back to normal??

Are things back to normal?  What has changed.  Is it true that when the things outside of you are disorganized that the things inside you are disorganized as well? 
     I haven't blogged in a really long time, since July I think.  Mostly because I have felt tired and disorganized and frustrated and even discouraged.  I really haven't had much to say.  
     This past couple of weeks have been good.  I am feeling better, more positive and confident in myself and the things going on around me.  Not that things have become less busy or that I have grown an extra pair of hands to get things done with but.. I have recreated routine in my house and I have once again started to unpack boxes and organizes the stuff around me.   I have been working hard at being consistant in dealing with unwanted behaviors with my kids and have also been working hard at not saying "in awhile" or "later" when the kids ask me to play with them or help them with things.  I still have a billion things to do but if I waited for them all to get done I would never get to play with the kids.  The house work wil always be there, it is never ending.  There is an older couple that I know and they seem to have it all together, everything always perfect.  When I am having a bad day and the house is a disaster or the kids are trying my patience I think of a couple stories about that perfect couple. 
     First-  they were is church one day when their kids were young and their boy was causing trouble.  The mom took him by the arm and was leading him out of church but befor they left the sanctuary the boy quiet loadly said," don't beat me mom".  
     Secondly--  The husband said your house isn't really dirty if you can clean it in one day.  Untidy maybe but not dirty.

     So even the people who look like they have it all together all the time, don't.  Everyone has there moments, there moments of frustration, moments of disorganization, moments of being completely exausted. It is inevitable.  BUT  in the words of a wise woman I know " This to shall pass, it is how you come out the other side that matters".

     So... school has started, Anthany is in grade one and Atley at preschool.  I have started babysitting again and kids running around the house all day.  the calendar is full of hockey, swimming, kick boxing, doctors and dentists appointments, parent helper days at school, teaching sunday school and all kinds of other stuff.  But it's okay, as long as I take time to keep me and my space organized and happy then I know I can keep everyone else in this house organized and happy aswell.
    
      Guess that will have to be it for this first blog in a long while.  It s time for bed and sleep is a vey important thing for me to have in order to stay organized and happy.

Things that make me smile.

     After 6+ years of cooking for Brian he said to me a couple of nights ago," this is my new favorite salad".  I have cooked alot of things, some from resipes and some experiments and I love it when Brian loves what I make.  I think the reason I love it so much is cause he works away 2 weeks at a time and then is home for 2 weeks.  When he is at work he eats camp food and they feed him really good, to the point that he critiques resteraunt food when we go out so anything that I make that is a favorite makes me smile.

     Atley, Alex and I went to the park the other day and we were all on the springy teeter totter.  When Atley was ready to get off he stood up and jumped off as his side of the teeter totter went up.  It wasn't to high and he thought it was fun so he did it 2 or 3 more times, giggling everytime.  Then he went to play on the rest of the play ground and went down the slide a few times.  Then as I was still sitting on the teeter totter I saw this kid flying completely vertical off the side of the slide abould half way up.  He didn't go far when gravity kicked in and he went straight down flat onto the sand.  I think he was stunned and just lay there for a minute before he started to cry and came running over to me.  I couldn't help but laugh, I tried to contain myself, while he was listening anyway, but I started to laugh when I told Brian the story and am even laughing now as I type this.   Soo funny. 

     Atley was involved in another laaughing matter on that same day.  We got home from the park and Anthany was out in the cul-de-sac fishing.  He got a kid sized rod from my mom and it had a rubber fish on the end of it so he could practice casting.  Atley watched him cast a few times and real it in and then must of thought it would be funny to catch the fish.  So here is Atley chasing a little orange rubber fish around that is bouncing back and forth across the road.  Part of the time he was even on is hands and feet trying to get ahold of it.  He looked like a monkey, and the funniest thing was that the rubber fish was attached to an almost invisable peice of fishing line.  Kinda reminded me of when you pull a piece string for a cat but they never quite catch it.  Made me laugh.

     I don't know about anyone else but I love the heat.  It has been 27 degees C in our house quite a few times this summer and that was hot.  When it finally cools down and the thermostat says 23 celius I actually get a sweater and put socks on.  Lol mmakes me laugh how our bodies adjust.

     MMM make chicken currie soup this evening, can't wait to have it for lunch tomorrw.

Eskimo

     Today at boot camp for warm up we had to run around the track at the arema and when we got to the letters that spelled eskimo we had to run down and back up the stairs and then keep on going.  It was very tiring and my quads BURNED but can anyone relate when I say the burnage feels good.  It makes me feel like I am doing something good for my body.  I also like the wet hair and beads of sweat dripping off my nose.  I though this whole getting up at 5am things and getting ready and going to the gym might kill me but it diddn't.  I love it!  I get up before everyone else have breakfast and read a book for a bit.  I get to see the sun rise in the peace and quiet and I get to smell and breath the fresh crisp undisturbed air.  Then I sweat and sweat and sweat and by the time I get home from the gym usually everyone is still sleeping.  Although one day I did find Atley cuddled up in his cardboard house that sits behind the couch with a blanket and a pillow.

     After everyone was up this morning Brian told Atley to look inside the box on the floor.  He said it was for him.  So Atley found the box and opened it to find some hand me down train tracks and stuff.  It was so cute cause he said, That's wonderful, I love it. Thank you.  Where does he come up with this stuff?

     Ya know, Anthany never really repeated anything and still doesn't much.  He has his own mind and does his own thing and always like to push the limmits or not stop till he got it right.  I may not have to worry about him giving in to peer pressure or going along with the croud when he is a teen ager cause he isn't a follower.  He is a leader and very persistant.  BUT.  Atley on the other hand repeats EVERYTHING.  He comes home from school singing all the songs even if the words arent quite right. Or he will copy what Brian or I or someone on the tv is saying.  This is why I wonder where he heard this "that's wonderful, I love it. Thanks you." from.  It all gets stored in his brain and it all comes out sooner or later.  Atley is the child that I will have to worry about doing things just cause everyone else is.  Or being talked into doing things he knows he shouldn't do.  But he is also the child that will do well in school cause he retains and repeats alot of information.   Mmmm what will Alex be like?  Will he be the tipical youngest child and turn out to be a class clown?  I can't wait to see these boys grow up so I can see who they have become and be proud.  God hepl me to parent them well!

     Well for a bit of a funnier story...  What do you get when you cross Brian standing on a bed closing the blinds and a fan that is spinning on the ceiling?  A bloody gash on the head.  After he closed the blinds he stood up and turned to get off the bed and walked right into then.  When he told me about it I couldn't help but laugh.  Sorry baby, I know it hurt, but I still can't help laughing when I think about it now.  Anyone else it probably wouldn't have been so funny but this is Brian and you might have to know him to understand what I mean.

     Another funny, funny thing this evening was when I was reading Atley his bed time story.  I had already read Anthany his and put him to bed, he was looking out his window watching for lightning and listening to the thunder.   There were some pretty load cracks of thunder, made the house shake.  Anyway I was reading to Atley and Brian went into Anthanys room( Anthany didn't see him, to busy looking out his window) and made a really load noise like thunder.  Anthany screemedlike a little girl!  It was so funny I started laughing in the middle of the book.  I tried to compose myself and finish the book but everytime I let my mind wander to that screem all I could do was laugh.

men and their garages

     I just love to see Brian when he has a new idea for the garage, he is like a kid who discovered a new candy at the candy store.  Today it was all about shelves.  Shelves here and shelves there and ohhh check this out! I can build a shelf over there aswell.  I wonder what new idea will be tomorrows project?

Atley said to me today," mom I am going to be a man.  I am getting hair on me (while he was looking at his arms0 so I am going to be a man.  He is only 3, I hope he doesn't grow up to quickly.

We were sitting at the kitchen table and I am not sure how the conversation got started but I ended up saying I am special cause God made me special.  Then anthany said I am special too.  I told him yes you are and we are all special cause God made us all special.  Then Atley said you made me special mom.   I said yes I did.  Then Brian pipes up and sais I made you special too.  Atley looked at him and so did Anthany and Anthany asked what does he mean mom and I said never mind we arent going to talk about that now.  Glad that was the end of that conversation cause I don't think I am ready to answer those kinds of questions to the boys yet.

     Speaking of supper, we had an amazing supper!  I didn't know what to do with the left over chicken so I mixed it with veggies and mushroom soup and noodles and lots of garlic in a casserole dish  and spead a thin layer of bisquit dough and a bit of cheese over top.   Mmmm turned out so good.  When Anthany sat down he took one look and one sniff and said yuck.  I said pardon me?  You don't even know what it is and you haven't even tasted it so don't say anything.  Latter on after he had tasted it and had almost finished his bowl he said this is really good mom can I have some more?  I couldn't believe it, the boy who said yuck wanted more.  I love it when and experimental supper turns out so well.

