This weekend the girls slept over at Erica and Grandma's place. It took some discussion but finally it was decided that Evelyn was going to Erica's and Amelia and Audree would be going to Grandmas. The deciding factor on Amelia's part being who had access to Treehouse.
I can't remember what it was like to wait for something with no real notion of time. Amelia is old enough now that she's gets how long and hour is and can look at a clock and figure out what time it is and about how long there is to go. Poor Evelyn is not at this stage yet. Every two minutes (starting at about 7am) she was asking when Erica was coming to pick her up. Finally, I set the kitchen timer so she could watch the time decrease. However, she then starting asking every two minutes when the timer was going to ring. I banned her from asking and told her she would just have to watch it. So, she sat for about an hour, just watching the timer. I could hear her in the livingroom excitingly counting down "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" followed by a disappointed "ohhhhhh" when it wasn't the final countdown.
I finally took them out grocery shopping so the time would pass a little quicker for her.
Sidenote: It's been awhile since I took the three of them shopping together (Luci was sleeping) and now I remember why. There's a good reason why cars shouldn't be able to fit more than two carseats. Because only a crazy person goes out with more than two kids.
Saturday, 26 May 2012
Friday, 25 May 2012
Afraid of Clouds
Turns out Audree is now afraid of clouds...that may lead to rain...that may have thunder and lightning. I hope this is a short-lived fear.
We were walking home today and she was in a mood to begin with. Didn't want to walk, didn't want to hold hands, until finally she did the I'm-not-going-to-move-and-you-can't-make-me thing that kids love to do. If I walked away, she screamed, alerting the entire neighbourhood to my parenting techniques (or lack thereof!). Until finally (and this was before I realized her fear) to try to get her moving I looked at the few clouds in the sky and said "I sure hope it doesn't rain on us" thinking that she wouldn't want to get wet.
Well, she starts a screaming, mad dash home. Unfortunately I had Lucienne in the stroller and two other kids walking so catching her was not a real option. My girls have always been fantastic about stopping when the sidewalk ends and waiting for me to catch up to cross together. Turns out when she's in a panic run she doesn't think about this. Luckily, one of my neighbours was out and caught her as she went to run across the street. Again, feeling like a stellar mother I caught up and we crossed together only to have her run like mad home (luckily no more street crossings needed). When I caught up again I found her crying and banging on the door with both fists screaming "let me in, let me in, let me in...". I got everyone in and she's standing in the middle of the livingroom still bawling and shaking saying she's cold and needs a blanket (this is in 30 degree weather).
She had a panic attack. It was so sad.
I know it's from a fantastically loud storm we had a few weeks back. We were just getting out of the car when thunder literally shook the ground. It must have been right over top of us. It startled me but completely scared her. When I told Rene this story he said he had tried to console her by saying that as long as she was in the house she didn't need to be scared of the storm.
Her fear of ladybugs only lasted a few months so I hope this one peters out too.
We were walking home today and she was in a mood to begin with. Didn't want to walk, didn't want to hold hands, until finally she did the I'm-not-going-to-move-and-you-can't-make-me thing that kids love to do. If I walked away, she screamed, alerting the entire neighbourhood to my parenting techniques (or lack thereof!). Until finally (and this was before I realized her fear) to try to get her moving I looked at the few clouds in the sky and said "I sure hope it doesn't rain on us" thinking that she wouldn't want to get wet.
Well, she starts a screaming, mad dash home. Unfortunately I had Lucienne in the stroller and two other kids walking so catching her was not a real option. My girls have always been fantastic about stopping when the sidewalk ends and waiting for me to catch up to cross together. Turns out when she's in a panic run she doesn't think about this. Luckily, one of my neighbours was out and caught her as she went to run across the street. Again, feeling like a stellar mother I caught up and we crossed together only to have her run like mad home (luckily no more street crossings needed). When I caught up again I found her crying and banging on the door with both fists screaming "let me in, let me in, let me in...". I got everyone in and she's standing in the middle of the livingroom still bawling and shaking saying she's cold and needs a blanket (this is in 30 degree weather).
She had a panic attack. It was so sad.
I know it's from a fantastically loud storm we had a few weeks back. We were just getting out of the car when thunder literally shook the ground. It must have been right over top of us. It startled me but completely scared her. When I told Rene this story he said he had tried to console her by saying that as long as she was in the house she didn't need to be scared of the storm.
Her fear of ladybugs only lasted a few months so I hope this one peters out too.
Monday, 21 May 2012
Victoria Day Holiday
What a crazy, fun, productive day today. Here's the run-down...
Rene finally started on the summer kitchen project, thanks to Erica bringing up her mitre saw for us to borrow. Who would have thought we'd ever need to borrow a tool? Right when we were ready to begin (and by we I mean Rene) Rene's saw started acting up. Turns out it's a switch that's on backorder and it's been 4 weeks. Anyway, he has the framing of the walls done. I'm excited to add another "useful" room to the house. We have been using is as a dumping ground for stuff with a side of exercise equipment. Once we can put the treadmill in there it will clear up a room for Amelia to go in and I have two more rooms to decorate and move around furniture in. I'm kind of hoping to put the piano in there too but it will depend on how regular the temperature ends up being in there. I'd love it to be an exercise/music/mudroom...that's my goal. Rene's thinking more man-cave with a pool table and 50" screen. I'll let him think that until it's done but seriously, not going to happen.
