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Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Tuesday, March 05, 2013
Seattle with Kids
Well I keep telling people about the fabulous family day weekend we had with the kids, so I thought I should put it down here so that I can refer the rest of you on to my blog for the info. :)
Our bank accounts decided that we weren't going to have a sunny vacation this spring, so we decided to do the next best thing and find fun without sun close to home. The plan was to make this a kid-friendly trip without sacrificing food quality (too much), being jailed to a hotel room, or spending copious amounts of time in stores.
Our mantra for the trip was:
(This I note, was quite effective in staving off whining, cranking and bitching in most forms and by all parties.)
Day #1 - Vancouver to Seattle
We got off to a somewhat reasonable start and except for a lengthy and poorly planned gas and Starbucks detour, made it to the border (Sumas) in good time. The kids and I took out eight movies from the library for the car rides, and they were super content to dig right in to an early morning one. Note: I must admit, I originally thought Rob's car choice was so over the top, but I now absolutely love the "luxury features" including the dvd player. It makes road trips oh.so.easy.
First stop: our very favorite taco truck, and no, I have no idea where it is except it's outside of Bellingham somewhere on Meridian.
We took down about 15 of those babies. They are so good, and the kids always love kicking around the fields around the truck. The truck also sells the spicy Mexican candies we love. Mmmmmmm....
With bellies full we headed back on the highway without stopping until the dreaded Tulalip Outlet Mall. As much as the kids wanted to complain, they ended up loving the hour there as they picked out crazy sweatshirts, bathing suits and new undies. Rob and I were a little disappointed at the selection at the Restoration Hardware store (our purpose for the stop) but pleased with not spending any money.
As we rolled into Seattle we decided that stopping for an early dinner might be the best thing and hit a pizza joint we had always wondered about. After circling the block for parking (it was 5) we were starting to wonder what was going on, but soon realized that we had stumbled upon a kid-friendly gem. Tutta Bella was absolutely buzzing with families. Its open kitchen was great entertainment for the kids, the waiters were incredibly patient, and best of all, the happy hour menu was amazing. Everything was $5 or less. We ordered three pizzas (they're small) a salad and a salumi platter. Rob had beer and I had wine (also on the happy hour menu.) Everybody ate really well and had a great time. I would definitely do it again.
We made it into our Seattle Sheraton hotel with plenty of time to enjoy the pool and hot tub and everybody hit the hay for the night.
Day #2
The day was bright when we woke, but without a lot of sun in the forecast. Nonetheless we all agreed it was a perfect day to hit the zoo. But first, we were off to Capitol Hill to try a brunch spot that came highly recommended. The wait was a bit daunting at first, but we went outside to play some Crazy Cubes and soon enough we were tucked into a comfy corner table with a view. And man was I glad we waited! The Skillet Diner has an eclectic menu to be sure, but everybody found something they loved. Rob chose the chilaquiles to stay on his Mexican theme. Mia had a grilled peanut butter and jam sandwich with fries. Lucas ordered a cinnamon role that was the size of his head, no joke. I had the L'il Rob; a delectable sandwich of egg and bacon between flapjacks, drizzled with balsamic syrup with a side salad. Great meal. (My favorite of the whole weekend actually.)
If you've never been to the Woodland Zoo and you've got kids, you should go. This was our third or fourth trip, and it didn't disappoint. The highlights of this visit were twofold. The first was feeding the penguins. For an extra price and a bit of a wait, the kids got to go with a staff member and drop wee fishies to the hungry penguins. Last time we had fed the giraffes and we still talk about it, so we knew that feeding the penguins would be good.
The second highlight was the special event they had going for the day. Due to the arrival of Valentine's day that week, the animals were getting Valentines delivered to their enclosures throughout the day. These were absolutely adorable little gifties that arranged from bugs to fruit to popcorn, but all came in hearts and ribbons and bows. I spent a half hour with the gorillas waiting for their treat, and they didn't disappoint. I *may* have been more excited than the kids. It was hysterical watching them open and enjoy all their treats. The kids were amazed to see the adeptness of their problem-solving as well as the silliness of the young gorilla as he jostled and pushed his elders in his attempts to get more snacks. Not great photos as the windows were super dirty.