Am I crazy?? Maybe don't answer that.

     Am I crazy or just motivated?  I started boot camp on Monday and today was my second day of every Monday Wednesday Friday for the next 4 weeks.  It is 6;15-7:15 am and it is hard and I sweat a lot but it feels good.  Gone are the days of working out and not being sore the next day.  I want that back and I would like a few muscles back as well.

     5 am is really early and I think I may be a bit crazy to be up at that time but getting breakfast and reading a book before I go to the gym is nice.  Then I am awake and I feel good.  It is extra nice when everyone is still sleeping when I get home!  I can relax and start my blog instead of staying up to late and doing it then.

     It is another dreary day and looks like it will rain again but that is okay, my kids have rubber boots and splash pants and we are going to get outside and play.  We went for a walk on Monday just after it had rained and Anthany took a ice cream bucket and Alex took a cup and they found every earth worm that was swimming or crawling along the side of the road and brought them back to our house.  I asked them to spead them out on the grass in the yard before we came in the house so they wouldn’t die and they could did tunnels in the dirt.

       I am tired of having to pick up after the boys all the time especially Anthany, he is 6 he can clean up his own room.  So when I ask him to clean his room and he says he is finished whatever toys are still on the floor get put into the take away bucket.  On Saturday he can choose to buy the toys back with some of his allowance or he can do without them.  Every toy costs .25 cents.  It will also cost him .10cents for every piece of clothing I have to pick up of his floor.  Same goes for clothes and toys laying around the house.  I have had to find the “thing” that gets him and makes him want to put his stuff away and he is really interested in money right now and buying things so for him spending his allowance on stuff like dirty clothes and toys left laying around is the “thing” that get him.

     We went to Edmonton yesterday and looked around for furniture for out new house and also at some trailers.  It was a long day especially for the kids, sitting in the van so much wasn’t fun for any of us but especially no fun for my 3 active little boys.  There was a lot of whining and crying and bugging and where are we going nows coming from the kids but the was one thing that was more annoying than all that.  It was the YETI (from star wars) voice that Brian downloaded onto the GPS.  Every time the GPS was giving us directions it was a yeti voice in yeti language and I didn’t have a clue what it was saying.  It was just a bunch of grunts and noises that Brian was trying to decipher.  Must be a guy thing, he thought it was awesome.  I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, this is the same guy who brings the GPS just so he can take a different route than it tells him to and he can argue with it.

      Wow how lucky and I, 8:20am and the house is still quiet.  Guess I should consider getting Anthany up for VBS that starts at 9:00.

     Have a good day everyone.

today was the day!

     I wondered how long it would take for the boys to start playing with the chandelier hanging from the 18foot ceiling in our front enterance.  We moved in on June 18th and today is July 10th, so 3 weeksish?  I kinda thought it would have been sooner.   I heard Atley say, "yay we caught a fish, now we can have it for super."  That is when I went to see what thy were doing.  Anthany had taken the string off of one cat toy and tied it to the string of the other cat toy and they were "fishing" off of the railing at the top of the stairs.  They used the little stuffed fish toy that was on the end of the string for bait and were specifically fishing for a chandelier.  When I go there Anthany had already given the fishing rod to Atley and gone to his room, trying to avoid getting into trouble.  The upstairs rail and the chandelier are two things I knew I would have to be strict about when we moved in here, I don't want any kids falling onto a tile floor (or any floor for that matter) from the second storey.  They got a stern talking to and the fishing rods got thrown into the garbage.

     Today is also the day I started to get brave enough to let Alex run around the house with underwear instead of a diaper.  He is doing really well and hasn't pooped in his pants sinse the camping incident.  We even went to church today and he told me everytime he needed the potty.  I bought some diaper the other day and hopefully that will be the last time I have to do that.  Yay for no more diapers!!  Well untill September when I will be babysitting a couple little ones that will probably still be in diapers(what was I thinking?)

     Today has been a good day!  I also called the gym and signed myself up for a boot camp.  It is from 6:15-7:15am.  Am I crazy?  Maybe, but something has to be done about the spare tire that is blowing itself up around my belly.  The class is Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, guess I better be getting to bed ealier than I have been or I wont make it past the first day.

     I once again got a glimpse of the soft heart inside my sometimes outwardly gruff husband.  We were watching Marley and me last night while we were in bed and he turned the lights out.  He said it as because it was late and almost time to go to sleep but I think it was cause he didn't want me to see the tears in his eyes and rolling down his cheeks at the sad parts.  I know they were there even if I couldn't see them.

Swimming pool can make everything all better.

    Our family was invited to a birthday party at the pool this evening.  We all had so much fun!!  I loved watching Atley as he threw 4 rings into shoulder deep water one at a time and then "diving" into get them.  His way of diving looked more like a belly flop or sometimes  head and his feet went into the water at the same time.  He did this for an hour, untill we had to get out of the pool and everytime he came up with a ring or two he had that twinkle in his eye, he was so proad of himself.
     Alex had alot of fun aswell he is getting less scared of the water  everytime we go to the pool  and I love it that he will jump into the water now and doesn't cling to me the entire time we are in the pool.  I think my favorite to see tonight was Anthany and Brian having so much fun together.  They have been knocking head alot at home and it was nice to see them spending time together having fun.  I think we are going to have to make this family pool thing a weekly event.

     Earlier today Atley was sitting on the toilet going poo and he called me to come and wipe his bum.  I grabbed the toilet paper and wiped his bum and he said,"that's mazing mom"  I asked him what's amazing?  He said," how you grabbed the toilet paper so fast, that's mazing hey mom, how did you do that?"  What do you say to that?  I just told him I had lots of practice.

     A little bit from "The book of Awesome" that I am reading.----Slides used to be dangerous. It wasn't just slides either.  Everything in the playground was more dangerous. And it was different and unique, seemingly put together by the neiborhood handymen who in a burst of creative energy one saturday morning emptied their garages of old tires, two-by-fours and chains and just nailed them all together.  There were wooden tight rope beams suspended high in the air...there were fire poles two stories high...and the merry-go-round,if you were lucky you would get a pile of kids on there and somebody's mom or dad would kindly whip you into a world of unimaginable dizziness.  A couple of the kids would fly off from the g-forces, but most would hang on, teeth gritted, eyes squinted and cheeks flapping wildly against the wind.  Some experts say that playgrounds have become so sterile and boring that kids just walk away from them, perfering instead to hang out in the weeds by the rail road tracks or throw bottles in the alley behind the pizza place. (The book ofawesome by Neil Pasricha)      I miss those old playgrounds, The good old day of the really tall swingsets that we did flips off of and the barf barrel that we spun the littler kids in till they barfed.  We learned what gravety was and learned how to stay out of the way when people were flying off the merry-go-rounds. 
     I think I am pretty relaxed with my kids at theplayground.  They climb high, spin fast, jump far, and love every minute of it.  When we are at the park with others, especially people we don't know I see them wincing when my 5year old kid wants me to spin him superfast on the merry-go-round then he flies off and tries to grab on again while it is still spinning and goes flying again. Or when my 2 1/2year old is sliding down the second story firepole while I sit back and cheer him on.  Or when I lift the 1 1/2 onto the hanging bar and let him fall/jump off on his own into the sand.    I think it is good for them.  They learn that if they jump from to high they get hurt and if they don't hold on they fall down  and if they stay on the mmerry-go-round to long they get really dizzy.  Why does every thing have to be so safe now?  I will expand on tis another time.

it's all in a days work.

