Are We There Yet?

So is LIfe...

“As is a tale, so is life: not how long it is, but how good it is, is what matters.”~ Seneca

2013.  Wow.  I remember so clearly the year we brought in the new millennium 13 years ago.  On New Year’s Eve 1999, we attended a “progressive” dinner that led us to a number of friends’ houses in East Kildonan for drinks, appies, soup, salad and eventually our large group made the final trudge to our last destination for a fabulous dinner and tons of dancing before we rang in the New Year.

Yes, that night will always stick out in my mind, however it could never top our tradition and the fun of spending new year’s with my kids and the crew at Mol & Chad’s.  Spending New Year’s with some of my most favourite people, watching all of our kids play, skate and celebrate together and the amazing spread Chad and Mol put on cannot be topped.  It is guaranteed to be fabulous time for all and a perfect way to start the New Year.

In fact, the entire holiday season has been pretty perfect around here.  We have filled our days with just the right amount of down time and busyness.  We have skated, tobogganed, played tons of board games, read, done puzzles, built Lego villages, watched movies, entertained and video gamed.  We have slept in every day (yay!) and been surrounded with all of our favourite people multiple times. 

And as we turn the corner on a new year, this is the time to reflect back on the one past.  2012 was a bit of mixed bag for us.  It certainly had its share of ups and downs like most.  So is life. 

This past spring brought one of the darkest times I remember for our family as we watched our daughter go through an extremely difficult period.  All we can do is learn and grow from times like those.  So is life.

We also were dealt a bit of a curveball with the growth of my tumour, however the option of having gamma knife instead of full cutting brain surgery was truly a blessing. All we can do is pray that my springtime MRI results show that all is well.   We also watched some people we care about deeply go through the most difficult of times.  For them, I know 2013 will bring renewed peace and happiness once again. So is life.

In August, we lost our dear sweet Rosie.  An integral and beloved part of our family, that was a very difficult blow for us all and the first real time our children had to face death.  We still deeply miss our sweet old girl, yet we have opened our hearts to our new addition, Black Mac who has so much personality and such a gentle soul.  So is life.

 2012 also brought a vacation of a lifetime.  Our trip to Disneyworld with my parents was so unbelievably and unforgettably fun on every level.  Two weeks of childhood bliss.  It was most certainly the highlight of the year.  And as my parents flipped through the photo book I had made them for Christmas highlighting all of those wonderful memories, I couldn’t help but tear up thinking how blessed the six of us were to share those experiences and how lucky I was in that moment on Christmas morning to be surrounded by the people I love most.  To live in a wonderful home in a safe country, to have a job I love, to be healthy and to share my life everyday with two beautiful children, an amazing and attentive husband who loves me with all his heart and to be surrounded daily by a number of other family and friends that share in and brighten my everyday. Life is good.   Welcome 2013…. 

Sweet Christmas Eve

The children were nestled all snug in their beds...thanks to the Santa that visited Sadie's dayccare last week, who told the children that they needed to be in bed early on Christmas eve if they wanted Santa to come.  Thankfully, she shared this info with her two older siblings and they bought it without question.  Thank you, Santa! 

Our day was perfect but for a few small hiccups.  Mags woke up iin the middle of the night cerain that she was going to throw up.  It never happened but she spent the day on the couch, resting peacefully while watching one Christmas movie after another.  Every half hour or so, Chad and I would take turns squeezing in next to her to cuddle her and that seemed to be all the medicine she needed.  She hasn't eaten all day, doesn't want to risk waking at night with another sore tummy.  She is positive that Santa will not forgive that action and would certainly bypass her gfts if she was out of bed. Rather than risk it, she has stayed away for all food today.

The rest of us stayed in jammies all day long, no place on the planet we would have rather been.  I finished touches on desserts and brunches and secretly wrapped the last 2 gifts on the list and stopped every few minutes to take in the magic and excitement of Christmas through the eyes of the kids.  Ty wrote notes to everyone from our elves to the `rain`deer to the jolly old man himself.  The cookies are placed strategically where Santa wll be sure to see them but Jazzy will not be able to reach them.  The front yard is a garden of carrots for those hungry reindeer. The girls and I painted our nails a delicious twinkling cranberry color and they think that is about as fancy as it gets.  I`ve read a few books to the kiddies and I`ve handed the torch to my son, who read the entire Night Before Christmas to the girls at Grandma and Grandpa`s tonight.  He stole his grandma`s heart and mine as well.  So grown up and so special. 

