year I offered to help, so I have been sticking around. There are 100 kids roughly, give or take a few. I haven't been dealing directly with the kids but still, watching all the manic activity and the running has been exhausting. But it has given me an opportunity to see my kids in action when I'm not the centre of their world. Kind of like spying on them from afar.

When they are with me my kids are happy to give me the gears. They are happy to push me and my patience. They are happy to talk back and be disobedient. But...

With others, they are compliant, good natured, well behaved and good listeners. I am sure they aren't always like that, that they occasionally step out of the lines, but compared to their behaviour at home they are saints!

On one hand this makes me happy. I figure that something of the values we are trying to instill in the kids must be sinking in. But on the other hand, how do I replicate this behaviour at home??

All I can say is I'm proud of my kids - which is saying a lot after the week we just had.

Almost half way

Our summer break is almost half way and I have accomplished nothing. None of the "jobs" I intended to do this summer have been done, and frankly, there is little chance that I'll get to them. So it goes.

The kids start VBS this week. The kids were starting to get a bit antsy and grumpy last week, so I think this a well timed activity.

Just letting you know we are all OK. I'm tired, but we had a nice weekend as a family so I feel revived also. Amazing what a bit of time with a lovely husband can do!

We hope August is as much fun as July. Bronwyn is gearing up for her birthday party, its pretty much all she can talk about. Gavin is enjoying field lacrosse, I think this may be something we continue based on how much fun he is having. Mari is well... Mari is growing like a weed and there are days I still can't believe that my baby is in going into kindergarten! Oh my!

Busy times!

Solidarity

To say we were affected by the flood in Calgary is an understatement.

Now, we weren't "affected" - in other words, we didn't have any damage nor loss. But as part of this community, and I think all Calgarians (and surrounding communities) would agree, we were very impacted. I don't think I know a person who wasn't in some way touched, either personally, or through work, or through friends. It was a massive event that touched so many lives.

Now, I realize the death toll was low and Calgary has been very blessed with a well organized civil service that helped minimize the damages. But still... it is the kind of event that you can't understand until you live through it. Or maybe you can - but I couldn't!

Wes was also deeply affected. Our emotions have been very tied up in the stories, pictures, and conversations with friends. When we saw the "Hell or High Water" slogan we both reacted immediately. I was thrilled that somewhere a clever marketer was able to turn this into a wonderful battle cry! (See advertising can touch lives!!) Wes just loved the spirit of it. He decided we all needed shirts, the whole family. When we got to the Stampede grounds on one of the busiest days of the event we discovered they were all sold out.

When I got home I ordered some online. This family photo was meant to be our statement of solidarity with our fellow Calgarians! We love this city and its people!

But.. when I downloaded the pictures I realized the Davis' all need haircuts! Except Wes, thanks to the buzz cut I gave him a while ago (sorry again Honey).

Summer fun

This summer, like last summer, we had very few plans. Swimming lessons, VBS and a few scattered appointments. And yet... we have been so busy!!

We enjoyed the Stampede on Sunday, Wes insisted that we go. In fact, I have to admit as we rolled up to the main gates my mind was still full of images of the whole area underwater, I almost cried. Later on as I muscled my way through crowds or waited for 20 minutes for the pleasure of peeing I again almost cried - but for entirely different reasons.

Gavin is starting Field Lacrosse - he is very excited. His first practice was rained out, fingers crossed for tomorrow night.

The kids are almost done their swimming lessons, two more classes - they are loving it!

The kids and I went to a little man made lake today with some neighborhood friends. Again, I have to say how blessed we have been with wonderful neighbors!

Lots of play with local kids and lots of fun.

Nothing of terrible interest to report.