Sunday, May 26, 2013

Parenting moments

Some of my best and worst moments of parenthood are those spent with a fevered, whimpering, sweaty, sobbing, achy child in my arms.

Best, not because I am some sadist who thrives on seeing my children bed-ridden and weak from some ailment. Best because there is a nurturing thread that becomes tied between the two once again...an umbilical replacement so to speak...

2 years, 5 years, 9 years, 13 years, 20 years...it doesn't matter the age...soft whispers in the throws of restless sleep and fevered dreams of "I'm glad you're here, mommy" moments... gentle strokes to their brow to ease them to sleep while dozy, glossy eyes look at you as though deep pools of love...

I, myself, remember the comfort, the safety, the security I felt as I lay with my fevered head on my father's lap as his strong calloused farmer hands would gently stroke my forehead or as he would gently lift me off the couch, carrying me to the comfort of my own bed...

Worst moments...helplessly holding back your child's hair as their little body wretches, wiping down their hot faces with a cool cloth as fever-induced dreams cause whimpers and tears, as aches and pains you can't take away escape their half conscious lips...soft lullabies sung, gentle music playing, gentle stories to lure sleep to come...frail giggles as you try to tell a joke just to bring some joy, however fleeting, to their little bodies...

Parenthood has been one of the greatest, heart-wrenching, exhausting, most rewarding, joyful moments of raw emotion of my life...  ups and downs, joys and heart breaks...it is my greatest joy...

Now, as I type this, watching my beautiful Jellybean's shallow, fevered breaths finally sleep after a trying weekend of sickness...I will close my computer, lay beside her, maybe close my own eyes and pray that when she wakes this sickness will have left her...


Thursday, February 7, 2013

The Stork Cometh

Oh yes, the stork is coming and he is bringing us a gift! We are going to be grandparents again! Our son, Tuff and his girlfriend, K are expecting and their due date...a week before my birthday... :D

My heart is singing to meet this new little person!!!

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Snowmagedon!!!!

And I am not exaggerating! Not even a little! We have had so much snow this year, the city is "running out of places to put it" and are considering shutting down one side to some of our side streets so they can use it for snow. Like really?????

Let me give you a little example of the 2012/2013 Canadian winter thus far

Average snowfall for us (October to January) is 65.5 centimeters or 25.8 inches
Our actual snowfall this year, from Oct 1 to Jan 28, 2013 was 114.4 centimeters or 45 inches!

And it continues! By February 5  we had all ready exceeded our normal February snowfall!!!!

The past few days, temperature wise have been ok but before that, we were looking at -48 Celsius (-54.4 F), -51 Celsius (-59.8 F)...that is including the windchill...

We have had no snowdays...I have not missed work due to the snow..apparently Canada all provinces, except for BC (I hear they have snow days), don't believe in them...I have been late for work...sitting in snowbanks waiting to be pulled out because shovelling and pushing have failed to get me out...but no snow days...deep in my Canadian heart, I kind of wish we did have a snow day here and there...but then common sense takes over and I realize we would be shut down for 1/3 of the year so maybe not...so, I will take the snow and make proverbialy lemonade...in the shape of snow forts and sliding and frolicking in the mountains of snow.

I hope whatever part of the world you are from, you are feeling happy, loved, content and joyful no matter the state around you.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Humor between siblings

My brother and I have some of the funniest text conversations I have ever had, and most likely ever will have, with anyone and, for this reason, I am wanting to note one of these conversations mainly for my own nostalgia but, if you manage to get a chuckle out of my brother and I...that is a good thing too.