     I made a decision last night to try to make things nicer than it has been around here.  Less fighting and yelling and whinning amongst the kids and more sharing and playing nicely.  I figured that in order for me to have the patience to deal with it in a positive way I should spend some time on myself aswell.  So after I got out of bed and fed the boys and myself breakfast Anthany and I went down stairs and he turned his music on load and played mini sticks while I did a workout video.  I never really feel like working out but I always feel better when I do.  So then shower and got dressed and got the boys dressed and went into the garage to find the kites cause it had been windy all morning.  Now I need some help with this next part, any input would be helpful.  Anthany is not good at sharing AT ALL but especially with Atley.  Anthany has 3 kites but refused to let Atley use any of them.  How do I deal with this non sharing issue??  It is all the time and with everything and everyone.  He wants to play with everyone elses stuff but wont let anyone play with his.  Anyway I found my kite and got it ready for Atley to play with and off we went to the park.  Some how as soon as we got there the wind died down and we couldn't fly our kites anyway.  The outing was nice though, well minus all the mosquitos anyway.  I wanted to try to keep the boys busy, thought that would give them less time to fight.
     We hooked up with some friends who came home and played for the afternoon which brough up more issues with Anthany not sharing.  man that bugs me. And it's not just not sharing, it's also "how come he gets this or that and I don't? how come he gets more thn me? it's not fair!"  How do I deal with this???  We played games(they argued about who had to clean it up) and colored (they fought about what coloring book they got to use) and made cookies(fought over who got to stir the most and who got the most chocolate chips) and listened to the thunder (fought about who heard it first) and looked for lightning(fought aabout who saw it and who didn't).  Quite and afternoon.
     Took Atley to his last swimming lesson and couldn't even do that without fighting and crying.  Anthany was with us and the boys fought over who was going to open the van door.  After supper I played board games with Anthany while Brian played with the other boys and then there was aguing about who got to read what book before bed and why can't we play more and read another book.
     So ya I tried hard to make it a nice day but seems to me like I am fighting a losing battle!!  I need reinforcements or another stratagy of something cause I am really tired of it all.  Ya know looking back on it after the kids are in bed and I have been on the tred mill again this evening it doesn't seem so bad but man when I am in it all day I just want to lock them in a room and let them kill each other or lockk them in seperate rooms and not let them see each other.
     Is it all in a days work?  I know they are my kids and I am here to teach them and look after them and love them but some days I just want to hang them from their toe nails from the ceiling!

good times at the lake!

     Just spent 3 days at the lake with my family and with my parents.  We went to pick up Anthany after his week with Grandma and Grandpa.  It didn't start off so great, the lights on the trailer wouldn't work and when we go there both campsites we had reserved still had other people in them.  Check out was noon and when we showed up around 3:30 the campers from the day before were still sitting around drinking and enjoying themselves.  We weren't very impressed, we just ended up parking in an open site and setting up there.  I think the sites we picked were bigger and nicer then the ones we were supposed to get anyway. 
     The lake itself was amazing!  shallow for quite a ways out and a dock that the kids could jump off, reeds to explore and find and catch frogs in and amazing fine sand.  Brian and I and the boys had alot of fun.  Even Grandma and grandpa enjoyed it.  I took alot of pictures and really enjoyed watching the boys play.  Brian took them walking into the reeds a few times exploring and finding all kinds of things.  The prize was the frog that Anthany caught!  He was so proud and told me all about how he caught it by the leg then grabbed it and put it into a bucket.  Alex was walking along the beach and tell people they had a frog, unfortunatly no one knew what he was saying he just sounded excited.
     I think the next coolest thing may have been the massive marshmallows that grandma brought to roast and make smores with.  They were about the size of three normal marshmallows put together and got smushed out the edges really far when you put it between two graham waffers.
     One thing for me that doubled as funny as well as gross was Alex.  He is almost potty trained and I haven't had to change very many poopy diapers in the last 3 months and I guess I still don't BUT... we were at the camp site(good thing we weren't at the lake) and alex had his swimming shorts on with no liner in them.  He is playing with the other boys and having fun then just as I hear him saying "poo" I also see something sticking out funny in the back of his shorts and its moving.  Pretty soon I see this poo comming out the bottom of his shorts and landing on the ground.  Couldn't help but laugh but I couldn't let him see me laughing.
     Camping was alot of fun and the lake was great but the facilities werent that great, actually they sucked.  Brian went to take a shower one of the days and one wasn't working and the other stole his quarters and they were dirty and cold and well I just decided not to shower.  Lol so here I am sitting and typing this blog smelling like I need a shower cause I havent had one since Sunday morning.  I am going to  enjoy my hot shower tonight.  Brian just came over looking at me funny and squished a little bug on my forhead, says I better have a shower sometime soon cause not even them mosquitos wil come near me, they are all going after him.  Guess it's his one fault cause he had a nice bath after the boys did tonight while I was doing laundry and dishes and putting things away and putting the kids to bed and putting  away supper and all the other things that moms have to do.  I will get around to that shower eventually, it isn't really that bad is it??
      I think maybe I will end here for tonight and go have that shower.  All this talk about bugs and mosquitoes is making me itchy.
     One more thing.  I have been reading this book about a woman and her husband passed away and she and her friends who are all widows are starting wish lists.  Things they want to do or have.  they think that 20 wishes is the perfect number,  not to few but not to many.  I know I am not a widow and never would wish to be but I have been thinking about a wish list.  What things would I wish to do or have before I die?  What is important enough to me to go on my list of 20 wishes?  I will think about it and I will start a list and see where it takes me.  What would you wish for?  What would be important enough to you to put oln you list of 20 wishes?

No Stroller!

     Yesterday was Canada Day and Brian and I took the boys to the museum grounds where all the activities were and it hit me.  This was the first event type thing I have been to like ever, well since kids, without a stoller.  That is like 6 years!  I was so nice not to have to push a stroller through the grass and manouver it around people, we just walked around and didn't have to worry about steps or going through narrow doors or anything.  It was nice.
     The other day our friend Alex was visiting with us at the bottom of our drive way and my boys were riding their bikes around on the street.  Atley stops over by us and looks at Alex' belly and asks him,"do you have a baby in your belly?"  Atleast Alex wasn't offended, he just answered yes.  But after he said yes Atley came over to me all excited and said," mommy he has a baby in his belly."  I had a bit to explain later cause all I heard the rest of the evening and the next day from Atley was that when he grew up he wanted to be a mommy.
     Atley has been saying quite a few cute things lately.  When I asked him what daddy was doing he went and checked and then told me he was putering(on the computer).  Or today on the way to superstore he asked me if I was going over the speed lemon.  One I though was pretty cute was after the last time he had a bath, which besides tonight I wasn't sure when that was.  Anyway, he said, "mommy I am all shinny and clean can I get out now?"
 
     Anthany has been at Grandma and Grandpas since last saturday and when he called the other day he said he was going to go bowling and play mini golf.  he sounded excited and he thought it would be alot of fun.  he called back after his evening out was over to tell me all about it.  he was so excited and told me how he beat grandpa in bowling and almost beat grandma and how mini golf was so much fun but the best thing ever was that they went for ice ream after and he got ice cream in a cone.  It sounded like I had deprived the child his whole life and had never given him ice cream in a cone before.

     It is amazing how different it is, for me anyway, to spend time with just one child at a time.  I am so used to having all three of them all the time. or at least two of them when Anthany is at school.  but just one is rare.  Brian and I went to edmonton the other day and Atley was at a friends and Anthany was with grandma and grandpa so we just had Alex.  I got to see a whole different side of him.  A side that isn't always trying to keep up with his brothers or trying to keep his brothers away from him and his stuff.  It was ice and I think I will be making more of a concious effort to spend one on one time with each of my boys.  Including my husband, I don't remember the last time we had a date.

note to self: Never been washed red P.J's and new sheets don't mix.

     So ya, when Atley woke up this morning I heard," I am wet.  I am all soaking wet." I went to his room and he had forgotten to put a pull up on before bed the night before and I had forgotten to check if he had it on.  I just got him to take off his jammies and put them in the laundry and I grabbed the four corners of his bedding and took it all down to the washing machine.  I didn't realize till after I took the sheets and quilt out of the washer that there was a perfect imprint of his red p.j.'s from the waist to the knee stained onto his brand new sheet.  I had found the red jammies in a box when we were moving, they were new and had never been washed so the dye just ran when it got wet.  It was kinda funny, but then again not really.

    

My home made fly catcher.

     Things are finally starting to get back to normal around here. Last night the boys all went to bed at a normal time and actually went to sleep and got up at a normal time.  The past week has been crazy, and the boys schedules have been crazy aswell.  So another good night sleep for everyone will do us good. 
     After Anthany passed his swimming lessons this morning we packed him and my mom up and drove almost to Wainright where we met my dad and had a weiner roast and explored with the kids a bit.  Then Anthany went home with grandma and grandpa for a week or so.  He is so excited and when I asked him how long he wanted to stay he said a thousand days.  I guess he had told my mom earlier that he wanted to stay forever.  It will definatly be different around here without that boy, probably a bit quieter aswell.

    Speaking of quieter, does anyone else wish their child came with a volume button?  I think my boys are the noisiest boys I know.  The worst thing is I don't think they even realize they are talking/bieng so loud.  I am constantly saying, "quiet down" .  Inside, outside, close by or far away they are so noisy!  How do you get your kid to turn down there voices?