There were also four new lion cubs to be viewed, but we caught the end of it and the kids were rather done by then.
Our dinner choice left a little to be desired, but the intention was good. We had been to the happy hour at Rockbottom before and really enjoyed the tasting beers and sliders. So we thought we were being clever doing the same thing; until we realized that the tasting menu was only on weekdays. Nonetheless, a good kids menu, great beer and delicious blue-cheese topped burgers.
Day #3 and 4
This was the day the kids were waiting for, so the day began with a lot of excitement. But we weren't to be bullied into diverging from our plans, so we walked down to Pike Place Market to watch some flying fish, eat some crab bennys, check out the magic shop, purchase stuffed snakes and drool over bouquets of gorgeous flowers. All good, but no photos!
And then, it was back into the car and off we went to find Great Wolf Lodge; the kids' treat for family day.
This turned into the day of the side trip.
The first, was to surprise Lucas with a trip over the Sturdy Gertie, which he had been telling us all about. Seriously, the kid's an encyclopedia. He had been studying structures and this bridge was in the unit. He sounded like Wikipedia talking about it, so we just had to have a drive over. (And pay the toll - that was a surprise too!)
Side trip number two saw us driving down to Point Defiance Park to surprise the kids with go-cart driving. I had my camera with me, but took no photos because my hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly, and I was laughing so, so hard. I had seriously sore teeth from the freezing cold air hitting my gigantic gaping, snorting mouth, but it was worth it. Rob and Lucas drove together. (Rob was way too big for the car!) And Mia went back and forth between screaming an laughing in mine. So fun.
After those little diversions, we hunkered down to hit the water park.
So, if you've never been, you can take my words with a grain of salt. I'm sure that everyone's experience at this kid-crazy place is slightly different. We had riddled our friends who had been with questions and gotten a few tips on how best to navigate the mayhem but still felt rather unprepared.
When I opened the doors to check in, the noise hit me like a wave of nausea; sudden and surprising, but manageable if I set my mind to it. It was as though every possible noise from every emotion of a child's spectrum of possibilities was resonating through the timber structure. Nonetheless, I set my jaw and joined the long line-up to check in.
Check-in, except for the fact that I needed an ear-horn to hear the directions, went smoothly.
We piled our stuff onto the airport style luggage trolleys and off we went to find our room. (By the way, I would bitterly complain if our room were anywhere near the elevators at this place. There were THRONGS of children running willy-nilly through the halls, but especially near where the Magiquest stations are set up.
Ok, I have just realized that this is going to get pretty rambly at the rate I'm going, so here's the low down:
The Drive: Really not bad if you've got it broken up a bit and have something for the kids to be entertained with in the car
The Food: Better than we were expecting, and fair prices, but still standard kid-food. The pizza places looked awful so we ate one meal in the restaurant. Honestly, the kids were satisfied (Lucas said the fried rice was the best ever?!) and we managed. Taking lots of healthy snacks for the room kept us well-nourished and we made do with everything else. I think if it were a longer trip we would have had to do some driving to get decent food.
On site Starbucks: One hour wait ... just saying...
The "Extras" : There were a lot of things for the kids to want to spend money on despite the "all-inclusiveness" of the water park. The Magicquest looked really cool , but when we were there the line-ups for each station were so long that you could just stand behind and watch the other kids wave their wands and get the clue. Even though Lucas and Mia were keen to try, they saw the reasoning behind it when we offered them each a card for the arcade instead. Haha. The arcade, as much as I detest the concept (almost more than the germs?) was a blast. Both kids found plenty of things to play and earned quite a few tickets. Lucas hit it big on one game and won a thousand tickets, much to Mia's distress. Luckily you can load the points onto your game card and not carry the tickets around! The kids both learned a lesson when they went to buy things with their points and realized their money would have gone further in the gift shop. (Which, by the way, is HUGE and unavoidable.)
The sleep: We slept some.
The water park: Worth the money. Lots to do, very manageable line-ups considering how packed the rest of the lodge seemed, well staffed, clean and most importantly; fun. I would have enjoyed slightly warmer water, but nobody else in our crew seemed to care.
The verdict: It was for the kids, and the kids loved it. All of it. The noise, the food, the entertainment and the time together. We will do it again for sure.
