ME, ME, ME!
Yes sadly I believe I will earn this title hands down this week as I am giving away my children's pet that they have only had for 5 days. I have had many questions about the status of the hamster and I am happy(yet sad) to say that instead of being apprehended we were able to secure an open adoption instead. Rochelle, a lady I work with has a 7 year old daughter who loves hamsters. They have one that is dying and so they were happy to take Chip for us (he may have a name change once they identify if he truly is a HE or not). I have been panicking about this hamster since I got home Saturday and found him in the submarine. The kids like him but don't seem enthralled by him. We tried to clean the cage last night and had him in a little container while we emptied the other one. Megan tried to get the container and shake it. When the cage is down she tries to poke him and just about got her finger bit the other day. I am sure I am giving up way to soon but I just really feel like our kids are just a bit to young for a live pet. We are going to stick to the Webkins(computer pets) so that if they don't get fed for a week we know they will still be okay!
I have to say the kids were troopers with the news. I gently explained that Mommy had made a mistake. Chip was going to be more work than we thought, we hadn't thought about being away for 2-3 weeks this summer, he was making a big mess kicking shavings out of his cage and he smelled! I also explained that I knew a little girl that was sad because her hamster was dying. When I said that she would be so happy to have Chip and that we could go and visit him whenever we wanted they were perfectly accepting of the idea. Thank goodness I have great kids -- too bad for them they have the meanest mom around. Sorry guys.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Do Hamsters have a Social Services Department?
So I ask this question and am guessing that it is not one that you had thought of before. Believe me - after reading this post you will be asking yourself the same question!
About 2 weeks ago my office mate asked if we would like a hamster cage and all the accessories as her kids had outgrown their desire to have a hamster and she wanted to get rid of it. I quickly told her no I didn't think we would like it - we have three kids that are hard enough to look after some days I didn't think Trevor or I would want one more thing to add to the mix. So that night I went home and was laughing as I told Trevor that Ellen thought we might like a hamster.- ha ha. Well to my surprise he thought it wasn't a bad idea. We started talking about it and decided that maybe it would be fun for the kids to have a pet and a hamster seems easy (don't roll your eyes at us yet - save it for when you really will want to ). Without giving it much further thought we agreed to take the stuff and needless to say by Friday night we were the proud owners of a hamster cage, a hamster wheel, and a ball that you could take put them in and they would roll around the room in.
Saturday I had to train all day and was out of the house by 7:45 while everyone still slept. I thought of mentioning to Trevor that I would like to come with him and the kids to get the hamster but I forgot. When I got to training and was tell people about getting a hamster they all started telling me hamster nightmare stories. They quickly pointed out that they stink, that if they get out they will eat holes in anything they come across,that I can't put their cage close to anything like curtains or they will eat that too, that they are rodents (which I knew but somehow had been overlooking or not considering) etc etc. Throughout the entire day I started to second guess our decision and I started praying that Trevor hadn't taken the kids to get one yet.
At 4:30 I arrived home to find Trevor lying on the hallway floor. He had hurt his back at hockey a few weeks ago and had twisted his back again today. He was having such severe back spasms that he wasn't able to walk. He told me that he had made it to Ethan's bed to lie down for a bit but that Megan had woke up . He slithered (yes on his stomach) to her crib and in an attempt to heft her over the side hurt his back even more. So on the floor is where I found him. Megan was kindly bringing him toys and talking to him - the other kids were no where to be seen. I asked where they were and he said that he thought they were downstairs but more importantly than them - I needed to go and find the hamster!
Hamster? Did you say hamster? Do we own a hamster? Oh no- my own hamster nightmare is beginning I thought. Trevor explained that he and the kids had picked one up this morning. He had told them that they had to leave it in the cage so it could get acclimatized to its new surroundings. At one point however, while lying there Sarah & Ethan along with Christian and Mattea from next door came upstairs. Sarah announced to her dad who remember is at this point lying on the floor unable to move, that they were taking the hamster next door! He quickly asked where it was and she said in the little red toy barn she was carrying. He told her to take it back and put it in the cage where he had told her to leave it but they snuck out the back door and took it around the neighbourhood! When I went downstairs to find it I came across what can only be described as disaster zone. Sarah and her friends were playing. There was hamster shavings (for the bottom of the cage ) everywhere in the main room & the toy room. The hamster food had been emptied in to a puzzle box (not sure where the puzzle ended up). I ran over to the cage only to find the door wide open- OMG " Where is the hamster ?' I asked in a very frantic,(and less than quiet) voice. Calmly and matter of factly Sarah and her friends pointed to a toy submarine and said "in there". Sure enough cowering in a corner, shaking was a little grey and white furry hairball. As I went to rescue it I was reminded that they were rodents and that they really did look like mice. I couldn't bring myself to touch it so instead I asked Christian if he could get it out and put it in the cage for me. Thankfully he did and the little guy has remained there ever since. I finally hear him running on his wheel tonight but for the past few days since his "welcome to the family adventure" he had stayed close to one corner of his cage and hardly moved. So I ask you again - Do Hamsters have a Social Services Department because if so I think they may be knockin at my door real soon!
