Martini Momma

Thankfulness

How could the weekend pass you by without stopping 400 times to be thankful for the sun and the autumn heat.  We headed out to Fort Whyte and never considered that 24 degrees on October 11th might actually mean shorts weather.  We were sweltering as we took in that gem.  I've NEVER been to Fort Whyte....NEVER.  I will go back tomorrow, the next day, the next day, if only it were a little closer.  I would also highly recommend that place as a photographer's treasure.  My family are not good subjects, terrible in fact.  They run from me.  Little turkeys.  Overkill, I guess.  I cannot believe that wilderness expanse exists right there on the city limits.  Beautiful.  Thankful.

We also took in the Amazin' Corn Maze, along with 10000 other Winnipeggers.  Again, we wore jeans and again, we were wrong.  I just can't imagine dressing the kids in shorts on Thanksgiving weekend.  Our friends, Melissa and Shauna, planned it so that we could enjoy a picnic lunch before taking in all that place has to offer.  Friends for us, pals for the kids, animals, pumpkins, haysyacks, corn.  Yep, my sister and Jared, Sadie and I got lost in the maze, seperated from the rest of the crew.  We had to head out early for the second round of turkey feasting, so missed the pony rides (and the endless line to get to the ponies) and the hayride.  It was short and VERY sweet.

I'm heading into the week, full, 14 pounds heavier from the 60 helpings of turkey and all the fixings and I think I've eaten half a pecan pie all on my own.  I made pies for the holiday and despite loving being in the kitchen, I've decided I hate making pies.  Time consuming, tedious, HATE making pies, cakes...yes, pies...no.  I better eat the last half tonight to erase all memories of a Saturday spent making pies.  

Thanksgiving weekend was full of family and relaxation, a weekend that really did have me close to what is most important.  My little ones at my side, hubby thrilled to be out with us and not away on business, how could I be anything but grateful for this little package.  Happy Tuesday!  It's a 4 dayer and that is certainly something to be thankful for.

 

Impossible....I think not!

The Original Martini Mommas hit the streets last night for the Paisley concert and like usual, when in their company, the show is never dull.  We 4, Kath's sister Jacklyn included, sat 14th row on the floor discussing the prospects of ever making it to front row.  We decided that while it is on most bucket lists, it is near impossible unless you:

a.  Win tickets on the radio playing some dumb game

b.  Know some person of great influence in the music industry

c.  Have a very tight relationship with the one and only Brandi Parnell

Clearly the third choice is going to be my only option and she NEVER disappoints. 

It started with this picture:

 
It was a hopeful entry in a radio concert that just didn't come to fruition. My friend does not take "No" for an answer and we giggled our butts off while she paraded it to several unenthused security guards before she came across a senior gentleman in charge of guarding the entrance to the back stage.  From a distance, I watched the conversation unfold.  Lots of pleasantries, polite smiles, a show of the blackberry displaying this photo, an explanation.  "Brad told me to show this picture to you and asked that I come backstage to meet him again".  Really?  "I met him in Hawaii"  Really?  "Kuaii, actually"  Really? I'm pretty sure that Brad has never been to Kuaii. "Oh".  A tap on the arm by this kind man says it all, even if I wanted to let you in, I love my daughter-in-law too much.  He reveals his backstage name pass to show "Dad Paisley".  Yep, only Bran would be able to find Brad's father in the mess of people. 

 

Shortly after, she is ushered quietly from our seats to the side to talk with another security guard who wants a peek at the famous Brad photo.  He glances over at the 3 of us left in the seats, we wave like 16 year olds.  He motions us over.  "You can stand right here, just look like you belong and I won't say a word."  At this point, we are 10 feet to the side of the stage.  No problem.  As if fate hadn't stepped in enough, another official looking gentleman tells us to scrap the side of the stage and stand right nose to toes with Brad.  That's right, instructing us to go and stand with our chests pressed right against the speakers, elbows resting on the stage.  Guitar picks, Jumbotron appearances, smiles from the band, a rub of Paisley's boot, a slap of Hootie's hand, could it get any better??  Yes, if you're Brandi Parnell and Brad Paisley's father is also taken in by your charm.  The lights turn on at the end of the show and there is Doug Paisley, calling her name, handing her the set lists off the stage for her to keep as a momento.  Really?  Only Brandi.  It was AWESOME and just when I thought box seats couldn't be topped, my friend manages the absolute impossible.  To think some people just go to their assigned seats, watch the show and go home.  Can you imagine?