That's all for now. Seattle with the kids was a blast. Do it. :)
Ting
Our bank accounts decided that we weren't going to have a sunny vacation this spring, so we decided to do the next best thing and find fun without sun close to home. The plan was to make this a kid-friendly trip without sacrificing food quality (too much), being jailed to a hotel room, or spending copious amounts of time in stores.
Our mantra for the trip was:
"One person's mood does not affect the mood of the others."
Day #1 - Vancouver to Seattle
We got off to a somewhat reasonable start and except for a lengthy and poorly planned gas and Starbucks detour, made it to the border (Sumas) in good time. The kids and I took out eight movies from the library for the car rides, and they were super content to dig right in to an early morning one. Note: I must admit, I originally thought Rob's car choice was so over the top, but I now absolutely love the "luxury features" including the dvd player. It makes road trips oh.so.easy.
First stop: our very favorite taco truck, and no, I have no idea where it is except it's outside of Bellingham somewhere on Meridian.
We took down about 15 of those babies. They are so good, and the kids always love kicking around the fields around the truck. The truck also sells the spicy Mexican candies we love. Mmmmmmm....
With bellies full we headed back on the highway without stopping until the dreaded Tulalip Outlet Mall. As much as the kids wanted to complain, they ended up loving the hour there as they picked out crazy sweatshirts, bathing suits and new undies. Rob and I were a little disappointed at the selection at the Restoration Hardware store (our purpose for the stop) but pleased with not spending any money.
As we rolled into Seattle we decided that stopping for an early dinner might be the best thing and hit a pizza joint we had always wondered about. After circling the block for parking (it was 5) we were starting to wonder what was going on, but soon realized that we had stumbled upon a kid-friendly gem. Tutta Bella was absolutely buzzing with families. Its open kitchen was great entertainment for the kids, the waiters were incredibly patient, and best of all, the happy hour menu was amazing. Everything was $5 or less. We ordered three pizzas (they're small) a salad and a salumi platter. Rob had beer and I had wine (also on the happy hour menu.) Everybody ate really well and had a great time. I would definitely do it again.
We made it into our Seattle Sheraton hotel with plenty of time to enjoy the pool and hot tub and everybody hit the hay for the night.
Day #2
The day was bright when we woke, but without a lot of sun in the forecast. Nonetheless we all agreed it was a perfect day to hit the zoo. But first, we were off to Capitol Hill to try a brunch spot that came highly recommended. The wait was a bit daunting at first, but we went outside to play some Crazy Cubes and soon enough we were tucked into a comfy corner table with a view. And man was I glad we waited! The Skillet Diner has an eclectic menu to be sure, but everybody found something they loved. Rob chose the chilaquiles to stay on his Mexican theme. Mia had a grilled peanut butter and jam sandwich with fries. Lucas ordered a cinnamon role that was the size of his head, no joke. I had the L'il Rob; a delectable sandwich of egg and bacon between flapjacks, drizzled with balsamic syrup with a side salad. Great meal. (My favorite of the whole weekend actually.)
If you've never been to the Woodland Zoo and you've got kids, you should go. This was our third or fourth trip, and it didn't disappoint. The highlights of this visit were twofold. The first was feeding the penguins. For an extra price and a bit of a wait, the kids got to go with a staff member and drop wee fishies to the hungry penguins. Last time we had fed the giraffes and we still talk about it, so we knew that feeding the penguins would be good.
There were also four new lion cubs to be viewed, but we caught the end of it and the kids were rather done by then.
Our dinner choice left a little to be desired, but the intention was good. We had been to the happy hour at Rockbottom before and really enjoyed the tasting beers and sliders. So we thought we were being clever doing the same thing; until we realized that the tasting menu was only on weekdays. Nonetheless, a good kids menu, great beer and delicious blue-cheese topped burgers.
Day #3 and 4
This was the day the kids were waiting for, so the day began with a lot of excitement. But we weren't to be bullied into diverging from our plans, so we walked down to Pike Place Market to watch some flying fish, eat some crab bennys, check out the magic shop, purchase stuffed snakes and drool over bouquets of gorgeous flowers. All good, but no photos!
And then, it was back into the car and off we went to find Great Wolf Lodge; the kids' treat for family day.
This turned into the day of the side trip.