About 2 weeks ago my office mate asked if we would like a hamster cage and all the accessories as her kids had outgrown their desire to have a hamster and she wanted to get rid of it. I quickly told her no I didn't think we would like it - we have three kids that are hard enough to look after some days I didn't think Trevor or I would want one more thing to add to the mix. So that night I went home and was laughing as I told Trevor that Ellen thought we might like a hamster.- ha ha. Well to my surprise he thought it wasn't a bad idea. We started talking about it and decided that maybe it would be fun for the kids to have a pet and a hamster seems easy (don't roll your eyes at us yet - save it for when you really will want to ). Without giving it much further thought we agreed to take the stuff and needless to say by Friday night we were the proud owners of a hamster cage, a hamster wheel, and a ball that you could take put them in and they would roll around the room in.
Saturday I had to train all day and was out of the house by 7:45 while everyone still slept. I thought of mentioning to Trevor that I would like to come with him and the kids to get the hamster but I forgot. When I got to training and was tell people about getting a hamster they all started telling me hamster nightmare stories. They quickly pointed out that they stink, that if they get out they will eat holes in anything they come across,that I can't put their cage close to anything like curtains or they will eat that too, that they are rodents (which I knew but somehow had been overlooking or not considering) etc etc. Throughout the entire day I started to second guess our decision and I started praying that Trevor hadn't taken the kids to get one yet.
At 4:30 I arrived home to find Trevor lying on the hallway floor. He had hurt his back at hockey a few weeks ago and had twisted his back again today. He was having such severe back spasms that he wasn't able to walk. He told me that he had made it to Ethan's bed to lie down for a bit but that Megan had woke up . He slithered (yes on his stomach) to her crib and in an attempt to heft her over the side hurt his back even more. So on the floor is where I found him. Megan was kindly bringing him toys and talking to him - the other kids were no where to be seen. I asked where they were and he said that he thought they were downstairs but more importantly than them - I needed to go and find the hamster!
Hamster? Did you say hamster? Do we own a hamster? Oh no- my own hamster nightmare is beginning I thought. Trevor explained that he and the kids had picked one up this morning. He had told them that they had to leave it in the cage so it could get acclimatized to its new surroundings. At one point however, while lying there Sarah & Ethan along with Christian and Mattea from next door came upstairs. Sarah announced to her dad who remember is at this point lying on the floor unable to move, that they were taking the hamster next door! He quickly asked where it was and she said in the little red toy barn she was carrying. He told her to take it back and put it in the cage where he had told her to leave it but they snuck out the back door and took it around the neighbourhood! When I went downstairs to find it I came across what can only be described as disaster zone. Sarah and her friends were playing. There was hamster shavings (for the bottom of the cage ) everywhere in the main room & the toy room. The hamster food had been emptied in to a puzzle box (not sure where the puzzle ended up). I ran over to the cage only to find the door wide open- OMG " Where is the hamster ?' I asked in a very frantic,(and less than quiet) voice. Calmly and matter of factly Sarah and her friends pointed to a toy submarine and said "in there". Sure enough cowering in a corner, shaking was a little grey and white furry hairball. As I went to rescue it I was reminded that they were rodents and that they really did look like mice. I couldn't bring myself to touch it so instead I asked Christian if he could get it out and put it in the cage for me. Thankfully he did and the little guy has remained there ever since. I finally hear him running on his wheel tonight but for the past few days since his "welcome to the family adventure" he had stayed close to one corner of his cage and hardly moved. So I ask you again - Do Hamsters have a Social Services Department because if so I think they may be knockin at my door real soon!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Undecided - Eat Breakfast or Get Dressed
I have to share this picture of Megan who couldn't decide what she wanted to do more - eat breakfast or get dressed. In the end she tried to do both at the same time and ended up like this.
1st Weekend at the Lake 2008
I always feel like spring is here and summer is on the way when we can get out to the lake for the first time each year. This weekend we were able to venture out on Friday night after Trevor was off work and stay for a few days. It was great to get out and smell the fresh air, to look out at the water and to just get away from the busyness of the week.
