The new year has begun, the holiday decorations are down and all packed up. The house is still a disaster though from with gifts and the evidence of housing 4 dogs over Christmas. It has been a gloomy few days here. The snow has literally disappeared over night. The 10C is not worth the disappearance of all the beautiful white ground cover. I can't say the mood is any better than the weather. Maybe it is the wind down from the busy week we had or the overdose of media related activities like TV and video games. No matter what it the cause there is a rain cloud sticking around.
Resolution talk is everywhere today! This year I am particularly turned off by the idea. I resolve to do things throughout the year. Those set on New Year's day have the same chance of being realized as one set any other day of the year. I suppose it is a bit of late onset hum-bugging. So bah humbug to this new year! Or at least to New Year resolutions.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Open roads and clean houses
The roads have opened! We finally got out yesterday when a small section of road from here to the next town re-opened. It also meant Chris was back at work. Not too many days before the holidays though and he will be home with us for almost two weeks. Assuming the snow stays on the ground it should be a great two weeks. He is much better at rounding up the boys to go outside when they get stuck in the indoor rut. I am sure there will be a number of snow forts and snowball fights on their way.
Before the holiday arrives though this weekend's list of to-do's is huge. Aside from the usual holiday clean up before company arrives we are starting to get the house ready for our upcoming home visit to do the safety checks for the adoption approval. Although it may be a number of weeks or even months down the road there are some things to get prepared. There are a list of safety precautions that need to be taken care that we wouldn't normally worry about with the boys. For example I might be naive but I think the boys are old enough that I don't have to lock up the medications or household cleaners so we will be finding ways to lock those items up as well as paint cans in the garage. I believe we will have to secure any furniture that has the potential to fall over like tall book cases. Some of it feels a bit of overkill but I am coming to learn that this will be a process of concessions and compromise particularly on our part. It will be a good chance for me to learn how to hand over some control.
Before the holiday arrives though this weekend's list of to-do's is huge. Aside from the usual holiday clean up before company arrives we are starting to get the house ready for our upcoming home visit to do the safety checks for the adoption approval. Although it may be a number of weeks or even months down the road there are some things to get prepared. There are a list of safety precautions that need to be taken care that we wouldn't normally worry about with the boys. For example I might be naive but I think the boys are old enough that I don't have to lock up the medications or household cleaners so we will be finding ways to lock those items up as well as paint cans in the garage. I believe we will have to secure any furniture that has the potential to fall over like tall book cases. Some of it feels a bit of overkill but I am coming to learn that this will be a process of concessions and compromise particularly on our part. It will be a good chance for me to learn how to hand over some control.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
More snowy days
Chris is in bliss! We are on a second full snow day here with road closures all around us. Good thing we did groceries on Sunday. It is a good reminder to get my emergency food bin stocked again for this year.
It has been such a pleasure having him home to hang out with us. I don't grow tired of his company. It has always been that way for us. When we first met in College being in the same program meant we spent a lot of time together and then we landed jobs with the same company often working in the same location together. I enjoy being near him and I think I can say the same for his desire to be near me. We can certainly be apart without falling apart but we can be together just as easily.
Today was a fun day filled with Gingerbread houses and crafts. We sat by the fire outside and with as much cheese as we could muster we belted out Christmas tunes. It is feeling like the holidays as I sit by the tree in the library in all its lighted glory. The tree is particularly beautiful this year. The boys set it up and decorated it all on their own which I think makes it so much more special for me. I had asked them to set it up with plans to decorate it together but they were on a roll insisting that no one come in to see it until they were finished. It was actually hard for me. I like my tree to look pretty and had even bought some mesh garland for it this year so I was worried but sucked it up and let them go at it. At the end of it all they proudly led us all in for the big reveal with the lights out, my parents included. When they turned the lights on it was just beautiful. They had filled the tree full with only glass Christmas balls and colourful lights. It could not have been more perfect.
These are the days that I cherish. The boys are old enough to do things for themselves and young enough to still ask for help. They are mature and talk things through without the pretense of knowing everything. They have a curiosity and energy that is wonderful.
It has been such a pleasure having him home to hang out with us. I don't grow tired of his company. It has always been that way for us. When we first met in College being in the same program meant we spent a lot of time together and then we landed jobs with the same company often working in the same location together. I enjoy being near him and I think I can say the same for his desire to be near me. We can certainly be apart without falling apart but we can be together just as easily.
Today was a fun day filled with Gingerbread houses and crafts. We sat by the fire outside and with as much cheese as we could muster we belted out Christmas tunes. It is feeling like the holidays as I sit by the tree in the library in all its lighted glory. The tree is particularly beautiful this year. The boys set it up and decorated it all on their own which I think makes it so much more special for me. I had asked them to set it up with plans to decorate it together but they were on a roll insisting that no one come in to see it until they were finished. It was actually hard for me. I like my tree to look pretty and had even bought some mesh garland for it this year so I was worried but sucked it up and let them go at it. At the end of it all they proudly led us all in for the big reveal with the lights out, my parents included. When they turned the lights on it was just beautiful. They had filled the tree full with only glass Christmas balls and colourful lights. It could not have been more perfect.
