Twitter - A Game Changer

Okay, so I may really be behind in the game, but I just finally took the jump and discovered Twitter.  I have an account that I keep more professional as a teacher tweeting or mostly retweeting things that hit me in the world of education, politics, science, social justice, the environment, etc.

I also just created a more personal one where I tweet, retweet things with respect to motherhood, marriage and faith as a continuation of www.MomsMoments.ca.  @DeeperMoments.

Its amazing to have so much information at my fingertips!  Twitter makes it so much easier to scan the news, see and easily share what authors and speakers I respect are tweeting and blogging about when I just have a few minutes on my cell.  I'm not one to sit on the home computer very much because frankly, there's not enough time in the day, so I otherwise am terrible at keeping up with blogs or randomly searching online for anything at all.

But Twitter... well... that's a game changer.  Its opened up a whole new level of awareness of the world, of innovation, of encouragement, challenging me to continue to be  more intentional in motherhood, marriage and faith, as well as a teacher and human being in today's society!

If you haven't already, check out Twitter and see the world come to you rather then you having to feel in the dark because there's no time to keep up with what's going on in the world!

See you on Twitter!  @DeeperMoments

Mélanie

My Best Birthday Gift Ever: The Toronto Zoo Oasis

After training all spring for my first 10 km races, I shifted my focus to training with my not quite 10-year old to get her ready for the 5 km Zoo Oasis run late September 2012.  The running began back in March and was very sporadic throughout the spring and summer, and picked up more late August and September as race day was approaching!  We started slow and work our way up, adding distance each step of the way, taking it back a notch from time to time.  We worked to help her to develop a more positive internal talk so that she could motivate herself to keep going when she would get discouraged and want to quit during a run.

I had to learn how to encourage her rather then frustrate her... know how much to push when she felt that going a little bit further was unattainable, and recognizing when to call it a day... a fine line with my sensitive girl.  I learned about myself in the process and we learned to better communicate.  I got to learn how my girl ticks a little better and saw her confidence soar as she began to see herself improve -- we kept a running log with distances and times.  It was a gradual process, but worth all the joys and frustrations along the way to see my baby girl be more confident and so proud of her accomplishments at the end of the day!

She wasn't so sure she'd ever be able to do a full 5 km.  Though we did a number of trail runs, come the fall, she began to get motivated by running the 0.8 km loop around the block.  She could track her distance and knew how many loops she had to do to reach the goal she had set for that day.  It seemed to help her to keep going mentally, and one day, she surprised the both of us when she set a goal she hadn't told me about and was determined to go from 3km to 5km.  She did it!  And before race day so that her confidence grew rather then fear with the upcoming race.

On the whole, it was a fantastic experience that led to my best birthday gift ever: a day where I got to share something I love to do with my entire family.

Julia and I ran the 5 km race together in 32 minutes!!!  AMAZING!  My younger two ran the 1 km Cub Run with my husband.  Every one of us got to participate in this race day.

I am so excited that we are able to begin instilling confidence and self esteem in our girls through sport (soccer too), while adopting a healthy active lifestyle as the norm for them.

I look forward to my younger two being old enough to join Julia and I for the longer distances!  Who knows, maybe we'll even get my husband to join in on the longer distances in the near future!

Thanks to my family and the Toronto Zoo Oasis Run for making this my best birthday ever!

Parenting - Goals and Intentionality

I find myself to be very reflective by nature.  I strive to be very intentional in all that I do, parenting included, but I can so often miss the mark despite my good intentions.  I've read two articles recently that were awesome to refocus that intentionality in very practical ways, so that I can think twice before blowing it again!  Both are worth a quick read!!

10 Habits to Strengthen Your Relationship with Your Child - from Aha! Parenting.com (hmmm what was that about putting electronics away?  Got it... I don't ever want my girls to feel like they weren't as important to me as my phone!)

The Key To Your Child's Heart (7 Ways It Works)  - The Key:  ACKNOWLEDGE. (something I need to work on when I get busy and impatient...)

It takes strong relationships with our children, developed through intentionality, to wade through the emotions and turmoil of growing up (especially in a house with three daughters, and one just crossing over into the pre-teen years!!)

My goals as a parent are that our daughters would grow to be :

• independent adults with the confidence to try new things that stretch them out of their comfort zones in order to discover their gifts and talents, and grow to be all that they were created to be; 
• emotionally and spiritually healthy with strong roots in their faith, and solid and close ties to their family;
• strong in their character and in their values -- displaying love and compassion for others, servant hearts rather then entitlement, and the courage to fight for what they know to be right.

In short, my parenting goals can be summed up by the following (my parents modelled this well - and for that I am thankful!!)

  

It all comes down to ROOTS and WINGS.

Praying for wisdom along the way as we pour into these beautiful girls that God has given us.

Running Mama - setting goals!

I have not been able to figure out how to carve out the time to get my running in on any sort of regular basis since my running partner's injuries have forced her to stop running.

I have missed it.

Greatly.

Such a great stress relief.  Sanity "me"-time where I don't have to think about anything at all.  I can think or pray if I want to.  Or I can zone out and just run.  Alone.  No one vying for my energy or attention or needing something from me.  Just me and the trail... putting one foot in front of the other.