Audree decided to play hairdresser and give herself some very trendy, very short bangs. It actually kind of works. It blends in with her hair (luckily it was a pretty little chunk) and it's keeping the hair off her face. She's on to something...her talent is already shining through.
I worked on the gardens all day. Yay for garden centres being open today!
The girls went to our neighbour's to run through their sprinkler. While there an ambulance pulled up. Their Mom, a paramedic for Peel, had just taken someone to Headwaters Hospital and dropped in to say hi to her girls before heading back to her shift. So, we all got an impromptu tour of an ambulance. Kind of neat but hope that's the only time I'll see the inside of one of those.
Paris jumped through our screen door. She just got tired of waiting for someone to let her in I guess. Although it means we have to replace the screen it's pretty amazing that she can jump that high. It's a top-half screen door so the bottom is wood and the screen is on the upper half. There's no room to have a running start so she would have jumped from a standing position. Maybe we have a future agility star! As long as there are no cats or squirrels in the area.
As an end of the day celebration Rene decided to take the girls to the fireworks. They were soooo excited (and by they I mean all three) and I was kind of looking forward to a peaceful evening on my own to read. Turns out there were no fireworks and a very disappointed crew returned home after 10 minutes. It was 9:45pm and the girls were too bummed to go to bed so I dug out some sparklers left over from birthdays and we sparklered in the front yard. I told them if they held them up to the sky and squinted they looked like fireworks. It was a little sad but what can you do. We heard lots of fireworks going off but couldn't see any of them. I guess we'll have to wait for Canada Day.
Rene finally started on the summer kitchen project, thanks to Erica bringing up her mitre saw for us to borrow. Who would have thought we'd ever need to borrow a tool? Right when we were ready to begin (and by we I mean Rene) Rene's saw started acting up. Turns out it's a switch that's on backorder and it's been 4 weeks. Anyway, he has the framing of the walls done. I'm excited to add another "useful" room to the house. We have been using is as a dumping ground for stuff with a side of exercise equipment. Once we can put the treadmill in there it will clear up a room for Amelia to go in and I have two more rooms to decorate and move around furniture in. I'm kind of hoping to put the piano in there too but it will depend on how regular the temperature ends up being in there. I'd love it to be an exercise/music/mudroom...that's my goal. Rene's thinking more man-cave with a pool table and 50" screen. I'll let him think that until it's done but seriously, not going to happen.
Audree decided to play hairdresser and give herself some very trendy, very short bangs. It actually kind of works. It blends in with her hair (luckily it was a pretty little chunk) and it's keeping the hair off her face. She's on to something...her talent is already shining through.
I worked on the gardens all day. Yay for garden centres being open today!
The girls went to our neighbour's to run through their sprinkler. While there an ambulance pulled up. Their Mom, a paramedic for Peel, had just taken someone to Headwaters Hospital and dropped in to say hi to her girls before heading back to her shift. So, we all got an impromptu tour of an ambulance. Kind of neat but hope that's the only time I'll see the inside of one of those.
Paris jumped through our screen door. She just got tired of waiting for someone to let her in I guess. Although it means we have to replace the screen it's pretty amazing that she can jump that high. It's a top-half screen door so the bottom is wood and the screen is on the upper half. There's no room to have a running start so she would have jumped from a standing position. Maybe we have a future agility star! As long as there are no cats or squirrels in the area.
As an end of the day celebration Rene decided to take the girls to the fireworks. They were soooo excited (and by they I mean all three) and I was kind of looking forward to a peaceful evening on my own to read. Turns out there were no fireworks and a very disappointed crew returned home after 10 minutes. It was 9:45pm and the girls were too bummed to go to bed so I dug out some sparklers left over from birthdays and we sparklered in the front yard. I told them if they held them up to the sky and squinted they looked like fireworks. It was a little sad but what can you do. We heard lots of fireworks going off but couldn't see any of them. I guess we'll have to wait for Canada Day.
Camping With the Fam
We did a last minute camping trip Friday night. It all came about because Rene was asked to do some service work at the President Monson Camp. He agreed thinking it was a guy's weekend trip with some Brothers from church. They'd have a boy's night followed by a day of service together...turns out he was the only one going. Not so much fun. When he first asked if I wanted to go I said no way. Having 4 girls and a dog (who would most likely have to be on leash all the time) by myself while he was working did not sound fun. Seriously, sometimes I can be such a stick in the mud. I tried to talk Rene out of going at all but he's a much better person than I am. He had committed to go so he was going to go.
