Lessons learned

So far on our trip we have learned some very valuable lessons.

1. The black roads listed on a road map of Oregon mean really twisty turny roads.

2. Nolan is guaranteed to puke after a short drive on a twisty turny road.

3. Nolan is very good at puking - he did it sitting straight up covering only himself and his car seat.

4. Mommy and Daddy are very smart with always ensuring the kids seats are covered with some form of water proof device just in case of puke incidents.

5. "You can not have a war without two guns." In the case of our boys you can not have peace without two guns.

6. Our boys + ocean = zero dry clothing.

7. Crab, although fun to catch and tasty to eat, does not make for a restful night with a nursing baby.

8. Sage has a very sensitive digestive system. Corn products and now crab are off the menu for mommy for a bit.

9. Corn products are found in A LOT of food.

10. Laundry mats are actually kind of fun, it is incredible how many loads you can do at one time!

We are loving our vacation, it is a lot of fun with the kids. Such a beautiful part of the world hat offers so much fun for the kids.

The start of my summer vacation

We have made it across two provinces, an international border, and now three states and are almost to the coast. The kids have all been great on this journey. We were fortunate to take an extra day in he Spokane area where we got to take in a beach and just general relaxing fun. A nice break from driving.

Sage is continuing to prove herself an easy baby, for which we are thankful! I am now 100% convinced she is showing a reaction to corn, so I am watching ingredients for any lurking corn. I do not have allergies and never had to scrutinize ingredients before, so I will admit I find this a bit tricky. If I do forget and eat something with corn, Sage sure lets me know! Then I feel bad because the poor girl is gassy and not comfortable. All I can say is there are A LOT of things made with corn in it!

We had the opportunity to stay at a friends house the first night into our journey. Their grandson was there that night; he is Ethan's age. It was a lot of fun watching the boys play together. They have met before a different times in their lives - it is neat to see them reconnecting that relationship. The little boy's parents are going through a tough time right now, they have decided to end their marriage. The impact of this is evident with the child. Fortunately he has our friends who love him and are helping him through this time. When we left both Isaac and I reflected on the visit and are grateful for our relationship and our family life together. It has to be a tough road to end a marriage, even harder when kids are involved.

Lately we have been working on the boys sorting out their own disputes (within reason). Our strategy has been to sit the boys down together in a spot, like a couch, then tell them that neither of them can leave until the other gives permission to. This means the boys have to cooperate in order for them to carry on playing. I am loving the results. Ethan right away gives Nolan permission to leave, Nolan on the other hand takes his time - I mean really take his time, one time it was a good 45mins! At the end the result has always been them playing together, compromising or creating a game they both can play. The other day at the beach the boys were struggling with both wanting to play with a specific water toy - instead the decided to play a game of tag using the water toy. For a good hour we sat and listened to giggles and friendly teasing and watched the boys expend some pent up energy.

Speaking of boys... What is it with their need to talk about poop, farting and bums?! It works great if the boys are cranky and I want to turn around their mood, I just have to make a fart sound and they are rolling with laughter. I just fail to understand the obsession with bodily functions. At our last rest stop while I was nursing Sage, Isaac was playing soccer/catch with the boys. Ethan had the ball and Isaac was taunting him to throw it at him, so Isaac turns his back to Ethan sticking his butt in the air. Ethan was laughing so hard he could not throw the ball! I can not nor should I fight it, just join in the "fun" and fart away!