LOVE IT!

This spring I have finally made a way to prioritize my running again.  Strengthening workouts, varying my runs in lengths and intensity, and the big difference: I set some goals. 

I have had my eyes set on running a 10km for some time, but an old injury and lack of time to train kept me away from pursuing it.  I decided this was finally the time to do it. I registered for a race.  I've never raced for running before.  Only for cross-country skiing back in high school and university, where training was always done as a team and running was always just for cross-training.  Never my main sport.

What a difference setting a goal has made!  As I longed for a Garmin GPS watch like my friend's, I chanced upon "Runtastic" a free app on my blackberry which made all the difference to my running!  I could now not only track distance and time, but my PACE.  Suddenly, I started racing against myself (I'm rather competitive).  And what do you know, with a race in sight and my pace being the only thing on my mind as I ran (so amazing to for a moment forget all the other stresses of the week!), I started to get faster!

My first race was April 22nd on the hilliest course ever.  My cross-country skiing training came in handy there with all that hill work!  I exceeded my goal on that frigid day:  I ran the 10km well under an hour.  Actually 7 minutes faster then I had set as a goal for myself!  Not only that, I came in 5th out of the 37 women running and 2nd in my age category!  (okay, small crowd that day, but man did that feel good!!)

Have you ever surprised yourself??  I sure did that day!

Knowing that I could not only break 60 minutes on a hilly course like that, but actually compete, my goals got loftier!  I wanted to get even faster!

The next race was set for a month later.  May 27th.  This time, I would be running with a friend.  A seasoned runner and his son.  That would be different.  Having never run together before, who knew if we'd keep the same pace, if we were best to run alone?  But being as competitive as we were, it ended up being a personal best for the three of us, keeping a crazy fast pace that we didn't even know we could keep (because we didn't want to get beat by the other)!  That day we broke under 50 minutes and I again pleasantly surprised myself!

So yes... now my eyes are on the next goal... finding the next race... finding a way to keep up my running in the summer once the kids are out of school will be the challenge, so I believe repeating the results from my last two races come the fall would make me happy!

For now, the next goal is training with my 9 year old daughter for her to run her first 5km in September, then I might sneak in a 10km race the following weekend.

What a difference goal setting can make!  And what a high you get from not only meeting your goals but exceeding them!  Pushes you to keep discovering what you are capable of!

I've got the bug... So exhilarating to be doing something for myself that's so good for my mind and body!  Makes you stay young I think... Haven't felt that rush since university!  LOVE IT!

Women on the Move!

Wow, is it ever time for an update! The Mom's Moments Newsletter found a new name this fall thanks to your help with our many reader submissions! Drumroll please.....

The newsletter's newfound name is....

WOMEN ON THE MOVE

It's the perfect fit for we are all busy women on the move, whether we're moms or not, the newsletters are full of great practical articles, ideas, resources, recipes and more - don't forget the health column! There's something for every busy gal striving to keep health and balance in their lives... And the best part? It's women encouraging, challenging and inspiring women by sharing their stories and resources.

Join us and be a part of it! You'll find Women on the Move, a wealth of online resources and so much more at:

www.momsmoments.ca

Help us find a new name for the "Mom's Moments" newsletter!

The planning team - myself, Andi Hawkins & Nicolle Huggins - has been busy as we look to next season! Now we come to you with a request. Mom's Moments began as a newsletter, but over the past five years, it has grown to be much more! (see www.momsmoments.ca for recap of all that we do).

"Mom's Moments" will remain the name of our website and organization, but we feel that the newsletter itself is in need of its very own name.

WILL YOU HELP US?

Why a new name?

First, because we've found that some women are intimidated to contribute to the "Mom's Moments" newsletter, feeling like they're supposed to be "mom" experts (but who is, really!?). Secondly, many women who aren't moms still get a lot out of the practical articles that aren't always motherhood specific: the health column, "My Story" articles, recipes, etc. Plus many women have children in their lives -- nephews, nieces or students -- but may just not have any of their own. At Mom's Moments, we want all women to feel welcome to read as well as CONTRIBUTE to this newsletter.

That said, we believe a new name for the newsletter is in order. We would love for you ALL to help find a name that reflects the newsletter vision. Here is what we are about:

• We aim to empower women by giving them a voice to encourage and equip one another through this newsletter where they can share their stories, resources, recipes and practical tips, experience or expertise.
• We hope that through the newsletter, women would be challenging and inspiring each other to live more balanced and healthier lives.
• We long to simplify our days as we remind and challenge each other to live more intentionally on the homefront so that we never lose sight of the things (and people) that truly matter (this happens so easily in our rushed and hectic lifestyles today when everyone and everything is vying for our time and energy...who really misses out?).
• Women don't have to be experienced writers to share their stories, etc., the idea is that we all have something to share, and we can all learn from each other - we can help you through the writing process when needed!
• Our readers come from a wide demographic from across North America (and beyond!) with different backgrounds, cultures, traditions and belief systems, from pregnant women, to moms of preschoolers, school-aged children, teens or empty nesters, some are single, married or have blended families, some don't have kids, some work outside the home, others stay at home, homeschool or run a business from home... and the list goes on. It's a mixed readership and we love it that way as we can all learn from each other!