He then though he would take Amelia and Evelyn and they could help. Has he met our girls? They would be into it for about 10 minutes then get bored and want to go play and explore. Who could blame them? I discussed with him that he would have to be a parent and work at the same time. And that they would probably get cranky because they'd have to be around him all the time.
I woke up Friday morning and felt terrible. He'd left for work already and we still hadn't really decided what was going to happen. I decided to go. Rene was going anyway, the girls would have fun, the only person that it might be hard for would be me but sometimes you just have to suck it up!
So I spent all day Friday preparing for a one night camping trip. The amount of stuff that needs to be brought is staggering! Add a dog and a baby to the mix and it's even worse. I wish we had been able to go longer to make it worth the time it took to pack and drive (it's about 3.5 hours away with no traffic). But we made it.
It was a little awkward once there. It's not really set up for individual family camping. It's a camp geared toward large groups so each site can fit 50-80 tents. There were going to be lots of people doing service on the Saturday but not a ton were staying the night. They put us on the site we'd be working at (staining a picnic structure) however there were already families on it. To make things worse, they weren't there as part of the service project. They were having a long weekend camping trip with friends and family...and us. There's only one fire pit and one eating area. We pitched our tent as far away from them as we could but didn't hang around the fire because it was just weird. They were nice about it but I could tell a little ticked that we had been put there when there were so many other sites empty. We also had to move around their stuff as we (as in Rene) stained.
All in all it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The girls mostly kept themselves entertained. We hung out at the beach and around the site. Truthfully, I don't know how we killed the 5 hours it took Rene to work!! When he was done he took the older three girls out for an hour canoe trip (which they LOVED) and I watched with Lucienne and Paris from the beach.
It's been a while since we camped as a family. I think Audree was a baby so that would be three years. I forgot how much I love it, especially when Rene is around. I'm thinking we'll have to make some long weekends for camping this summer. Closer to home, with our own site...
He then though he would take Amelia and Evelyn and they could help. Has he met our girls? They would be into it for about 10 minutes then get bored and want to go play and explore. Who could blame them? I discussed with him that he would have to be a parent and work at the same time. And that they would probably get cranky because they'd have to be around him all the time.
I woke up Friday morning and felt terrible. He'd left for work already and we still hadn't really decided what was going to happen. I decided to go. Rene was going anyway, the girls would have fun, the only person that it might be hard for would be me but sometimes you just have to suck it up!
So I spent all day Friday preparing for a one night camping trip. The amount of stuff that needs to be brought is staggering! Add a dog and a baby to the mix and it's even worse. I wish we had been able to go longer to make it worth the time it took to pack and drive (it's about 3.5 hours away with no traffic). But we made it.
It was a little awkward once there. It's not really set up for individual family camping. It's a camp geared toward large groups so each site can fit 50-80 tents. There were going to be lots of people doing service on the Saturday but not a ton were staying the night. They put us on the site we'd be working at (staining a picnic structure) however there were already families on it. To make things worse, they weren't there as part of the service project. They were having a long weekend camping trip with friends and family...and us. There's only one fire pit and one eating area. We pitched our tent as far away from them as we could but didn't hang around the fire because it was just weird. They were nice about it but I could tell a little ticked that we had been put there when there were so many other sites empty. We also had to move around their stuff as we (as in Rene) stained.
All in all it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The girls mostly kept themselves entertained. We hung out at the beach and around the site. Truthfully, I don't know how we killed the 5 hours it took Rene to work!! When he was done he took the older three girls out for an hour canoe trip (which they LOVED) and I watched with Lucienne and Paris from the beach.
It's been a while since we camped as a family. I think Audree was a baby so that would be three years. I forgot how much I love it, especially when Rene is around. I'm thinking we'll have to make some long weekends for camping this summer. Closer to home, with our own site...
Monday, 14 May 2012
Motherhood and More
A young woman gave a talk in church yesterday about things she has learned from her mother. One of the attributes she mentioned was about being calm. She said her mother never yelled, always appeared calm and didn't stress out about things. It reminded me of my Mom. I don't remember her ever yelling (although one time with Adam stands out in my mind as being pretty close) and in my memories she was always calm. I don't have many memories before the age of 10 though...and that is giving me hope.
I thought I was a patient person until I had kids. I thought I would never yell until I had kids yelling at each other. There aren't many things that get under my skin but bickering and tattling and yelling and name-calling and crying about the bickering and tattling and yelling and name-calling are way high on the list. And yes, I have yelled at them. And yes, I have lost it on more than than one occasion. But maybe if I can get things in control the girls won't have these memories...or at least not all of them. And every day I can try to do better.
Mornings are the worst. I don't see how we're going to survive with the one-sink bathroom when we have 4 teenagers. Already they're fighting about who's at the sink. They're already locking in the door to have some private time brushing their teeth (although I wonder if it's not more to bug the others). I had dreams of them loving to share a room forever and that even when given the option of their own room they would rather stay together. But getting dressed in one room is like a war zone with clothes strewn all over and casualties emerging half-dressed and dazed with who/what hit them. Meanwhile, I'm downstairs trying to feed Lucienne, get lunches made, clean up breakfast and I'm not even dressed yet.
