I'm Frustrated....

I blog for many reasons, I like that it records the daily going on's in our family, it's great for looking back on memories, and I enjoy expressing myself this way. Today is about expressing frustration... My oldest son is in grade 1 public school. Each and everyday he comes home I search through his bag to get his schedule book. The teacher and I use this book to communicate, if I have a question I write it down in this book and if my oldest son has achieved something great in school or got himself into mischief she tells me through this book. You get the drift, right?
This past Friday I came across a insert stating that my son had climbed a fence and because this was against school policy he will be missing a week's worth of recesses. That is 15 recesses in one week. Now I am not one of those mom's who thinks her son does no wrong, trust me I am all for punishments that fit the crime, but this one has me scratching my head.
I am trying to remain objective but the more I think about it the more I get frustrated and upset. I believe all kids, especially boys, need physical activity, once all that energy is drained they are better equipped to sit and listen, to be calm because all the ants in their pants are gone. Part of me wonders if this punishment is going to make the week harder on him because he won't have fresh air all day, no running and shouting, it really bothers me. What bothers me more is they didn't discuss with me, his mother, if this type of punishment is alright. Frankly it isn't..... okay I am getting all riled up again.:O) Breathe Jody!!
So tomorrow I will be chatting with his teacher and expressing my thoughts towards this punishment. I guess we'll see what happens. It's days like this I wish homeschooling had worked better for us. (sigh)

Who Knew.....

I went to the hospital the other day to pre-register for my upcoming stay. I was given a tour of the mother's ward, looked in on rooms and had some questions answered. Upon leaving the nurse handed me a booklet on what to expect with my hopsital stay, and some other reading on what to expect with a new born, etc... it was a great review.
I came across one subject that I found quite interesting. It mentioned that after the baby is born it is important to hold the baby, skin to skin, against your chest so bonding can take place - I agree with that and did that with my two boys. The one thing I read, which I have NEVER heard before is that they believe it very important to leave the baby unbathed until breastfeeding has been established. WHY?? , WHAT?? I could see doing the inital feeding, but after that my boys were always bathed and then handed back to me. I decided to look around on the web about this and came across an article by some OB's stating that vernix helps ward off infection and protects the babies skin from the elements. They stated not to wash it off but better yet rub it into the baby and refrain from bathing for a few days.
Who knew? I mean honestly I thought that vernix was there to protect them while in the womb, but wouldn't you know God, in all his wisdom, had multiple uses for that protective coating.... makes me shake my head and smile. Needless to say I won't insist on a bath for her for a few days.

I want to get away, I wanna fly away.....

We decided to treat ourselves this past winter. No, no fancy trips to an exotic, foreign, WARM climate, not this year. We decided to pack up the munchkins and head west a few hours to a city that actually has something to do on cold winter days.
I booked us in at a kid friendly hotel, we were lucky enough to get the Spider man theme room which rocked my boys world. Our hotel had water slides, X-box, and free breakfast the next morning. What more could we ask for?? As for me I went for the Super Walmart, yes small things amuse me, but when your from a "city" (and I use the word generously) where NOTHING is going on or open past 8pm a Super Walmart is the bomb.
So we packed up our mini van, decluttered it before hand, installed the portable DVD players, had everyone buckled in, coffee's in their trays when it happened. My battery was D.E.A.D. (AUGH!!-stupid van) So after a lot of grumbling and complaining we unloaded the cargo and reloaded it into my hubby's truck. I believe it is fair to say at this point we are stressed out, the kids are at each other, and our coffee's are cold. (blah)
So we stop by Tim Horton's (a local coffee place) get two large Cafe Mocha's to go and we hit the road. Here is a picture of my little guys, all grins because we are finally on our way.





Despite a rocky start we had a great weekend. The kids went water sliding with their dad while I took pictures and tried to stay dry. We played X-box, ate take out, broke up two fighting kids... ah yes, not terribly relaxing for us parents, but sometimes you just need a change of scenery.
Here are some more pics of my boys enjoying their weekend in what they refered to as the "Greatest days EVER!!"

