Getting Moving

Well, I never would have guessed that I would get my morning exercise today by shovelling the driveway after 2-3 days of solid snow that took us by surprise! What a strange winter and spring it's been! It felt like spring in February and now winter in April... ??

What I've been wanting to write about for a while is exercise... there are actually two things that have always been important to my days ever since I was young... being physically active is one, and having quiet time reading my Bible is another. Ironically, those are the two things that since having kids have been most easily squeezed out of my days. I fight to make room for them, at times unsuccessfully, at times finding a good groove - which inevitably is only temporary...

Focusing on exercise here... I have always been an active person... enjoying down hill and cross-country skiing, rowing, swimming, canoeing, I discovered Ultimate Frisbee in my university days and even tree planted in the springs during that time, and I am one of those people who actually truly does enjoy running. That would be the one physical activity that I long to fit into my weeks the most at this point in my life. I do Pilates once a week which is like physio therapy for me, but I really can't wait to get running again.

Though I love to be active, to feel alive with my heart pumping fast, I find it difficult to schedule exercise into my days on a regular basis since the kids... I'll have a few months where I get into a groove and find the perfect time slot to make it work in my weeks, but then summer comes, another baby comes, I go back to work or go on leave... at some point my schedule always changes and it takes me a while (sometimes a LONG while) before I can get into any sort of groove again. Last year back to teaching, with an added commute, and pregnant, I never did succeed to slide that in. I love being active when I'm pregnant, so I was really missing it! Exercise is always there in the form of carrying laundry and kids up and down the stairs and running around with the kids. Exercise for sure... But not the peaceful, ME-TIME runs I love.

In the winter it's particularly tough to get out with the kids when it's 20 below and the wind is fierce. But this winter I did get into a bit of a routine. I've been making a point of getting out to the bus 10 minutes early in the mornings with the girls (mainly because we never knew if it would be early or late! now it's just a habit to be on the early side). This has allowed the girls to run and play in the snow and burn off some energy before my eldest jumps on the bus (because let's be honest, I'm not the only one who needs to fit in exercise!). At times in the winter we'd stay out a bit longer after the bus to shovel the driveway so I can get moving too (today was a deja vu!).

I also found a great bargain on a running double stroller on Craig's List back in the fall, and it's been AMAZING! I've tried to carry on our morning habit of getting out early for the bus for the afternoon drop off, but making it out even earlier so that I can fit in a brisk walk before the bus. Now that the weather's nicer (not counting the past 3 snowy days!), my 3-year old Emma wants to bike, thankfully she's fast, so I can get a decent walk (at times a jog!) in there still! With my babe's morning nap getting shorter, I'm also finding that I have a bit of time to play with before lunch, so when it's nice we try to get out to the park for Emma to run and play. I'm hoping that as naps continue to settle and the weather keeps getting nicer and the ground dryer, that I'll be able to get out even longer and actually get to the trails so that I can start running again. Just hoping that Emma will be content to sit in the double stroller! At the end of the day, she's usually tired and in the winter would fall asleep in the stroller, so it could work out! Here's hoping...

Of course, with the arrival of summer and school ending... I don't have a triple running stroller... nor would my 6 year old want to sit in it anyway! So again, barely into a running routine, I'll be struggling to fit it in again! And she's more tentative on her bike, so here's hoping she becomes more comfortable (and faster!) so that I can at least get back out for good brisk walks with the kids on their bikes!

Honestly, I think I just need to be more intentional about prioritizing, planning ahead and seizing the opportunity to get out and get moving when the weather's nice! I suppose the same goes for fitting in my quiet times... planning, prioritizing, seizing the opportunities as they come along! It's not easy when you're tired and have all these little people to worry about to take time out for myself... but I need to. For my health and sanity - which essentially benefits everyone! I just wish it wasn't so hit or miss!

For ideas on getting the kids active when the weather's bad this spring, check out Caroline's Health Nut article in the Winter 2009 issue of Mom's Moments. (it was written for indoor ideas on those bad winter days, but it can easily apply to the rainy spring days!)

