Our Family Wall.

Despite taking millions of photos over the past couple of years, there has always been a serious lack of personal photos displayed in our house. Sure, I look at our photos nearly everyday on our computer, but the kids don't get to see them that often.  I started really thinking about that and how I want them to see photos of their family, grandparents, etc.  One of Gabriel's favorite things to do is go on instagram and check out our own photos.  You may have noticed that I "liked" some of my own photos.  That was Gabriel. (He's also added friends, deleted contacts and liked other people's photos, I came to find out).  So having some concrete photos in our house looked like a good idea.

I spent a couple of days looking around Pinterest for inspiration--what I liked and didn't like.  Then set to work in the basement laying out frames we already had before picking up a few more.  I just kept playing around with it until I was happy with it, then ordered photos and TADA! (Well, not quite, it took a little more planning than that--balancing, creating templates, leveling...).

The kitchen has always been one of my least favorite rooms in this house.  It's just so big and dark, but creating a photo wall really changed this room a lot.  In fact, it is likely one of my favorite rooms in our house right now.  Gabriel loves standing there looking up at photos and pointing out people.  I think it's fun for him to see pictures of us getting married and his grandpa conducting.  We added a few really old photographs of some great-grandparents too.  Selecting photos was one of the hardest jobs I have to say; there are just so many I wanted to put up.  But at some point you just have to stop, right?  I think it will also have to be a bit of a work in progress--switching up photos as time goes on. 

So fun expending a little bit of creative energy lately around this house and making it feel a little bit more like ours. 

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Stay at Home Date Night.

I remember when I was a kid flipping through photobooks my mother made and finding a picture of her sitting at the kitchen table which had been pulled into the living room in front of the fireplace.  The table was covered in white linen.  She was all dressed up and there were candles lit.  It occurred to me then that life didn't stop after I went to bed.  Many years later, I have come to appreciate that photo.  On special occasions when we just can't seem to get out of the house, carving that time for the two of us as a couple is sometimes so hard to do, but so necessary. 

Last year our anniversary went by unremarkably with promises we made to ourselves to celebrate when life got less crazy.  But the truth of the matter is that life won't ever stop being full-throttle.  You just have to find time to stand still in the middle of it all.  So to celebrate our anniversary this year, we set up our own little space for just the two of us.  And with lit candles, music playing, fresh cut flowers, dessert and champagne, it sort of felt like we had displaced ourselves from our own home and were sitting in a quiet upscale restaurant where we could talk as long as we wanted.  It was so lovely, we might just have to do it again sometime!

I know, I know, we are sort of cheesy right?  Tell me you'd do it too though... you know you would.  We'll save our Toronto restaurant exploring for another year I guess.

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Nine Years!

This week was our nine year anniversary.  Nine years!  My goodness, that seems like a long time when you say it like that.  But I can still quite vividly remember that very very hot July nine years ago when we stood, so young, our stomachs a bundle of nerves and sweating buckets inside that hot church as we said our vows.  It seems we are such different people and a different couple then we were then--more life experience, more growth in our friendship and relationship, more insight, and the children too!

I say "Anniversary week" because that's sort of what it has been so far.  I thought I had everything planned for a stay-at-home date, but things sort of went sideways as they do with littles.  So....we've sneaked in lunches just the two of us outside in the garden, and later, some lovely (albeit chaotic) suppers with some flowers, dessert, followed by another dessert the next night, films together in the evening on occasion.  That all sounds a bit too romantic doesn't it?  The truth is, I started the week out with the flu, Jordan got it and, now Gabriel has it.  So that sort of put a damper on everything.  And so we've been doing mini lunch dates, because suppers are just too crazy and we don't feel like waiting until the kids are in bed at 8:00.  I guess this is just the reality for a little while longer with two little ones.

Happy Anniversary Husband--the love of my life, my challenger, inspirer, confidente, co-conspirator and best friend.  You keep me laughing and down to earth.  I'm a better person because of you.  Love you forever!

**This picture was taken 10 years ago when we took a trip to Toronto and Niagara falls to see family.  

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Pool Party for the Mamas.

One of the cherries on the top of the "Being a Mama" cake is automatic enrollment in the mama club.  And one of the great things about being in the mama club is ladies nights out.

I was so lucky to stumble into Victoria who connected me with some mamas in Toronto when we first moved here.  Since then, I have made some wonderful friends.  We are all so very very different, even perhaps in our parenting but it's been so great to have being a mama in common.  People to affirm and be affirmed by, people who share their struggles and success stories.  When things go really off the rails, I have these women who are all going or have gone through similar issues.  It helps me realize that that what I am going through as a parent is completely normal and that I am not crazy!

So last week we had a little pool party for the ladies.  We talked about our children, sure, but there were plenty of other topics on the table too.  And with no little ones running around to keep an eye on, we all got to actually talk and get to know each other a little bit more.  We ate and took a late night swim before calling it quits at a somewhat decent hour in lieu of early morning calls.  I have to say, it was one of our best nights yet!  Sometimes it's nice putting being a woman first.  Mostly I spend so much time wearing my mama hat, I forget.