So, in case you didn't already know... that's what the "Mom's Moments" newsletter is all about... Obviously, there is indeed practical mom-specific content in there, but the title of the newsletter should not stop someone from wanting to contribute because they don't have any children of their own or because they don't feel they are "experts" or professional writers...

With all of the above considered, let it simmer and see what names might come to mind. PLEASE take a minute to post your suggestions in a comment below or email us! (even if you think its not a great catchy name... you might be onto something that we can work with, send it along)!! We plan to have a vote in the fall with the top names submitted....

Eagerly awaiting each of your responses,

Mélanie, Andi & Nicolle
Your Mom's Moments Planning Team

Time Well Spent

As I was cleaning the house this afternoon, two thoughts kept running through my head... The first is that my energy spent on cleaning the floors and vacuuming seems so futile... if only a house could go from chaos to clean as quickly as it goes from clean to chaos when little ones are around... My toddler has recently discovered our unbabyproofable pantry and a new hobby has become emptying cereal boxes and pasta everywhere... I mean I can't fit EVERYTHING on top of the fridge!!!

The second thought that's more importantly been coming back to me is this... I chose well today.

I could have kept myself busy at work all day, but instead, I chose to cancel an appointment and work from home, allowing me to drive the kids to school this morning and join my 2nd-grader on their class field trip to the skating rink.

I chose well.

We had a blast skating together. She didn't even care that her friends were around, my girl just wanted to skate with her mommy and didn't like the time I ever so briefly went around the rink chatting with another parent... no this was OUR time together, no other siblings around, just the two of us (the 50+ other 2nd graders on the ice didn't seem to matter). We started playing tag to catch each other on the ice, with a few of her friends even joining in at the end. Awesome mother-daughter time!

Best of all, I was so excited to see that in 2nd grade, though you're already trying to be a lady and mimic the older kids in the way they dress and do their hair, it's still cool to reach for mom's hand as we're walking to the rink with the class... That made my day ;)

The overriding lesson of the day?

The house, the laundry and my to-do-list from work... those things will all get accomplished eventually... As pressing as they sometimes feel, in reality, they can and must wait. The bottom line is this:

I'll never regret giving my kids more of my time... building bonds, communication, character, faith...

That will always be time well spent at the end of the day.

Flying Solo... and Away

Last week my husband left for Vancouver for the week for the fourth and last session of a 2-year program.  I found myself flying solo on the homefront juggling the girls and work.  I have written about being Home Alone before... Though this time around I had work and puking kids thrown into the mix... that being said, I had more help then ever to care for my sick babe while I rushed off to work, and as a bonus, was pleasantly surprised by the meals I had prepared and hidden in the freezer for times such as this!  So I didn't really feel that alone after all.

I think I was more in overdrive mode as I prepared to go from flying solo, to flying away where I would be meeting my husband out west mid-week for 4 days for his graduation from the Arrow Leadership Program.  It was the first time EVER that our 3 girls would be left alone (without either mom or dad).  My mother-in-law stepped up and was an amazing help with the girls and carried on their school and weekday routine, and had a Saturday with them too. And thankfully my 16-month old was over her flu before I left (and the rest of us didn't catch it!)  

Now it's an interesting thing to prepare for your absence... it entails making many detailed plans and lists for those who will essentially be doing your job while you're away.  I've always said that its so much more work to prepare work for a supply teacher then to be there to teach it yourself... (so true - plans are so much more detailed... and there are only certain types of work you can leave to be done when you're not there to teach...)

How much more true is this on the home front!  Detailed lists for my mother-in-law about swimming lessons and speech therapy appointments, birthday parties, homework and school lunches... Notes for the teachers... Thankfully, I am a highly organized person who did much of the planning ahead of time, so the night before, I just had to look out for myself, pack my bags (and of course comfort crying girls who weren't too excited about me leaving early morn.)

Actually, my 7-year old spoke words that haunted me until I got back... She said she was used to daddy being away as he's had one-week trips before, but I NEVER leave her!  She was afraid she would NEVER see me again... YIKES!  Just what a mom wants to hear as she's about to step onto a plane for a 4-hr flight... We'd worked out a deal, when we were sad and missed each other, we would send each other emails (as time-change wouldn't always allow for us to talk in those moments).  The girls did great and my husband and I had a wonderful time together, and I'm so thankful for my mother-in-law!! (I even got a reorganized pantry, etc. out of the deal!)

We flew back in the wee hours of the morning and were woken up early Sunday morning after 4 hours of sleep by 3 girls SO excited to see us... and yes, I was dying to see my girls too... I've never been away from them for that long!  (I thankfully got to nap in the afternoon after letting my husband sleep-in in the morning!)

Now I'm a few days back into the swing of things at school... we're all sick and coughing like CRAZY.  And despite fighting with my middle-child (who has her daddy's stubborn streak) this morning trying to get her ready for school... it's sure nice to be home.