The first, was to surprise Lucas with a trip over the Sturdy Gertie, which he had been telling us all about. Seriously, the kid's an encyclopedia. He had been studying structures and this bridge was in the unit. He sounded like Wikipedia talking about it, so we just had to have a drive over. (And pay the toll - that was a surprise too!)
Side trip number two saw us driving down to Point Defiance Park to surprise the kids with go-cart driving. I had my camera with me, but took no photos because my hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly, and I was laughing so, so hard. I had seriously sore teeth from the freezing cold air hitting my gigantic gaping, snorting mouth, but it was worth it. Rob and Lucas drove together. (Rob was way too big for the car!) And Mia went back and forth between screaming an laughing in mine. So fun.
After those little diversions, we hunkered down to hit the water park.
So, if you've never been, you can take my words with a grain of salt. I'm sure that everyone's experience at this kid-crazy place is slightly different. We had riddled our friends who had been with questions and gotten a few tips on how best to navigate the mayhem but still felt rather unprepared.
When I opened the doors to check in, the noise hit me like a wave of nausea; sudden and surprising, but manageable if I set my mind to it. It was as though every possible noise from every emotion of a child's spectrum of possibilities was resonating through the timber structure. Nonetheless, I set my jaw and joined the long line-up to check in.
Check-in, except for the fact that I needed an ear-horn to hear the directions, went smoothly.
We piled our stuff onto the airport style luggage trolleys and off we went to find our room. (By the way, I would bitterly complain if our room were anywhere near the elevators at this place. There were THRONGS of children running willy-nilly through the halls, but especially near where the Magiquest stations are set up.
Ok, I have just realized that this is going to get pretty rambly at the rate I'm going, so here's the low down:
The Drive: Really not bad if you've got it broken up a bit and have something for the kids to be entertained with in the car
The Food: Better than we were expecting, and fair prices, but still standard kid-food. The pizza places looked awful so we ate one meal in the restaurant. Honestly, the kids were satisfied (Lucas said the fried rice was the best ever?!) and we managed. Taking lots of healthy snacks for the room kept us well-nourished and we made do with everything else. I think if it were a longer trip we would have had to do some driving to get decent food.
On site Starbucks: One hour wait ... just saying...
The "Extras" : There were a lot of things for the kids to want to spend money on despite the "all-inclusiveness" of the water park. The Magicquest looked really cool , but when we were there the line-ups for each station were so long that you could just stand behind and watch the other kids wave their wands and get the clue. Even though Lucas and Mia were keen to try, they saw the reasoning behind it when we offered them each a card for the arcade instead. Haha. The arcade, as much as I detest the concept (almost more than the germs?) was a blast. Both kids found plenty of things to play and earned quite a few tickets. Lucas hit it big on one game and won a thousand tickets, much to Mia's distress. Luckily you can load the points onto your game card and not carry the tickets around! The kids both learned a lesson when they went to buy things with their points and realized their money would have gone further in the gift shop. (Which, by the way, is HUGE and unavoidable.)
The sleep: We slept some.
The water park: Worth the money. Lots to do, very manageable line-ups considering how packed the rest of the lodge seemed, well staffed, clean and most importantly; fun. I would have enjoyed slightly warmer water, but nobody else in our crew seemed to care.
The verdict: It was for the kids, and the kids loved it. All of it. The noise, the food, the entertainment and the time together. We will do it again for sure.
That's all for now. Seattle with the kids was a blast. Do it. :)
Ting
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Fabric Frenzy
I haven't sewn in ages. And honestly, I've never been any good at it. But there remains in me a desire to craft and somehow be successful with what I create. Ha - that's what Pinterest will do to you I guess. So recently I found myself on a glorious sunny day (of which we have had so few) at my very favorite fabric store buying squares of the most joy-filling fabric. Although I haven't actually done anything more than wash and iron the pieces so far, I am filled with happy just to look at them and imagine what I might one day produce.
So if you are ever in the hunt for great fabric to inspire, I suggest you head over to Spool of Thread and peruse their selections.
And by the way... don't be surprised if you never see a blog post with the finished products!
The above have plans to be transformed into a skirt for Mia.
The birds on the far left were made into a new kitchen curtain.