My bags are packed

Last night I packed my bags for the impending hospital visit I will be making any day now. In someways it's hard to believe it's been almost 9 months already, but in most ways it has felt like years. I feel ready to have this baby and I am so excited it's going to be a girl. The nursery is ready, well almost I have a little stencilling to do yet, but all the baby clothes have been washed in Ivory soap, newborn diapers have been purchased and all I can manage to do while I wait is put my swollen appendages up and blog about stuff.
The other day a girlfriend of mine was over for coffee with her little boy. Now this friend of mine is in no way an extremist, she has genuine concern over her family's health and what products she chooses to bring into the home. I started asking her questions about certain skincare products and where in our little village I could find some organic baby products.
You know how it is when you look back at a conversation and wished you'd never started it to begin with.. that is how I am feeling right now. Ignorance really is bliss until that little bubble of denial is popped and you know you couldn't make yourself forget if you tried.
We had a conversation about all the chemicals in kids and baby products and she left me with a short list of chemicals to look out for. Now me, being curious, went online trying to find some reputable web sites on the subject and found out things I wish I hadn't.
Baby steps is what I am telling myself right now, it's overwhelming to think that just about every skincare product you like is potentially ridden with cancer causing chemicals. I don't like fear mongering and don't want to pass that on to anyone, but it really makes you wonder why we are so sick, cancer is on the rise, and maybe our old granny's had it right by using castile soap for everything. I wonder....
Needless to say I need to start checking labels, and finding out what all those fancy, unpronounceable words are on the back of my shampoo bottle.

"Lost Adventures of Childhood" - presented by W5

Unfortunately I wasn't able to remember that this documentary was being broadcast on a particular night because I really wanted to view it. I went to W5's web site and read a bit of a summary of the show and saw tidbits of it on the nightly news. The show focuses on today's children, the over scheduling, the technology driven society that is being created, and at what expense.
This is a topic so close to my heart because I see a problem happening with today's kids and mine aren't exempt. I don't over schedule my boys and maybe if I wasn't feeling like a beached whale about to give birth, maybe I would have. My kids are involved in something twice a week and that is plenty for both them and us. My problem is the technology side of things. T.V, Nintendo, Wii.... yes it's sad, and I really felt like we tried as parents to fight it, but we caved and most days regret it.
Balance is the key, I know it, we all know it, but some days when you feel too tired to come up with wonderful and exciting ideas to satisfy all the, "Mom, I bored", demands T.V and Nintendo don't seem too harmful. I need more balance and more energy and I know once this little princess makes her debut things will go back to normal. (at least they better)
Today we had a warm, wonderful wet spring day. So warm in fact my youngest was outside wearing flip flops and shorts. My oldest son and his friend came home after school and made a bee line for his room to play Nintendo. The first beautiful day of Spring and these little rug rats want to stay inside... NO WAY! I told them all to go outside and figure out something to do. Within minutes a football was being thrown around, mud puddles were being splashed in and my heart swelled. This is what kids are supposed to do. Go get wet, fall in the lake situated in the middle of the driveway, just go do something physical!!
We all remember "back in our day" how we used to play. Leaving the house, bike riding all day, back by nightfall. At least that is how I grew up ,and mind you it was in a small town, but I think it's fair to say we all experienced a great deal more freedom then our kids do today.
Another point made in this documentary was how today's parents are "marinating in fear" due to school shootings, abductions, pedophiles, etc. They stated the scheduled play dates, kids having to carry GPS systems with them, or cell phones so parents can contact them whenever needed, are hindering their development. My response to that is what are we supposed to do??? These fears are real, they are apart of today's sick, twisted world and most of us would rather err on the side of caution then to have something happen.
Being a parent is like wearing your heart outside your body. You are vulnerable in a way that you weren't before you had kids. So how do we give our kids the chance to be free without potentially costing them their safety and our peace of mind? I'm still trying to figure that one out.
I have talked to many of my friends, friends whose kids are in their teens to friends who have toddlers at home and the common thread is we all want better for our kids then what the status quo is. I suppose answers will be come as problems present themselves and maybe that is all we can hope for. To meet each challenge head on and do our best to guide these little treasures until they can properly decide for themselves.

I'd do anything for these rug rats...

Israel 1997

Ever since I was a little girl I had wanted to travel and do missions. Our church was a big advocate for many mission organizations, but one that always stood out to me was YWAM ( Youth With A Mission).
One year after graduation I went to YWAM. For the first few months we had our lecture phase which consisted of many different themes. All focused on getting closer to God and finding out what our path was, are calling. During the lecture phase you go on mini outreaches, work with homeless people, serve food to the hungry, all great ministries. After the lecture phase you head out on a overseas outreach. Israel is the second outreach I went on with YWAM, my first being a few years earlier.
Israel changed my life, I wouldn't say it was a time of our team doing great ministry, but Israel impacted me and has led me on the path which I am on now. Being there as a believer you truly feel like you are home, it is familiar due to the fact that we have read about it from the Bible.
Leaving was heartbreaking and I long to go back someday with my husband and children. I had many experiences there and due to lack of technology back in the day I don't have a lot of pictures to show that. This little ditty I put together are a few of the good pictures I have with a story behind it.
Again due to technology back then and my lack of knowing how to really use my new camera, some of the pictures are not too clear. I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Feb.14th/2009

I had wanted to post this, oh let's see, way back in February but I am not the most tech savy as some and had no idea how to download these pics. I am sure the next few posts will be of things we did as a family weeks or even months ago, but I have been in a slump as to what to write so this is giving me some good ideas.
Usually we don't do a whole lot for Valentine's Day, but as I have said in the past it's fun to do something so I purchased some little things for the boys. Here are a few of the pics with my new camera which I still am trying to figure out....