We are home from our annual at Dad`s place, full and festvie.  Dad outdid himself with Cornish Game Hens, a delight from mom`s era.  The night was magic with my lttle nieces giggling and snuggling with Ruby.  Her first Christmas already, she is beautiful and so perfect.  The holiidays are off to a spectacular start, only 2 big meals left, 1 sleep left and about 100 presents to go.  The kiddie sare tucked in tight, resting in their new jammies, no doubt dreaming of the big morning just like me. This Santa has quite a job before bed but it is all the fun stuff left and the morning comes early around here. 

Merry Christmas to all and to all a Good Night! 

Happy Holidays!

Photos by ChrisMcWilliams Photgraphy

Wishing you and your family a wonderful holiday season and all the best in 2013!    Enjoy each moment, appreciate each tradition, savour each meal and cherish every memory. May the time ahead be filled with love, laughter, family, friends and tons of fun!

Shauna, Blaine, Sarah & Nate

Countdown to Christmas

December is a whirlwind for all of us.  Life is busy enough and when you throw in extra parties, concerts, shopping, wrapping, baking and a variety of other functions, there are very few spare moments.  For us, the busyness tends to fall in the first few weeks of December and then we enjoy a little lull before the real “big day”.  So yes… this week is a little quieter for us and we can breathe again. 

Yesterday, we hosted the annual kids’ book exchange at our house.  Our group has been meeting around this time for years.  The number of children involved has grown over time and this year reached an all time high of 16 kiddies ranging in age from 2 months to 9 years old.  The kids have become pretty independent and these days we barely see them as they play in the basement while the adults have a chance to catch up upstairs.

Other traditions continue around here.  The Elf on the Shelf has returned once again with new tricks up his sleeve.  He has shown up in the most peculiar of places and sometimes comes with a witty holiday joke tucked under his arm to share.  One morning we even found him with a stick trying to roast a marshmallow beside our gas fireplace.  Trickster!

We have been filling our few spare moments with our daily Christmas stories and regular viewings of our favourite holiday movies and specials.  If you haven’t heard yet, Scaredy Squirrel has a new book out called, “Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Christmas”.  This is a sure winner under the tree.

I went a different route with our Advent Calendar this December. Each season I struggle to find a peanut free chocolate one, which is okay in light of the fact the chocolate in those tastes like plastic.  This year my countdown plans came from Pinterest. 

Each day the kids have an envelope to open that has some holiday/winter/family activity in it.  These include;

• Tobogganing
• Christmas craft
• Movie night
• Making Christmas cards
• Write letter to Santa
• Singing carols
• Board game
• Card game
• Gingerbread house
• Baking cookies
• Going to see Christmas lights
• Ice skating
• Hot Chocolate for no reason
• Snuggle, popcorn and tv time in front of the fire

Some are repeated and for the super busy days when we can’t fit in any extras, I have the old stand by “This Kiss is for you” and chocolate saves the day!

The kids have loved this year’s Advent festivities and I think this format may become an annual thing around here.

One of my favourite holiday moments is when the kids receive their video message from Santa.  Nate’s eyes were as big as saucers this afternoon as he held his breath waiting for Santa to declare whether he had made the “nice list”.  He was so relieved and hung on every word Santa had to say.  Be sure to make your way to the Portable Northpole Website if you haven’t been there already!

With only a week to go the countdown really is on!  Enjoy every minute… 

Welcome Here

You may remember me from a while ago.  I was the third blogger on this wonderful little corner of the world wide web, sister to Katie and friend to Shauna.  I love being in the company of these 2, I love the truth that is read in these posts and I love being able to write the story of my own little family for me to remember and for you to share.  Then, life got busy.  That's it.  Life got busy and every day for the last couple of months I have thought about sitting down to be here and then I just didn't.  It felt like I had little to share that was new or even exciting.  Our lives are like most, we work all week and then on the weekend we try live as much life as we can scheduled around the countless kid commitments.  It's a great life...the best but hard to imagine how my story is one to read.  Then my dear, dear old friend reminded me that this blog was never meant as a story for others, it was meant as a story to share with my own children in time, a story I am so priveleged to tell.  So, thank you, Luci for bringing me back and reminding me.

Christmas is in full swing here around this house, as it has been for a couple of months.  You may remember that I am all about tradtion. TRADITION.  To me, it is what makes the holidays so warm and so reminiscent of what I remember from  growing up.  It is in my tree that is decked out with ornaments that mean something, every single one.  There are kitchen gadgets, ladies in purple, angels, coffee cups, and canoes.  They each have a story of who they came from and why, what corner of the world they were bought in and when.  The decorating of that tree is a walk down memory lane that the kids now take with me and it makes me feel like my mom is right here with us.  She was as much a lover of the season as we are and having her presence on that tree  makes us all a little warmer. Some people find the holidays harder because of their loved ones absence.  For me, the season means welcoming her spirit in.  I can see her in my dad's white sweat shirt wrapping gifts on the counter with Alabama or Kenny and Dolly to keep her company.  The house smelled sweet and rich, with baking and gourmet celebrations that I miss with a hunger I can never satisfy.  Her traditions are mine, never questioned, never altered, the christmas eve pajamas, the cornflake cookies, the mimosas on Christmas morning.  I love this season.  I love the tradition.  I love having her here. 