     I finally got all the boxes out of the boys rooms and have them all set up.  I also got all their toys picked up and vacuumed their rooms.  While I was vacuuming I found about three flies that had been squished and left laying around the house.  At first I wondered where they came from then I remembered Alex's facination with flies and how he had caught them and carried them around the house showing mommy and daddy and grandma and whoever else would look at his fly.

     Wow I just looked at my watch and it is only 9:00 and I have watched an hour long episode of FLASHPOINT already!    Guess I should get off my butt and empty some more boxes or something.

     Oh, just incase anyone was wondering I am doing great on my challenge.  I have not bought anything (toys, clothes, books or gadgets) for me or my boys in almost a month.  I have had lots of oppertunities and I can say it has been hard to turn down some really sweet deal.  Almost a month in and 2 more to go.  As for the second half of the challenge I have been really surprised at how easy it has been to say no to chips and chocolate when everyone knows I can't have it.  I haven't been able to stay away from the cookies or ice cream though.  I guess maybe that will be part of my next challenge.

where did my joy run off too?

     I wrote this down one night while laying in bed in the old house, I was to tired to get up and actually type.  Would have been June 15th ish.
     I have been thnking alot about me, my kids, my husband and our lives.  How things are and why they are the way they are.  Yes people will grow and develope their own personalities and attitudes but I think alot of that has to do do with what goes on around them..
     Kids are like little sponges, they seem to see and hear everything even when you don't want them to.  Are my boys lipping off, being rude and yelling at each other because they are seeing Brian or I or others around them doing it?  They have to learn it from somewhere right?  Or are they just being kids that need to be taught what is acceptable?

      I know I am not always happy but a few things have happened in the last little while that have made me wonder, When and where did I loose my joy??  As a teenager and young adult I was the life of the party.  I was always smiling, always telling jokes and always cheering peple up.  I was outgoing and didn't think twice about making everyone feel welcome.  People came to me for elp and advise and I loved it.  I was truely joyful all the time!!

     I can't always tell when Brian is serious and when he is kidding around but he actually asked me the other day, "do you ever smile anymore?"  That really made me sad, what do I say to that?  It really made me think about when the last time I was truly happy or excited about something?  When was the last time I could just sit and be content about the way things are.
   
 I know things have been different in the past few months.  Brian hurt his back and has been home for a few months.  We had to cancel a trip we had been planning.  We bought a new house and sold ours and are now finishing packing se we can move this weekend.  I know I have been a bit bitter because I have had to do most of the work getting ready for all of those things so if this lack of joy had just been the last few months I would understand but it has been longer than that.  It has been a long time!!
     A friend of mine has 2 kids that are the same age as my older 2 (6 and 3) and she has just started golfing again.  Something she really enjoyed befor she had kids.  She said that things just now are getting back to the way they were befor kids.  Meaning she is going out with the ladies and doing things that she enjoys that don't involve the kids.   We both love our kids and have lots of fun with them but even moms need some time on their own.  I am feeling envious and can't wait till I feel like I can have my time without the kids more often.
     Another thing I have wondered.  Is it a lack of me time that has caused me to loose my joy or is it a chemical imbalance in my brain, depession maybe?  Or is it the fact that I am not as close to God as I used to be?  Or that I am not out there helping people like I used to?  Or is it simply a choice that I have failed to make?  Honestly I don't really care how or when I lost it but I would like to figure out how to get it back!
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oh the joys of moving

     Oh the joys of moving!  Packing, cleaning, and painting the house was just half the battle.  Then I had to keep it that way while the realators showed it.  Luckily the second people that looked at it bought it and I didn't have to worry about the house quite so much. Untill moving weekend that is.  Things didn't go quite as smoothly as planned and we ended up starting the move a day early because of the rain and I didn't quite have every thing packed yet.  It rained almost the whole time we moved and once we were finished it got really nice out.  We were really blessed to have such nice neighbors, the came over Friday morning and said," it is supposed to rain all weekend, would you like to borrow my 18 foot covered trailer?"  I we didn't have that trailer we and all of our stuff would have been really REALY wet.  Another friend had the boys for the day on Saturday which was amazing, they weren't being run over all day by guys with boxs.  I am thinking once again about Anthany saying he could take bags of stuff and put it on his handle bars on his bike and take it to the new house.

     Now that we are here we have to make this home which means unpacking all those boxes that we had just packed up and make all that stuff fit into this new house.  Guess it isn't a matter of if it will fit but a matter of where it will fit.  Unpacking the boys new rooms was so much fun for me cause they each got a new bed and new bedding.  They each have their own rooms.  Anthany picked pirates, Atley picked Jungle and we picked Monkeys for Alex.  Their rooms look so good!  I can't complain, our room is pretty nice aswell.  It is huge but right now it is a huge mess and still has boxes EVERYWHERE.  Every night we unpack and set up more stuff and every night i say I am going to go to bed early but I never do.  There is always a box to unpack or some thing to put away.  
     Brian finally found the dish washer soap so I could turn on that full load that has been stting there for awhile and as soon as that was finished there was anoother pile waiting to go in.  Thank you to whoever it was that invented the dishwasher!  My mom is here and got the laundry all caught up(I think 4 loads), that God for moms!

     The cul-de-sac location is awesome.  The boys are out all the time riding their bike and playing hockey and there is almost no trafic to bother them.  There is a day home across the street and tons of kids around here.  Can't wait for the boys to meet all the neighbor kids.

     So lots of changes around here that came with this new house.  The boys each have their own rooms, Alex is in a big bed, Alex is also almost potty trained and is getting an eye tooth(grumpy), school is almost done and SUMMER HAS ARRIVED!  You should see Brian, he is so cute, he is downstairs setting up the flatscreen tv along with the sterio system with all the extras he has been wanting for YEARS.  He even had it cut out of a magazine and had it on the fridge for a really realy long time.

     I will have to continue this later, it is going to be midnight in one minute and that is way past my bed time.

they need to learn!!

     What is it with 3 year old soccer?  I know they are only 3 but they have to learn the game too.  There was a girl on the other team tonight that picked up the ball at half and carried it to our net, set it where she she wanted it along the crease and kicked it in.  She picked it up a couple other times tonight aswell and placed it on the crease and kicked it in.  Like come on! you can't touch the ball with your hands!  Take it away and let the other team take it.  Just my little rant for the night.

     Last night I was packing up my room and found the clippers.  So I said who wants a hair cut before we move?  I got 4 "me's" but only 3 of the boys got hair cuts.  I am not ready to cut Alex's hair yet.  We will let it grow a bit longer.

     In your family have you ever just had enough?  Enough talking back, enough yelling at each other, enough hitting, enough not listening, enough not cleaning up, just enough!!  That was me this afternoon.  Atley wasn't listening to anything I said and Alex was giving me a dirty look and saying "NO" whenever I asked him something.  This wasn't everything it was just the last straw.  I called a family meeting for tonight and sat with the boys and talked about all the things that were bothering me and why.  I asked them if they liked all the "not nice" stuff that was happening and how we could change it.  We came up with some ideas and I hope things will get better but if anyone has some ideas I am open to them.

     Feb. 22, 2010 - Atley has been go the bathroom on is own for a long time now but lately he has been comming out of the bathroom with his pants down and wanting me to pull them up for him.  I told him if he wanted to go to school like Anthany he has to be 3 years old and he has to be able to pull his pants up on his own.  So he came out to the kitchen and pulled his pants and underwear down around his ankles and then pulled them up on his own and said," school, school!!"
     I think I am going to pause my blogging for about a week or so.  We are moving this week end and I am finding myself getting more and more tired.  All the packing and planning is wearing me out.  So unless I have some extra time in the next couple days so long untill then.

just something about a sick kid.