Beautiful

Today was a beautiful day. Sunshine, a new niece, my babe cut her first two teeth, the girls had their first swimming lessons of the season, and we enjoyed a BBQ with good friends. A beautiful day of blessings.

Yesterday was a day of waiting... Waiting to hear from my "baby" brother for news of the induction and labour/delivery, this being another high risk pregnancy for my sister-in-law... Waiting to hear from a good friend as she awaited news of a major decision that has been a long-time coming and a longstanding prayer request... Yesterday I took the kids to the park before lunch and enjoyed the sunshine as I continued to prayerfully and anxiously wait. Funny to have two things I've been praying about for months both come to a head on the same day. If only all prayer requests had a date when you knew the answer was due!

The funny thing is that yesterday I woke up feeling like it was going to be a great day filled with blessings. I don't particularly get strong feelings like that often, but yesterday I did. It felt like God would just be pouring out His favour down on many and be in the business of answering prayers.

If only I always had such confidence in how things would turn out when I pray and life feels uncertain. I'm getting used to God's answer being WAIT, instead of a quick resounding YES! Often times, I'm learning that the waiting has been to prepare me, to mould me, to stretch me... deepening my faith and reliance on God by the time the answer finally does come. Maybe it's easier to be confident in expecting an unmistakable yes when praying for others then when you're the one in the midst of a crisis, decision, or life event (major or minor). I suppose that's why it's so important to have others around us praying for us as well, so that their confidence encourages and strengthens our faith when we need it!

So yesterday I waited, expecting big things from God... and God did bring upon blessings but mostly in the trivial (like dry pants on my preschooler after a few accident-filled days!). Sure enough, I still had to wait... wait another day for the beautiful healthy baby girl who made her appearance early morn!... and wait longer still for my friend's situation to get resolved. So we keep praying and waiting for that one, all the while thanking God for the blessings and answered prayers of the day! Beautiful blessings indeed!

The "H" Word

I'm talking about Housework... Is it just me or does it never end? Making beds, cleaning bathrooms, floors, the kitchen and dishes, (fish bowls), the dustballs, and when did those finger marks appear on the TV AGAIN? oh and there are more here on the wall... and here... and what splattered on the cupboard door? oh and those patio doors...! And why is the front entrace all cluttered again!? And let's not forget the truly never ending laundry... I think that's become my least favourite job around the house because there truly is no getting away from it... first you sort it, then you get the loads washed and dried... if you're lucky, you have time to fold them right away, but more often it seems to sit in baskets way too long... then I'm in need of doing new loads and the folding just piles up! Oh, then it needs to get put away... and we start all over again! With every member of the family we've added, laundry seems to have multiplied exponentially!

It can get discouraging sometimes to feel like I can't keep up. I usually get into a good groove, trying to get the bathrooms clean and caught up on the laundry before the weekend comes, but I'm on leave at home full-time and I still find it tough to keep up! Energy levels are low in my still sleep-deprived state... and I'm trying to make the most of my time with my girls at home so it's kind of something that needs to get done now and then and in between... How in the world did I do it last year working full time? I recall having a mid-week blitz when I could to clean bathrooms and get a head start on the laundry so that I wasn't hit with everything on the weekend... I'll be back to work in the fall... I'll have to find some way to make it work!

Whether you hire someone to help with housework or not, none of us can get away from housework altogether... it's everwhere we turn and we all need to find some sort of balance with our home, family and work! I can't fully relax when I see a mess or a job waiting for me at every turn... though I've had to learn to just let it go at times so that I can make the most of my time with the kids and head outdoors to play and get some fresh air instead of staying in to vacuum... some jobs can just wait! I've also learned to take it one job at a time. I space some out during the week, but I still like having a blitz cleaning day where I get many jobs done all at once, that way they're done and I don't have to think about them and the kids generally like to help on those days... It will be tougher when I'll be back to work, but we'll figure something out... I've done it before! And now that the kids are getting a bit older, I also think I've gotten myself some pretty good little helpers who like being by mommy's side!