These are the days that I cherish. The boys are old enough to do things for themselves and young enough to still ask for help. They are mature and talk things through without the pretense of knowing everything. They have a curiosity and energy that is wonderful.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Snow day
Today is a snow day!!! Roads are closed across our county. Chris is like a kid waiting for Christmas morning when the weather gets rough here. He wakes up anxious to check the work phone line for severe weather advisories telling him that he can stay home. Today the roads are closed so he has a snow day. We started the day outside enjoying the winter weather. While Chris cleared out the driveway the boys and my mom I took them out back to a creek to toboggan. After the boys went back inside Chris started a fire and we sat around the fire pit with my parents. Snow days are precious so we tend to use our day to it's fullest. It is always a extra special treat to have Chris home unexpectedly.
I love snow!!! I can't say I love winter because it would be wholly dependant on where I was in the world and whether winter included snow. If it is cold there must be snow! Some of my most fond memories are building tunnels through 3 ft or 4 ft of snow in northern Ontario and even sometimes sliding down the drifts that reached the roof of our one story home. Building forts and snowball fights never get old. Throwing them at the kids now brings a whole new level of fun to it as adults. It can be quite a good release to ping my 11 year old with a snowball.
Coming back inside to the warmth of the house is all that much better. Today after lunch Chris sat down to play a board game with the kids and play Guitar Hero World Tour together while I began my long overdue post to this blog. Snow days are great!
I love snow!!! I can't say I love winter because it would be wholly dependant on where I was in the world and whether winter included snow. If it is cold there must be snow! Some of my most fond memories are building tunnels through 3 ft or 4 ft of snow in northern Ontario and even sometimes sliding down the drifts that reached the roof of our one story home. Building forts and snowball fights never get old. Throwing them at the kids now brings a whole new level of fun to it as adults. It can be quite a good release to ping my 11 year old with a snowball.
Coming back inside to the warmth of the house is all that much better. Today after lunch Chris sat down to play a board game with the kids and play Guitar Hero World Tour together while I began my long overdue post to this blog. Snow days are great!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Playing dress up
Halloween has come and gone. The candy is no longer here, the decorations are put away and the costumes are stored for another time. Not another year per se but another time. The boys have always enjoyed costume play. I enjoy costume play so they have always have a variety of dress up things to play with. Chris and loved shopping the the days after halloween to get 70% off costumes for the boys to play with throughout the year. The most used were the wizard cloaks and scary masks when they were younger. The costumes they use now are more involved. Seamus has a Link costume I made him for his birthday last year and they all love getting dressed in the suit jackets and bowler hats from last years halloween. I love getting dressed up!!!! Halloween gives me the excuse to do it!
Each year we try to make the costumes from second hand clothes. I am not a seamstress by any means so if it is not easy it doesn't get made. Here are some pictures of Halloween's past
Each year we try to make the costumes from second hand clothes. I am not a seamstress by any means so if it is not easy it doesn't get made. Here are some pictures of Halloween's past
Halloween 2008
We used bandage gauze to wrap them. Easy costume idea. Not so easy to keep the gauze in place.
Halloween Party attire 2009
We threw a big halloween party with the theme of haunted abandoned historic hotel. The boys played parts. Eoin was the big shot owner, Liam was the butler, and Seamus the bartender. I was a maid as you see below and Chris was a creepy handy man. My parents played the part of two missing tourists from the 1900's.
Halloween trick or treating 2009
Eoin's costume: Jester made from Seamus' Link costume parts and a Jester's hat from the Michigan Renaissance Festival
Liam's Costume: Wizard using old Harry Potter cloak and silly Wizard hat
Seamus' Costume: Warlock again using old costume parts and the walking stick he got from his grandparent's trip to Texas
Chris' Costume: A ghoul I think
Jenn's Costume: Maid's costume from halloween party. I got the dress from Value village and made the apron and choker.
Halloween 2010
Liam's Costume: Hockey equiptment spray painted over camo clothes to be a "futuristic marine"
Eoin's Costume: He went for the commerical costume this year with blood pumping through his false chest
Seamus' Costume: He combined is Link costume with a cloak and a traditional masquerade mask
Halloween 2010
Jenn's Costume: Twisted tooth fairy made up of my grade 12 prom dress
Chris' Costume: Twisted dentist Dr. D.K. Payne
Strumming away
My fingers are numb!!!! I picked up Eoin's guitar today to try to practice with him. He has not complained about his fingers hurting since beginning his lessons over a month ago. I am amazed because after 10 minutes mine were screaming at me! I am sure it gets easier with practice but don't see how fingers can move from one chord to another so quickly. It is a skill I value. I took piano lessons when I was younger, not getting far and played flute in highschool but again did not play extremely well. Guitar seemed an unattainable option. I am pretty sure my sister Lorna had one when she was younger but I don't remember her playing much. That is the struggle with learning music, the practicing part. I have learned enough in the past couple of years that I am not going to push Eoin into practicing; encourage him a little maybe but not push. If he even thinks I am "making" him do something he brings up how terrible an experience it was when I made him go to hockey last year and he was only in that for a month and half at most.