Of course there always seems to be a long list of things to be done when you have a cabin so we took no time at all on Saturday morning putting the kids to work! Hee hee. They jumped at the chance to help Grandma wash lawn chairs and scrape paint off an old table that I think we later decided we should just toss anyway (sorry guys). What is worse is that while they were working I was busy having fun taking pictures of them. Don't worry - I quickly put the camera down and pitched in too.
The most exciting part of the weekend was that Grandma and Gramps bought a small swing set for the yard. It was decked out with monkey bars, swings, rings and a trapeze (Sarah's dream structure). The only problem was that it took way more time to put together than the kids anticipated making the wait even that more painful for them. As soon as it was half put together they couldn't stay off it. Once together it was a hit all around. Sarah loved the monkey bars, Ethan loved the trapeze while poor Megan was bumped numerous times walking in front of or behind one of the other kids on the swings or other apparatuses. She seemed to learn quickly to move out of the way but I think we are going to have to be extra careful this year. When we weren't using the play structure to actually swing on it turned out it made a great soccer net for our soccer game.
The rest of our time was spent at the beach building sand castles, playing on the play structure, eating ice cream or just hanging out at the cabin reading and playing. All in all it was a great weekend. It was especially nice to spend some time with Gramps as he now lives out there for the summer in order to work at the golf course and then golf at the golf course. We miss him while he is there but know that he is lovin' retirement!
A note of importance was that Meg slept in a big bed for the first time this weekend. I put her to bed in the bottom bunk and she seemed to be settled right in. 15 minutes later I went to check on her and out of the darkness heard a quiet little voice that said " Hi mommy" and then she was up. But thankfully as soon as I put the other two to bed she crawled right in and went to sleep herself. Of course that only lasted the first night and then it was back to the playpen when Grandma brought it out the next day. Soon we will make the transition .. soon...
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Bayden and Du-det-in
What language you ask might I be writing in? This is Meganese. I noticed the blog website has a translator to whatever language you chose however Meganese didn't appear to be listed as an option. Our little chatter box has started to ramble non-stop and unless you have a translator some of it is a challenge to figure out. Here are some key phrases you might like to study up on in case you run into her in the near future.
Bayden or Mayden - refers to herself in these terms. According to her you use it like this "that Bayden's bottle" or " Mayden's shoes" "Mayden go outside"
Dudetin refers to Ethan while See-Ya refers to Sarah
Daddy refers to anyone who is not mommy.
"Mayden peeded potty" means she peed in her diaper - no- no potty training going on here yet.
"I hearded you , I hearded you." This was heard recently when she was supposed to be in a big girl bed at the cabin. When I came in from outside to check on her she ran around the corner and exclaimed " I hearded you mommy I hearded you mommy". Now the pronunciation of this particular phrase is difficult to translate into words. There is a possibility that she is saying " I hated you mommy" because often times it sounds quite like this. I am just choosing to believe that she isn't going to say those words to me for at least 10 more years! She also says " I sees you mommy" so I think she is just really connected to her senses!
"No" with a low growl, the rolled eyes, the big lip and the stomp off means you have royally pissed her off and you are in trouble now! No translation will help you .
The Face of Boredom
I just had to post these pics. Sarah couldn't find anything to do. When I reminded her of the playroom full of toys, her room full of Polly Pockets, the trampoline, her bike, the play structure, and the playhouse outside she still couldn't find anything to do. So I took her picture instead.
Random Thoughts to Record
I am so enjoying being able to right on this blog because I think it is a great way to capture bits and pieces of our lives and share them with our families and friends. I am including this post in order to share some random thoughts about our life in general. I feel that this will be worthwhile for our kids to read when they are grown, have their own kids and are managing busy lives like us. Forgive the rambling of the rest of this but I am just going to start and see where we end up.
Random Thoughts
Trevor and I both work full time. We have to be out of the house by 745 to get the kids to the sitter and us to work by 8. We usually leave the house at 7:50 or 7:55. Yes that means that we rarely make it to work on time. Luckily for us we work at places that aren't strict on start or end times so we can make up the time later. Neither of us are morning people so we are lucky if one of us is up by 6:30. This would explain our chronic lateness but in our defense we can't take the kids to Mrs. B's (the sitter) before 7:45 anyway so ...