I'm trying to wake up earlier (like 6am) so that they can get in guitar and piano practicing too. This is instead of sitting and watching tv for an hour while I try and get a little extra sleep. I feel like the couple hours between school and dinner should be their time to play and relax from working all day (before they need to help with dinner or set the table). But the time between dinner and bedtime just flies by and it's hard to get anything done.
I'm trying to fit a run or bike ride in with Amelia and the dog as soon as Rene gets home from work and have dinner made or half made so that we can eat as soon as we get home. But I'd love to do something with Evelyn too. She can't quite keep up and ends up wanting to go home halfway through. So, I'm going to try and wake up even earlier to get my run in with the dog before Rene leaves for work so that when Rene gets home I can go out with the girls and run or ride at their pace.
I'm rambling now...but these are the things that have been on my mind lately.
Things we are doing well:
We're doing some sort of Family Home Evening pretty much every Monday night - check.
We have Friday Night Movie Night (which the girls love and get so excited about) - check.
We are fitting in more physcial activity with the girls - work in progress but check.
Daddy Dates, usually a trip to Home Depot or another errand but as long as we call them a date the girls are all over it - check.
Updating this blog on somewhat of a regular basis - check so far.
Getting the girls to help out around the home with chores - kind of check...we were on the ball for a couple of months but have lost it a bit. Will need to get that going again. Saturday mornings have kind of become my time for a running group and maybe yoga class soon so we'll have to rework the time we get these chores done.
This motherhood thing is exhausting! There are so many things I want to do with them but bedtime comes too soon (and if I push that back I'm only asking for grumpy girls in the morning).
**sigh** This post was suppose to be a Mother's Day post but it turned into something else. Maybe I'll try again later!!
I thought I was a patient person until I had kids. I thought I would never yell until I had kids yelling at each other. There aren't many things that get under my skin but bickering and tattling and yelling and name-calling and crying about the bickering and tattling and yelling and name-calling are way high on the list. And yes, I have yelled at them. And yes, I have lost it on more than than one occasion. But maybe if I can get things in control the girls won't have these memories...or at least not all of them. And every day I can try to do better.
Mornings are the worst. I don't see how we're going to survive with the one-sink bathroom when we have 4 teenagers. Already they're fighting about who's at the sink. They're already locking in the door to have some private time brushing their teeth (although I wonder if it's not more to bug the others). I had dreams of them loving to share a room forever and that even when given the option of their own room they would rather stay together. But getting dressed in one room is like a war zone with clothes strewn all over and casualties emerging half-dressed and dazed with who/what hit them. Meanwhile, I'm downstairs trying to feed Lucienne, get lunches made, clean up breakfast and I'm not even dressed yet.
I'm trying to wake up earlier (like 6am) so that they can get in guitar and piano practicing too. This is instead of sitting and watching tv for an hour while I try and get a little extra sleep. I feel like the couple hours between school and dinner should be their time to play and relax from working all day (before they need to help with dinner or set the table). But the time between dinner and bedtime just flies by and it's hard to get anything done.
I'm trying to fit a run or bike ride in with Amelia and the dog as soon as Rene gets home from work and have dinner made or half made so that we can eat as soon as we get home. But I'd love to do something with Evelyn too. She can't quite keep up and ends up wanting to go home halfway through. So, I'm going to try and wake up even earlier to get my run in with the dog before Rene leaves for work so that when Rene gets home I can go out with the girls and run or ride at their pace.
I'm rambling now...but these are the things that have been on my mind lately.
Things we are doing well:
We're doing some sort of Family Home Evening pretty much every Monday night - check.
We have Friday Night Movie Night (which the girls love and get so excited about) - check.
We are fitting in more physcial activity with the girls - work in progress but check.
Daddy Dates, usually a trip to Home Depot or another errand but as long as we call them a date the girls are all over it - check.
Updating this blog on somewhat of a regular basis - check so far.
Getting the girls to help out around the home with chores - kind of check...we were on the ball for a couple of months but have lost it a bit. Will need to get that going again. Saturday mornings have kind of become my time for a running group and maybe yoga class soon so we'll have to rework the time we get these chores done.
This motherhood thing is exhausting! There are so many things I want to do with them but bedtime comes too soon (and if I push that back I'm only asking for grumpy girls in the morning).
**sigh** This post was suppose to be a Mother's Day post but it turned into something else. Maybe I'll try again later!!
Thursday, 10 May 2012
Aches and Pains
Lately my lower back has been consistently bothering me. And I get these weird muscle spasms/pains in my left arm. I chalked it up to getting old...although I don't really consider myself THAT old. Then last night while giving the girls a bath I decided to weigh Lucienne - it has been awhile. She's 20 lbs. I'm carrying around a 20 lb weight all day (she prefers to see the action from high rather than the floor).