I missed my girls (and the sunshine... does it truly ever NOT rain in Vancouver?? - that's another story...)  I must say that it was such a blessing to sneak that time away with my man... SO AWESOME and I miss him so much this week after having been with him for 4 days straight!

PANIC MODE

Well I don't know how things are in your part of the world, but around here, the past two weeks, everyone seems to be in complete panic mode regarding the H1N1 flu pandemic...

News of the 13-year old hockey player and now the 2-month old baby who have died of H1N1 have for sure fueled the panic.  Add to that the vaccine shortage... people lining up 5-6 hours to get their shot... people getting turned away because they don't fit into the high risk groups (kids 6 months to 5 year being among the high risk group accepted at the moment).  Lots of indecisiveness and confusion about what to do with the vaccine... We are bombarded by conflicting information on a daily basis.   We have decided to go ahead with the H1N1 vaccine (despite my having been the biggest skeptic when it comes to the regular flu shot, I'm thinking that this isn't the year to be a skeptic and I'm trusting the advice of my friends and family who are in the medical world!)  I'm not writing this to get the debate going about whether to vaccinate or not... that's a personal decision... do your research and decide for yourselves!

Rather, I'm writing to address the mass panic... It is easy to live in fear... in fear of getting sick... in fear of germs everywhere... in fear of our children getting sick and ending up like the kids we've heard about on the news... 

PANIC

FEAR

WORRY

I have caught myself begin to panic a few times over the last couple of weeks... but I just need to recognize it, and change the fear and worrying into prayer... The panic around me has fueled my prayer to God for my children and our family... for health, for protection, and for so much more...

Prayer and looking to God's truths in scripture give me peace as they take my eyes away from my circumstances, and rather remind me that there is an all-knowing, powerful God who is present and at work - not just in a cosmic distant way, but in a close and personal way.  He knows me, my family and everything about us, and even better, He loves us and cares for us.  Prayer keeps me focussed on who God is and melts away fear and worry.

Now does that mean that we will be free from illness, tragedy and heartache in our lives?  No.  But I do believe that God hears our prayers and answers them in ways that He knows are best for us in the long term.  That can be impossible for any of us to understand depending on what we're coping with.  In the face of those difficult times, I do believe that God gives us the strength to handle whatever we are up against just when we need it, and that it somehow fits into a larger plan that I may be unable to make sense of in the moment.

Here are two of my favourite verses that bring me hope and peace - as well as a few others!

"Ah Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and your outstretch arm.  Nothing is too hard for you."  Jeremiah 32:17 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  1 Peter 5:7

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." - Jesus (Matthew 11:28)

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you"  Isaiah 43:5a

I leave you with this prayer from Romans 15:13 :  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

So much to be thankful for indeed!

At this time last year, I was brand new to this blogging thing and in the early months of a maternity leave, two daughters at home with me and the eldest in school.  Much has changed in the past year, two daughters now in school full-time and one in daycare, a husband back to school just about to wrap up his program, and I'm back to work teaching high school (happy to be part-time only!) and have taken on more editing duties at Mom's Moments.  Life is busy as ever and I long for the quieter days at home!

Many things have not changed however... For one, I'm still blogging (though maybe more sporadically)!  And secondly, as I blogged at this time last year in my post "So much to be thankful for" I'm as thankful as ever for the many blessings in my life!  

Last Thanksgiving, we were surrounded by friends and family as we dedicated our baby girl to God at church.  She's now eating table foods and running all over the place and even starting to articulate a word here and there (that's a change from last year!). I'm as thankful as ever for her and her sisters...

What a blessing my family is to me.  

Happy Thanksgiving to you this year!  Be sure to pause and thank God for all of your blessings as good and perfect gifts come from above!

Tough Week

This week was a tough one on this working mom.

I've been back to work for a few weeks now, but this week was my 4-year-old-today's first full week of school (full days, five days a week in Jr Kindergarten), as well as my 14 month old's first full week at the daycare.

The first few days kept getting progressively worst... each morning started with me having to peel one off me to get her on the school bus. The crying and screaming would start before we left the house with her wanting to stay home with me and me replying "BUT MOMMY'S NOT EVEN STAYING HOME! I'm going to work!" Ugh...

It continued right until I literally had to plonk her on the front seat of the bus beside her poor concerned older sister (the bus driver later assured me that she was fine once the bus got going).

Thankfully at the end of the day a smiling girl came off the bus after a great day (she just seems to forget that come morning).

My baby's pick-ups at the end of the day... another blow to a mamma's psyche... she didn't want to have anything to do with me! All too happy when I'd drop her off, and crying when she saw me at the end of the day, reaching to be back into the daycare provider's arms... OUCH! One day she even ran over to ANOTHER child's mom, crawled up on her lap to give HER some cuddles... HELLO!? I get that you're mad that I'm abandoning you all day, but I'M YOUR MAMMA!!! Ugh...

Tough to see your baby not want you after having been away all day... It's safe to say that this mamma wishes she could just stay home and take care of her baby herself and put an end to this crazy attachment confusion! At least I know she's happy and well cared for when I'm not with her... but still... tough for a mom to take (my first two didn't do that quite so blatantly! And no, dropping of #3 at the daycare isn't much easier then dropping off your first... it's still tough! At least I know that its going to get better).