When we leave the house in the morning there are always dishes on the table, on the counter or in the sink. Our reality is that if someone came into our home during the day there sometimes is potential that they may think we have been broken into and ransacked. This is sad to admit but true for our life right now. Getting three kids ready when none of us are really morning people is a challenge to say the least. Sarah has become a fantastic help in getting herself ready and then picking out clothes for Megan. The result of this "help" though is often a pile of clothes on her floor along with open dresser drawers that have been randomly destroyed as she searched for just the right shirt that day that didn't match her pants ( Sorry Sarah but you don't care about matching and I don't care to fight with you in the morning so you pick your clothes and go to school some days looking like Megan picked YOUR clothes!) While Sarah helps get ready Megan does what every 2 year old does - she creates little messes wherever she goes. Just last week she decided she didn't like the shirt I picked, got mad and threw her cereal on the floor 5 minutes before we had to leave. If not this she is taking out snacks from the snack cupboard or dumping a bucket of toys. Ethan is adjusting well to the sun getting up earlier as he is now waking up a bit happier. Still adamant that he wear sweat pants every day he is now also very adamant that he dress himself. This has been helpful when he is wide awake and ready to get going. Less helpful when he is half asleep and moving slower than a snail. But he wants to do it so we can't discourage that.
Something to know about Trevor is that he is always acting out a character for the kids. As evident from some of the previous birthday parties where he impersonated a dinosaur and a lion, he also does pirates, ballerinas, something that can only politely be described as someone with a mental handicap, and so many more. We are looking forward to his rendition of a robot for Ethan's party as that is the theme Ethan has chosen (this week anyway). I will have to think on a theme for Meg's birthday this summer. Perhaps I should choose it around Trevor's abilities so we can once again invite him to perform for all of us.
Another thing about Trevor is that he never reads a book - he always sings it. No matter what book he makes up a tune and sings it to the kids. Nothing like reading a book to the Beverly Hillbillies theme song - try getting that one out of your head.
One thing of the thousands of things that I love about our kids is that they go to bed awesome. Once tucked in Sarah is never awake for more than 5 minutes - ever. Megan usually goes to sleep almost as fast. Ethan takes a long time to fall asleep but he stays in his bed with his book , or tiger, or sword, or hockey stick or Diego figurine and eventually falls asleep. He of the three though is the worst to sleep with as he travels around the bed at least 5 complete times each night!
We are a one vehicle family and with the price of gas at 131.9 today we may become a five bike family soon enough. We are feeling this price of gas is ridiculous but I can only imagine what it will be when our kids read this years from now.
We are trying to promote healthy eating habits for the kids so have not been to a fast food burger place for 10 months. It really started out as a necessity because Trevor and I wanted to lose weight. Now it has become more of a challenge to see how long I can make it. Trevor however pointed out that we both probably weigh more than when we started this so looks like that wasn't our problem. Oh well. Our kids eat a full sub or a pita every time whereas we found something morally wrong with having to force them to eat their McDonald's fries and burger.
Megan has recently hit the terrible twos ( she's so advanced for her age as she isn't 2 til July!- ha ha). She has become naughty, naughty, naughty! She is hitting the other kids at the sitter ( I was hoping she would skip this phase). The other day when we said no to her she said no back and then looked down and rolled her eyes at us. If she doesn't get her way she brings out the big lip, shrugs the shoulders down as low as they will go and gives you the cold shoulder. Sorry Meg but we all find it the funniest thing. After you have your moment (or 15 minutes) you pop back to your cheery happy self.
Ethan must be growing right now as he is falling all the time. It doesn't matter what shoes he wears, whether he walks or runs, he trips at least 5 times a day. This leads to the other thing he does many times a day - cries. The poor guy is super sensitive which will some day serve him well with the women I would guess but for now he is trying our patience some days with the constant whining and crying. I have confidence however that he will grow out of this soon. He seems to be maturing each day.
Ethan and I have a bedtime ritual of late. He says good night mom and then says I love you all day, all night, all weekend and always. I say the same thing back and then he rolls over to go to sleep. I love it! I think I said it to him first when I went away for the weekend but he never fails to say it to me now. I usually get a cuddle from him too as he is the cuddliest of the bunch.
Sarah has hit a crossroads of sorts. She can be sweet as pie, extra helpful, extremely polite and thoughtful or .. snotty, snarky, and full of attitude. She lost soccer the other night and tried to convince me to take away anything but that. In all honesty we hadn't really planned on going that night but she didn't know that so it was a good choice because it made a big impact on her. She is so good with Megan to the point that sometimes she treats her a little too much like a doll. She is very motherly and is the first to jump to Megan's aid if she is hurt or needs something. A few times she has come to me to tell me she changed Megan all on her own. I am waiting to see how things pan out when we move Megan to her room this summer. Only time will tell how this move will go. Let's hope for the best.