Joy

Have you ever noticed how your mood can be instantly altered by the influence of a little kid? Hand a baby to an elderly woman whose husband is in the hospital diagnosed with a terminal illness and you will witness a transformation; that woman will leave strengthened ready to face what lies ahead even if only for a little while. The innocence or purity of a child who pulls you into their make-believe world allows you to abandon all worries about laundry, dishes, or whatever else plagues your mind. I think that this is the greatest gift of youth.
When do we lose this freedom? The ability to live life fully and to enjoy every moment by living in the moment. I love that my kids pull me back and make me stop and enjoy the now.
Recently I had the opportunity to witness them slowing life down for others. My husbands mother was visiting for a while. The boys not used to Grandma, nor having any understanding of what it means to be old, showed no mercy in their demands for the games they wanted her to play. At first Grandma was stand-offish not really too sure how to proceed, but eventually she was playing zapper dart games with the boys. It was great to see Grandma enjoying the boys for their energy, but even better that the boys will have that memory of her visit.
Prior to Grandma, we had both my sister and my husband's sister visit. Both Aunts played vigorously with the boys. The house was filled with giggles and the sounds of kids being chased. I have a strong suspicion that both Aunts went home and slept for a few days having expended about a years worth of energy.
My boys are rambunctious, energetic and love playing games that are physical. All in all typical boys. I am excited about our summer together. I am looking forward to the running and chasing, the bike rides, the playground climbing, chasing the surf, exploring of enchanted forests and not to mention the bonus weight loss that accompanies this much activity.
Sage will be there right in the middle of it all in a sling or carrier. She will get to experience and learn this is our family life from a young age. She will also continue to melt hearts, there is something magical about holding a young life in your arms. It is incredible to me the number of people who stop and greet Sage and those who desire to hold her. I am always inclined to share as I feel she is such a gift, but more so because I enjoy watching the joy it brings that person.
How lucky am I?

Chasing bubbles

I have been lamenting lately about how time is passing so quickly; it is being marked by changes in our kids.  I will be honest, I feel like a kid playing with bubbles.  If you watch kids playing with bubbles, you will notice they tend to run after the bubbles trying to catch them in their hands.  If they are lucky enough to catch one it will generally pop in a short amount of time.  That is how I am feeling about life right now.  I feel like my kids are the bubbles and the wind is time pushing them forward.  It is leaving me running a crooked race trying to catch the bubbles to savour the moments.

Sage is going through a growth spurt right now, this translates to her eating every two hours.  I feel like I am living life through hazed filled glasses.  As I struggle to keep my eyes open during the middle of night nursings, I recall I went through this with both boys.  I catch myself thinking that it feels like it was yesterday I was holding Ethan this way nursing him.  Now he hardly fits in my lap anymore.  So even though I am exhausted, I am trying to savour these special moments with Sage.

Ethan just finished his kindergarten year.  To mark the end of the year, they had a small celebration.  It was quite cute to see.  Ethan is very proud to be going into grade one.  His Mom on the other hand...  Okay so I will admit it.  I had no troubles seeing him off to Kindergarten - it was only two or three days a week.  I cried a bit when he pushed me away and told me he was taking the bus, but that did not last long as it was much faster for the Mom taxi to pick him up.  But now this grade one business really has me wound-up.  I think it is partially because of the growth and change I have seen in Ethan in the last little bit.  He is maturing into a young boy - complete with potty humour...  Perhaps it is because I felt this past year went so quick, that before I know it he will be heading into junior high, high school, university etc...  Or is it because this is my first kid to hit this stage?  If I am a mess with Ethan, what is going to happen with Nolan and then Sage?  I guess I better stock-up their therapy funds... 

Nolan finishes his school this week.  Because he attends both the three and four year old preschool, he gets to have two celebrations of learning.  I am just amazed to see how far he has come in the past seven months.  All the trouble he has had with speech is practically gone - on his terms.  Nolan has really enjoyed attending school, and has soaked in all that the teacher had to offer.  The other day we were out playing in our yard and a bird flew over.  Nolan pointed up at it and said, "Look a duck!"  I replied that it was a seagull rather than a duck.  Nolan then looked at me and started SPELLING "seagull".  He used the actions for each letter and I gave him the letter "e" but other than that he spelled it correctly.  It completely shocked me!  Here is a kid who barely spoke seven months ago who can spell?!  Yep - that's totally Nolan - everything on his terms and his way.  He keeps me laughing, smiling and wanting to pull my hair out all at the same time.

Well onto summer vacation.  Gearing up for our big trek down to the Oregon coast with our tent trailer.  I can hardly wait to walk the beaches, explore tide pools and feel the surf of the ocean on my legs.  I plan to plunk down on a section of the beach and build sandcastles with the kids and enjoy the time as a family.  I will ensure I bring some bubbles to chase...

Rain, rain and more rain...

Anyone living in the province of Alberta has been enjoying a lot of rain lately.  This means the grass is growing longer and some creativity is needed with planning activities for the kids.