     I can and have delt with alot of gross things in my life.  It isn't always fun but I have done it.  One thing that I just hate(strong word I know) is puke.  I have thrown up maybe 4 times in my whole life, I have to be really sick for that to happen.  I am very blessed to have such a healthy family cause my boys rarely get sick either.  And bieng sick enough to actually throw up almost never happends.  BUT it did last night.  Atley was up in the night and said mommy I am sick.  He went to the bathroom and left a little trail of puke all the way from his bed to the toilet.  After I cleaned him up and cuddled him and put him back to bed I cleaned up his "trail" and hoped it would be better after that.  Wishful thinking I guess cause about 45min. later when I was almost asleep I heard," mommy I am sick again".  Worse this time, his jammies, sheets, blankie, hair and face had puke on them.  Oh did I mention I HATE puke!  I stripped him down took him to the tub and ran a bath for him then took his sheets and everything else to the washing machine.  Not sure how Anthany slept through most of it cause it stunk in that room so bad.  Anyway, once again cleaned up and put back to bed and he slept for the night.  
     Ya know even thought I HATE puke I love the feeling and the cuddles I get when a child is sick and needs mommy, no one else but mommy, to cuddle them and make it all better.  Kinda like when one of the boys falls down and gets hurt, daddy can kiss it better but they don't stop crying and go  back to what they were doing untill mommy has kissed it better.  AND it is awesome, the kissing thing has gotten better over the years.  With Anthany I would kiss where he got hurt to make it better.  Once Atley was born I could kiss my hand and touch the owwie to make it better.  Now that Alex is around I can even blow a kiss their way and it still fixes the owwie.
     Well tonight I was scared, I thought it was going to have a repeat of last night just with another kid.  Alex went to bed early cause he didn't nap but woke up crying an hour later.  Fortunatly for me there was no puking involved!  just some pepto bismol, warm milk and some awesome cuddles did the trick.
    
     Not sure how it happened but I got out of the house this morning with just Anthany.  We were on our way to swimming lessons, he had his swimming stuff and I had my book.  I actually got to sit for an hour in the middle of the day and read something of my choice.  I did have to stop reading and take a few deep breaths a few times or I would have cried my eyes out right there at the pool.  I was reading Mary Beth Chapmans book, Choosing to See. And I was at the part when she talks about her 5 year old being hit by a car and dying.  Horible thing that happened and I would have thought it horible at anytime in my life but now that I have kids it isn't just horible but it is worse than horible and I have to really try hard not to cry when I think about it.  It isn't just this story either, it is anything bad when a child is involved.  Is it just me or does having your own kids make you more sensitive to stuff?
   
    
Jan. 28, 2010 - we were at the church for a meeting, when the meeting was over there was snacks and Atley couldn't get enough.  he had eaten a bunch of chocolate covered strawberries and still had a giant one in his mouth and his face was full of chocolate and he walked over to me and all I heard was a muffled "CAKE CAKE!"    He hasn't changed, man can that boy eat!

To China and Africa

     We went to Konto furniture yesterday to look at some furniture for our new house and we came across these really cool coffee tables. They had a glass top and had lights going around and down on the inside to make it look like it was a deep deep hole.   I am not sure what Brian told the boys before I walked up but when I did Anthany and Atley were looking into this coffe table and asked me if I knew where it went.  I thought I might aswell have some fun and so I told them that this one probably goes to China.  They looked into it again and never said much.  Then they went to the other one and asked me where that one went.  I told them I wasn't sure but maybe it went to Africa.  They looked down into that one then I said okay guys time to go.  On our way to the door I got more questions, how do you get back from those places?  I said you would have to find the same hole you came out of and junp back in.  The wheels were turning in Anthany's brain, Atley had lost interest already.  Anthany asked can we go to those places sometime?  My reply was sure sometime but not today okay.   He said okay and took my hand and we walked out.

     The same day we were getting out of the van to go into the brick to look at more furniture.  The boys started talking about the beds we bought for them there and Atley asked how we were going to get them to our house cause they wouldn't fit in daddy's truck.  Anthnay told him that a big moving truck would take some stuff and daddy's truck would take some stuff amd mommy's van would take some stuff and we could put some stuff in bags and take it on our bikes.  I think maybe that would work, seeing we are only moving 4 or 5 blocks we could give them each their own back packs and they could fill them with toys and ride back and forth.  lol It would keep them busy anyway.

     I went to bed last night as soon as I had put the two older boys to bed which was about 8:00pm.  Granted I didn't fall asleep till around 9ish but that is still about 3 hours sooner than normal these days.  The extra sleep was totally needed!  I had such a nice day today, I had so much more patience, and energy for Brian and the boys.  So tonight instead of cleaning up as much as I would have liked I came to bed early to type in my blog then hit the hay.

Jan. 21st 2010 - Atley is so cute, the plumber was here today and even he commented on how cute he is.  I guess it helps that he is such a big flirt.  The other day we were at superstore and Atley was being noisy and annoying then we went past an older lady near the door and he got really quiet for a second then he looked at her and tilted his head just a bit and said "Hi" in a cute drawn out almost musical way.
  
    

Which way are we shooting?

     I really enjoyed watching Atley's team play last night.  They are called the black dragons and they sure are cute in there matching jerseys that go down to there knees(and on some kids past their knees).  I especially got a kick out of the little huddle they had after their practice and after snack just before the game started.  The coach sat the team down on the grass and said," okay, which net are we shooting on today"?  The kids thought for a minute and most of them pointed towards the other teams net.  Then the coach asked,"okay, where will our goalie stand?"  Most of the kids pointed at our net. "and where will the other teams goaile stand? coach asked  It was funny cause some of the kids still didn't have it all sorted out, they were still pointing at the wrong net.  I remember what a friend said when Anthany was still in U4 soccer,  she said when they are this young we are doing good if we keep them all running on the right field.  So true!!

     So ya, Alex(19 months) has discovered the freedom of running around the house with nothing on.  This evening he unzipped his P.J.s and wriggled out of them, then came over to me and pushed his hips forward and grabbed his diaper and said "du"  He wanted me to take his diaper off.  So I did cause it was wet, but he refused to get a dry one on.  He poops in the potty 9 times out of 10 I thought it would be fine.  I did try to keep an eye on him.  Finally 30 minutes later I told him it was time to go to bed so lets get jammies on.  He didn't like that idea so I picked him up and took him to his room, put a diaper and jammies on then was going out of the room to say goodnight to daddy when I felt something squishy under my foot(thank God I was wearing socks).  I had stepped in a log Alex had layed right by his bedroom door.  GROSS!!!

     Berries and yogurt is a favorite snack around here, and Atlley really likes Saskatoon berries.  Tonight after Anthany's soccer game I got all the boys to table and got them each a bowl of this favorite snack.  As I was bringing it to the table Atley asked me," mom are they askatoon berrries?   He calls them askatoon berries all the time, not sure why he has a hard time with the 's' but it makes me smile everytime.

     In Jan. 2010 I started writing down some of the cute and funny things that my boys do and say.  I started reading some of then again today and I will share some of them with you. 
     New years day 2010  --  Today starts the beginning of a new year and what a better way to start off a new year than to tell your brother to do something you know he's not supposed to do then tell on him. Brian and I were sitting eating our breakfast and we both noticed it got really quiet downstairs where the boys were playing.  Next thing we knew Anthany came upstairs and wispered in my ear," mommy Atley peed in a bucket down stairs."  So I go down stairs and find Atley with his pants down and his bum stuck in a bucket with pee in the bottom of it.

Never enough food!!

     I made spaghetti and meat sauce for supper tonight and everyone had seconds.  Atley finished a big bowl and a half at 5:20 then I took him to soccer.  At 6:00 it was snack time at soccer and he had a yogurt tube.  Then as he was running up and down the field he stopped by the side line and said, "Mom I am really kinda hungry."  Then after soccer we got home and I gave him another bowl of spaghetti and then a bowl of ice cream.  This boy never stops eating.  I am scared of what the food bill will be when my 3 boys are teenagers.  They will eat more than their dad and that is scary!

     I really enjoyed watching and listening to the kids today.  We had a couple girls over for a play date and all five kids were playing in the water and in the sand box.  They found some worms very early on in the afternoon and spent the rest of the time looking after them and making homes for them and passing them around.  A few time I even heard a couple kids crying cause they had lost there worms then screams of excitement when they had been found again.

     It is just amazing how much recycling our family piles up in a week, especially now that CentraCam is accepting plastics.  We have big boxes in the garage where we seperate everything into there designated piles and they fill up way to fast.  Strawberry and baby tomato containers, newspapers,soup cans, juice boxes, plastic bags and milk jugs ect. ect. So much packaging.

     Does anyone else have the problem of -if it looks different it must taste different?  My boys are usually pretty good eaters and they arent very picky but at least one of them(Anthany) thinks that home made strait cut fries taste different than home made curly fries.  Brian had bought an apple peeler/corer just before christmas last year and the boys love it for apples and for potatoes.  It peels the potatoe and spirals it.  We then add a touch of olive oil and a bit of seasoning salt then bake them in the oven.  All the boys eat tons of then but the other night I just cut up the potatoes and put the oil and salt on then and baked them like normal.  But, I am sad to say that there were alot of leftovers.  Sometimes it is all about the fun of food.

