Behind the Scenes

 

  
 
Love this cute girl.

Love that my sister took these pictures.

Love that this cute girl is laughing because I'm licking my sister's ear while she tries to take pictures.

Overheard

Always the storyteller, Mr. T was telling us about a ridiculous dream he had the other night.  Basically he was a millionaire and had a  seven story mansion.  However, the elevator in the mansion only went up to the sixth floor, so if you wanted to get up to the seventh floor you would have to take at least one flight of stairs.  He claims that in his future house, the kids would have the seventh floor all to themselves.  The story went on and on, but soon he and Little E were collaborating on how their future house will be run: what they would eat, what video games they would play, etc.  They also insisted that it would just be a house of boys... no girls.  I asked about their wives; where would they live, what would they eat and do?  Mr. T knew he was pushing it when he said, under his breath and with a silly smile, "They'll be our attendants."  One look from me and he quickly changed his story, "Okay.  We won't have wives.  We'll just adopt our boys."  I assured him that one day he may really want to spend time with girls and, as a recent episode of Parenthood indicated, may even find girls to be "new and exciting."  His response, "An erector set is new and exciting.  Girls are old and boring."  I look forward to seeing how this story goes. 

Everyone has their "stuff"

Today I listened to a fellow classmate, a young'un, describe the breakdown she had earlier this morning.  I watched tears stream down her cheeks as she admitted that she just didn't think she could do it anymore.  School was asking too much of her; overwhelming and tearing her apart.  This is the start of week two of classes for the semester.  I felt for her. I have been there; I have felt similar feelings, and I know how debilitating they can be even as those around you assure that you are capable, competent, and qualified.  Another classmate at our table, commented that he would never ever express such feelings in front of me since I was probably thinking, "I do all that AND I have 2 kids!"  He's wrong.  I actually have four kids.  But in all honesty I interjected that he shouldn't ever feel that way.  We are all busy, we all have lives to live, and we all have our stuff.  

Lots on my mind... 

• Sometimes our stuff is physical, other times financial, emotional or even spiritual
• When our stuff becomes overwhelming
• My stuff is your stuff and your stuff is my stuff

However, I need to get jumping on homework and do a costco run before I pick up the kiddos and do piano lessons, taekwondo, dinner... you know, stuff.

Amidst the stuff in life, remember to smile... this should help:

!

Blessed & Blubbery

Life is never perfect.  But it's amazing to look around every once in a while and experience a perfect moment in life.  The more of these moments I capture, acknowledge, and appreciate, the more life feels perfect to me.  Not perfect in the way you would expect perfection to feel or look like, but perfect in that it's just what I never knew I always wanted.

I had a cousin pass away recently.  Unfortunately I didn't know him well, but he was only a few years older than me with young children of his own, and the proximity of that reflection can be profound.

Every day I get to spend with my family is a blessed day indeed.

Dirty dishes, crumbs on the counters, carpools and attitudes included.

"I really look up to being a gangster"

My printer is bezerk.  Seriously.  Worst purchase we have ever made.  We've had so many "issues" with this stinkin' thing.  At any rate, I keep bugging Mr. Man at work to print out little things for me.  The internet is wonderful and I don't have a standard "interview" sheet that we do each New Year, but I have a plethora of print-outs to choose from - everyone seems to post all their great ideas, which gives me more time to not think, but do.  New Years day I had the kiddos fill in a pretty simple interview sheets.  My heart melted when Mr. T suggested that everyone share theirs.  I wasn't going to push for it, but loved that he wanted to share and also hear what others had written.

Here are a few of my favourite outtakes:

Little J (5)
I really like to wear PJs
I wish I could be a cat
When I get older I want to do rockets
I really look up to the sky
I would describe myself as coloring
I want to practice coloring

Little E (8)
I really like to wear gangster clothes
When I grow up I want to be a gangster
I love it when I sleep in the closet (FYI - this is by choice and a strange new infatuation over the break!)

I wish I could be Tony Stark
When I get older I want to be a gangster
I really look up to being a gangster

Mr. T (9)
When I grow up I want to be an engineer or scientist
I would describe myself as an engineer
I wish I was an engineer
I love it when daddy helps me build
My favorite memory is my family
When I get older I want to engineer

Miss J (12)
When I grow up I want to be a surgeon
I would describe myself as awesome
My favorite memory is on my 8th birthday we went to a HUGE water slide hotel
The best thing about me is I'm plain awesome
When I grow up I want to drive
I really look up to my parents

Pictures they drew of themselves:

2012 in Review

I'm copying my sweet sister-in-law with a photo/short sentence re-cap... it seems like the perfect way to wrap up a year and start fresh for 2013.

January

Little J got his tonsils out and has been happy and healthy ever since (just normal childhood colds - such a relief!)

Pinewood Derby - all four kids participated.  We have THE BEST cub master EVER: a hunk of burnin' love a.k.a. Mr. Man!

February

Homemade valentines presents.

Staying warm indoors.

March
Spring Break Trip

Truck and Camper purchases











April 
Mr. T turns 9

-takes a special trip with Dad (in his pjs!)

Easter at my sister's (with my parents visiting) and a new baby to hold and cuddle

May 
Little E turns 8

Mother's Day BIKE

Oma's 90th Birthday and FUN with FAMILY (I was able to use all of Mr. Man's frequent flyer miles to get an almost free ticket to fly home for the weekend!)

June

Miss J graduates from Elementary School

Last days of school

San Francisco with my love
-also my first time to see him present his research at a conference

Riding across the BRIDGE (one of my greatest fears) ... lived to tell the tale!



















Mr. Man conferences in Washington D.C.

Camp Renée

July
4th of July Celebrations with Canadian family visiting - lots of cousin fun!

CAMPING - with my non-camping Father

 Mr. Man has a BIRTHDAY

Gardening joys

Mr. Man trains for and excels in his first triathlon

 August
Driving across the country for a Family Reunion

Little E's baptism

Family Reunion at the Lake

Little J turns 5

I turn 32 - woot woot!

Start of School: monumental as everyone is now in school all-day!

September
Biking

 Hiking and camping

Condoleezza Rice

Keeping up

October
Canadian Thanksgiving with Grandparents

Just a few activities per child (x 4) keeping us hopping!

Pumpkin patch

Halloween

November
Voting in my first national election!  
Holding our traditional dinner election

 

 A few of the candidates I voted for won!

Another TURKEY!
Canadian family came to visit for American Thanksgiving!

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Wrapping up the semester

December
St. Nicholas

 Awards

 Concerts and parties

Finals

Mr. Man's trip to Kansas

Miss J turns 12

Our Wedding Anniversary

Skating, skiing, sledding... and no pictures to prove it!

Christmas

BREAK

Slowing down and re-connecting

Ringing in the NEW YEAR!