Happy cleaning! I know you face it just like I do ;) I leave you with a poem that was given to me... it is mounted on the wall in our mainfloor bathroom...

Excuse This House

Some houses try to hide the fact

That children shelter there;

Ours boasts of it quite openly,

The signs are everywhere.

For smears are on the windows,

Little smudges on the door;

I should apologize, I guess

For toys strewn on the floor

But I sat down with the children

And we played and laughed and read;

And if the doorbell doesn't shine

Their eyes will shine instead.

For when at times I'm forced to choose

The one job or the other;

I want to be a housewife

But first I'll be a mother.

Holidays...

My husband and I have always lived in a place where when we have any time off, we have family we like to travel to visit. So summers, Christmases, March Breaks, Easters and many weekends have often been spent on the road, visiting with family. This year must be the year that we have stayed put the most! This summer we went a bit stir crazy at first... we were accustomed to heading to camp where my husband directed the boys camp for a couple of weeks as soon as school was out... but instead he had to cancel his speaking engagement at the camp for the staff training as we awaited the late arrival of our newest baby girl... it was odd to still be home once school was out, but obviously necessary! We did make it to the cottage and visited here and there, but spent much of the summer at home getting to know our new babe. Then Thanksgiving, we had our baby girl dedicated at church... so we stayed home again and had family and friends over. Christmas had us stay put again... very strange for us. Then this March Break we welcomed a friend and her three beautiful children into our home and enjoyed many outings and the amazing summer-like weather outdoors. Again, another holiday at home.

Don't get me wrong, we have stolen weekends away to visit family over the past year, but when the long stretches come, we've been staying put. It's been awesome to really settle into our home, being around for our kids to play with their neighbourhood friends when they're off school... just more relaxing and less rushing around, more discovering what our town and area has to offer and the kids really having a blast playing and using their imaginations. I must admit that I am looking forward to being on the road more this summer with the girls while my husband is in school to spend some quality time with my family and to get to the cottage, but I think it's been ironically stretching us out of our comfort zones to stay at home. Sounds crazy doesn't it!? But we've always been so antsy to hit the road when we have any length of time off, that it's been new for us and awesome to be content where we are, to not feel like we have to spend every break on the road... catching up on rest and quality play time with each other instead of running all the time. We've also been connecting with some amazing friends and neighbours more by not being on the road so much. As stir crazy as we thought we'd be at the start of last summer... I've come to welcome breaks at home... but no worries, we haven't given up on our visiting as we very much enjoy those times too ;)

Problem solving

In a nutshell, doesn't that sum up much of parenting? Decision making and essentially problem solving? Forever trying to find solutions that will work for the entire family... Making decisions about scheduling and activities that will not squeeze out quality family time and down time, but allow the kids to explore and grow as well... Finding creative ways to get my preschooler to stop wetting her pants when I know she can because she didn't use to!... Figuring out when and how to fit in some sort of physical activity for myself... Making sure the beds get made, floors, kitchen and bathrooms stay clean (and lets not forget the laundry!)... Planning out the best route to accomplish errands in a short time span between naps, or before it's time to pick up one of the kids from preschool or the bus... Making the key decisions of which school to send the kids to and who will care for the younger ones when the time comes to head back to work... Weighing the feasibility of staying home full-time or scaling back to part-time and balancing the finances... Oh then there are all the sleep issues... figuring out a good bedtime routine that works to get the kids to bed early... getting the baby to sleep through the night... the toddler to stay in bed at night or preschooler to nap in the afternoon... the other to not be afraid at bedtime...

The questions and different possibilities of how these different issues and tasks can be handled keep a parent's mind going and problem solving non-stop whether we realise it or not! So many factors affecting every decision we make. I quite enjoy the problem solving aspect of being a mom... mainly because it feels pretty awesome when I (or we) find a solution that works for one the kids and for our family. It`s usually different for every child so there`s never a clear cut answer even if you find yourself facing the same issues, and as the kids grow, the decisions to make don't go away... they just evolve! I find myself praying for wisdom alot. For the big and little things... I love James 1:5-6

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind."