     Kids like routine, they like to know what they can and cant do and what the day holds.  At our house every night after supper the boys go to there room for 30 minutes to play by themselves or with each other.  It gives me time to clean up, watch the news or just relax for half an hour.  They know that that's the way it is and don't complain most of the time.  But you know it is amazing, if I ask them any other time to just go play in their room for awhile it is hard to keep them in there. 
     Bedtime is another important routine at our house.  Brian works in camp 2 weeks and home 2 weeks so when he is gone I really need bedtime to go smoothly so I have my evening to clean up, get ready for the next day and have some time for myself.  when Brian is home I need that time to do all my normal stuff plus to spend time with him.
     Right now my bedtime routine is being slightly interupted by a little boy who is outgrowing his afternoon nap.  When he sleeps just a bit to long in the afternoon he doesn't want to go to bed till 10:00pm but if he doesn't nap he is a bear by 5:00pm.  To find that perfect ballance is the trick.

     Now for an update on my challenge.  I went to Jay alkers with my boys and we went on all the rides and had alot of fun just like we planned.  AND we walked by all the sales and the games and I never bought a thing.  Anthany did find a toonie on the seat of one of the rides that he was on and bought cotton candy with it.  I was also offered a 50% off deal on some books but turned it down.  It is only a deal if you really need it right!?!  As for the chocolate and chips well I havent had any but I think I will have to add buttered popcorn, brownies and squares to my don't eat list.

what is normal?

     What is normal?  I thought I had a good routine going with my boys.  We did the things we did on school days and we did the things we did on not school days.  Supper and evening activities were planned for soccer nights and not soccer night.  Things had a way of working out when Brian was home and way of working out when he was away at work.  I do like to be spontainious and I think I am pretty relaxed but I also like the be in control of what is happening.  Or atleast know what is going on and plan accordingly. 

     We had been looking to buy a new house and finally found one we liked.  We were going to buy it and move in then fix up our place and sell it.  Sounded like a good plan!  So we put in our offer on the house we wanted and got it.  As it worked out with the bank we were dealing with said we had to have an offer on our house now before we took possession of the new house or we would have to get a 2nd mortgage rather than just adding to the one we have now.  So we decided to list our house.  But it wasn't just that simple.  Brian had also just hurt his back and couldn't do much of anything so I had to clean, pack, paint and repair the house in the evening after the kids were in bed already.  We had also planned on going to Peru for a month and would be back a couple days before we got the new house so I packed up the house accordingly.  Only kept enough stuff that we needed befor we left on our trip.  This included Anthany's craft box, and alot of their toys and games.  It was okay for a bit we could make due with what was not packed untill we left on the trip, it was still pretty normal.  Well pretty normal except for the lack of sleep I was getting for trying to get the house in order to list it.(which I am still not caught up on)
   
 The abnormal began when Brians back was so bad that we had to cancel out trip.  The boys were disapointed and I was upset but what could we do?  So now we had an extra month to live here in this house with most of our normal stuff packed in boxes in the garage.  The boys were missing their toys and their craft box(my boys did alot of crafts) and soon after we were supposed to have left I had to start opening boxes and getting out stuff that we had run out of.(soap, T.P., spices, my big bowl to make bread, ect.) 
   
 It is also abnormal cause Daddy is home all the time but can't play with the boys unless it's something you can do while laying in bed or the floor.  We are used to dad comming and going and he isn't used to being home all the time.  He isn't used to hearing the noise of kids running around in the house and playing and fighting and being loud monster trucks and doing the things three busy boys do all day.  And the boys arent used to bing told to be quiet and don't run in the house all the time.  Brian finally understands why I like it quiet sometimes instead of having music or t.v or something on all the time.   I am used to running the house the way I want while he is gone and most of the time when he is home cause he is usually busy doing other things.  I am used to picking my battles with the boys or I would be saying no, no, no, no, no all day long.  The things that are importand to me aren't always important to Brian and vise versa.  I am not used to someone listening to me parent all day long and telling me what I am doing wrong and how to fix it.  So, I guess, all that to say that things aren't the way I would like then to be around here.  I would like to be spending more time with my boys rather than spending time getting the house ready to move.  I would like to be moved already so I don't have to keep telling Anthany, "please don't tape your stuff all over the walls and mirrors.  I would like my husbands back to be better so he is not in pain and grumpy so much,(and so I could have some help with the house and boys).  I just want a new normal, a new routine, and I don't think I can get that untill we are settled into our new house.  Good thing it is only 2 weeks away!

Rotton Candy

     This morning after I took Anthany to school I took Atley to Jay Walkers.  It was early and there wasn't very many people there yet except for all the ladies that were at the Lou's Fashions sidewalk sale.  We walked down the street that had all the games on it wondering if there was anything at the end and there wasn't.  Good thing cause I never went back down that road again.  As Atley and I were on our way down the street the game opperators were asking us to come and play, we ignored most of them.  Then finally I said to one no thank you and kept walking.  On the way back one guy said come and play come and play.  I said no thanks he has a bracelet and no money.  The guy said that is why you use your money to which I replied I didn't bring any.  which was the truth!  I purposly didn't cause I didn't want to buy anything.  He said you are a bad liar then as I walked away he yelled after me, you are such a bad liar.  I was so angry and upset that they can talk like that that I complained at the info center.  Like do they think that they are going to get poeple to play by calling them liars.
     That was my bad experiance with Jaywalkers.  No for my good story.  Anthany found a toonie in a seat of one of the rides he was in and wanted to spend it on cotton candy.  when we went to ask how much cotton candy was they said $5 so I told him we didn't have enough and we started to walk away.  The lady called us back and gave him the cotton candy for his $2.  The cutest thing was when Atley asked for some of the cotton candy he asked for Rotton Candy.
    Anthany, Atley and I were at Jay Walkers from after school till 8:30 with the exception of 45 min when Atley had swimming lessons.  We all had a good time but it sure was cold.  When we first got there Anthany went on the ferris wheel for the first time then both boys went in the rock and roll wobbly house 19 times in a row and then two more times later.  I never thought I would see the day when My two older boys held hands and did things together without whinning about it.  But... they did.  Anthany took Atleys hand and they went on the octopus and and the screemer and a few other rides. 
     Atley asked if he could go home a few times throughout the night.  When it was finally time for all of us to go home I said who is ready to go home and Atley replies "yay home!!"
     Just after lunch time today I made a really bad choice.  I don't know what I was thinking??  Brian was at an appointment, Anthany was at school, both little boys were sleeping and I had almost fallen asleep laying in bed with Atley.  I should have gone to bed myself and had a nap but did I? NO  I stayed up and cleamed up and made browies.  That kind of oppertunity doesn't come around very often.  I should have taken it.  There will always be time for cooking and cleaning but not much time for napping.  Next time I WILL NAP!!

Lost myself in motherhood

     Some of the things Anthany does I just have to laugh!  Last night he offered to clean up the gardening tools I was using in the front yard.  How can I say no?  I told him that would be nice thank you.  This morning when I went out the back door to take him to school I found a shovel leaning against a garden claw that had the points sticking up and on each point was hanging the other garden tools.  A mini rake, a little digger and a weed puller.   They were all placed just right according to him.  A couple of weeks ago I asked if he would go out and pick up the toys and put everything where it goes.  I looked out the Kitchen window and watched as he stacked bikes, dump trucks, buckets of toys and everything else that "needed to be put away" on top of the already stacked up 4 lawn chairs.  I was gonna take a picture of his hard work but didn't get around to it till morning and by that time it had blown over.
     K. now on a more serious note.  I went to my profile for this blog and tried to fill it out.  It was really hard and I couldn't even fill most of it out.  I don't know what to say about me, or what my interest are or hobbies.  I could give you a list of all those things of who I used to be but I seem to have disapeared into motherhood and lost myself.  Everything I do involves my kids, even my interest of digital scrapbooking, cause it is pictures of them that I am scrapbooking.   I know some of you are thinking, "well you just have to find time for yourself and do what you want".  Everyones life is different and don't get me wrong I love spending time with my boys but I think getting away sometimes gives us both a bit of perspective and it make me a better mom.  BUT... getting away for me right now kinda feels like I am a teacher calling in a sub in the sence that it is time off but it takes more work to prepare for it.
     I have seen moms that now have all their children in school and all of the sudden have more time alone on their hands.  They go back to work or volunteer or work on project that have been put on the back burner for so long.  I sometimes think of what I will do when all my kids are in school all day, it is hard to picture that day cause it is so far away. One thing I want to do for sure is go back to the gym.  I find it so much easier to work out in the morning rather than at night after the kids go to bed.  When people ask me what I will do I usually say I'm not sure but I would like it to be be something where I can work with things and not people for awhile, just because when you deal with kids or people all day your mind is always going and I would like mine to stop for awhile.
     So who am I apart from my kids?  That is a good question.  maybe I should be asking a different question like who and I because of my kids?  I don't know... I all I know is that things are different now.  Not better or worse but just different.
    