It is getting late and I am getting to tired to think of all the things I had previously thought to include in this post. I made muffins and a pineapple loaf for our staff meeting tomorrow but still need to cut up some strawberries so I better end this here. I will continue it another day when I have more random thoughts to record.
Random Thoughts
Trevor and I both work full time. We have to be out of the house by 745 to get the kids to the sitter and us to work by 8. We usually leave the house at 7:50 or 7:55. Yes that means that we rarely make it to work on time. Luckily for us we work at places that aren't strict on start or end times so we can make up the time later. Neither of us are morning people so we are lucky if one of us is up by 6:30. This would explain our chronic lateness but in our defense we can't take the kids to Mrs. B's (the sitter) before 7:45 anyway so ...
When we leave the house in the morning there are always dishes on the table, on the counter or in the sink. Our reality is that if someone came into our home during the day there sometimes is potential that they may think we have been broken into and ransacked. This is sad to admit but true for our life right now. Getting three kids ready when none of us are really morning people is a challenge to say the least. Sarah has become a fantastic help in getting herself ready and then picking out clothes for Megan. The result of this "help" though is often a pile of clothes on her floor along with open dresser drawers that have been randomly destroyed as she searched for just the right shirt that day that didn't match her pants ( Sorry Sarah but you don't care about matching and I don't care to fight with you in the morning so you pick your clothes and go to school some days looking like Megan picked YOUR clothes!) While Sarah helps get ready Megan does what every 2 year old does - she creates little messes wherever she goes. Just last week she decided she didn't like the shirt I picked, got mad and threw her cereal on the floor 5 minutes before we had to leave. If not this she is taking out snacks from the snack cupboard or dumping a bucket of toys. Ethan is adjusting well to the sun getting up earlier as he is now waking up a bit happier. Still adamant that he wear sweat pants every day he is now also very adamant that he dress himself. This has been helpful when he is wide awake and ready to get going. Less helpful when he is half asleep and moving slower than a snail. But he wants to do it so we can't discourage that.
Something to know about Trevor is that he is always acting out a character for the kids. As evident from some of the previous birthday parties where he impersonated a dinosaur and a lion, he also does pirates, ballerinas, something that can only politely be described as someone with a mental handicap, and so many more. We are looking forward to his rendition of a robot for Ethan's party as that is the theme Ethan has chosen (this week anyway). I will have to think on a theme for Meg's birthday this summer. Perhaps I should choose it around Trevor's abilities so we can once again invite him to perform for all of us.
Another thing about Trevor is that he never reads a book - he always sings it. No matter what book he makes up a tune and sings it to the kids. Nothing like reading a book to the Beverly Hillbillies theme song - try getting that one out of your head.
One thing of the thousands of things that I love about our kids is that they go to bed awesome. Once tucked in Sarah is never awake for more than 5 minutes - ever. Megan usually goes to sleep almost as fast. Ethan takes a long time to fall asleep but he stays in his bed with his book , or tiger, or sword, or hockey stick or Diego figurine and eventually falls asleep. He of the three though is the worst to sleep with as he travels around the bed at least 5 complete times each night!
We are a one vehicle family and with the price of gas at 131.9 today we may become a five bike family soon enough. We are feeling this price of gas is ridiculous but I can only imagine what it will be when our kids read this years from now.
We are trying to promote healthy eating habits for the kids so have not been to a fast food burger place for 10 months. It really started out as a necessity because Trevor and I wanted to lose weight. Now it has become more of a challenge to see how long I can make it. Trevor however pointed out that we both probably weigh more than when we started this so looks like that wasn't our problem. Oh well. Our kids eat a full sub or a pita every time whereas we found something morally wrong with having to force them to eat their McDonald's fries and burger.
Megan has recently hit the terrible twos ( she's so advanced for her age as she isn't 2 til July!- ha ha). She has become naughty, naughty, naughty! She is hitting the other kids at the sitter ( I was hoping she would skip this phase). The other day when we said no to her she said no back and then looked down and rolled her eyes at us. If she doesn't get her way she brings out the big lip, shrugs the shoulders down as low as they will go and gives you the cold shoulder. Sorry Meg but we all find it the funniest thing. After you have your moment (or 15 minutes) you pop back to your cheery happy self.
Ethan must be growing right now as he is falling all the time. It doesn't matter what shoes he wears, whether he walks or runs, he trips at least 5 times a day. This leads to the other thing he does many times a day - cries. The poor guy is super sensitive which will some day serve him well with the women I would guess but for now he is trying our patience some days with the constant whining and crying. I have confidence however that he will grow out of this soon. He seems to be maturing each day.