She is finally trying to get around by doing the classic Lalonde scoot. A bum shuffle that looks like a crab with a broken leg. It deceiving because she's always "sitting" so not always obvious that she's moving until I see her getting into the dirt of the plants, the dog's water dish or she's stuck under the table.
Her favourite thing these days is knocking down towers. I love how she always looks up to see my reaction. She still loves pulling hair and has taken clumps out of poor Audree's hair. I've been on the receiving end of her frenzies (she does resemble a shark at a feeding frenzy...she really gets intense when she gets close enough to someone's head) and she's not gentle. It really hurts. If only babies weren't so cute it would be easier to be stern with her. She also loves to bite but the more stern I am with her the louder she laughs. Luckily she hasn't decided to play this game while feeding.
She has 6 teeth now. And I don't know if it's because no more are coming in but she slept 8 hours last night!!!!!! That's the first time in a few months she's gone that long. Also the first time in the last few months I haven't felt like something is breaking through her mouth. I guess the real test will be tonight to see if it was a lucky break for me or if she really has been suffering with teething. Audree and Roxy were in our bed so I didn't actually sleep the whole time but at least I didn't have to get out of bed.
Lucienne is such a joyful baby. She LOVES her sisters. And she LOVES her Mom. She loves her Dad only if I'm not in the room...we're working on that!!
She is finally trying to get around by doing the classic Lalonde scoot. A bum shuffle that looks like a crab with a broken leg. It deceiving because she's always "sitting" so not always obvious that she's moving until I see her getting into the dirt of the plants, the dog's water dish or she's stuck under the table.
Her favourite thing these days is knocking down towers. I love how she always looks up to see my reaction. She still loves pulling hair and has taken clumps out of poor Audree's hair. I've been on the receiving end of her frenzies (she does resemble a shark at a feeding frenzy...she really gets intense when she gets close enough to someone's head) and she's not gentle. It really hurts. If only babies weren't so cute it would be easier to be stern with her. She also loves to bite but the more stern I am with her the louder she laughs. Luckily she hasn't decided to play this game while feeding.
She has 6 teeth now. And I don't know if it's because no more are coming in but she slept 8 hours last night!!!!!! That's the first time in a few months she's gone that long. Also the first time in the last few months I haven't felt like something is breaking through her mouth. I guess the real test will be tonight to see if it was a lucky break for me or if she really has been suffering with teething. Audree and Roxy were in our bed so I didn't actually sleep the whole time but at least I didn't have to get out of bed.
Lucienne is such a joyful baby. She LOVES her sisters. And she LOVES her Mom. She loves her Dad only if I'm not in the room...we're working on that!!
Wednesday, 9 May 2012
Audree's Terrifying Trip
Audree has graduated to a two wheeler bike with training wheels this year. She loves riding a big girl bike along with her sisters. I love that she wants to! But after today I'm not sure if/when she'll get on it again!!
I let her ride up and down the sidewalk past two of our neighbour's houses. It's far enough that she can get a bit of a ride before having to turn around but close enough that she can still hear me. I was pulling out dandelions in our yard so not really paying attention. I hear this blood curdling scream and look up expecting to see a bloody mess on the sidewalk only to see her across the street in another's neighbour's driveway. Apparently she somehow turned her bike beside a driveway and the momentum was enough to get her across the street. I said a quick prayer of thanks as I ran to her that no cars had come.
She was terrified. I don't think I've ever felt her little heart beating so fast. She didn't want anything to do with that bike again so I'm really hoping that in the next couple of days she'll get back on. We'll be doing some practising of braking and I'll have to not be multi-tasking when she's riding.
It made me re-remember how quickly things can change. In a blink of an eye.
I let her ride up and down the sidewalk past two of our neighbour's houses. It's far enough that she can get a bit of a ride before having to turn around but close enough that she can still hear me. I was pulling out dandelions in our yard so not really paying attention. I hear this blood curdling scream and look up expecting to see a bloody mess on the sidewalk only to see her across the street in another's neighbour's driveway. Apparently she somehow turned her bike beside a driveway and the momentum was enough to get her across the street. I said a quick prayer of thanks as I ran to her that no cars had come.
She was terrified. I don't think I've ever felt her little heart beating so fast. She didn't want anything to do with that bike again so I'm really hoping that in the next couple of days she'll get back on. We'll be doing some practising of braking and I'll have to not be multi-tasking when she's riding.
It made me re-remember how quickly things can change. In a blink of an eye.
Monday, 7 May 2012
Moving Furniture...again
Erica says I take after Mom. I love changing around furniture. Rene hates it but loves me so he lives with it!! I've learned not to do it with him, it would possibly lead to the end of our marriage. There was one time I asked him to help me with moving the couch and it was not pretty.
Anyway, I've had the bug to change something lately. I did our room last month, the livingroom the month before so I was long overdue. I sat in the girls room contemplating what I could do. With a bunkbed, daybed and two bureaus, not to mention a chimney, there aren't many options. I thought about how Amelia has been getting tired of being on the top bunk but I don't really like the idea of either Evelyn or Audree being up there. Audree is up every night and I know would not be able to navigate the ladder and I have a sneaking suspicion Evelyn may sleepwalk (not a lot but a few times in the past) and I just wouldn't trust her to get down safely. Amelia sleeps like a log (her father's daughter) so she's the best candidate. However, she's been up there for a few years now and needs a change. We've alluded to her getting her own room and I wonder if the excitement comes from having her own space or not being on the top bunk.