Spring is in the Air....finally.

I dare say it's here folks, we have been waiting for what seems like forever, and I think I can finally say it's here. I don't know why this year it has felt like winter just wouldn't end. I'm sure it has something to do with the fact that my baby is due in spring so that coupled with the anticipation of warmer weather probably has something to do with it.
This past weekend my husband and I went into our mud/concrete mess of a backyard to do some spring cleaning. As he was doing all the bending to pick up trash and lifting it all away I was daydreaming about the new deck we will put up this summer. Taking one of the many sticks that were laying on the ground I drew the outline of the deck and then moved onto the area where I want to put the above ground pool. This is what I love about spring, it's a time for planning and new beginnings.
We are looking at getting a covered pergola to keep out the pesky mosquito's and wasps that seem to hover and bite whenever we are sitting around outside. Unfortunately I have read terrible reviews about these pergola's. You see where I live is very windy, so much so people have wrote in saying their pergola collapsed within 2 weeks. Something to keep in mind anyway.
So yes we have lots planned for this spring and summer and I am anxiously awaiting this baby to arrive so I can feel like I can enjoy this weather a bit. Whenever the weather turns for the better it makes me want to get more active, hit the gym or the trails for a walk, not this year. Walking up the stairs is giving me contractions so it's a bit frustrating, soon it will be a memory and I will be so sleep deprived the mere thought of a walk will not even enter my head.
Well this has been more of a rambling post, just some things that are going on in my neck of the woods.
What are your spring/summer plans????

Big Love

I first watched this show about a year ago. It is a strange program about a man with plural wives. Now I am not for plural marriage, but watching these three very different women cope with living together as sister wives is like a car crash, you know you shouldn't watch but you can't help yourself. I think the dynamic between these three ladies really makes the show. You have the first wife, Barb, who is like a mother to all the other sister wives. Responsible, level headed and a peacemaker. The second wife, Nikki, is jealous, conniving and hates injustice. Then there is the third wife, Margene, who is the youngest of all three. She is the innocent, free spirited one of the bunch.
Watching Bill, the lucky husband, trying to manage and satisfy these three is entertaining and a little exhausting. My husband often says having one wife is hard enough, but to manage three....forget it, he'd rather be celibate.
I have chatted with my mom about this show a few times because I find it so interesting. Her take on the whole thing is it's society trying to desensitize us to it, so when we see it become more mainstream we won't be up in arms about it.
Have any of you ever seen it? What are your thoughts?

Growing Pains

Little J has been looking forward to his bath time with his dad for the last few days. The tub is filled up with Superman bubble bath, toys are thrown in and they have a nice relaxing time enjoying a good soak.
After sometime my husband came into the living room to chat with me, I asked how Little J was doing and he told me he was washing himself and he'd be out shortly. Now Little J is 5 years old and he's my baby. Maybe I caudal him more then I should, I admit it, but I usually will wash him, shampoo his hair and help him get into his PJ's. Tonight my husband left him alone to do it all, and we heard about it when he made his way into the living room.
So my little man appears, dressed in PJ's and a robe, smelling clean and looking utterly crushed. He begins by stating that this was his worst bath ever! He was left alone to wash himself, drain the tub and then, AND THEN, he had to dress himself.
Now while his little tirade is going on my husband is hiding his laughter behind a newspaper. I, being the good mommy, sympathize with his outrage and try to comfort him. So I rub his back and tell him he did a great job, even though he's right ticked about it.
My husband, being the practical one, states to my son that he is now 5, he is a big boy and can do this by himself and succeed at it. Of course feeling like a total enabler, I join in with my husband and encourage Little J to do these things for himself because he is a big boy.
I think I baby that boy too much, I know I do, but he's so darn cute. Yes, I know it won't be cute when he's 10 and still expecting me to dress him... I know, I know.

Counting Sheep and Wide Awake

I am going to pay for this in the morning. It's 1:40am and I am wide awake in bed writting this blog. I tried to go to sleep hours ago and just sort of laid here waiting for my eyes to go heavy and my brain to turn off, that blessed time never came.
Being the curious person that I am I decided to You Tube a video of a woman giving birth, now that was a mistake. Getting a bird's eye view, from that end, did NOTHING to calm my anxiety or turn my brain off for that matter. Now the thought of my body being put through such trauma has me even more awake and thoughtful. Let's move on so I can stop thinking about it.
I have my babies nursery on the brain. This weekend we bought a second hand dresser, repainted it white and it soon will be added to her room. Due to the weather in our neck of the woods being less then stellar, and our boys going absolutely stir crazy in the house, I purchased some wooden keepsake boxes for them
to paint and decorate for their sister. They did a fairly decent job of decorating and I am looking forward to seeing how they look on her newly painted dresser.
One other thing on the brain is I was able to reconnect with a girl I went on a mission trip to Israel with. It has been well over 10 years since we've spoken, gotta love Facebook!! So we are in the midst of catching up. From what I understand she still takes trips to Israel and her photo's make me miss it something terrible.
Do you see what I mean, there is alot going on in my brain and I NEED to shut it off. I need to try again to go to sleep or I will be a walking zombie tomorrow. Wish me luck...