Thank you, Luci.  It feels good to be here.

Back to the Blog

Somebody once told me that going from no kids to one was more difficult than going from one to two. After welcoming our second baby into the world a short 5 weeks a go, I must say, I respectfully disagree. Clearly I have been MIA from the blog for longer than I'd like. The truth is that while I love writing, these days it feels like I am just a mom who literally has no time for me. I find myself constantly wondering how other moms do it.  By "it", I mean finding time for anything else in there lives besides children.  Is it just me who lacks time management skills or is it that when I do get those two minutes of peace and quiet my preference is to pour myself another cup of coffee and just sit.

To be honest, I'm not even sure what I want to accomplish in my day. First and foremost I am trying to truly embrace and enjoy my time at home with my girls. I guess I just had visions in my mind of all the "projects" I'd like to complete that just never seem to come to life- things that require a chunk of time not just 30 seconds.  I would love to finish unpacking from our move this summer or work on uncompleted baby books, but the time just doesn't seem to exist after laundry and catch-up from the day. 

Ivy constantly keeps me hopping and my little Ruby just goes with the flow, but can sense when her sister is down for the night and wants some quiet momma time. I've decided that although not that interesting, I am going to continue to write about the daily joys and challenges of being at home on another mat leave with two little ones who make me crazy, make me laugh, and who I love more than anything in this world!!

My little Ruby who is already well past the 10 pound mark!!

My big girl who reminds me of it every single day!!

Chores, Allowance and the bumps along the way…

Not sure if this is a topic I have touched upon before, or one I have always meant to explore further.  I do know that when it comes up around our staffroom table at work, the overall consensus is that this is a tough issue to find a groove with.  What is the right age to start chores?  What are the right chores?  Allowance or no allowance or how much allowance?

In our house we have attempted many kicks at this can and nothing has ever really stuck.  We have tried a variety of chores; making beds, keeping rooms clean, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the toy room, putting away laundry…you get the idea.

 

However, following each effort we seem to truck along for a while and then soon enough the business of life gets in the way, the kids lose interest, or I fail to follow up and follow through.  We have tried charts like Melissa and Doug’s as well as papers on the fridge.  The kids love the allowance piece for doing their chores ($2.50 a week) but aren’t happy when the weekend comes and they haven’t found the time or made the effort each day to do their chores.  Hmmm….reality!

But, I am happy to say that most recently we have found a renewed success around this topic.  It seems for my two that is all about finding the right chore!  Sarah’s chores are all about pets, which is fitting for my cat obsessed little girl.  Twice daily, she clears our two cats’ dishes, feeds them both canned wet food, and dry crunchy food, and changes their water .  She even helps her dad do the cat litter three times a week.  She has been doing a great job with all of this for a while now!

Nate takes his most recent chores very seriously.  He is the recycling guy, taking all of our boxes, cans and jars etc. out to the garbage as well as the garbage each day after school.  Before bed he also checks that each of the toilets has toilet paper nearby and on the weekends when I am doing by cleaning he sprays and wipes the doorknobs.

It seems to me that what helped our family turn the corner with the whole chore thing is that each of the chores has an assigned time linked to it.  I’ll keep my fingers crossed that our success continues.

What chores do your kids do?  What do you do about allowance?

Feeling Lucky

So last week I had my long awaited Gamma Knife surgery.  It isn’t too often that one has brain surgery and needless to say I was a little leery going in.  The day started bright and early and as Blaine and I left the house just after 5:00 am I made sure to give my dear, sleeping kiddos a little kiss for good luck before I was on my way.

Truth be told, luck is already on my side. 

• I am lucky that a few years ago they found my fairly large benign brain tumour by chance.  If they hadn’t it may have grown to the point where I would have experienced symptoms; seizures, visual disturbances or damage to my facial nerve. 
•  I am lucky that Dr. Michael West is my neurosurgeon.  They don’t get much better than him and I have the upmost confidence in his abilities.  He is also a super nice guy, to boot.  He may not be McDreamy but he is a close second in my books.
• I am lucky to live in a city that has one of only three gamma knife centres in Canada.  What a blessing to have been able to have my surgery in Winnipeg, instead of traveling and dealing with planes, hotels and being away from home. 
•  I am lucky that my tumour is benign and treatable with gamma knife.  Three years ago when I was diagnosed it wasn’t…how lucky am I that the medicine and technology has advanced so much in three years that I avoided the real “knife” and the invasive surgery of which the recovery would have been months.
•  I am lucky to have a life filled with so many wonderful people…..my family, friends, and colleagues are my greatest gifts in life.  Kind, thoughtful, caring, attentive…I thank all of you for thinking of me, your prayers and your warm wishes.