Bugs, worms and dirt.

     I am pretty sure a whole bunch of ants a few worms and atleast one ladybug got dug up and relocated today.  Me and the boys spent the morning and most of the afternoon out in the yard, me diging in the dirt to get the weeds out and then digging in the dirt to find bugs.  At one piont they were digging ants out of the flower  bed and putting them into the flower pot that containes the strawberry plant that Anthany gave me for mothers day.  When I was digging weeds I came across an earth worm which I gave to the boys to add to their collection of ants.  When Anthany finally let Atley have a chance to hold it I heard,"Atley don't hurt it, it's an animal"   I will miss this old house and it's yard when we move.  The boys know exacty which rocks in the front and the back yard to lift and find an ant hill.  It will be sad but there will be all kinds of new things to discover at the new house.
     Has it ever amazed you how you can brush a child off at the back door and insist that they take off their clothes before entering the house but there is still almost half the sand box in the tub once you pull the plug and the water is drained!  Like seriously where does it all come from?
     I am a lucky mom.  My boys love veggies, raw or cooked.  Even though I know this about them I am still always surprised at how fast a plate of veggies disapear.  We had soup and veggies and dip for lunch and I cut up what I thought was enough veggies for lunch aswell as enough to snack on for the rest of the day.  NOPE gone and they were even asking for more.  Guess That is one thing I will never complain about.
     Okay, so my friend is doing a personal challenge and has asked if anyone wants to join her.  I decided I would join but I will tweek it just a bit.  The rules for my challenge are that I will not buy any clothes, toys or gadgets for me or anyone else in my house till September 1st with the exception of B'day gifts.  We are however are moving this month and will need a few things for the house.   Another part to this challenge is that I will not eat chocolate or chips till September 1st.  We will see how it goes.  I challenge you to find something in your life that you would like to change and set some rules and a time frame for yourself.  But remember it is always easier when you tell someone about it, it keeps you acountable.
    

Go play on the road.

     I had taken the younger two boys and went to Saskatoon for a wedding.  We camped with my parents Friday and Saturday nights.  It was a really good time and the boys got good and dirty!  They played so hard all day and slept so good all night.  They even slept in even though the sun makes a tent trailer really bright really early by the end of May.  My parents we so accomadating, My mom even stayed in bed till the boys woke up even though she had to go to the bathroom really bad.
     On Friday night my cousins and their kids came to our campsite to roast marshmallows and play.  My cousin laughed and mmade a comment when she heard me say to the boys," you guys get away from the fire, go play on the road.  Of course it was a very quiet campsite road but it was kinda funnny, when else do you tell little kids to go play on the road?  Another things I caught myself saying was," it's okay if your hands are dirty, just wipe them on your pants". Once again, when else do I say that to my kids?  Whatever, things are different when you are camping.  The adults got to visit and the kids got to play outside till  way past their bed time.
     The wedding was on Saturday and durring the ceremony I was sitting by my little brother(6'9"), okay maybe just my younger brother.  Anyway I had Atley and Alex and he had Anika and Kiera, two 3year olds and two 19month olds.  I was pretty impressed that we kept 4 kids under 4 years old quiet for 40 min. till the wedding was over.  Good thing I bought Twizzlers and Sweet Tarts at the gas station on the way there!
     We were supposed to  go to the forestry farm on Sunday before we went back to N. Battleford but it rained so we didn't end up going.  I was kinda disapointed cause I wanted to see the boys reaction when they saw all the animals.  Oh well, I got to hang out with some friends in N.Battleford instead and catch up on who is dating who and all the other news going on around there.  My dad made a fire in the back yard on Sunday and we had a weiner roast and made smores.  Mmm smores!  I just couldn't believe Alex, he loved roasting the marshmallows and he didn't seem to mind eating them but he didn't want the stickyness on his hands.  Kinda funny considering my other 2 would be covered in white stickyness before they were done if I let them.
     The boys are all really good travelers and the driving part of the trip seemed to go extra smooth this time.  I think it was cause only one of the 2 boys I took can talk so they couldn't really fight.  Whatever it was it was nice and quiet most of the time in the van,  minus the times when we were "dacing" and singing to the Veggie Tales CD.  On the way home I really wanted the boys to have a nap cause the weekend was busier than normal and Atley had a soccer game when we got home.  Neither of them slept on the way home UNTILL we got to the stop light about 4 min from home!  I thought to myself, you have to be kidding me!  .  Little did I know there would be another You have to be kidding me moment when I got home.  It was when I walked into the house and every dish, cup and utensil that had been used over the whole weekend was either on the kitchen table or stacked in the kitchen sink.  But once again I just thought it and didn't say it out loud.  I did however verbalize those 6 words when I walked into the bathroom and found Anthany's Swimming suit and towel still wet and in it's bag from 2 days before.  REALLY!!   You have to be kidding me.  Glad I wasn't gone for a week!! 
     I had such a pleasant welcome aswell, NOT.  LOL  Anthany gave me a hug and said he missed me but right after that he asked if I brought him lots of candy and when I said no he spent the next half and hour pouting and being mad at me lol.  Oh  speaking of being mad...... hahahaha.  Atley woke up this morning crying and sounded upset.  I head my mom go in his room and ask him if he was okay and if he was comming out.  He was all upset and said, no mommy wont let me come out of my room".  I got out of bed and when in there and he was down right mad at me.  He didn't stop being mad at me for about 10 minutes.  I kept asking him if he had a bad dream and if that was why he was upset but he was convinced I had been in his room and had told him he ccouldn't get up.  My boys(even Brian) talk in their sleep so I don't have to imagine, I know some of there dreams are pretty good ones.
    Well the house is back to nornal if there is such a thing around here and we are all in bed early  so the first day of our week will be a good one tomorrow.

Do meals include tables?

     What a day!  I got up this morning and had to shower first thing (that doesn't happen much anymore), feed the boys and got them ready and ate a quick bowl of cereal while standing by the counter on my way out the door.  I had the oppertunity to be parent helper in Anthany's French kindergarten classroom, thank goodness I recall some of the french I learned in elementery school or I would have been totally lost.  The kids are so cute and they understand so much for it only being their first year of this new language.  There was a little girl explaining to the class about a picture she drew.  She started talking about what was in the picture then when she got to the part about what they were going to do for the parents on the last day of school, without a beat be looked at me and said,"can you please plug your ears" and then kept on talking.
     When the kids sat down to eat their lunch I had to Drive home pick up Atley and take him to preschool  eating my lunch while I drove.  By the time I got back to Anthany's class lunch was finished but they did save me a cupcake that on of the moms brought for her childs birthday.  I think they should have nap time in kindergarten.  By the time 2:30 came alone I wanted to find a quiet corner and go to sleep.  When school was out we went and picked up Atley from preschool and ran some erronds before going home and having a snack and getting ready for soccer.  Me and the boys ate our supper on the way to soccer and by this time I really just wanted to sit down at the table and have a nice meal,  oh well there is always tomorrow. 
    Three and four year old soccer is so cute.  They run in a mob around the field and if one of them falls they all fall on top.  by the time the first shift is over there are usually a few kids sitting or laying in various parts of the field picking flowers, studying grass or visiting with each other.  I think it was their 4th game tonight and the ball was handled with their hand almost as much as it was with their feet.  Only in 3 and 4 year old soccer can a kid kick the ball to the net, pick it up so no one else gets it, puts it back down, kicks it and scores and everyone cheers. So funny.
     Anthany had come to the game with us and was playing at the play ground with his friends while I watched Atley play.  Every once in awhile I would look over to the playground and see if I could see him.  One time I had been looking for awhile and hadn't found him yet so I stood up to look and still couldn't find him.  I was about to go over there when one of the kids that were playing in the sand moved over and I saw only Anthany's head sticking out of the sand.  Yep that would be my kid getting really really dirty.  Oh well that was definatly one way to keep the mosquitos off of him.
     Wow, just now the dishwasher finished and the fridge stopped buzzing and holy cow it is quiet in here.  Ahh blessed silence....  Ya know I am just kinda wondering how come I am the one up so late cleaning up the house when I was barely home today???  My sisters step kid drew a picture for her of everyone in their house in bed except for her.  When she asked him about it he said, "well everyone goes to bed except you, you stay up and clean".  I don't know about anyone elses but that is what happends in my house aswell.
     Ya know how kids can just drive you crazy to the point that you want to hang them by their toe nails from the ceiling?  Well doesn't matter how crazy my house gets the cuteness factor always overrides it.  Today the boys were playing hide and seek and Anthany got stuck under the bed downstairs.  Atley came running up stairs and said, mom can you come?  Anthany is stuck under the bed."  I told him I would be right down to help him out.  Befor I even got down there Atley came running back up the stairs with a huge grin on his face and he was even kinda giddy.  He Said," mom he's unstuck.  He was stuck under the bed but I went back down there and he was unstuck."  Then as he was walking away he still had the huge grin and he said," That is sunny (funny)hey,  Ya that's mazing (amazing).  Atley is so adorable, it is really hard to give him heck especially when he flashes his smile.  One time he was being loud and causing a bit of trouble at Superstore, he was sitting in the front of the cart so he couldn't go anywhere.   As we were on our way out the door he saw still squirming and talking quite loudly.  Them he saw an older  an older lady sitting by the door and he instantly sat still was quiet then looked at her, tipped his head sideways just a bit and said in his cute little drawn out angel voice," Hi!".  You may have actually had to hear the voice for the cuteness factor to work.  But trust me on this one, IT WAS CUTE.
     I have half the van packed, I am taking the two younger boys and heading to Saskatoon tomorrow for a wedding.   I am looking forward to visiting with the family.   Hopefully I will come back with some good stories to tell.

