Perfect Day

I had a perfectly perfect day on Wednesday, even though it started at the mad hour of 6:30 am, Callum’s new wake-up time (I know! Callum? Yes, the big sleeper-inner isn’t sleeping-inning anymore).
He was agreeable, at least, to cuddling up with me in ‘Mama’s Bed’ until he heard Claire and annouced her wakefulness and asked if he could open her door now. After demanding that she be picked up, we all went down for breakfast. No temper tantrums, we simply enjoyed breakfast with polite toddler conversation and baby babbling.
Immediately after breakfast we did a picnic in the living room. Following that, we headed outside for round-two of the morning coffee (read: reheat number 1 million of the same damn coffee I made at 7:00 am).
Back inside to get dressed and we headed to Nanaimo with my Mom to run a quick errand, stopped at Fabricland where Callum picked up an assortment of buttons he just had to have (oh how my heart softens) and then to the beach for lunch, digging in the sand, and a stroll through the rocks to the surf.
So. Much. Fun. There was so much wildlife out there. The crabs were everywhere, they looked like little ants scampering through the water. We saw geoducks, and irritaed them, and the clams so that they would squirt water at us. We saw a huge starfish which Callum will still tell you was sticky. There were oysters everywhere, and an eagle just hanging out at the water’s edge. A crane even flew by.
Claire was INSANE and would just run to the water every chance she got and screamed bloody murder if you tried to stop her. It was beautiful and seriously the most perfect way to spend the day with the kids. We spent the late afternoon on the deck, the kids actually playing together happily. Maybe I spiked their milk and forgot I had done it?
In light of all that beach wonderfullnes I decided to do it all again this afternoon(well, the beach part, not the errands part). The beach is my new best friend. The perfect way to entertain children, and tire them out so they are all happy and agreeable.
Of course, both times I forgot my camera. I assure you if I had remembered my camera, no fun would have been had. That’s murphy’s law.

Coffee Break

“Mama, come and sit in chair”
“I’m busy right now, Callum”
“You sit in chair.”
“I’m pruning this bush right now, why don’t you help me?”
“No, Mama. You sit in the chair, and Callum sit in the other chair.”
“I’m busy, Callum. We’ll sit later.”
“Mama, I drink milk and you drink coffee, and we sit in the chairs now, ok?”
Sometimes my boss is kinda cool.

tis the camping season

I love camping, and I think there is no better adventure you can do with your kids. Its so much fun to watch them explore everything, watch the birds, and just be in wonder at the fabulousness of nature.
Plus, camping is all about low quality parenting.
Marshmallows for dinner? Absolutely! We’re camping. You want to eat more dirt? Go ahead! We’re camping. Nap? I don’t even know what that word means! We’re camping. Eat vegetables? I will hear of no such thing! We’re camping.
Steve commented that he hadn’t realized how much I had cut back on processed foods* until this past weekend and it was so plentiful (not only did I stock up on appropriate junk food, so did my inlaws! We were in high fructose corn syrup, trans-fat heaven). I think it’s going to take us a week to detox. I had three Cokes over the course of the weekend – what is that, the equivalent of 25 meals? They were gooooood.
Callum requested to be put to bed every night. I have no idea what that says about us as parents, but hey, if the kid doesn’t want to sit by the fire and make a s’more, ok-dokey. More for me. Claire even went down relatively easy (for Claire) and slept (mostly) through the night.
We got the dinghy out this trip and took the family for a float. Claire slept while Callum dictated where Steve should paddle, mostly back to the beach so he could catch another frog. I think the frog was the highlight of Callum’s trip.

Claire was all over the water, and you had to be on your toes because she’d walk right in, and keep on walking.

We have a two-week family camping trip (in a tent!) planned for the end of June and beginning of July that I am really looking forward to. The first week is a Family Reunion for Steve’s family (well, an impromptu family reunion I think, one of his nephews is graduating from high school and his parents are throwing a party but we’re all going to be there, so it’s like a family reunion). The second week we’re meeting up with Michelle and her family for a week of camping that I am super excited about. I am desperately hoping the movie in my head isn’t expecting too much out of our kids but I have this vision of them just loving every minute of it. Family bbqs, and hikes, floating on the dinghy in the lake, ice cream, afternoon naps with a little happy beverage for Michelle and I while we read our novels and discuss the plots….
Good Times. And we haven’t even left yet .
*we still eat processed foods, of course (cereal, ground round, crackers, and treats as we see fit) but on the whole we have been slowly, very slowly, trying to eat mostly whole food. Another post.

Hiding

I feel like I’ve been hiding a little bit. There is a lot I want to discuss but it’s all so …heavy. It requires me to think, and to have more time than I appear to have right now.
A few happy tidbits:
Steve ran a half marathon the first weekend of May, and came in at 1 hour 52 minutes. It was pretty awesome. The kids and I went over to Vancouver with him, but we didn’t get to see him cross the finish line (he was finished by 9:30 am, we weren’t even out of the hotel room yet). The next race he runs I really want to see him cross the finish line!
We’re off for our second camping trip of the year tomorrow! Hopefully the weather co-operates as we’re headed to the lake, and it would be much more enjoyable to be sitting next to a lake when it’s hot.
There was much planting activity in the garden this week, which probably means there will be rogue bean plants springing up everywhere. We have yet to build a fence, though, so it may have all been just a very good example of why one shouldn’t plant their garden with toddlers in tow.
And now I must work. wheeee.

Mama Day

I am surrounded by incredible women, I am one of those annoying people who seems to have a little fairy taking care of everything and dropping random blessings in my lap. I know it and today I want to tell you all how much I know it, how much I appreciate it, and let you all know that I love you to bits and pieces. I’d love you even more if you brought me some chocolate cake right because I really want me some cake.
There are days when I think how utterly lonely and sad life could be as a new Mom without this support, without the chance to pick up the phone and have my Mom drop by with a coffee, or a chance to giggle with Fearthainn, or just gossip and mindlessly chat with both Michelle and Ange. Steve is an amazing man, don’t get me wrong, I can’t imagine doing any of this without him but there is something about the support of woman that goes the distance, you know?
So today I’m sending my love to all my girlfriends, Mommys and non-Mommys alike. Ooozing with the love right now people (and a hangover because I dared to have a beer and a half last night, which is just stupid because we all know that the extra half a beer is IMMATURE and NOW I MUST DIE).
Here’s to my Mom, who is an amazing woman and I am so blessed to have her in my life, to have her know and cherish my own children, and support me in all my crazy ideas. I am sending her buckets of love and support this week since it’s going to be a really tough week for her, after an already tough year. She deserves peace, and I hope we’re on the road to that.

To my Grandma, who is without a doubt the COOLEST GRANDMA to have ever lived. You think your Grandma is cooler? Well she’s not because mine is. How lucky am I to be able to spend time with my Grandma, and my children to spend time with her? The bond that Callum has with my Grandma is incredible, he talks about her all the time and whenever she’s around no one else is allowed to even speak to her without his permission because she’s “Callum’s Grandma”. It’s fantastic (and a little annoying when I’m trying to learn something and Callum won’t let me have even a minute of her time).

I also want to send some love to my friend Candi today. She’s had a crazy year and just found out that her little guy may have to have surgery. We’re thinking of you guys today, girl, and I know the hardest thing for any Mama is to watch their little ones in pain. So let’s all send a little love and positive vibes her way, today, too.