Monster Cookies

Best Friends

May 1st, 2013

Andrew was looking over my shoulder at my open Facebook page and sees a picture of Jon.

Andrew: Daddy is your FRIEND???

Me: Yes, of course. Daddy is my best friend.

Andrew: Weird.

Me: Why is that weird?

Andrew: I don’t know. Claire is my best friend.

Me: Do you think that is weird?

Andrew: No.

Me: Are you guys going to be friends when you grow up and get houses close to each other so all your kids can play together and be good cousins?

Andrew: Yes.

~~~~

Claire: Can I sleepover at C’s house tonight?

Me: No.

Claire: Why not?

Me: No sleepovers on week nights.

Claire: EVERY night is a week night!!

Posted in conversations, joy, kids, life, parenting |

Things

April 26th, 2013

Do you ever have one of those days where you look around you at the amount of STUFF that has amassed in your home and you are just disgusted at all there is?

I am having one of those days. I have these days often, and they are accompanied by a strong urge to start filling bags and boxes as quickly as I can and get them out, out, OUT of our home. Usually what sets me off is a huge mess of clutter that seems to pile up around me in a space that is just big enough for our family, and not for things to be strewn about. Also, my urge to get rid of things depends strongly on the amount of disrespect my family has for their things at any given moment.

It makes me sad to see them kicking around toys, sitting on books, leaving things out that are just SO important to them that they couldn’t possibly live without it (like a piece of school work). We have talked endlessly about respecting your things and about others who are not fortunate enough to have the things that we have.

It frustrates me to have to clean up the same mess over and over. It angers me to have to put away food left out on the counter after a meal was prepared. It irritates me that these values that I am trying to instill in my family are not sticking.

I recently finished reading a book called “Kisses from Katie,” which was written by a girl who left her rich American life to change as many lives as she can in Uganda. It is happening right now. It brought all of these feelings about having too much and needing to declutter our lives right on up to the surface of my heart. We don’t NEED all this stuff. We have too much. It disgusts me.

But I know it is our culture and I know that I can’t force my family to live in an empty building and call it home.

I just wish I could teach them to appreciate it all a little more.

I hope that deep down – even though they don’t outwardly display it – I hope they know that they are so blessed to have all that they do. I hope it is written on their hearts so that as they grow, they are able to escape the more, more, MORE mentality of North America. I don’t want them to spend their lives aching and longing for a bigger house, for a better car, for the newest gaming system. I want them to find joy in what they have; and in where they are. I want them to find their family there, and their friends, and know that that is what is important and that everything else is just fluff. And I want them to be able to leave the fluff if that’s what it comes down to.

And this weekend, I think I may have to declutter. Just a little.

Posted in books, joy, kids, life, parenting |

Conversations Overheard

April 23rd, 2013

Josh was turning on the TV while Claire sat in the living room playing.

Claire: “Josh, we always try to put on music for Mommy because by the time I’m in kindergarten, she won’t have time to listen to it because she’ll be at work.”

Josh: “What job will she have?”

Claire: “I don’t KNOW what JOB she will HAVE!”