Ethan and I have a bedtime ritual of late. He says good night mom and then says I love you all day, all night, all weekend and always. I say the same thing back and then he rolls over to go to sleep. I love it! I think I said it to him first when I went away for the weekend but he never fails to say it to me now. I usually get a cuddle from him too as he is the cuddliest of the bunch.
Sarah has hit a crossroads of sorts. She can be sweet as pie, extra helpful, extremely polite and thoughtful or .. snotty, snarky, and full of attitude. She lost soccer the other night and tried to convince me to take away anything but that. In all honesty we hadn't really planned on going that night but she didn't know that so it was a good choice because it made a big impact on her. She is so good with Megan to the point that sometimes she treats her a little too much like a doll. She is very motherly and is the first to jump to Megan's aid if she is hurt or needs something. A few times she has come to me to tell me she changed Megan all on her own. I am waiting to see how things pan out when we move Megan to her room this summer. Only time will tell how this move will go. Let's hope for the best.
It is getting late and I am getting to tired to think of all the things I had previously thought to include in this post. I made muffins and a pineapple loaf for our staff meeting tomorrow but still need to cut up some strawberries so I better end this here. I will continue it another day when I have more random thoughts to record.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Who needs Hotel when Walmart is open 24/7?
A few weekends ago I was lucky enough to get a weekend away with a couple of friends. Friday at 1pm Marnel, Jaylene and I headed to Minot for a little rest, a little shopping, a little fun and an all around kid free weekend (sorry guys but ever mom needs a few days away once every 5 years!)
Upon arriving in Minot we headed to the mall - of course. We made an agreement before we left that we would focus on ourselves for the weekend and not the kids. Well as you can imagine that didn't last long. We did spend some time trying on things for ourselves and I made a few purchases but somehow kids items ended up in my cart! Oh well.
After having a late supper we headed to Walmart which is open 24/7 (except for Saturday night til Sunday at noon which technically doesn't fit the 24/7 bill then but whatever - we were there on a Friday night at 10pm so who cared?)
Now if you are like my husband you are asking "why the hell would you go to Walmart of all places when we have one in Regina?" The answer: because 1) it is a SuperWalmart so it has grocery items, housewares, clothes, gardening items, shoes, etc etc etc. The more important reason was because we could. With no kids, no husbands, no timelines and lots of energy we were able to take our time and stroll around the whole store. I tried on clothes and when they didn't fit I went back and found another size. At home I have 5 minutes to try everything on and I only get one shot at getting the size right - if it is wrong - tough luck - 3 kids don't wait longer than that!
I was thrilled to find towels for 3.84 , a rug for Sarah's room that matches perfectly along with many other great finds. At 1 point near then end of our shopping experience, I said to Marnel , I am starting to get tired what time is it? She looked at her watch and said - hmm I think my watch must be broken. I pulled out my cell phone and started to laugh. The watch wasn't broken - it really was 1:43am. Yes we had just spent 4 hours in Walmart. Hmmm- perhaps it was time for us to go back to the hotel. On second thought if we had planned better we wouldn't have really needed a hotel that night if we had started shopping at midnight!!
All in all the weekend was awesome. I went with two great women whose company made it all that more enjoyable. This will definitely need to become a yearly excursion for us!
Upon arriving in Minot we headed to the mall - of course. We made an agreement before we left that we would focus on ourselves for the weekend and not the kids. Well as you can imagine that didn't last long. We did spend some time trying on things for ourselves and I made a few purchases but somehow kids items ended up in my cart! Oh well.
After having a late supper we headed to Walmart which is open 24/7 (except for Saturday night til Sunday at noon which technically doesn't fit the 24/7 bill then but whatever - we were there on a Friday night at 10pm so who cared?)
Now if you are like my husband you are asking "why the hell would you go to Walmart of all places when we have one in Regina?" The answer: because 1) it is a SuperWalmart so it has grocery items, housewares, clothes, gardening items, shoes, etc etc etc. The more important reason was because we could. With no kids, no husbands, no timelines and lots of energy we were able to take our time and stroll around the whole store. I tried on clothes and when they didn't fit I went back and found another size. At home I have 5 minutes to try everything on and I only get one shot at getting the size right - if it is wrong - tough luck - 3 kids don't wait longer than that!