The adjustment period is just not always fun is all... It's accompanied with a heavy heart and a good dose of mom guilt.

How I love my girls and long for the slower pace of life which allowed me to put everything else on hold so that I could enjoy my days with them - we had such an amazing spring and summer together!

I now find myself having to cram a lot of house and computer work into my weekends which creeps into my quality time with the kids and leaving me impatient... I'll have to figure that out somehow!

For now, I pray a lot... for our girls... for wisdom and efficiency in how I spend my time... and for me to always remember what's most important in my days when I'm feeling pulled in 1001 directions: my family.

For now I'm thankful that on my birthday at the end of this past week, I had a better day with the girls... drop-offs and pick-ups... And as an aside, another up to my week was that my nearly-7-year-old was intent on my birthday being special. She insisted that we go out to dinner to celebrate and that my husband bring home roses for me. (It's nice to know that at least one of my girls isn't mad at me right now!)

I'm praying for a better week to come for our little family!

Oct. 1st Update:

Its been nearly a week since I wrote the above entry. We're nearing the end of week 2 of one in full-time daycare and the other in full-time JK, and I must say its been a much better week then last week! I'm happy to say that there have been no tears at the bus stop in the mornings, and no tears for the pick-up at the daycare at the end of the day... I'm SO THANKFUL!!! What a change from last week let me tell you... I though I was going to lose my mind.

It's always an adjustment period wen I head back to work, let alone one starting school and another in daycare... the adjustment is not over, there will still be rough days (and this week has been rough in other ways... sickness and constant running with early mornings and very late nights trying to fit everything in... ) but its worlds better then last week with the girls, and I think next week will be even better on all fronts! LOTS OF PRAYER continues to sustain me and our family... and hopefully I can catch up on sleep soon ;)

Starting off the Day

This morning as I lay in bed, I could hear my 6-year-old daughter singing quietly to herself in her bed. What a great way to start the day. I much prefer when she wakes up singing then when I have to wake her up, exhausted on a school day, and she's whining and complaining that she's too tired to get up yet... I choose singing over whining any day of the week! (if only it were my choice to make)

I do have other choices to make that affect my mornings though... will I press snooze, which results in a rushed morning to get myself ready and everyone up and going too... will I eat breakfast right away as I feed the girls, or will I get busy with 1001 tasks only to realize that I'm grumpy because I still haven't eaten (I don't function well without breakfast)... and the one which has the greatest impact on my day: will I sit and take a moment to read my Bible as I eat breakfast before I rush off and continue with the rest of my day (before or after the kids have eaten)...

Why is that last one so significant? Because I find that reading my Bible in the morning sets me up for a better day. It gets me refocused, invites God into my day from the start, and leads to a heart of prayer as I sit in the car driving to work, or doing tasks around the house - praying for my husband, my girls, friends, family, etc. In short, it puts life in perspective and reminds me that God is with me through each moment of my day.

I find that I've not been starting off my day right the past while, and I've been feeling it... impatience... rushing from one task to the next feeling like I'm not getting ahead... I have had seasons where I can pour into deeper studies, and others where I can barely get to just read a brief devotional with reflections written by various people based on a short passage. I'm in a busy season, and knowing that I've been missing the mark too often in past months, I'm back to picking up a devotional, though light, it at least is a start to get me focused in the morning and is better then nothing!

So I may not be able to choose if my daughter will wake up singing or cranky, but I can choose to take even just a minute to refocus my day by reaching for God's Word. What a difference it makes to my day!

Back to Work

So here it is... the moment you block out of your mind while on maternity leave (at least I do!)... the time has come for me to return to work...

I was back last week, but full swing next week with classes starting. I'm thankful that I'll be part-time (for the first time in my life) and have a more flexible morning schedule to be there for the girls before school and daycare. Ah... daycare... it always plays a number on my mind to put one of my babes in daycare... until we get settled and everyone gets accustomed and happy in our new routines. I'll also be there for them as they hop off the bus, so that works out wonderfully!

The first thing I find myself doing is selecting the perfect pictures to print off to have with me at school. It's so easy to get busy with work and not notice it taking over... I don't want to forget my girls in my days and that they need me more than any of my students do. I've learned over time that my only role where I am NOT replaceable is that of being a MOM to my 3 daughters. So when work and other responsibilities start creeping in, I want to remember all the fun we've had this summer so that I continue to prioritize making more time for my girls and family fun during the year when life is busy.

So here we go... another year at work... I already miss my girls. I already missed out on the beautiful sunny days last week and it drives me nuts! And I don't like that I'm turning the computer on again on a more regular basis... I LOVED the break I took this summer from working on the computer!

Speaking of the computer... I am also thankful for the help I've had with Mom's Moments in all the planning that took place last spring, so that I can keep up my newly expanded editing role there without it overwhelming me throughout the year. Great topics and people lined up to write for Mom's Moments and Deeper... I'm excited about that... stay tuned for the latest at www.momsmoments.ca (or rather just subscribe so you don't miss a thing and get an email every 2 months with what's new)!