~~~~~~

Claire is trying to carry too many things at once. She drops them on the couch in exasperation and says, “Urg. I am not as young as I used to be!”

~~~~~~

Claire and Andrew were giggling in the van.

Andrew: “Sometimes I forget you’re my sister.”

Claire: “Why?”

Andrew: “Because I have so much fun with you.”

Mommy: “What do you think she is, if not your sister?”

Andrew: “My friend.”

Posted in conversations, joy, kids, life |

Conversations between Andrew and Claire

February 2nd, 2013

I overheard this conversation between Andrew and Claire this morning. I was in the bathroom doing my hair and they were in their room getting dressed.

Claire: AURRRGGHHHH! WHY do I have to do EVERYTHING?!?!???

Andrew: You don’t do everything.

Claire: YE-ES!!

Andrew: There is only one person who has to do everything. And they don’t HAVE to do it. They just do it. And it’s Mommy.

Me: <3

Posted in conversations, joy, kids, life, parenting |

Conversations with Claire

February 1st, 2013

I was tucking Claire into bed a few nights ago.

Mommy: What is your nickname?

Claire: Clairebear.

Mommy: Any other ones?

Claire: Ummm…?

Mommy: What about PC?

Claire: Oh yeah!! PC!

Mommy: So, what should I call you? Clairebear?

Claire: No, PC!

Mommy: How about CB? Short for Clairebear.

Claire: No, PC!

Mommy: Which one is your favourite?

Claire: PC.

Mommy: What does PC stand for?

Claire: Princess Claire.

Mommy: Okay. Goodnight PC.

Claire: Also, it stands for peeing cat.

Mommy: Yes, it does…

Posted in conversations, joy, kids, life, parenting |

This is what it looks like

January 30th, 2013

As I sat here folding laundry this morning and pondering life in light of Jon’s and my fourteenth wedding anniversary, I realized two things.

The first thing is that I have exactly what I always wanted. I love my life. When we embarked on our life together, Jon and I had a general idea of what we wanted out of life and marriage, but we had never traveled here before, so how could we know specifics? Now I know what my general idea looks like in real life. Me, sitting on the living room floor folding laundry and smiling at how great a team my husband and I are. Me, rejoicing at owning a home and paid off vehicle. My heart dancing at the thought of our four beautiful, smart, spirited and determined children. My whole being relaxing into the comfort of being debt-free and happy and warm and loved.

This is what my general idea looks like. I’m here. And I love it.

The other thing thing I realized as I sat on the floor folding laundry this morning: It is time for new tea towels and dish cloths. Fourteen years of marriage might look good on Jon and I, but it doesn’t look so good on kitchen linens. I know what we are gifting each other for our anniversary.

Posted in joy, kids, life, marriage |

Kindergarten already!!

January 15th, 2013

Today Claire and I went to the school to register her for kindergarten.

Neither of the principals were in the office at the time we were there, but a resource teacher (I think she is a resource teacher) was and so she looked over our registration form, copied Claire’s birth certificate and conducted the “intake interview”.

“Wow, I can’t believe it’s already time for her to start here,” she said. Me too.

The thing that amazed me is that I barely had to answer any of the questions. She already knew that Claire has siblings in the school. She new each of their names, grades, classrooms and teachers and wrote them down on the form, confirming with Claire at each one that she had her brothers’ names correct. She asked Claire if she was chatty like her brothers, and if she could read as well as her brothers and if she could already write her name. She asked me what I do with these kids to get them reading and writing so young. My answer was the same as always…I just answer their questions. They turn three and decide it is time to read and write. And they do it on their own, occasionally asking us what sound a letter makes.

It was also time for me to renew my security clearance for volunteering at the school – the check I had done when Daniel was in kindergarten has expired. I expanded my interests in volunteering to helping with anything other than field trips, and I wrote that I would also help in the office, since I overheard them chatting about being short-handed today (“and everyday” was the joke).

When I got everything filled out and submitted, Claire and I left the school, and as we left the office, the assistant principal came walking down the hall with a student. “Hi Amber!” she called.

Aaaaaah, I love this school. <3

So, in seven short months, my baby-est baby will start kindergarten. I am so excited for her, I know she is going to have a blast!

Posted in joy, kids, life, parenting, school |

24 Days of Winter Vacation

December 21st, 2012

There are twenty-four days of our winter vacation,
Before New Years and school comes to end it
So the holiday challenge for kids of all nations,
Is finding a good way to spend it. Like maybe…

Not the exact words of Phineas and Ferb, but I had to change them to be accurate for us.

My kids are officially on Christmas break. Amazingly, so is Jon! We kicked off the vacation with Andrew’s choice of takeout for dinner last night and a family viewing of the movie, Brave.

The takeout deal was kind of a bribe to get Andrew to do some of his chores – you do the chores, you can pick dinner – without him breaking out into a rage attack. I am thankful that it worked. However, this “deal” that we made was duly noted by Andrew’s siblings and today Claire declared over and over that tonight SHE got the dinner deal. Unfortunately, she wasn’t pleased that we don’t plan to have takeout every night. Fortunately, it was meatloaf night and the kids all loved it. Phew!

This morning we woke up with plans to take advantage of a sale at a kids’ clothes store, then visit Santa at a different mall. Daniel was not on board. Upon arriving at the parking lot, he started repeating over and over, “I’m not going in. I’m not doing anything.” So, Jon graciously offered to stay in the van with Daniel (and Claire who also didn’t want to go in) while I went in with Josh and Andrew to quickly grab a few things.