It`s easy to ignore verse 6 on that one, but you can`t... it takes faith in God that He hears us and a confidence that He will guide us in making the right decisions... it might take a while to find the right solution to whatever problem (however big or minor), but knowing that God's helping me along the way gives me peace and confidence in the every day and more complicated decisions that life brings my way!

March Already

Wow, I can't believe my last post was February 2nd! I've had a couple of posts running in my head that I'd love to sit down and write when I have a bit more time... I am proud of myself for having been off the computer this month though! We enjoyed family day weekend (a lovely new statutory holiday in Ontario giving us a long weekend in the middle of cold February!) Except it wasn't cold. My hopes of tobagganing and skating outdoors with our visiting family didn't quite materialize as we had a warm spell the week before that melted all the snow! Despite not getting to enjoy the winter sports with the kids, it was just great to see them have a blast together. We've been singing a lot of ABBA since then as my sister's daughter LOVES Mamma Mia... now my girls are hooked and are singing ABBA non stop! Poor daddy who is so outnumbered with all these girls! Now February is gone, I thought the sickness would go with it... but I woke up to a little one with the sniffles and congestion this morning... here we go again!! It deceivingly looks like spring outside with the snow mostly melted away and the blue sky and sunshine, but is that glacial wind (not to mention the sub-zero temperatures) ever COLD!! Looking forward to the warmth now... I'm a Northern girl... I like winter to come and stay... when the thaw comes, you know spring is here... these fluctuations in temperature all winter long make it tough on the psyche to get through the next cold spell (and I could do without the ice from the thawing and freezing)!! I'll be back soon I hope to write those posts I haven't had a chance to yet!!

A world of hurt

The past year, my senses have truly been heightened to those hurting all around me... close by and abroad... Friends living far from family, unable to return to their home country where they would be persecuted for their faith in Christ... friends with struggling marriages... some facing nasty custody battles and endless legal proceedings and false accusations... too many walking with loved ones through their fight with cancer... friends struck suddenly with inexplicable illnesses that have momentarily and at times permanently rocked their worlds... others struggling with infertility... husbands working far from home... then news of a baby girl (seemingly barely 1 from the photos) battling with stage 4 cancer... and reading the stories of some of the children members of my church's mission trip to Cambodia are encountering...

I have also recently been introduced to the International Justice Mission and have just read a book called "Terrify No More" which tells of their work in Cambodia and around the world to free and seek justice for victims of sex-trafficking and of bonded labour, etc. I'm also finishing a book called "One - A face behind the numbers" where Vaden Earle from Absolute Leadership Development brings to light the injustice that so many in the world face and our need for us to step up, become aware and take action!

All of this has led me to one main response... Why am I so blessed Lord? I have a loving and faithful husband, healthy beautiful children, a lovely spacious home, a tight-knit loving extended family, caring friends and a wonderful church community. We are blessed beyond belief. As I sat the other night praying for those hurting around me and wondering why we are continually blessed, the answer that came was this...

We are blessed so that we may bless others.

We can't respond to others' stories with the fear of illness, injury or accidents striking our family. That response keeps my eyes on me. It's selfish and a useless waste of energy and emotion - though I sometimes have to remind myself. No, I really believe that we are blessed so that we can bless others with our time, our resources, our friendships and our prayers.

I wrote about my desire to teach my kids about compassion back in October... getting their eyes off their own little lives and desires and to recognize the needs of others around them. I think I am the one who has been learning the lesson more than anyone. It's so easy to get consumed by my own busy life and family, with my only worries being paying the bills at the end of the month, getting my kids through their colds and flus and preparing my 3-year old for school in September.

I have been feeling a new and increasing burden to pray for those who cross my path the past while. You know, it's a funny thing to pray more for others. It takes my eyes off me and my troubles as they arise which seem SO BIG when they're my main focus. But as I look to God and trust Him to act in the lives of others, lifting them up in prayer, it builds my faith to remember that God is a powerful God who will take care of my worries which seem to be nothing at all regardless of how bad my day seems!

I am blessed. As John Waller talks about in his song "The Blessing", I can and will choose to be a blessing!