This past weekend I took the boys camping with another family.  The day that we arrived and set-up the tent trailer, it was sunny and warm - full of promise for a great weekend.  The boys were excited to be out camping.  The site was great, it was set right across from the beach and playground.  Unfortunately the weather did not stay so sunny and bright.  This left us seeking alternative activities for the kids.  The neat part was it allowed us to explore a different city and what it has to offer.  We got to experience the swimming pool in Red Deer and took in the Sports Hall of Fame.  Both really neat venues that the kids had a lot of fun at. 

The other family had brought walkie-talkies.  Ethan had one and their oldest son had the other one.  While driving to Red Deer the boys were communicating between the two vehicles.  If you want a good laugh, give two five-year-olds walkie-talkies.  Directions were being relayed - a few minutes past the turn-offs, frustrations were being shared about how long their respective mothers were taking with preparations to leave, and details of the trip - cows that were being passed, trees, lakes the usual.  Later, the boys then played hide-and-go-seek using the radios.  One would hide behind a trailer taunting the other to come and find them.  It was hilarious to watch and to listen to.

The next day it was time to pack-up and head home.  Packing a tent trailer - let me correct that, a soggy wet tent trailer is an exercise in organization.  I am grateful that I have easy kids; it really helps with the process.  That said, it is still a lot of work and involves timing to ensure the kids are fed, more specifically Sage is fed and ready to travel.  Sage is still eating every two hours during the day.  I began to get nervous about my trip this summer back to Ontario with just me and the kids.  I worry that it will be a lot of work, leaving me exhausted at the end of it all.  Fortunately, this prompted me to re-investigate flights and found the cost had gone down substantially.  I was able to purchase some tickets for about the same as what it would have cost to drive. My sister-in-law whom is an employee for Air Canada, was able to find family tickets with even better prices.  I gratefully accepted this help!  I am somewhat relieved by this.  I think I will be able to enjoy the trip more when I am not as exhausted. 

Speaking of tired...  I am not sure if it is the weather or if it is just the way life is right now, but I can not seem to get out of this funk of feeling tired.  Sage is still only waking about once a night and I am getting way more sleep than I did during pregnancy, but I still feel tired to the core.  Coffee is my friend these days.  A friend of mine graced me with a treat of strong ground coffee left on my doorstep.  I have been enjoying each cup for its caffeine but also for the thoughtfulness of the gift.

I am very grateful for the friends I have made in this community. I could not imagine life with out their support or friendship.  Isaac will often tease me and say I belong to the "Mom network" as we all will help each other out in a time of need.  I think the Mom network is a great thing to have and honoured to be a part of it.  The funniest part is how it brings people together.  Every Mom that I know, knows different Moms, thus expanding the network.  Not that I have ever verbalized this to anyone other than Isaac, nor is this a secret club or clique.  In my life I have been fortunate enough to meet some really great people, some with and some without kids, and we all support and encourage each other. No person should live in isolation, especially when trying to raise a family! 

Restless

It has been a while since I have posted anything.  It is not due to the lack of writing, but rather due to the lack of finishing what I have been writing.  I have number of posts saved but have not felt that they were complete thoughts or musings and have abandoned them.

I feel restless today.  I feel like there is about to be a change or a shift in our family and I am eagerly waiting to see what unfolds.  I am a person who enjoys change.  It brings new challenges and new perspectives, and allows me to grow further as a person. 

It is funny, I used to seek out change in the form of moving; I call it itchy feet.  I enjoyed moving to different communities, meeting new people and exploring the new surroundings.  That all changed when we moved to our current town.  I finally have found a place that I feel is home.  The other day my husband returned home from a course he was teaching and told me that he was asked to apply to work there full-time.  My heart sank...  I do not want to move.  I finally found a place to call home and do not feel the call or desire to leave.  Especially now since the kids have started school.  I know Isaac supports this, but on a level I also understand his desire to advance or move within his career.  Isaac has said that this is the best place for us as a family, but I am wondering if perhaps he still has a bit of itchy feet...

So I know the change is not us moving, but I can feel that something is going to happen or shift within our family. 