After about 1/2 an hour of measuring I finally came up with a way that all three beds would fit (but we wouldn't be able to access the trundle under the day bed) and keep both bureaus in there. It would be walking space only between beds with small square footage of changing room in front of the bureaus and closet. If anything, I'm kind of hoping that there isn't enough room to play in there so the toys won't migrate so much (we'll see how that theory holds).
The next task was to get the beds apart. I wanted to get it done before Rene came home from work but they sure are easier to take apart with two people. I called a couple friends to see if they wanted to stop by but neither were home. So, I tackled it on my own. Using brute strength and masterful placement of pillows I came up with a plan that involved closing my eyes and giving the top bunk a good yank and hoping that it landed neatly and straight on the bottom bed. It worked!!! After that it was easy...except for the three kids and dog who decided that out of the whole house that was the room to be in. It's not easy being this popular.
I got it all done before the girls got home from school. I just waited until one wondered up to their room, it was Evelyn. She screamed when she saw it and came running down to grab Amelia. After she saw it she came into the kitchen and gave me a big hug and said "thanks Mom". I love those moments!
Anyway, I've had the bug to change something lately. I did our room last month, the livingroom the month before so I was long overdue. I sat in the girls room contemplating what I could do. With a bunkbed, daybed and two bureaus, not to mention a chimney, there aren't many options. I thought about how Amelia has been getting tired of being on the top bunk but I don't really like the idea of either Evelyn or Audree being up there. Audree is up every night and I know would not be able to navigate the ladder and I have a sneaking suspicion Evelyn may sleepwalk (not a lot but a few times in the past) and I just wouldn't trust her to get down safely. Amelia sleeps like a log (her father's daughter) so she's the best candidate. However, she's been up there for a few years now and needs a change. We've alluded to her getting her own room and I wonder if the excitement comes from having her own space or not being on the top bunk.
After about 1/2 an hour of measuring I finally came up with a way that all three beds would fit (but we wouldn't be able to access the trundle under the day bed) and keep both bureaus in there. It would be walking space only between beds with small square footage of changing room in front of the bureaus and closet. If anything, I'm kind of hoping that there isn't enough room to play in there so the toys won't migrate so much (we'll see how that theory holds).
The next task was to get the beds apart. I wanted to get it done before Rene came home from work but they sure are easier to take apart with two people. I called a couple friends to see if they wanted to stop by but neither were home. So, I tackled it on my own. Using brute strength and masterful placement of pillows I came up with a plan that involved closing my eyes and giving the top bunk a good yank and hoping that it landed neatly and straight on the bottom bed. It worked!!! After that it was easy...except for the three kids and dog who decided that out of the whole house that was the room to be in. It's not easy being this popular.
I got it all done before the girls got home from school. I just waited until one wondered up to their room, it was Evelyn. She screamed when she saw it and came running down to grab Amelia. After she saw it she came into the kitchen and gave me a big hug and said "thanks Mom". I love those moments!
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Rene's Dream Calling
For the 10 1/2 years we've been married Rene has almost always had a leadership position at church. Ward Mission Leader twice and Young Men's President twice. He had a short stint of being 2nd councillor in the Bishopric and an even shorter stint as a councillor in an Elder's quorum presidency. He's been ready for a break for awhile. He's tired of being in charge.
With the new Ward creation a few weeks ago I think he was a little hopeful that he would get a new calling but since he's been the Ward Mission Leader for just over a year he figured he wouldn't even be considered.
So this morning things were as usual. He went to his early 7:30am meeting and came to get us to go to church. It wasn't until I looked at the clock in the car that I realized he was 20 minutes later than usual. I gave him a look and asked if his meeting went long. He said, "not really". Then I asked if he met with the Bishop. He paused (pauses say a lot!!) and said, "maybe" and then he wouldn't give me a straight answer. Do you have a new calling? "No". Seriously? "No". Really, do you have something new? "Yes". Really? "No". And so it continued all the way to church.
And...he was called as 1st councillor in the Young Men's program. He LOVES that program. He was tired of being in charge of it but he loves being with the youth. And to top it off, Matt Regimbal, a good friend of his who he loves spending time with and has a great deal of respect for, is the President. Heavenly Father couldn't have given him a more perfect calling. He is soooooo excited! I think he was a little annoyed that I spoiled his surprise but I'm excited for him. It's been hard watching him dutifully fulfil his calling but knowing that his heart wasn't really into it.
Although I realize this means he might be gone a little more it will be worth seeing him happy and excited about the things he gets to do.
With the new Ward creation a few weeks ago I think he was a little hopeful that he would get a new calling but since he's been the Ward Mission Leader for just over a year he figured he wouldn't even be considered.