Well. Apparently Daniel did want to come in and he threw an all-out fit in the van while Jon asked him 56 times to sit down and buckle his seatbelt back up. By the time Josh, Andrew and I returned, Daniel was in full meltdown mode and everything that he had thrown at Jon was on the floor by my feet. Daniel continued his antics and begging to go home most of the way to the next mall, while I coached him to calm down. By the time we were parked, the kids were all in good spirits and had donned the new coordinating sweaters that I had just purchased.

We went in and saw Santa. I am so impressed with this Santa. He is so kind and takes time with each child and seems to be happy with his job, but not fake happy or weird happy. His Mrs. Claus is kind and personable and enourages me to take as many pictures as I want. This is our third year with this Santa, and I hope he is there for many more.

After we saw Santa, we offered to go home, but Daniel wanted to check out a couple of stores in the mall, so we did that. When we were all hungry, we came home and had leftover takeout for lunch. Then the kids fought for about half an hour, then cleaned their rooms under Jon’s watch while I went out to do some last minute shopping. I was only gone for just under three hours, but it was really refreshing to be able to take a breather from parenting. I took my time and didn’t rush…it felt so good.

When I got home, the kids’ bedrooms were clean, everyone was happy, no one was fighting. I made dinner and everyone enjoyed it. And the rest of the evening was sweet. I am hoping hard with all my heart that the fighting and grumping lessens as the days go on. I’m out of ideas to try to make the kids stay calm and get along. Hopefully quality family time is the answer, like so many “experts” say.

Posted in Christmas, kids, life, parenting, vacation |

A Nice Variety

December 14th, 2012

I love that God gave me a nice variety of kid types.

Tonight for dinner I had planned chicken noodle soup, but since the kids don’t really like it and it is just us, I asked them what I should make for dinner.

Josh asked if the kids could just each make what they wanted for dinner, and I said, “Sure.”

Josh had an overflowing bowl of cereal and milk.

Andrew went and gathered what he wanted – couscous from the cupboard and chicken wings from the freezer. I am not really up for the work it will take to make chicken wings tonight, so I asked if he would like chicken breast instead, because I can thaw and broil those babies up pretty fast. “Sure,” he says. “Anything chicken.” And when I asked if I should just make it plain, Andrew said, “Can we have one plain and one with some flavour?” Of course, my child. So, we have one rubbed with olive oil, salt and pepper; and one rubbed with olive oil and epicure’s tzaziki spice blend, and the third with just olive oil. A nice variety, I think.

Claire saw what Andrew picked out and opted to go with cereal and milk, like Josh did.

Daniel hasn’t voiced his opinion yet because he is playing on the computer and doesn’t want to give up one precious moment of the time he has to play on there. He will probably go with the chicken and couscous (and veggies that I’ll make to go along with them), because when it comes to food, Daniel is pretty much a “whatever” kind of kid.

I love it when we can have an easygoing kind of evening, where we are all on the same page of “whatever”.

Posted in joy, kids, life |

Well, hello there!

December 6th, 2012

Okay, so the NaBloPoMo didn’t go over so well, or the month of good deeds. I did do some good deeds, as I could, but I’ve not been well, and have had to cut back. LOL

It has been a crazy week here – Jon got called in to work from the office at the last minute, which always leaves us scrambling as we have one vehicle and six busy schedules. On top of that, perhaps for the good so we didn’t have to do so much scrambling after all, we’ve had illness run through our house, so there have been lots of pajama days on the couch.

This afternoon I got out of my jammies, showered, did my hair and makeup and went to the school (with four kids in tow) for parent-teacher conferences. I considered canceling as I was not really feeling 100% yet, but the kids were so excited about going that I just couldn’t say no to them. I ended up only having one small wave of anxiety and one moment of concern I would be sick. I was more worried about Claire, who hasn’t vomited yet, but has seemed to be on the verge for the last three days. I wish I could read her better!

Anyway…

I love the kids’ teachers. They are all nice and fun and easy to talk to. I love that I can volunteer in the classes and that I can send them emails without a second thought. So meeting with them is like chatting with a friend. First we went to Andrew’s class. He is doing fabulously still, and has started joining the grade 2 class for literacy centres. He has been placed in the highest level in the grade 2 class and the teacher loves having him there. I am so proud of him that he is excited to go into a new class with new people and do reading exercises with them.

Second, we headed to Josh’s class and he is also doing really well academically. Above average in many areas, like his brothers. He tends to get a little silly in class, which isn’t surprising because he is silly at home too. However, he is a great friend, helper and leader in the class and in the school, and I am so proud of him for just LOVING other people. A boy after my own heart. <3

Finally, we met with Daniel’s teacher. She had wonderful things to say about Daniel too – that he is solving math problems in ways that no one else even considered. He was super proud of his visual journal and couldn’t wait to show me all the work he’s done in it. I’m so proud that Daniel is doing so well in school and especially that he is excelling in math. All of my kids are very strong in reading and writing, and I know that for some of them, math has taken a little more work to understand, so knowing that Daniel is finding new ways to solve problems is great.

It was a nice end to a stressful week, and now the boys have a three-day weekend, and Jon actually has Saturday off, which is rare. I hope that we can all be healthy and find some good family time in there somewhere.

Posted in illness, joy, kids, life, school |

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
« Apr
			1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8	9	10	11
12	13	14	15	16	17	18
19	20	21	22	23	24	25
26	27	28	29	30	31

Our Friends

Archives

Our Friends

Categories

Archives