Perhaps it is the summer.  The wrap-up of school, the end of soccer season and the impending holidays.  I have decided to drive home to Ontario to see family.  I am nervous about the trip but also excited about the adventure.  This means that our summer is now pretty much "booked".  I find myself wanting to cling to every moment and savour the time we will have together as a family.  I am looking forward to the month we will take to explore the coast as a complete family.  It will be great to reconnect with Isaac as life has been so hectic with his work lately.   

I have been thinking a lot about family these days.  It is incredible how quickly the kids are growing.  I find myself wanting to drink in each moment of their lives as I feel that time is speeding by.  Do you remember the long summer days you had as a kid?  The summer months felt like the lasted forever.  I remember wanting to get back to school as the summer felt so long.  Did our parents feel that these months were too short like I do today?  Does time speed up as you get older or is it the result of our fast forward society?

Ethan went on his first major field trip today.  He went to the zoo in Edmonton.  I felt nervous that it was such a distance away from me.  I did not expect to feel that way, it took me by surprise.  We want to raise our kids to have independence and to have them explore the world around them.  I was surprised that I felt unsettled about him taking a trip an hour away from me. 

Both Isaac and I are not keen on taking trips without our kids,  Perhaps it would be different if we had family closer, but we both rather take a vacation as a whole family than the just the two of us.  We have no troubles with going out and leaving the kids with a babysitter but not a great distance or overnight.  I have troubles with taking a flight away from the kids.  I admire those who can do it, but I know for myself I could never fully relax on a trip being so far away from the kids.  I morbidly can not help but to think about what would happen if... Maybe it is because I lost a parent at a young age that I am so protective of the kids and want to keep them close.

The tricky balance of keeping your kids close but allowing independence and growth.... 

For the love of sport...

This has been a busy soccer week.  On Saturday Ethan had his mini-tournament, it consisted of two games, Monday was Nolan's game and then Ethan had his normal game again last night. 

I really enjoy watching and playing with the kids as they learn this sport.  It is great to see that some kids have a better sense of fair play than some adults I know.  Some kids are more apt to yield the ball to the other team in order to give them a turn. Other kids are pretty eager to play and have some pretty good foot work.

I coach Ethan's soccer team and prior to each game we as coaches will chat about the details of how we expect the game to run.  If the other team that we are playing does throw-ins, how they are subbing their players, what goals count etc...  For U6, we are starting to introduce the general rules of the game and are starting to enforce them.  At this age, for safety, we have a keeper's circle, a line which we do not allow our kids to pass to try and score.  To enforce this we generally do not allow goals to count if they are scored past this point - we blow a whistle to try and keep the kids back and explain to them what is expected.  Unfortunately we have a number of new coaches this year and not every team is being taught this element of the game. 

Last night I had a bit of an oops on the field.  We had spoken with the other coaches prior to the game and they had said they were playing with the keeper's circle.  So the kids get out there and start playing.  One of their players gets the ball and rushes down towards our goal.  He was being chased by a few of our players and a number of his own teammates.  He gets into our goal area and instead of shooting prior to the circle, he rushes into towards our keeper and scores.  I blew the whistle to stop the play, just before the ball went in the net.  I knew the kid that scored and knew he was a pretty good player.  My team were all looking at me upset that the ball went into the net and that this kid was saying it was a goal.  They were protesting that he was in the keeper's circle and that it should not be a goal.  Having spoken with the coaches prior, I thought we all agreed to the rules, I told my kids that yes it did not count.  I also took a moment and explained to the kid who "scored" why it did not count. 

At the time I thought I was being fair to my team and abiding by the rules.  Later I spoke with the other coach and she expressed that the rules had really fluctuated with each team this year and that they did not always abide by the keepers circle rule.  She then said that had it been a kid who never scored or rarely scored that it would have been heart-breaking for them to be told that goal did not count.  I reflected on her comments and feel she has a point. I quite honestly feel bad about it.  But on the same token, my team is learning the rules and what is expected and the keeper was upset that she had been scored upon unfairly.  Fortunately this kid went on to score another six goals during the game so this was not the case, but the coaches comments made me feel bad and to take a moment of pause.

I guess this is where I feel insecure.  I always want to do the best for my team, for the kids to have fun and for them to love the sport.  I also want them to learn teamwork, the rules and  fair play.  I strive for this to happen and with any conflict it causes me to second guess myself.