I have a full plate this year... I pray that I can keep it all in balance! I'm feeling pretty good about it all so far with scaling back to being part-time, but I know it won't be easy to keep it all in check! I would give anything to be home full time... but its not an option for our family at the moment! Such is life... In the meantime, I'm praying for wisdom, PATIENCE, and energy so that I can keep up with everything while not missing out on the important things in life!

Where things go...

Yesterday, we were driving on a country road to go visit a friend in her new home when we went by a dump site. It had high mountains of crushed metal scraps... my 2nd grader was HORRIFIED! Our exchange went something like this...

"Why do they leave that there like that Mom?" she said with passion and extreme concern for this urgent situation.

"What do you want them to do with the garbage, love?" I asked.

"Not just leave it on the Earth!!!"

So on went the discussion as we kept driving about what happens with the things we throw in the garbage. Her response:

"I'm NEVER throwing ANYTHING out again!!"

My response: "Well we better stop buying things too then because it always results in more things needing to be thrown out in the end - packaging, broken things...!"

Well, that was ridiculously over the top to her... and there lies the problem. We are so comfortable in our wasteful lifestyles that any major sacrifice to address the serious issue of waste management becomes a difficult one to tackle on a personal level! It's easy to remain ignorant (I'm not preaching but rather including myself in here) when we don't often see it like we did yesterday and we just see our garbage picked up at the curve to go to some distant land we don't think much of...

And so we continue to live our lives, my daughter with a new awareness of the problem our wastefulness causes for the environment, and perhaps we'll get better and better as a family and a society to make smarter decisions about what we buy and discard.

Side note: For one, I've become much more aware of the amount of waste packaging produces... so that influences what products I put in the shopping cart... ie. I've never liked toilet paper and paper towel that are individually wrapped within their larger package... so much plastic! Now I'm noticing other packaging too... like juice boxes and water bottles... we've been bad for that because they're so convenient and recyclable... but they're still waste that need to be processed and that could be avoided... And what a movement to see all major grocery stores in our area push reusable bags and charge for the plastic ones now! I wonder when other retail stores will follow suit?

You know, my daughter's disgust at those mountains of scrap metal and garbage was a great reminder to me about how desensitized I've become about the whole situation... I truly should feel more of the urgency she did yesterday in the face of the blatant problem of waste management.

Loving Summer

I know most people are complaining about the cold weather we've been having this summer... it truly does feel more like fall most days... I mean we're only one week into August and yesterday I noticed that the leaves on our maple tree in the front yard have started to change colour and a few have already dropped... (that usually doesn't happen until late September/October for the most part!!)  

Yes, the weather has been off the past month or so, but it really hasn't gotten me down much.  There are a few reasons for this I think...  

First, we had BEAUTIFUL weather in the spring and I spent most of it outside with the kids and our neighbours in the back.  So to me being on leave, summer started well before July (which is when the cool weather came around if I do recall...)

Second, when you're expecting rain all the time, you get out and take advantage of every chance you get when the weather's decent!  I've been out and about with the girls a lot this summer and we've been having a ball making the best of each moment. 

Third, I've been loving this semi-technology fast of mine... I've barely been on the computer (no work, just fun to catch up with people now and then), I haven't been a slave to my blackberry (I've been out of cellular range for much of the summer, which has been great!), and I haven't even been watching much TV either.  (though I haven't scrapbooked like I hoped or read my novels for school either... I've been too tired in the evenings from full days! No worries!)

I think I've been having one of my best summers with the kids, and I think it's because I can't recall not being distracted by something or other in the summer... summer courses... prep for new courses I'd have to teach... moving... computer work for Mom's Moments... a brand new baby had me wiped last summer... did I mention packing up a house to move (that happened more than once!)  This summer, I'm just having fun with the girls with no distractions drawing me away.  It's been great.  Also seeing the games that one of my daughters is playing in speech therapy has gotten us all to play more board games together on a regular basis, which has been really neat (and different for us - great for those quiet days when the rain does hit!)  

The tough part has been having my husband still in school while we're out and about visiting (we've been home for a total of 2 out of 6 weeks since school's been out)... visiting the girls' cousins all over the place and spending much time at some cottage or another while daddy's been home alone studying... It can't be easy to study in the summer when your family is on holidays!

We're home for a while now... no more significant travel plans... more bike rides (hopefully more running!?)... more games... more swimming... more trips to the zoo (love our membership!)... more sleep (I'm hoping for me anyway!)... more steps and walking by my 13 month old... more time with my husband... a few visitors... I'm ready to be home and get the house in order (loving our new windows and doors!)... but very much still on holidays and continuing my semi-technology fast!!  I still have 3 weeks before I head back to work, so I'm going to love every last minute (and SO thankful that I'll be part-time with no new courses to prep for Sept!)

Hope you are all enjoying summer and making the best of each moment... as weird as the weather has been (in Ontario anyways)!

Summer Resolutions

School's out for summer... that brings mixed emotions for me...

For sure I'm SOoooo excited that summer is finally here! Tomorrow is Canada Day! The warm weather has arrived... the days at the cottage... the swimming... many days out in the sun... much visiting with family and friends...