 

 

Painstaking Process

Every night Ty brings home a book or two that he reads to us as part of a fairly structured home reading program.  He uses his little finger to follow along the words and we painstakingly make our way through the books.  There is a reason that I do not teach elementary school, I do not embrace this whole teaching to read thing.  Frankly, I don't think I'm very good at it.  I know as a mother, I should be in awe of my son's fast growing repertoire of words.  I should be excited for the end of the evening routine when we sit down and snuggle and settle in for some of the world's most dull books.  If this weren't enough, the list of weekly sight words come home that we need to review and find in everyday readings.  Come on, could this process be anymore painful?  I try VERY hard to seem enthusiastic and encouraging but there are days....The question that begs to be asked is this, is there a better way to teach your kids to read.  Ty is well on his way and really his list of sight words is quite lengthy but I'm wondering if anyone knows some great websites that encourage early readers.  He loves the computer, he can do it without me taking the lead, there must be some great ones.  I am fully expecting my early year teacher friends to insert some advice here...Shauna, that's you, in case you weren't sure.  Mommas, lay it on me!

A Plea For ZZZZZ's

One month ago, we started back to school, busy days, full evenings, a perfect recipe for good sleeps and with the dark of the fall mornings, I knew sleep-ins were around the corner.  What I expected and what has transpired are about as far apart as you can imagine.  For 3 weeks, my two darling daughters have been rising long before the sun.  5:40, 5:20, a few days they were on the brink of breaking the 5 am rule.  We're not real supportive of their new schedules but worse, we don't really know how to fix it.  Our girls are no longer little babies that can be forced to "cry" it out in their cribs.  Sadie rises and from the dark, I can hear her screams, "mama, mama, mama", they don't cease and they don't get quieter.  Chad and I battle in bed about who is getting uo or even whether we are getting up to retrieve her.  The days start early and the nights are no better.  For months, they have been sleeping like rocks, waking happy and at reasonable hours, now suddenly even the nights are interrupted.  We were up from 3 to 4 the other night, listening to the crying of our baby.  I snuck in at 3 and told her it was bedtime, laid her back down and as I walked out the door, the screaming started again but this time she was screaming for the Wiggles.  So I just brought her to bed and put on the Wiggles.....just kidding.  I'm not that weak but it was close.  I just want to sleep, I want a full night, I want my hubby to stay on his side of the bed and stop stealing my blankets.  Suddenly, the basement couch seems pretty inviting.  I want my day to start with the soft whisper of my alarm's country music and not the wailing of my girls.  I want 6 hours..actually I want more but I'll take what I can get.  Am I asking too much?

My son, the budding photographer

Ty has always jumped into his passions with both feet.  He is the one in our family that becomes completely consumed by his flavor of the week.  He lives it day and night and his excitement for whatever it is becomes completely infectious.  Over the years, it has been Lego, fishing, hockey, water skiing, camping, Harry Potter and they usually cycle through every few months.  It always rubs off on me and I try my best to encourage whatever he has his sights set on.  It dawned on me the other day when we were out on our newest adventure, our first family photo shoot -shot entirely by Ty, that this might actually be something.  He has a knack for it and last night went to bed with my lastest photography magazine, "just to check out the newest gear" he told me.  He fell asleep with it laying there on his chest.  What if this is his gift?  I'm going to embrace this one, partly because my heart lies in photos and partly because I would hate to not embrace and encourage what might be his passion for the long haul.  Maybe it will be a hobby, maybe more, maybe it is a passing phase, but it deserves my attention none-the-less and it makes me SUPER proud.  Here is a little sampling from our shoot and from his boys-only camping trip with Dad, untouched and unedited.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I wasn't supposed to touch the camera but I snuck this one in, I couldn't resist snapping a picture of my little man, on location doing what he loves...for NOW!

