My Birthday

Today is my birthday.

I'm 35.

Apart from the 6 hour drive in a van that seemed a bit reluctant to want to be driven (it has 187000km's, pulls to the left, has bald wheels and the engine seems to be on the verge of stalling even on the highway) and three restless boys hollering for a DVD, food, volume up, window open, advice to ease car sickness, water, volume down, and window down, etc. it was a peaceful day.

I like being 35. I am more confident that I was in my 20's and even though I am going grey, I don't feel very much older than I was a few years ago. I don't need a lot of presents or phone calls, but it is nice to get the happy birthday greetings from friends and family. The only person I have expectations to make my day special, is my husband. This year, Ian did fairly well.

He managed to get my present before my birthday. That is very important to me and he hasn't always been good about having a present for me on my birthday. So, he remembered!

He also bought me what I wanted (a raincoat and running socks). Oh my god, he listened!

The last request that I have for my birthday is to be treated as somewhat of a princess. Well, as much as I can be. If there is something that daddy can assist with, rather than mommy, than today, I don't jump out of my seat to help. In my head I hope that daddy will come to the child's rescue and hence be both our son's and my hero. It's amazing what Daddy can do just as well as mommy, when given an opportunity.

So, it is 10:00pm and it is still my birthday. My husband is fully exhausted and has gone to bed, the boys are upstairs sawing logs like their father and I am here....

I have two more hours to celebrate. I think I will go crawl into bed.

And for the next two hours, if one of the kids wake up, maybe daddy will sooth them back to sleep. I should rest, because tomorrow will be back to normal.

Cutting the Crapp

Blogs are often a display of accomplishments, achievements, a means of recording thoughts, processes and a bit of a window into a persons personal life (sometimes they are work related, but I'm not talking about those). In the past, I have used my blog as a means of recording events with a small attempt at adding a personal thought, feeling or recollection. To do more than that feels dangerous. I don't like making myself feel vulnerable, especially when the content involves my family mixed with the Internet. The thing is, what I have been writing, is only the good parts. I have avoided writing about the tantrums, whining, sad and horrible moments that I find myself dealing with on a daily basis.

Well, I have decided that if I am going to continue to blog, I might as well make it memorable and TRUTHFUL! I have made a commitment to try to blog on a more regular basis and thus include the not so fun experiences which comes with being a stay-at-home mom. It is not all sunshine, hugs and glory. There are many days when I feel completely under appreciated, misunderstood, and at times, invisible. Today, I am going to at least be heard... on my blog.

This is the beginning of the real story...

And thanks Scott B. for reminding me that the truth is often more interesting than a facade.

Back to School!

I took some pictures of the boys on Ethan's first day of school. He is off to grade 2 this year. Grade 2 seems so old. He wasn't really worried or nervous until the morning he was about to begin. He had what I would consider to be normal anxiety levels, which is much better than he had when he started school in October of last year.


On the first day, they ask that the parents drop the kids off at the fence, so we don't even enter onto school grounds. Ethan lined up with his teacher from last year and went into his old classroom with all of his old classmates. He got to spend a little time with his good friend Adam before he was placed into their separate classrooms. Ethan's teacher is Mrs Weiggleman and from what I have heard, she is very good. Last year, I wasn't thrilled with his teacher. She didn't make a great effort to communicate with parents and I really felt that she didn't have a connection to her students. I am looking forward to a new start for Ethan.

Toby also starts Jr kindergarten this year. We had our first meeting with Mrs Davis this week. Toby was very excited to meet his teacher and held out his hand for a formal handshake to introduce himself as soon as he saw her. I was a bit surprised he didn't just hug her and climb onto her lap. I'm sure he will try to do that after a few days. Mrs Davis showed Toby his cubby and we put his new shoes into it and then he and Simon were off and playing with the toys. Mrs Davis said that normally she would show the students around the room, but since Toby was so comfortable, she didn't need to. During our 30 min chat, Simon and Toby managed get into 3 or 4 arguments. I think Mrs Davis got a true display of the "Fudge" behaviour. However, I think it will be a smooth transition for Toby. I don't have any worries or concerns about it!

Simon will be starting preschool with Merrily We Go next week on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I think more than anything, he will miss his big brothers, but I am looking forward to spending some time alone with Simon.

We are onto a new school year, a fresh start and a new chapter of our lives. It is getting easier. Ian and I are very lucky to have such busy, outgoing and happy little boys.

Floating bonfire Night

Old friends are the Best

Jamie Stube at the Dinner Dance
Alec, Andrea and Andrew

Hennessy and Wybar bonfire at the beach.

Playgroup at the Blott's

Lee, Katherine, Jess and Andrea

There was so much to do in so little time. It was difficult to spend time with everyone when the kids were flying all over the place, but we all made an effort. I think we all appreciate the time we had there together.

Tennis and Golf Lessons

Granny always says that you can not start a child in tennis lessons until they are taller than the net. Luckily, Toby and Ethan are tall enough, but poor Simon will have to wait another year.

Overall, the tennis clinics with Stuart were fantastic. The were fun, active, repetitive (helps build confidence and basic skills) and entertaining. Golf with Chris was pretty good, but the boys need to mature a bit before they are ready for a game involving such calm, quiet, patience and self-control. It might take a few years...

Granny

Granny is 86 years old. Taking this into consideration, it is quite a gift that she is still willing to allow us to visit her home in Metis. Every year we visit Granny in Metis. We take over the entire house and leave her with no peace for a week!
Metis is a magical place where the same families gather every summer year after year.

The central hub of it all is the Cascade Golf and Tennis Club www.cascadegolfandtennis.com. That is where I have met many of my oldest friends. This year Ethan and Toby started going to the tennis and golf clinics just like I used to. At one point there were 22 children on the court!

Granny no longer plays tennis. However, we managed to spend time with her at the annual Garden Party, covered bridge, Birks beach, Turrifs beach, and Ian took her to the farm, Ste Flavie for fish and to visit the tomato lady.

Most days, Granny slept until 7:30, but she didn't seem to be bothered by the noise of the boys playing downstairs at 6:45am. She said they had "such happy voices in the mornings".

She ate her breakfast on the deck every morning where she watched rising and falling tides of the Ste Lawrence and listened to the birds.

In the evenings, she moved to the middle part of the deck for libations where she watched the red sunsets and tried to predict the weather for the following day.

She was always playful with the boys and had a twinkle in her eye. I think she genuinely enjoyed the hustle and bustle of it all.