So if you are ever in the hunt for great fabric to inspire, I suggest you head over to Spool of Thread and peruse their selections.
And by the way... don't be surprised if you never see a blog post with the finished products!
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Tubing!
What a sunset! And also what a lovely way to end a great day.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, January 18, 2013
Roberto's Post
The post goes out to Roberto. :)
Why, you ask Roberto?
And who, you ask, is he? Haha. A friend and a bestie's hubby is the answer.
The answer to why it goes out to him is because he asked me why I wasn't writing any more. And no-one has asked me in a long time. In his honest question I found the impetus to try again to chronicle the everyday, the memorable and the gobbledygook that permeates my brain.
So here's to you Roberto.
Thank you for kicking my butt...gently and kindly.
Love Ting
PS - I'll try not to fall off the band wagon again.
Why, you ask Roberto?
And who, you ask, is he? Haha. A friend and a bestie's hubby is the answer.
The answer to why it goes out to him is because he asked me why I wasn't writing any more. And no-one has asked me in a long time. In his honest question I found the impetus to try again to chronicle the everyday, the memorable and the gobbledygook that permeates my brain.
So here's to you Roberto.
Thank you for kicking my butt...gently and kindly.
Love Ting
PS - I'll try not to fall off the band wagon again.
A New Year
Our first Christmas in our new home was wonderfully smooth and relaxed. We burned a lot of firewood, drank a few too many cocktails and played a lot of board games. We spent the weekend immediately after school ended and immediately before Christmas in Whistler skiing, which was a fantastic choice. It meant that everything that needed to be done had to be done before we left. When we rolled back into town on Christmas Eve, we dropped off our ski gear at home while the kids waited in the car, picked up our bag of gifts for family and drove to my mom's in toques and ski gear. Although we may have been a little stinkier than past years, it turned into a great plan!
Look at that mess! I anticipate spending a lot of time battling ivy, blackberry and bamboo this year!
Still holding my kids close... Love to all. xo Ting
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Almost ready
Well, we are ready for Christmas.
For the first time in years, I feel that we are calm and relaxed; the way we should feel at this time of year.
This one has lost so many teeth it's puréed turkey for his holiday dinner. ;)
This one, who now speaks only half French and half Mia-nese, has been a truly helpful elf full of love and joy.
We have crafted, feasted, visited, skied, movied and played.
The kids have spent their allowances on thoughtful gifts for all they love.
And we are ready to celebrate another season of Christmas.
May each of you enjoy peace and calm at this time of craziness. Keep your kids close.
For the first time in years, I feel that we are calm and relaxed; the way we should feel at this time of year.
This one has lost so many teeth it's puréed turkey for his holiday dinner. ;)
This one, who now speaks only half French and half Mia-nese, has been a truly helpful elf full of love and joy.
We have crafted, feasted, visited, skied, movied and played.
The kids have spent their allowances on thoughtful gifts for all they love.
And we are ready to celebrate another season of Christmas.
May each of you enjoy peace and calm at this time of craziness. Keep your kids close.
Location:Here and There
Friday, May 04, 2012
Hey There...
Remember me?
I used to write this blog.
Like actually, sit down and type words , sentences and paragraphs that I thought were somewhat interesting or important into the field and the publish these thoughts with photos.
Innovation has its limits I suppose!
I recently read someone's comment that Facebook killed the blog, and I'd have to agree that it may also have influenced my blogging. That, and life, of course!
I'd like to recall why I started this thing, where it took me, and perhaps why it petered out.
The blog was started when we moved to Mexico. I used it as a seriously effective way of showing my community of friends, family and acquaintances what we were up to. It generated a lot of comment and more importantly a real connection to people. It was my life line to my world at home in Vancouver. As it progressed, I realized that it had become a beautiful memoir of our days. Its charm, I feel, lay mostly in the regulatory of postings that allowed me to elaborate of smaller, more elaborate details rather than a general catch-up.
Unfortunately, a summary of the sweet chocolate- chunks of life is what it became over time. I began to see a more restrained practice of relegating the trials and successes of life; marking the milestones of the lives of the kids in particular. To my senses, it began to lose the essence of life that it had once held. I couldn't keep up with all the events. I didn't want to record many of them, and I lost the self-regulated "permission" to post about trivial aspects of life that often absorb my psyche. Bummer. And thus the random Facebook post about kids' quirks or broken dishwashers. Boring.