Fall Flat

I echo my butterfly friend, Brandi's, sentiments these days.  With the start up of school, there is a real need to find a schedule in life, while still finding that very necessary "me" time.  I work hard every night to keep the kids bedtimes on time, to fit in Ty's tiny bit of home reading, to find a moment to "play", to clean, to organize, to keep sanity.  Like Brandi, I find it hard to sit down and really relax, R and R is very difficult as a mother.  We are driven to move, there is always another task, another mess.  Last night, I made a promise to sit down with Chad and just chill on the couch for 2 hours after the kids were tucked in tight, we rarely do that during the week and it was so great.  It was NOT that great tonight when  I had to clean double time to make up for the mess I left behind last night.  Balance.  I struggle with where to fit in my runs and even this beloved blog.  I snuck in a run on Sunday and did the trails in the pits, only to find that my damn knees did not like trail running and I am paying with every stair I have to walk up.  So frustrating!  That bums me out and makes me feel more than a bit flat, leaving me with little to say in my blogging world.  I am very rarely at a loss for words, but I just feel like life is a bit, well, mundane.  The return to routine, while necessary and welcome, seems to make life a little dull at times.  Do you ever have those days?  On the upside, this weather is specatcular and a night out playing Olly, Olly Octopus in the backyard certainly makes everyone smile.  The sun shines on for the next few days, so I will try to absorb every second of it. 

Whole Again

The family reunion lasted all weekend.  It was so good to have my hubby back, so nice to have someone to tag off to but even more than that nice to have a partner to experience life's roller coaster with.  Maggie could barely pull herself away from her daddy, she must have told me a thousand times that "he is the best daddy in my whole wide world."  We tried to fit in as much outdoorsy stuff as we could muster but the kids wanted nothing more than one of dad's famous forts....inside.  We took in a corn maze, a not-so-great-short corn maze but still fun in the fall sun.  Lead by my son, we ventured through the gravel pits and the little trails there, where he made us subjects in his new hobby.  Ty has found a bit of a passion for photography (where did he get that?) and he set us up for family pictures in our first family photo shoot.  next weekend, he said it should be just dad and I, the girls were a bit "difficult" he claims.  It was so great to be a whole family again.  Happy Monday!

Thanks to the Village

My long lost husband returned to us tonight, which is probably why I have a minute to sit down and type this out.  The kids want their daddy to do bedtimes for them tonight, two weeks is a long time and they have missed him tremendously.  It's funny, I was so worried about how I would manage to keep my head above water that  I never really considered that his absence might be really tough on the kids.  The last couple of days, I noticed my Ty was quite sensitive, teary at simple frustrations, not too keen on heading off to school in the morning, obsessive about the day of the week.  I think he missed his daddy fiercely and when I saw him drop the backpack and literally run to his waiting arms after school when I showed up with Daddy, as a surprise, to pick him up, I fought back a few tears myself.  The reunion tonight was filled with lots of hugs and kisses, a few presents, and lots of smiles from Dad as he caught up on what he had missed. 

I have not only a better understanding of the sheer work that single parents handle on their own but also a respect for the stamina they have to uphold to keep their lives on track.  I would say we "managed" around here, we did not thrive without Daddy but we did alright.  I didn't get to the deep down cleaning, I missed a garbage day, the van smells a bit off, Jazzy barely got walked.  I stayed up late EVERY night, thankful for just a few minutes to myself at the end of the tasks and tidying. The upside, I got into a great routine of laying out clothes, jackets, shoes, backpacks, notes, all the stuff that can send the morning out of whack in an instant.  The house was clean at the end of it all, the kids are happy, and I haven't lost my mind, I would say we are a success story.  The truth of the matter is that I have a village that always pitch in wherever they can.  My Mother-In-Law and Judy and Dad wound their way into my life over the last 2 weeks.  Elaine sent home supper one night.  Judy brought lasagna another night.  Elaine watched the kids so that I could do a whirlwind tidy one day and sneak in a photo shoot one beautiful Sunday afternoon, allowing me that few hours away from my kidlets to regroup and reboot.  Judy showed up on my doorstep one evening, prepared to do bedtimes so that I could run and take Jaz for a walk.  Elaine came to keep me company on Wednesday, bathing them so that I could organize the garbage and recycling for the next morning.  She also took one look at my elements and proceeded to dismantle my stovetop and scrub and polish the thing until it shines like I shouldn't use it again.  Dad called to announce a McDonalds delivery for the kids one evening and last night when I got home at the end of my open house evening at school, Judy was seated in a freshly cleaned and tidied house.  I found out later that she had also resocked our kids shampoo that she must have noticed we were out of.  And of course, my katie, called and visited whenever she could and I voiced the days frustrations on her more than a few times.  I used to think it was a sign of defeat to accept help, and then I heard this woman speak at a fashion show in Lee River this summer.  She was a cancer survivor and explained the help that her friends had provided to her during her battle.  It was their gift, the one thing they could offer, their time and their efforts.  By not accepting their help or by saying , like we often do, "I'm Ok, I can handle it."  or "Don't worry, I'll be fine", we are actually denying their gift.  It struck me at the time and it resonated with me this week.  I put aside my pride, I let them in, I wasn't offended and I was more than a little grateful.  Their gifts of food, time, pick-ups, and clean ups made these past 2 weeks bearable and at most times completely manageable.  To my village, thank you for all you did. 