I was thrilled to find towels for 3.84 , a rug for Sarah's room that matches perfectly along with many other great finds. At 1 point near then end of our shopping experience, I said to Marnel , I am starting to get tired what time is it? She looked at her watch and said - hmm I think my watch must be broken. I pulled out my cell phone and started to laugh. The watch wasn't broken - it really was 1:43am. Yes we had just spent 4 hours in Walmart. Hmmm- perhaps it was time for us to go back to the hotel. On second thought if we had planned better we wouldn't have really needed a hotel that night if we had started shopping at midnight!!
All in all the weekend was awesome. I went with two great women whose company made it all that more enjoyable. This will definitely need to become a yearly excursion for us!
New Camera = New Pics
Finally, finally, finally... I have some new pics to offer. Our old camera was mysteriously found to be not working recently. Strangely enough the last 20 pictures were of the wall, the sink, the window, the floor and every once in awhile Ethan's foot. Hmmmmm. Makes a person wonder.
Anyway we finally got it together and purchased a new one. I have to say I love it. It has many features that I am really liking but most of all I am just lovin' have new pictures to post. Hope you enjoy!
Thursday, May 1, 2008
How do you measure the success of a Life?
As I ask this question I first need to start by telling you a story.
There was once a little girl who came into this world as tiny as one possibly can. Alone at the hospital with no parents willing to care for her, she was connected with a couple who would grow to love this little girl as their own. Through adversity and challenges she made her way out of the hospital even though she wasn't supposed to make it at all. With a smile that would melt a rock, she worked her way into the hearts of all who knew her. I didn't know her at this time, a regret I will always have, but those who talk about her describe her as sassy and precocious. In no time at all she was the princess of the house and the Belle of the ball. She grew to love Dora and Nemo and had a special talent for talking "whale". One fateful night when she was only 5 1/2 years old her fairy tale was interrupted. A man having a diabetic attack unknowingly drove his car into her bedroom as she slept. Without oxygen for too long and damaged by the car itself, Princess Amy was severely and permanently hurt. Suffering from serious brain damage among many other things, she again faced adversity like no other. It was here that I met Amy and here that I got to know two of the most selfless, compassionate, passionate, loving people I will likely ever know. Amy's foster parents who from the moment she entered their lives were just parents to her, no "foster" needed, sat by Amy's side, prayed for her, cried for her, supported, nurtured and loved her through the roughest days she had seen yet, in her short life. And although she came home a different Amy, she came home once again to a family of brothers & sisters, aunts & uncles, grandmas & grandpa's , a mom and a dad who loved her more than life itself. Bill & Rena committed hours to her care (although describe it as no work at all.) They advocated when they had to, celebrated her successes however small and cherished her very being. For four years they worked with medical staff, school teachers, special aids, nurses, doctors ... the list could go on and on ... and through all of this many people met Amy and saw the amazing family she was so lucky to be a part of.
Last month Amy once again ended up in the hospital and this time coming home was not meant to be. She left this world last Friday to enter another place where she is free from her broken body, free of pain and free to run and laugh and play again just as she had before her accident.
As you can imagine her loss has left a huge vacant hole in the hearts of those who knew her and loved her. And yet amidst that grief her parents were able to give here the best good-bye a princess could ever ask for. A rainbow of balloons, stories of laughter and love, songs of sunshine, and an over flowing room of people that she had somehow touched in her short nine years here on our earth. And this day the question was asked to us who gathered to say farewell -- How do you measure the success of a life? Is it by our years on this earth? by the amount of things we accumulate? by the money we have in the end? by the status we earned while here? No .. it is by the number of lives you have touched and the lessons learned from your example. Well, from the people there today it is clear that Amy's success in life was off the charts. From her beautiful nine years and from her family's example we can take away so much:
Live each day well as you don't know what tomorrow will bring.
Strength, determination, faith and will can take you a long way.
All people no matter what their ability or disability deserve the same love, kindness and respect
In the end it won't matter if you drove a fancy car, if you owned a fancy house, if you had the ability to buy whatever you wanted, what will matter is who you were, how you treated others, how you shared your love and how you brought joy to those around you.
In the end what is most important is family. Having people around you who love you for you, who have faith in you at all times, who are side by side with you during your struggles, who cheer for your success and who put all others before themselves = the perfect life. Amy had all this and more. I told her mom once that she was hangin on down here because she knows it can't get much better in heaven. She was blessed that first day that she was placed in their arms. No better care or love could she have gotten than from what she got from Bill & Rena.
As I sat and listened to the stories this week, and as I shed tears with those who knew Amy I so wished that I had known her before the accident and that I had spent more time with them after the accident. So often we get caught up in our lives that seem so busy and we get distracted by so many minor details that in the end really just don't matter. I hope that from this day and this princess I can learn to remember what is most important in life and I hope that by sharing her story we can keep her memory alive in all our hearts.