I know that he will get better much more quickly if he were to practice but right now he is just enjoying hanging out with his instructor and learning at his own pace. If I enforced practicing the joy of playing would go out the window along with his interest in it. That is not to say that I am not tempted to push the practicing part a bit more. It is hard not let in the voices of all the people I have heard talk about how they were so grateful their parents made them stick to music lessons. I can see more value though in his lessons than just becoming a guitar player. Eoin is getting a lot from the experience of being mentored by a young man. His instructor is only about 20 and plays in a band so I am sure, to Eoin, seems pretty cool. It has been too much fun just bringing Eoin each week to watch him take this new challenge on. Eoin does not outwardly seem to make too much in life seriously, but he does take pride in carrying his own guitar in each week and sending me off to wait for him. There is no way that he lets me even try to get the guitar out of the car. The change in him is obvious from the moment we get in the car to head off to his lesson. He becomes a serious young man and wants to be treated as such.
I hope that he continues his interest. The sound of a guitar can be so beautiful. I already am attracted to just the simple chords Eoin is learning. Maybe I can pick up a little along the way....if I can ever feel the tips of my fingers again.
I know that he will get better much more quickly if he were to practice but right now he is just enjoying hanging out with his instructor and learning at his own pace. If I enforced practicing the joy of playing would go out the window along with his interest in it. That is not to say that I am not tempted to push the practicing part a bit more. It is hard not let in the voices of all the people I have heard talk about how they were so grateful their parents made them stick to music lessons. I can see more value though in his lessons than just becoming a guitar player. Eoin is getting a lot from the experience of being mentored by a young man. His instructor is only about 20 and plays in a band so I am sure, to Eoin, seems pretty cool. It has been too much fun just bringing Eoin each week to watch him take this new challenge on. Eoin does not outwardly seem to make too much in life seriously, but he does take pride in carrying his own guitar in each week and sending me off to wait for him. There is no way that he lets me even try to get the guitar out of the car. The change in him is obvious from the moment we get in the car to head off to his lesson. He becomes a serious young man and wants to be treated as such.
I hope that he continues his interest. The sound of a guitar can be so beautiful. I already am attracted to just the simple chords Eoin is learning. Maybe I can pick up a little along the way....if I can ever feel the tips of my fingers again.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Bag Boy
Hanging out with my three boys is amazing! I really do enjoy being out and about with all three of them. When they were little I would slip the youngest in a sling and then the other two would each take a hand. It was funny how many suggestions I got about where to get a good double stroller. I would smile and thank them with fond thoughts of the one I had just donated to charity. It was busy sometimes but always an adventure. The more we went out together the easier it became.
Being they were so close in age there was always a baby who needed my near constant presence. It was rare to get out of the home one on one time with Seamus once Liam was born and with either of them once Eoin was born. As they have grown older it is rare to get them to want to come out with me without one of their brothers. Last night however I invited Liam out to lunch with me today and he excitedly agreed. His pick was Tim Horton's. We do not have many options here. It was nice to be able to spend some time just with him. Often times I forget how quickly Liam is maturing. Seamus is the ever helpful child leaving little room for the Liam and Eoin to shine. Although at the grocery store it is Liam who is usually the most enjoys emptying the cart and filling grocery bags. This became obvious to me today as we shopped after our lunch. Without the other two I realized seeing him work so diligently that it is always his face at both the loading and packing end of the cash. The manager of the store was ringing us through today and made Liam's day when she asked him to come back to her in a few years for a job. I have no doubt in 5 1/2 years Liam will be on her door expecting her to hold up her offer.
Being they were so close in age there was always a baby who needed my near constant presence. It was rare to get out of the home one on one time with Seamus once Liam was born and with either of them once Eoin was born. As they have grown older it is rare to get them to want to come out with me without one of their brothers. Last night however I invited Liam out to lunch with me today and he excitedly agreed. His pick was Tim Horton's. We do not have many options here. It was nice to be able to spend some time just with him. Often times I forget how quickly Liam is maturing. Seamus is the ever helpful child leaving little room for the Liam and Eoin to shine. Although at the grocery store it is Liam who is usually the most enjoys emptying the cart and filling grocery bags. This became obvious to me today as we shopped after our lunch. Without the other two I realized seeing him work so diligently that it is always his face at both the loading and packing end of the cash. The manager of the store was ringing us through today and made Liam's day when she asked him to come back to her in a few years for a job. I have no doubt in 5 1/2 years Liam will be on her door expecting her to hold up her offer.
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