Letting My Guard Down

It's when you let your guard down that disater strikes.  I took my 3 little monkeys to run some errands with me on Saturday morning, little choice as my hubby is STILL out of town.  Shauna and Katie think maybe my errands were not completely mandatory and perhaps could have been skipped but come on Clinique Bonus time at the Bay and picking up Maggie's new twinkle Sketchers, well that's a BIG deal in our world.  We went to Shoe Company and I tried on 3 pairs of boots, kids wandered the aisle, pulled boots out of boxes, OK, now I was pushing it.  I decided to B-line it to the till to pick up her shoes and the unthinkable happened.  Maggie and Sadie were just behind me while I dealt with the shoes, Ty was standing beside me.  I kept checking and calling them, the girls were giggling madly and swinging from the metal turn style.  I was trying to pay and keep them calm but as I turned around, Maggie yelled, "She's gone!"  Sadie had run under the turn style and was now in the vestibule connecting the store with the parking lot.  I screamed and she ran full out, I could hear her squealing with delight to be playing "chase".  I ran to the turn style to find it stuck, it only turns one way and I couldn't get out.  I was screaming and had to run around to find another exit.  She was well into the parking lot, already passed the roadway where anyone could have hit her.  Maggie, realizing the danger, ran out to try and "save" her sister, so both my baby girls were in harm's way.  They were at least 10 cars into the second aisle before I could catch them.  I tell you, my heart was beating through my chest, I was sobbing and a hysterical mess.  Imagine, 10 seconds later or earlier, what the outcome might have been.  It is a busy place and it is truly divine intervention that they came out unscathed.  My heart is a bit tattered, thinking of how I trusted them behind me in line.  The whole scene should have been avoided but I let Sadie walk through the store instead of enforcing the stroller like I had intended.  I let my guard down for just an instant and I will NEVER do it again. 

A Hockey Family is Born

My dad never had a son and so never really had the opportunity to get into the whole hockey thing.  I remember he would sometimes go and watch my cousin, Adam, playing as a kid but that was about the end of that.  My dad was the dad that taught my sister and I to play catch and to bat a ball.  We would stand in the backyard with dad while he demonstrated the correct technique of swinging a golf club.  We would watch him shoot the balls into the field behind our place.  He would fetch raquet balls from the rafters when I played endlessly in our garage.  He wasn't a hockey dad but I think he absolutely loved the sports days of baseball games and school sports.  I am pretty sure that had there been a boy, dad would have loved it, despite the fact that I don't even know if he has played the sport before.

Yesterday, I had to enlist my dad to give me a hand getting Ty to his first day of Rustbusters camp, the start up camp for his Timbits team.  Chad's out of town and the very thought of rushing from church with the girls and having to do equipment for the FIRST time on my own seemed overwhelming.  Dad and I chatted briefly about the details, do they really just wear a T-shirt under that equipment?  Does the cup go over this or under that?  Nothing really flusters my Dad, how hard could it be?  I walked in just as the camp was about to start and Dad had pulled it off, Ty was dressed and pumped.  Everything was holding in what it should and off we went.  3-on-3 was the best thing we could have done last year. I wasn't even sure if he would remember anything but he was AWESOME, one of the best, dad and I agreed....proudly.  The hockey dad and hockey grandpa were born in that moment.  We took to the stands where Ty skated by cooling breezing by while pointing up to the stands at me.  I could see that smile beaming even behind the cage.  He gives it his ALL every time, skating as fast as he possibly can and sometimes falling as hard as he can.  It's pretty spectacular on ice and pretty great in the stands, too.  I found my friend, Susanne, and we watched our boys give it their all, up and down the ice and my dad made himself comfortable beside her husband where they chatted government shop talk.  Dad looked up periodically to see "his boy" and comment on how great he was doing.  He loved being there and I knew he would love the small talk that comes with being a hockey parent.  Thank you, Grandpa, for helping us out and for being there for the start of this new phase for Ty and for me.

Well, we are "in it to win it" as Ty told me.  The teams will be made shortly.  Ty will come away with some new skills and some new buds and we will have an instant weekend social calendar.  Let the games begin!