my little girl.

Is it just me or do lots of moms let their last babies hair grow even if he's a boy?  I went shopping at Superstore yesterday and when we went to get a cookie club cookie the lady in the bakery told Atley to give one to his little siser.  I thought it was kinda funny, he didn't even have a hood or a hat on or anything.  Guess his hair is getting a little bit too long!
     Today was a good reminder that doing nothing with the kids is alot of times more work than doing something.  Nobody was awake till 8:00, including me so that was an awesome start to the day but my quest to make bun, bread and orange buns started while the boys were eating their breakfast and didn't end till mid afternoon.  I encouraged the boys to entertain themselves, they do afterall have a billion toys and other things to do.  The thing is when I have a plan and stuff to do they just want to do their own stuff but when I want them to do their own stuff all I hear is,"mom what do you want to do with us?"  or "mom can you play a game with us?"  Usually I can multitask pretty good but when my hands are full of dough it is hard to do much else.  I guess my point is that if I doing something with the boys or direct them to something and get them started the mess stays localized but if I do nothing the entire house is the mess.  It all worked out in the end, we had fried dough for lunch.  For anyone who doesn't know what that is it's bread dough that has been stretched thin and fried in a pan then butter, cinnamon and sugar is put on top.  Mmmm so good!!  My dad used to make it for us all the time when he or my mom were making buns.  I even had entertainment, the two little boys sat on their pottys and sang the alphabet song over and over while they did their business. 
     I love the look in a kids eyes when they learn something new.  I saw that look in Anthany today when he was sitting at the table doing "homework" (I get him to do printing or math sheets before he is allowd to play Wii).  I was saying words and he would have to spell them out on a paper like bat, mat, rat and so on.  Then Brian asked him to spell mate.  I explained that the "e" on the end makes the "a" say it's own name.  After he did a few of them he got the hang of it and every time he did another one he flashed me his big smile and I saw that twinkle in his eye.  I love it!
     I get to be parent helper in Anthany's kindergarten class tomorrow, should be fun.  Last time I was there I overheard a conversation between a couple of the boys while they were getting ready for recess, it went like this. First kid- "I wonder why these are called lockers?"  Second kid- " cause they lock and they are ers"  So cute, I love it.

Tuesdays

     There are many reasons why I love Tuesdays.  To me Tuesdays may a swell be the first day of the week.  Anthany goes to school all day, Atley goes to preschool in the afternoon and Alex sleeps for an hour while the other 2 are gone.  The 2 little ones play nice together while I clean up the house and they even help me vacuum.  I do find it amazing that by the time I have vacuumed the whole house I can go back to where I started and it needs to be done again.  By the time lunch times comes the laundry has been washed, dried, folded, kicked over, folded again, dropped on the way to the bed room and stuffed into the wrong drawers.  The dishes from the night before are now out of the dishwasher and it is almost full again but at least the counter and the table are clear (well mostly).  And after lunch means that I take Atley to preschool and I get look over my shoulder while I am driving home and see the cute little creases on Alex’s forehead as he fights to stay awake but is almost always sleeping by the time we get home.

     Now if the morning has gone as planned this Tuesday afternoon is my first quiet time of the week.  I can make and eat my lunch with no interruptions, I can sit and watch 2 episodes of Family Feud and actually hear all the answers (the best part of that is the sitting).  I can get supper prepared in half the time I would be able to if I had 3 kids running around the house.  And now that I am blogging I can sit and share some stories will all of you.

     Today after Anthany’s  soccer game we went to Atleys preschool Graduation.  So cute!!  How can a bunch of three and four year olds singing songs and waving at their parents not be cute.  Atley even yelled out from the stage,”  mom are you taking pictures of me?”  Atley looked so adorable in the white sweater and blue jeans he was wearing but not such a good choice on my part considering there were snacks after that included chocolate cup cakes, chocolate squares, chocolate cookies and chocolate Tim Bits along with everything else.

     Guess what I learned how to do today.  I learned how to unhook the cables from a car battery and attach it to a charger.  We were on the way out the door this morning to take Anthany to school and the van wouldn’t start.  The lights that the boys play with in the back of the van had been left on too long and the battery was dead.  It really is amazing how quickly I can change car seats and boosters from one vehicle to another when I really have to.  And the other day I learned how to take the winter tires off the car and put the summer ones on.  Mmm what will my next C.E. (continuing education) credit be?

     I am kinda excited!  The current owners of the house that will soon be ours has agreed to let us in the house tomorrow to take some measurements.  Windows, little nooks stuff like that.  I think I am more excited to order the boys bedding sets and curtains than they are.  We are also looking at some really nice antique furniture!  Less than a month till we move in!

     Alright, I am off.  Time to go check the battery charger on the van and get the house in order.  We have friends coming over tomorrow to make buns with us.

    

first post

     So many times throughout the day I hear my boys say things and see my boys do things that I would like to write down and remember.  There are also times I feel a certain way or think a certain thing and wonder if anyone has been in the same place as I have.  There seems to be so much pressure to have the perfect child.  Cute, smart, well mannorred and obediant and when they are not those things we have to make excusses for them and maybe even feel like it's our fault as a mother that they are not.  I think that expecting a child to be perfect is like expecting a partly done painting to be a masterpeice.  They are growing and learning and kids will be kids.  Isn't it my job as a mom to DO MY BEST with what I have and what I know to raise these children God has blessed me with?  Doing my best is really hard.  It is like working overtime every day and going to school ful time.  Cooking, cleaning, laundry, teaching, ect, ect. plus studying each of my three boys to figure out what they need.  How they each learn best, what is their love languages and what type of disapline works best for each one at each stage they aregoing through.    This continuing education inludes many other ways of learning including reading book and talking with friends.  There is almost nothing that I enjoy more these days than hearing a story or reading a book about a mom that is not perfect.  The reason for that is because I am not a perfect mom!  I like to hear that it's okay to make mistakes, it's okay to have bad days and it's okay that I don't always know how to fix things.
     This blog is a way for me to share, and sometimes vent, things that are going on in my life with whoever cares to read it.  Talking (or typing) about things helps me to sort it out in my own head and may also help someone else realize that it is okay not to be perfect.  I will warn you, you may get a good laugh out of some of the stories aswell.
     When I was a kid I loved playing with and looking after younger kids, it was fun! Believe it or not I even asked if I could change the babies diapers.  Don't get me wrong.  I still love kids and everything that comes along with them but now I actually know what comes with them and I couldn't give them back even if I wanted to, CAUSE THEY ARE MINE!!  All three little boys and my husband make four.  I love them all to peices and wouldn't trade them for all the gold in all the pots at the bottom of all the rainbows there have ever been. 
     I read a saying on a picture frame the other day.  It said,"Remember, to everyone else we look like a nice normal family."  Hopefully this blog wont change that!  We will still be a nice normal family with many imperfections as we strive to do the best we can...