But mixed emotions because it means that as my baby girl celebrates her 1st birthday in less then a week, the end of my maternity leave is fast approaching. Though summer is just beginning, I already have the end of it at the back of my mind, as I head back to the classroom in September, and will of course be doing some reading and preparation over the summer. That being said, I'm feeling like I need to do a few things this summer...

Now that we are free from our school and extra-curricular activities, there is less running around, and we're well on our way to relaxing and playing more. I want the girls to rest more (I want us all to rest more).

I'm also feeling the need for a major technology fast. I want to break free from the computer. Though I love the convenience of my Blackberry (new in the last few months), I also really want to get rid of it... it allows me to be at the computer when I'm not at the computer... I just want to get away from the computer altogether!! And I am excited to have reconnected with many dear friends through Facebook in the past month or so, and I particularly love catching up with my family (currently my immediate family in 3 continents and 2 provinces, and extended family in 4 continents and I think 5 provinces). Facebook has been really neat for getting a glimpse into each other's daily lives despite living so far apart! Having said that, I've just turned off all of the email notifications and I've taken the Facebook application off the main screen on my Blackberry... I'm feeling a bit too connected... I just need a break from technology in general... I don't even feel like turning the TV on at night! I will for sure continue to keep in touch with friends and family with Facebook, but not having it so ever-present on my phone will be a welcome break!

I'm thinking I might just pick up my scrapbooking stuff again (after over 3 years) and maybe get a bit caught up. I've also got a few French books to read for September, despite Molière and Les Misérables perhaps not being my first picks for summer reading, it'll be a good break and might just lead to me doing more reading in general!

So, I'm off to spend more time with my three girls... reading lots with my oldest as she becomes a more confident reader, reviewing basics with my 3 1/2 yr old before she starts school in the Fall, and watching my baby getting more steady and quicker on her feet, discovering more table foods and becoming more proficient at drinking milk from a cup. I also look forward to enjoying much time in the water with all 3 - the oldest is my fish, an awesome swimmer, my middle just on the verge of swimming on her own, and the youngest is splasher extraordinaire!

I also look forward to squeezing in whatever quality time we can with daddy when he can manage to take mini breaks from school... (like this past weekend's impromptu trip to the Toronto Zoo).

All in all, I just feel like I have to be even more intentional about how I use my time because I have an acute sense of my time at home being short now!! I want to enjoy every last bit to the fullest before I head back to work!!

Do you have any summer resolutions?

Sweet & Nutty Moments in Life

There are two phrases I seem to hear myself say a lot: "Nothing drives me more nuts then..." and "There's nothing sweeter in the world then..."

The problem is that lately I've been catching myself saying those statements in reference to several different things. I suppose that's the problem with absolute statements like ALWAYS, NEVER and NOTHING... we use them way too frequently... oh well... I thought I'd make lists to go with those two phrases... (in no particular order):

Nothing drives me more nuts then...

• having my peaceful shower interrupted by loud kids barging into the bathroom.
• running out of milk or cereal in the house (that was a pet peeve way back in university!).
• the laundry sitting in baskets waiting to be folded long enough that new loads have to be washed, only adding to the mounds to be folded and put away... making me dread the task all the more (see the vicious cycle?!)
• being woken up too early in the morning by whining kids pulling on my arm to come downstairs... (I much prefer when they crawl in and let me keep sleeping for a while longer!)
• little ones making my chair swivel from side to side when I'm trying to work on the computer...
• the kitchen cupboard door falling off its hinges and onto my toe (needs some loving and slight repair!)
• finding dishes around the house once I've just finished doing the dishes and drained the water... (I really should use the dishwasher more often)
• kids not responding when being called incessantly by another... be it a sibling, friend, or whoever... Respond when someone calls your name please!! (that goes for adults too I suppose!)
• receiving spam from myself... yep, that's my name and email address... but I KNOW I didn't send those!! I wonder who gets spam from me and thinks I sent that junk??? (know that it wasn't me!!)

Now on to the other list... Here's where I want to break into song like Maria in The Sound of Music with "these are a few of my favourite things...", minus the rain drops on roses (though that is beautiful) and whiskers on kittens... (our house is on a Sound of Music kick the past while since my daughter went to see the musical last month) Back to my list (again, in no particular order)...

There's nothing sweeter in the world then...

• the warmth and peace of a sleeping baby curled up in my arms hearing my girls spontaneously start to belt out praise songs to God (though it's not uncommon for them to break into song with ABBA and the Sound of Music these days too... it's sweet, but not the same in the least!).
• hearing the giggles and hearty laughter of our kids and seeing them make each other laugh is even sweeter.
• being out in nature exploring with the girls.
• snuggling in my honey's arms.
• enjoying the company of good friends and family on our back deck, at the cottage, (or anywhere else for that matter!)
• reconnecting with an old friend feeling like you can pick up where you left off.
• being invited to swim in our neighbour's pool with the kids at the end of a HOT summer day!
• putting your list of things to do aside (like cleaning a dirty kitchen) to push giggly girls on the swingset in the backyard after dinner with a bit of hide-and-seek thrown in. Makes everyone's day in the end! (not sure why I don't stop what I'm doing more often to play...)