Thanks Vic for hosting!!  And thank you mamas for being in my life!

 
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Lunches with Husband.

I was pretty excited when my husband told me he was taking off a whole month in the middle of summer to work on his masters from home.  Not that that is a real luxury for him--spending thirteen-fourteen hours in his basement cave under florescent lights all day and evening.  I don't think when he started it three years ago he could have foreseen all the changes that would happen for us--another new baby, relocating across the country three times, starting two new jobs, a new kind of sleep deprivation.  It's been a lot of stress on him, and somehow he's managed to juggle it all with great fortitude.

So far the arrangement has worked out wonderfully.  We simply tell Gabriel that "Daddy is working" and off he sneaks to the basement.  At the end of his work day, he pops out of the basement and voila, "Daddy's back!" We've been very sneaky, haven't we?  We've been texting back and forth keeping the operation under wraps.  And when Gabriel is settled down for his afternoon nap, I make us a little lunch--the first series of real lunches I had the pleasure to enjoy in ages--and send him a little note.  He comes creeping up the stairs looking all glassy eyed.  It's our little date time (with Magdalene, who is also eating now) where we get to sit and talk just the two (three) of us.  We talk about roadblocks to collecting data, and data analysis and hypotheses.  It's a special little time in the middle of the day we are so enjoying right now.   

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The Muskokas.

Last week, I went road trippin' solo-parenting with the car packed so right you couldn't fit a toothpick in. Two littles, one pooch, and a crazy mama jacked up on caffeine and Cliff bars heading for the Muskokas to spend some time with my inlaws.

On Saturday, I loaded up the car with a week's supply of survival goods.  Thanks to my mom and dad, who packed a sedan with three kids for two weeks of driving across the country camping, I picked up a thing or two about how to organize your gear when traveling and how to pack a trunk efficiently.  I am proud to say that once I was done, you wouldn't have managed to load in an extra toothpick.  So with thethe littles tucked in cozy in their seats and the dog squished between them, we took hit the road at nap time, hoping for clear sailing.  Wouldn't you know that neither of them really napped, but somehow we managed to drive nearly three hours without any major hiccups and I only had to threaten to turn around and go home once.  How to keep a toddler happy on the road?  Trucks and Snacks!  Let me tell you, I just kept passing them back all the way there.  Eat up kiddo!  I also think he must have been going through a growth spurt too. 

The weather looked like it was going to be great!  Well, despite all my efficient and well-organized packing, how could a mama forget to pack clothing for three days of rain?  We had major cabin fever--no beads or memory games or movies or wrestling, books or playdoh or eating and eating and eating could ease the unrest.  We stared out the window, wishing the downpour away.  Fortunately, the Bible camp we were staying at had a number of amenities, including a little hub we could hang out at and a nursery for the children to play in an hour a day with other littles ones if we wanted.

Eventually we just gave up and went outside anyway, and walked in the rain regardless.  Despite the winds and cold temperatures, we went to the beach with pants and sweaters and a huge pile of towels to keep us warm.  The water was warm and actually very good for swimming.   We dug trenches and moats and canals to sandcastles and helped Gabriel fill them with water.  It seemed to never get old.  "Here it comes!" Gabriel would shout as he chased the water down the canal back to the lake over and over day after day. Even Maggie got in on the warmer days and sat at the water's edge arms up in the air wiggling her fingers and toes and squealing with delight.

 A little unsure at first perhaps.

Much to everyone's delight, Jordan joined us for the weekend.  And it was Daddy everything.  We missed you!

I'm a believer that babies express emotions with their toes.  They wiggle them with delight while eating and scrunch them up when they are cold. 

In in the evenings, either Opa or Grandpa would be cohersed into kicking the ball.  Who could resist a little blonde boy coming to you, "Oh Bumpa, come-a kick-a ball?"  And off they would go to pass the soccer ball back in forth.  Quite a sight to see an 85 year old great-grandfather, Opa, passing the ball back and forth.  Such memories we made!

Anyone knows that traveling with littles is always an adventure and sleep is sometimes optional.  Sleeping arrangements are strange and routines are thrown off despite your best efforts.  It usually means less sleep for everyone and little bit more crankiness but it's still worth it, (I tell myself on the good days).  One morning I found Gabriel in my room I was sharing with Magdalene.  He had sneaked in, unbeknownst to me, and climbed up into her baby cot.  He was sitting there as chipper as a little bird at 5:45 in the morning holding her hand and waving her arm in the air.  "Hi Mama! Hi Maggie! Sun up!"

It really was such a lovely week, despite any lack of sleep, despite crankiness.  For the two kids to spend time with their great-grandparents and grandparents was really special.  It was so neat to see Magadelene make herself quite comfortable with them, giggling and cooing and whooping with delight.  I feel like our once delicate little Maggie is turning quite strong and curious and a bit mischievous too I might add.  After all, she has a big brother to contend with.  Oh boy, I'm going to have my hands full with these two!

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