So this morning things were as usual. He went to his early 7:30am meeting and came to get us to go to church. It wasn't until I looked at the clock in the car that I realized he was 20 minutes later than usual. I gave him a look and asked if his meeting went long. He said, "not really". Then I asked if he met with the Bishop. He paused (pauses say a lot!!) and said, "maybe" and then he wouldn't give me a straight answer. Do you have a new calling? "No". Seriously? "No". Really, do you have something new? "Yes". Really? "No". And so it continued all the way to church.
And...he was called as 1st councillor in the Young Men's program. He LOVES that program. He was tired of being in charge of it but he loves being with the youth. And to top it off, Matt Regimbal, a good friend of his who he loves spending time with and has a great deal of respect for, is the President. Heavenly Father couldn't have given him a more perfect calling. He is soooooo excited! I think he was a little annoyed that I spoiled his surprise but I'm excited for him. It's been hard watching him dutifully fulfil his calling but knowing that his heart wasn't really into it.
Although I realize this means he might be gone a little more it will be worth seeing him happy and excited about the things he gets to do.
Tuesday, 1 May 2012
Post for April
So, I haven't posted for all of April. I've been a bit busy these days...we got a dog. It's like getting a two-year-old that doesn't speak English. I don't think I have ever fully appreciated how much work a dog is. As a child there's no real responsibility and the only dog I had as an adult was June who was a dream dog (until we had kids but that another story).
Paris is a 7-month-old lab/shepherd mix. Her story is that she was living in the wild on a reservation being used as target practice until the owner of her mother finally called a rescue group for the puppies. Apparently when they picked up her and her siblings they were skin and bones, had chemical burns on their bodies and mouths (they don't think it was abuse, more just scrounging for food and water and getting into things that were dangerous) and one of her brothers had a bullet lodged in his leg.
She was then fostered in a family with 2 other dogs, 3 cats and 4 kids under the age of 8.
It all started when Erica emailed me a post about a couple of chocolate labs up for adoption through an agency that she volunteers with. Rene had wanted to get a dog last summer but having just had Lucienne I said no (and after this month I am sooooo glad I did!!). We were going to reconsider this spring and these labs set it in motion. We never did get an answer back from them but we started looking on petfinder.com. I didn't really want a puppy and would have been happy with a smaller dog. Rene really wanted a big dog and would love a puppy. We agreed that we both had to fully agree and not "persuade" the other on any particular dog. If either of us said no it was no. And so we agreed on looking at "Asia" (now Paris).
Long story shorter, we went to London and came back with a dog. At her foster home she was jumping up on people, eating food out of hands (grabbed a cupcake from Audree), and jumping on furniture. But, she was generally a sweet dog, very cute and soft and really was great with kids. That was my one, huge requirement.
So, a quick run down of Paris:
- Favourite things to chew are Barbies, Petshops, marbles and toilet paper, never a shortage at our house.
- It took her a day to stop jumping on us and the furniture (quick learner).
- She was not house trained but took about 2 weeks to get it down pat. Unfortunately the toyroom got hit the hardest. The only room with carpet so I'd imagine lots of good smells up there (future reno). We're working at keeping that door closed, too much to chew and mark.
- She's a big puppy and Audree has been knocked down a few times when she gets into her bouncy mood.
- She chases cats. Not good for poor Roxy. She has confined herself to the basement or top bunk. They're okay if Rene and I are in the room controlling the situation but it's a full blown chase if there's a chance meeting. They've had 3 good fights. Roxy is starting to migrate a little more in the house but we have a long way to go. I really, really, really hope we can work on this to the point where Roxy can wonder at will and not be scared. I think if Roxy would stand her ground she'd be okay.
- She chases squirrels. Not good for walks.
- She doesn't bark (yay!!). I hope this stays this way.
- She loves to play with other dogs.
- She's great with kids. Lucienne has got a hold of her fur a couple of times and Paris doesn't react.
- She's very wary of strangers. It takes a couple visits for her to become comfortable with them. On walks she stays clear but if someone approaches her she'll try desperately to run away. Not sure how to fix this. I just keep watching the Dog Whisperer hoping something will click.
- She doesn't like the treadmill but I'm working on it...not as consistently as I'd like but will keep trying to fit it in our day.
- She's doing really well at staying on her pillow in the livingroom while we eat. I hate begging dogs!!
- She doesn't rush the front door when people come, love this! Mind you, if we fix the wary of strangers issue we may have to work on keeping her away from the front door when the doorbell rings.
- She's great in her crate. Doesn't go in it freely during the day but has no problem going and staying when we need to go out or at night.
I've really got to get training her. She's pretty good at sit, okay with come but doesn't do well with stay or lie down. It would be fun to teach her some tricks. I'd like her to be able to go on the treadmill by herself (Cesar keeps saying that eventually dogs ask to go on, I'm sceptical).
Things have been easier since we finished fencing the yard. Now when she gets too crazy I send her outside for a bit and can have some peace.