One of Amy's favorite thing was rainbows so I ask that next time you look upward and see one in the sky, stop to enjoy its beauty and remember that on the other side of that rainbow lives a little princess who although here for a short time in years left us a lifetime of lessons and love.
Amy I pray that you know the lives you touched, that you know how much you were loved, and that you know how deeply you will be missed. But most of all I pray that you are at peace and that you can finally find that pot of gold at the end of the most perfect rainbow.
There was once a little girl who came into this world as tiny as one possibly can. Alone at the hospital with no parents willing to care for her, she was connected with a couple who would grow to love this little girl as their own. Through adversity and challenges she made her way out of the hospital even though she wasn't supposed to make it at all. With a smile that would melt a rock, she worked her way into the hearts of all who knew her. I didn't know her at this time, a regret I will always have, but those who talk about her describe her as sassy and precocious. In no time at all she was the princess of the house and the Belle of the ball. She grew to love Dora and Nemo and had a special talent for talking "whale". One fateful night when she was only 5 1/2 years old her fairy tale was interrupted. A man having a diabetic attack unknowingly drove his car into her bedroom as she slept. Without oxygen for too long and damaged by the car itself, Princess Amy was severely and permanently hurt. Suffering from serious brain damage among many other things, she again faced adversity like no other. It was here that I met Amy and here that I got to know two of the most selfless, compassionate, passionate, loving people I will likely ever know. Amy's foster parents who from the moment she entered their lives were just parents to her, no "foster" needed, sat by Amy's side, prayed for her, cried for her, supported, nurtured and loved her through the roughest days she had seen yet, in her short life. And although she came home a different Amy, she came home once again to a family of brothers & sisters, aunts & uncles, grandmas & grandpa's , a mom and a dad who loved her more than life itself. Bill & Rena committed hours to her care (although describe it as no work at all.) They advocated when they had to, celebrated her successes however small and cherished her very being. For four years they worked with medical staff, school teachers, special aids, nurses, doctors ... the list could go on and on ... and through all of this many people met Amy and saw the amazing family she was so lucky to be a part of.
Last month Amy once again ended up in the hospital and this time coming home was not meant to be. She left this world last Friday to enter another place where she is free from her broken body, free of pain and free to run and laugh and play again just as she had before her accident.
As you can imagine her loss has left a huge vacant hole in the hearts of those who knew her and loved her. And yet amidst that grief her parents were able to give here the best good-bye a princess could ever ask for. A rainbow of balloons, stories of laughter and love, songs of sunshine, and an over flowing room of people that she had somehow touched in her short nine years here on our earth. And this day the question was asked to us who gathered to say farewell -- How do you measure the success of a life? Is it by our years on this earth? by the amount of things we accumulate? by the money we have in the end? by the status we earned while here? No .. it is by the number of lives you have touched and the lessons learned from your example. Well, from the people there today it is clear that Amy's success in life was off the charts. From her beautiful nine years and from her family's example we can take away so much:
Live each day well as you don't know what tomorrow will bring.
Strength, determination, faith and will can take you a long way.
All people no matter what their ability or disability deserve the same love, kindness and respect
In the end it won't matter if you drove a fancy car, if you owned a fancy house, if you had the ability to buy whatever you wanted, what will matter is who you were, how you treated others, how you shared your love and how you brought joy to those around you.
In the end what is most important is family. Having people around you who love you for you, who have faith in you at all times, who are side by side with you during your struggles, who cheer for your success and who put all others before themselves = the perfect life. Amy had all this and more. I told her mom once that she was hangin on down here because she knows it can't get much better in heaven. She was blessed that first day that she was placed in their arms. No better care or love could she have gotten than from what she got from Bill & Rena.
As I sat and listened to the stories this week, and as I shed tears with those who knew Amy I so wished that I had known her before the accident and that I had spent more time with them after the accident. So often we get caught up in our lives that seem so busy and we get distracted by so many minor details that in the end really just don't matter. I hope that from this day and this princess I can learn to remember what is most important in life and I hope that by sharing her story we can keep her memory alive in all our hearts.
One of Amy's favorite thing was rainbows so I ask that next time you look upward and see one in the sky, stop to enjoy its beauty and remember that on the other side of that rainbow lives a little princess who although here for a short time in years left us a lifetime of lessons and love.
Amy I pray that you know the lives you touched, that you know how much you were loved, and that you know how deeply you will be missed. But most of all I pray that you are at peace and that you can finally find that pot of gold at the end of the most perfect rainbow.
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