Last Wednesday, I suffered through the not so pleasant experience of attaching the imaging frame to my skull with the four pins.  I wore that cage like apparatus for about 6 hours and they were right…I really did get used to it.  I had a little sedative and made it through my MRI (I am extremely claustrophic).  After that the team of doctors and physicists read the MRI results and devised their radiation plan of attack.  My sequence was about an hour and twenty minutes long.  I was allowed to listen to music in the machine but even Madonna’s Immaculate Collection could not distract me enough to make it all the way through without a little break. After that pit stop it was clear sailing.

My recovery went well.  I ‘ve had some headaches, and I had pain at my pin sites for a number of days. I slept a lot.  But after a couple of days off work and the weekend, I felt much more like myself and a week later all is well. 

And now we wait.  The benefits of Gamma knife surgery can take weeks and even months to work.  The goal is to stop a tumour in its tracks and prevent further cell growth.  I have a MRI scheduled six months down the road to see where we are at, but until then I am feeling lucky!

Material Girls

Last Friday, five of my favourite ladies from work, and myself headed down south to see Madonna in concert.  It was a whirlwind of a trip full of a million laughs, a ton of shopping and a big show that did not disappoint.   As we headed to Fargo the first night, a little snowstorm could not slow us down as we made our way to our first night’s destination and ended the day with a margarita, some Mexican grub and some late night shopping at Target. 

Saturday morning we were right on schedule, as you would expect from 6 teachers, and we headed out bright and early to Albertville for some outlet shopping.  We spent a number of hours there before heading to Maple Grove and then on to our final destination… the Crowne Plaza in St. Paul, Minnesota, a five-minute walk from the concert. 

I have been a Madonna fan for as along as I can remember and seeing her in concert was a dream come true for me.  She was amazing!  Controversial, daring, fun, beautiful, outrageous, political, and above all….beyond talented.  It was an excellent show filled with the right mix of both classics and her new stuff.  I loved every minute of it!

The next morning (despite the previous’ nights festivities), we were up bright and early once again to continue on with our shopping adventures.  As we headed back to Fargo, the Madonna tunes continued to play as we reminisced about the concert and the girl talk and laughs raged on.   iHop and Q’doba did not disappoint and we did not leave a store unturned.  It was a long day of shopping and as we rolled into Winnipeg very late at night the Yukon was filled to the top with our white plastic bags.

 I am not sure when the last time was I laughed so hard and had so much fun.  There is something about a road trip, a little girl talk and a bit of retail therapy that is good for the soul!  Thanks to my girls for an unforgettable weekend!!!

Maskaphobia?

I am in desperate need of some help moms!!

Over the Summer we were in Gimli enjoying a fabulous family outing with Jared's sister and her little guy when he stopped to have his face painted. After a few moments he emerged as Batman with an almost identical mask across his eyes. When Ivy finally saw him, she had a full on meltdown and acted in a way that I had never seen before.  My just two year old was shaking in horror literally clawing her nails into my back.  For the remainder of the afternoon she wouldn't go within 50 feet of Magnus and went crazy even when she could see him in the distance. Needless to say, it did not make the rest of our day very enjoyable.

Her fear of masks and people's faces being covered up has only escalated since.  She goes from being a happy-go-lucky child to unbearably scared in an instant. We have talked a lot about Halloween in the last few weeks trying to ease her fears as we make light of her favorite Disney Junior characters on tv being covered up in their costumes. Yes, it's just tv, but we're trying to prepare her that on Halloween night, there will be masked kids all around.  We make sure to tell her that it's all for fun and that these people are not scary. 

Brenda, our daycare provider, takes Ivy with her to a stay and play program at her boys school while they are in Kindergarten. She just texted me to tell me that Ivy had a huge, full fledged melt down at both the drop off and pick up of the older kids this morning.  It makes me so sad for her because it's her last day of daycare for the year and I want her to have some fun tonight as she has been over the moon about practicing her trick-or-treating skills. 

She is a child who is fearless of so many other things, yet this one sends her into a tailspin.  Has anyone else dealt with their kids being scared of masks? I beg of you to shed some advice if you have any.