And now where do I go? Do I archive my words. Store them in a virtual retainer to be recalled with memory?Is this book done? Do I open it again? Re-create it? I really have no idea. Heehee...no truly, I do have ideas, but haven't decided where to go with them.
Ideas:
- take up where I left off
- begin a different blog
- post only photos
- walk away
- start a novel :)
- ???
I know the words won't go away - they never do. I recite them in my head if paper, screen or person won't hear me.
Any suggestions?
I used to write this blog.
Like actually, sit down and type words , sentences and paragraphs that I thought were somewhat interesting or important into the field and the publish these thoughts with photos.
Innovation has its limits I suppose!
I recently read someone's comment that Facebook killed the blog, and I'd have to agree that it may also have influenced my blogging. That, and life, of course!
I'd like to recall why I started this thing, where it took me, and perhaps why it petered out.
The blog was started when we moved to Mexico. I used it as a seriously effective way of showing my community of friends, family and acquaintances what we were up to. It generated a lot of comment and more importantly a real connection to people. It was my life line to my world at home in Vancouver. As it progressed, I realized that it had become a beautiful memoir of our days. Its charm, I feel, lay mostly in the regulatory of postings that allowed me to elaborate of smaller, more elaborate details rather than a general catch-up.
Unfortunately, a summary of the sweet chocolate- chunks of life is what it became over time. I began to see a more restrained practice of relegating the trials and successes of life; marking the milestones of the lives of the kids in particular. To my senses, it began to lose the essence of life that it had once held. I couldn't keep up with all the events. I didn't want to record many of them, and I lost the self-regulated "permission" to post about trivial aspects of life that often absorb my psyche. Bummer. And thus the random Facebook post about kids' quirks or broken dishwashers. Boring.
And now where do I go? Do I archive my words. Store them in a virtual retainer to be recalled with memory?Is this book done? Do I open it again? Re-create it? I really have no idea. Heehee...no truly, I do have ideas, but haven't decided where to go with them.
Ideas:
- take up where I left off
- begin a different blog
- post only photos
- walk away
- start a novel :)
- ???
I know the words won't go away - they never do. I recite them in my head if paper, screen or person won't hear me.
Any suggestions?
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Photos
Lunch with my man.
Man we're happy school is back in. :)
Bandidas, Commercial drive.
A muddy play at QE.
A fulfilling day so far.
And fun photos to prove it!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
This is how the new year has started; sleepy!
Such is this time if year for me. Wet, cold and blah.
But this new app makes me happy.
Photos to follow.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Such is this time if year for me. Wet, cold and blah.
But this new app makes me happy.
Photos to follow.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Happy Birthday Lucas!
The little guy turned 7 last weekend, so we celebrated this weekend with a wild and crazy birthday party of glow bowling, cake and pinata. Amazingly, we survived. Last year I swore I would never do another large boys' birthday, but I found myself in the same predicament all of a sudden with 15 kids RSVPing yes for the party. Yikes.
Unfortunately the morning had gone poorly at Lucas' soccer game. Lucas received a hard ball to the face in goal and he couldn't turn himself around to get past it - which ended in frustration for all. We consequently started our birthday proceedings grumpy The result of which was my telling him that his Spongebob pinata would get no arms as a result. Lol. Regardless, I thought the results of the previous evenings late-night crafting was fairly decent.
The saving grace for the party and my sanity (besides the weather) was Rob. He deftly undertook the job of entertaining the kids with a game of "Robert Says" to whittle away the time until the glorious moment up pick-up. He was my hero!
All in all, the party was a success with very few injuries, entertained kids, and a happy birthday boy.
But... could someone please remind me to make it smaller next year!!!
Monday, October 10, 2011
A lot to be thankful for
What a cliche!
However it has been a hell of a year and yet there still resonates in me a deeply grounded understanding that life is giving and good and that all that is, simply is. Sigh....