I'd also love to get her peeing and pooping in the same place in the yard. My plan is to lay down some rocks or something. She does poop in one spot but unfortunately it's right behind the kids' swings. It will also be hard to keep the kids away from her rocks...we'll see how this all goes. Already we have burned patches all over from her peeing.
Rene has been awseome at taking her for a walk every morning. He wakes up 15 minutes earlier. One of these days I'll get up early and take her for a run but it hasn't happened yet. I'm in charge of the evening walk when Rene comes home from work as long as there isn't anything going on right after. I get dinner almost ready and he finishes it up while I go for a run or walk with her.
So, that's Paris. And that was our April (she would have made a cute April too!). Especially since our other dog was June. I wish I'd thought of that!
Paris is a 7-month-old lab/shepherd mix. Her story is that she was living in the wild on a reservation being used as target practice until the owner of her mother finally called a rescue group for the puppies. Apparently when they picked up her and her siblings they were skin and bones, had chemical burns on their bodies and mouths (they don't think it was abuse, more just scrounging for food and water and getting into things that were dangerous) and one of her brothers had a bullet lodged in his leg.
She was then fostered in a family with 2 other dogs, 3 cats and 4 kids under the age of 8.
It all started when Erica emailed me a post about a couple of chocolate labs up for adoption through an agency that she volunteers with. Rene had wanted to get a dog last summer but having just had Lucienne I said no (and after this month I am sooooo glad I did!!). We were going to reconsider this spring and these labs set it in motion. We never did get an answer back from them but we started looking on petfinder.com. I didn't really want a puppy and would have been happy with a smaller dog. Rene really wanted a big dog and would love a puppy. We agreed that we both had to fully agree and not "persuade" the other on any particular dog. If either of us said no it was no. And so we agreed on looking at "Asia" (now Paris).
Long story shorter, we went to London and came back with a dog. At her foster home she was jumping up on people, eating food out of hands (grabbed a cupcake from Audree), and jumping on furniture. But, she was generally a sweet dog, very cute and soft and really was great with kids. That was my one, huge requirement.
So, a quick run down of Paris:
- Favourite things to chew are Barbies, Petshops, marbles and toilet paper, never a shortage at our house.
- It took her a day to stop jumping on us and the furniture (quick learner).
- She was not house trained but took about 2 weeks to get it down pat. Unfortunately the toyroom got hit the hardest. The only room with carpet so I'd imagine lots of good smells up there (future reno). We're working at keeping that door closed, too much to chew and mark.
- She's a big puppy and Audree has been knocked down a few times when she gets into her bouncy mood.
- She chases cats. Not good for poor Roxy. She has confined herself to the basement or top bunk. They're okay if Rene and I are in the room controlling the situation but it's a full blown chase if there's a chance meeting. They've had 3 good fights. Roxy is starting to migrate a little more in the house but we have a long way to go. I really, really, really hope we can work on this to the point where Roxy can wonder at will and not be scared. I think if Roxy would stand her ground she'd be okay.
- She chases squirrels. Not good for walks.
- She doesn't bark (yay!!). I hope this stays this way.
- She loves to play with other dogs.
- She's great with kids. Lucienne has got a hold of her fur a couple of times and Paris doesn't react.
- She's very wary of strangers. It takes a couple visits for her to become comfortable with them. On walks she stays clear but if someone approaches her she'll try desperately to run away. Not sure how to fix this. I just keep watching the Dog Whisperer hoping something will click.
- She doesn't like the treadmill but I'm working on it...not as consistently as I'd like but will keep trying to fit it in our day.
- She's doing really well at staying on her pillow in the livingroom while we eat. I hate begging dogs!!
- She doesn't rush the front door when people come, love this! Mind you, if we fix the wary of strangers issue we may have to work on keeping her away from the front door when the doorbell rings.
- She's great in her crate. Doesn't go in it freely during the day but has no problem going and staying when we need to go out or at night.
I've really got to get training her. She's pretty good at sit, okay with come but doesn't do well with stay or lie down. It would be fun to teach her some tricks. I'd like her to be able to go on the treadmill by herself (Cesar keeps saying that eventually dogs ask to go on, I'm sceptical).
Things have been easier since we finished fencing the yard. Now when she gets too crazy I send her outside for a bit and can have some peace.
I'd also love to get her peeing and pooping in the same place in the yard. My plan is to lay down some rocks or something. She does poop in one spot but unfortunately it's right behind the kids' swings. It will also be hard to keep the kids away from her rocks...we'll see how this all goes. Already we have burned patches all over from her peeing.
Rene has been awseome at taking her for a walk every morning. He wakes up 15 minutes earlier. One of these days I'll get up early and take her for a run but it hasn't happened yet. I'm in charge of the evening walk when Rene comes home from work as long as there isn't anything going on right after. I get dinner almost ready and he finishes it up while I go for a run or walk with her.
So, that's Paris. And that was our April (she would have made a cute April too!). Especially since our other dog was June. I wish I'd thought of that!
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