I get random, bizzare messages from him and they usually snowball between the two of us. Here is the most recent example; I would also like to point out that this particular scenerio began at 8:01 am: (S represents him and M will represent me)
S: NOOOOOOORM
M: Cliff? Cliff Claven is that you??
S: Ouch
M Maybe it's Sam...I can't see from here
S: Diane
M: Shudder
M: Carla?
S: Random space filler sitting at back table pretending to talk
M: Some creep hitting on Carla and ending up face down on bar, witty banter...laugh track resounds...
S: Random legs walking past the upstairs window
M: Cliff deciding he knows who it is and telling everyone the history of how shoes were invented
S: Sam trying to get blond to go home with him getting shut down so resorts to trying for Diane
M: Diane, feeling like sloppy seconds, runs out of bar crying hysterically about not being appreciated...blah blah....camera pans left....Carla is seeing grinning like cheshire cat...end scene
S: Credits roll
M: Everyone goes to bed because it is a school night
S: with a flashlight to read comic
M: with head completely under blankets so parents don't see light...
S: yet they knoew and you get a crappy school lunch in the morning as punishment
M: Klik with cod liver oil pills and a prune juice juicebox
S: If you squeeze them {the cod liver oil capsules...note added by me for clarification} over the fridge you don't taste it {this is what we used to do because our dad got us to have cod liver oil capsules daily}
M: So I have heard...just don't give dad a reason to look up and find evidence
S: Then stop beating up your brother
M: It was the one who shall remain unnamed...it wasn't me...enter Shaggy to sing his song
S: Could have beat me on the counter. Wasn't me. Chipped my tooth on the fridge...wasn't me
M: LOL...you are funny
     Look at the other sister...it wasn't me...I'd have never hit ya...it wasn't me...

This is just a sample of our dialogue from that day...this part began at 8:01 am and ended at 9:13 am...it continued until 3:02 pm and just got more random and more bizzare. BigDaddy thinks we are strange but...I am so glad I have a brother I can be silly with still even at the ages of thirthysomethingnolongerchildren years old....

Monday, January 21, 2013

Ramblings of a married single-mom

I heard you..."say what!", you all say... what kind of oxymoronical mumbo jumbo is this girl spewing...?  I know; I know...but it is true...this past week and almost every second week for the last 3 1/2 years (once 7 weeks in a row) I was and will continue to be a married single-mom...in that I am married but am singular in the parenting...my husband goes to the end of the earth...ok, you got me, the end of our province...the top end...where internet is a concept and cell towers are tree tops...and communication is zilch...

Some people think it is difficult and, at first, it is...not having that extra set of hands but who am I kidding, he is never home even when he is here (he is, after all, an incredibly "important" person) and i  have gotten into a groove of sorts. Now I am "used" to his being gone (I enjoy the break) but find that the biggest hindrance for the kids and I is I need to be cloned...studying, basketball games, drum lessons, work, cleaning, cooking meals...I need a clone.....Ha ha ha

Thankfully, my children are old enough to help with throwing a load of laundry in and folding it...it may not be folded the way I would do it but it is folded and they have helped and that, my friends, is what is important to me. They are not limited to helping out with laundry...that was just an example that was in the forefront of my brain given that I have a mini mount laundruvious in the midst of activation in my basement as I type.

Having a meal plan has helped - only a lot...and I do admit to the Tuesday work until 4 pm, basketball game until 5 pm, drum lessons at 6:30 pm McDonalds run for supper...I am not ashamed...there is no 'S' on my chest...weeks that B.D. is gone we tend to eat a lot of things like grilled cheese, tomato soup, toads-in-a-hole...

But do you know what has really helped...not expecting as much...I have lowered my expectations...If we go to bed at night and there is still a growling mess in the kitchen I have learned to be ok with that...it will be cleaned when we get home the next day or in the morning before school/work...

The biggest thing though is the kids and I work together...we will routinely have mini meetings to say "ok, this is what needs done and by when and how are we breaking this up?". We also make sure that we make time to just have snuggle time with each other. I know it is hard on my kids when their dad is gone...extra snuggle time eases that burden for them ever so slightly...

Anyway, these are simply the ramblings of a married single-mom for today...

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Pat Dry

I love funny stories...and I know you do as well. I am breaking my silence with my regularly irregular post as of late (not much longer and I will be done school and things may get a little more regular around here) but I digress...You DO NOT want to miss reading this pre-teen antedote.

Last night Jellybean was getting ready for bed and was washing her face with her cleanser. I, in my bedroom, heard a strange slapping noise and poked my head out to explore the noise further. Much to the amusement of my ticklish funny bone, I saw Jellybean slapping her checks.

A strange look graced my face and I asked her with bewilderment why on earth she was not using the towel that hung upon the towel rack a mere two feet away. She quizically looked at me and replied, grabbing her jar of cleanser to show me, "Mom, it says right here to pat dry..."

Dear Lord, I have not laughed that hard in a long time; in fact, I fell to my knees, gasping for breath, struggling to finally spit out why I was laughing. When Jellybean heard why she responded herself in a way much similar to mine...

This is wedding story material...for certain.