Next time I hear myself say those phrases with something different... I'll add them to my list! What about you? What drives you the most nuts? What are your sweet and special moments? Post a comment and share!

Indistinguishable??

The other day my first-grader came off the bus telling me that there was a woman at school who looked just like me. She thought that the office had forgotten to call her down because her mom had come to pick her up...

Her face and hair were EXACTLY like mine...

Then, she told me that she looked at her feet, and didn't recognize her shoes. She was looking to see if she had a bandaged up big toe like mine from having split it open when I stubbed in on the cement the day before.

It's a good thing I stubbed my toe, or apparently, my own daughter would have mistaken someone else for me! You'd think your kids would know you!! Thank God for the little things that distinguish us ;)

The Quest for Independence

A robin built its nest in our doorway this spring.

It's been neat to watch the hovering mom always on the lookout as we'd carefully pass by, hoping she wouldn't dive bomb us in an act to protect her young! Thankfully, we were able to coexist without incident.

We started to see little heads popping up as she would bring them worms to eat, then just last week, the babes left the nest... it doesn't seem like that long ago that she built the nest! (see one of the babies below on its first flight out of the nest... didn't seem too scared by Emma's inquisitive presence... and it seemed bigger then I would have thought!!)

The nest sits empty now...

The quest to assert one's Independence is an interesting and complex one... it involves not only the willingness of the one who is to become independent, but also the willingness of the ones who are used to being depended on to let go... It's almost like a delicate dance...

I can't believe that we're already facing this in our parenting journey with our 6-and-a-half-year-old Julia... I've been seeing glimpses of it now and then... wanting to get milk for her 3-year-old persistent sister to help me out while I'm nursing the baby... or wanting to help me with tasks in the house (when it suits her) to show her competency...

The past little while, I've been seeing it at the pool... SHE wants to wash herself in the shower after her lesson (though she wants help once the shampoo gets in her eyes), SHE wants to brush her own hair, and has even been figuring out how to put it up in a ponytail of sorts! She DOESN'T need help to dry herself off or get dressed... certainly not in a dressing room (even if no one else is around)... and she DOESN'T want to be accompanied to the washroom EITHER!

My baby is growing up! It was frustrating for me today, in the moment, to watch her take FOREVER to get herself ready on her own, when I knew I still needed to get home to get supper ready... and I did, by natural instinct (and impatience) jump in there to speed things up a few times to her protest... But then I stepped back and let her be and do her thing... I did have to smile watching her standing behind her younger sister, both looking in the mirror, taking turns with the brush to do their hair... all by themselves...

As we were walking out, I WASN'T allowed to carry the bag with all the swimming stuff... she even reached for the keys and wanted to unlock the van by herself. When I jokingly asked if she wanted to drive home too, she jumped on it, I think for a moment thinking I was serious! When she clued in that I wasn't, she protested "But I know the way home!"... and that's where I draw the line!

The quest for independence... I know that my parents did a wonderful job of giving us wings at an early age... allowing us to feel confident in our own abilities, while always giving us the security of home... We left for the summers to work at camp, and we all left home early as well, most to finish off our high school in the south (for various opportunities). I hope to learn from their example, when so many today seem crippled... either by their parents' refusal to let go, or by their lack of desire or drive to assert their independence and leave the nest, I'm not sure...

I do pray that each of our girls will grow to become wonderful, confident, compassionate, motivated, loving, independent and capable young women... (and the list goes on!) I just didn't think that the process to independence started so early! It truly seems like yesterday when she was just a tiny 6lbs. 11oz. babe in our arms...

We were so clueless as to what was expected of us as parents! I suppose we still are as we keep entering new phases! The learning curve never ends, does it?

No Apologies

Okay, I'm an environmentally-conscious person... I mean, I have a biology undergraduate degree with a focus on ecology... and I do all kinds of things to care for the environment, always trying to be aware to mind the environment when I can...

Though I do strive to live greener, I have found my showers increasingly getting longer the past few months. Now I know it's not ideal, but I don't apologize for it! (my 6-yr old came home one day talking about caring for the environment and she dared ask - along with a long list of things - if I took long showers...BUT I do all sorts of other things!!!)

I didn't used to take long showers. I was all about keeping the hydro bill down and not using so much hot water!

You see, my showers are one of the few moments in the day when I have PEACE! I mean... no one pulling my on arm to do this or that NOW... for those few minutes, I can just block everything and everyone OUT. When I was teaching last year, I had a quiet commute to work (when I wasn't carpooling that is). This year, peace and quiet seem to be rare in the day other then my weekly evening pilates class and the times I manage to get out for a run in the mornings (and even then I have a 3 1/2 year old talking my ear off some days from the stroller!)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to promote disregarding the little things we can do to care of the environment (and reducing our hydro bills!), but I AM saying that it is important to take time out for yourself to keep sane and healthy! Particularly when you have little ones after you every minute of the day (though I'm sure it gets tough as they get older and need to be chauffeured everywhere as well)!

I laughed at my friend's blog post about the need for a bit of space from her young ones... you might relate too!