I feel that it was about this time last year that life went to pot for me. But now that I look back on the fall of 2010, I realize that I had heaped way too much onto my plate. I was working full time at school plus had taken on a part-time contract facilitating workshops in high schools for a research project. I had organized and hosted a huge 70th birthday for my beloved mom. We had committed to a confused rescued three-month old puppy. Mia's part time participation preschool hours were sucking up my free time with duty days and evening meetings. Lucas had just been diagnosed and we were only starting our journey to understanding how we could help him be more successful. I was playing hockey, Mia dancing, Lucas swimming and playing soccer and Rob busily working away at a pretty new job.
It was a lot.
Period.
And so, I put my head under the sand, dug deep and began to breathe.
Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe...
That's all I've done all year since, really.
I've hardly seen friends. We've not had a lot of adventures. We quit a lot of activities and we busied ourselves instead with fortifying foundations of health and well being.
And that's ok. :)
So here we are a year later on Thanksgiving weekend. Lucas has just turned 7 and is finding himself more every day. The puppy is one. Mia is successfully settled in kindergarten. Rob is well-established in his job. I'm working a little less and learning to balance a little better.
My head, dare I say, is coming out from under the sand and we are getting there..
And as I emerge and see things that make me smile again.
Like a weekend that went well.
All of it.
Very few disasters, tears or upsets.
Goals of laundry, marking and exercise were met.
Cookies were made. Dogs were walked. Friends were played with. Phone calls made.
We slept in.
Breathing feels nice now. Not hard.
A journey never ends of course. And I write this with the knowledge that things get better after they get worse. And that's ok.
People surprise me.
Like my students. One class of young 'uns liked a new novel so much that they decided to buy it with their own money and study it together.
Ummm... really?
And the other class.
The ones who frustrate me daily because I just can't get into the swing of the split level I'm teaching.
They all want to take my class again. They like me. Really? I thought I was doing a crappy job.
And the grade ten class in the summer that raised $300 bucks for Red Cross African famine relief when I suggested quietly that a donation would mean more than us eating cookies on our last day.
Sigh.
There is always sadness and disappointment.
October has seen a death in the family. And breast cancer.
But.
My world is good.
People envelope me in their warmth.
And with that I can emerge a little less scarred.
And for that...
I am thankful.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Savary Island year four
We are deep into week two at our favorite piece of paradise. So far we have had great weather and lots of beach time with very few glitches. As usual an abundance of wildlife has thrilled us; seals, sea lions, snakes, starfish, crabs, eagles, herons, woodpeckers, Sand dollars, and lots of deer.
Sadly, Hunter had a run in with a mama deer who did not like his naughty aggression. She clobbered him in his rear and took out a grand portion of butt. Rob and Mia spent a large part of their day driving him to the vet in Powell River where he will stay overnight and have the tissue connected tomorrow. Pour little guy... But it kind of serves him right for being such a pest.
Well, we're off to get the kids to bed - Mia with a fresh bee sting and us with bellies full of Rangoli and Reisling, yum!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sadly, Hunter had a run in with a mama deer who did not like his naughty aggression. She clobbered him in his rear and took out a grand portion of butt. Rob and Mia spent a large part of their day driving him to the vet in Powell River where he will stay overnight and have the tissue connected tomorrow. Pour little guy... But it kind of serves him right for being such a pest.
Well, we're off to get the kids to bed - Mia with a fresh bee sting and us with bellies full of Rangoli and Reisling, yum!!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Monday, June 06, 2011
Sickness
Daddy has hockey fever. We are all worried about him, but are assured it will pass soon.
Lucas' class has caught it as well, as you can see.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Lucas' class has caught it as well, as you can see.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Music to my Ears
Rob and I are sitting upstairs catching up on the day whilst listening to Lucas read through the vents. We are amazed with his increased ability and grateful to all his teachers who have supported his journey through literacy this grade one year. I myself remember struggling with reading and sobbing tears of frustration when left to my own devices at Duthies in Arbutus Village after being told to find a book I could read before we left! (No offense Mom, I'm sure you were near and as frustrated as I was!) It was such a break-through to me when I realized I could indeed read, and the skill quickly developed into a love for a medium that remains one of my very favorite. Indeed to this day there is little else better than sinking into a good book.
So today I say thank you to Dav Pilkey, author of the Adventures of Captain Underpants series, for although I frown upon any book that uses gimme or wanna, I am thrilled that my son is sitting up reading, and asking to be allowed just a little more before bed!
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