Our Story

1) How old were you when you first met your husband?
- I was 17 years old, he was 18
2) Who made the first move?
- I think I did by inviting him over to my friends house for an after grad party.
3) What was your first impression of him?
- I thought he was the quiet, brooding type... I was really intrigued.
4) When did you know you had really fallen for him?
- We were at a church bible camp, he was a counsellor, I was a camper. He started 'hanging' out with my camp counsellor and I was livid. We were at a bonfire one night and I saw him holding her hand. I couldn't take it so I stomped over to the other side of the fire across from them and glared. He caught my eye and just sort of looked at me. I knew I had fallen.
5) What is your favorite memory of how you guys got together?
- I have so many great memories of that time! Falling in love in crazy and emotional and so fun!! I suppose one of my most favorite memories is when I actually confronted him on the beach. A few days before we talked on the beach Jay had approached one of my good girlfriends asking about me. She pretty much told him I wanted to be free for the summer to have fun. Days later she told me about this conversation she'd had with him. I asked to talk with him on the beach and told him I knew how he felt.
6) Where was your first kiss?
- It was after that week of camp. We decided to go for a drive together, we ended up parking at the park and talking for hours. We shared our first kiss there, and almost right after a patrol car pulled up and an officer came and knocked on the window. He then asked me if I was being held against my will. :O)
7) What is your most frightening memory of your dating time?
- Jay and I were in a car full of people heading up to a local Bible College for a football tournament. We had driven all night, he played football the next day and we were to drive home. I told him I would drive for part of the way so he could rest. We were about 10 km out of town, everyone in the car was asleep instantly, including me. We drove down a steep ditch and I woke up just in time to steer clear of a huge power box. Very scary, and to think about it to this day he won't let me drive on long trips.
8) When did you know you would marry him?
- I honestly believe I knew from very early on in our dating. But when I knew that I knew we had been dating for about 6 years, I had been on a mission trip to Cuba. I became quite ill when I was there and couldn't participate in all the ministry times. I spent alot of time alone in bed thinking and praying. All of my doubts and concerns sort of disappeared. Upon returning to Canada I called him from a layover city and told him I was ready. He was VERY skeptical, but I knew that I knew and after a few months I had a ring on my finger.
9) What does your husband bring to your life?
- I will narrow it down because there is alot. He is my best friend so he brings me companionship, love, loyalty,smiles, hugs... this is starting to sound cheesy... but it's true.
10) What is the nicest thing your husband has done for you lately?
- The other day he brought me home a lumbar support that massages as you lean against it. It is fabulous and is making me feel like a new women!

Interview With My Boys

This is an interview with my boys. I got the idea from a fellow bloggers site and thought it seemed interesting. I interviewed them separately so I could get their answers without the other's influence. Here goes..


Big Son

WHAT IS SOMETHING MOM ALWAYS SAYS TO YOU?
- I Love you

WHAT MAKES MOM HAPPY?
- being good

WHAT MAKES MOM SAD?
- being bad

HOW DOES MOM MAKE YOU LAUGH?
- kisses me

WHAT WAS YOUR MOM LIKE AS A KID?
- like me, we were both kids.

HOW OLD IS YOUR MOM?
- 34

WHAT IS YOUR MOM'S FAVORITE THING TO DO?
- go to restaurants

WHAT DOES YOUR MOM DO WHEN YOUR NOT AROUND?
- do laundry
(that's me the laundry lady)

IF YOUR MOM BECAME FAMOUS WHAT WOULD IT BE FOR?
- making a cartoon
( huh??)

WHAT IS YOUR MOM REALLY GOOD AT?
- loving us
(my sweet boy)

WHAT DOES YOUR MOM DO FOR A JOB?
- housework

WHAT IS YOUR MOM'S FAVORITE FOOD?
- fish

WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD OF YOUR MOM?
- when she does everything I say
(you wish buster..)

IF MOM WERE A CARTOON WHO WOULD SHE BE?
- Fred Flintstone
(thanks buddy...NOT)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO WITH MOM?
- We play mini golf

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR MOM THE SAME?
- we both do chores

HOW ARE YOU DIFFERENT?
- by our age

HOW DO YOU KNOW MOMMY LOVES YOU?
- she tells me all the time

WHAT DOES YOUR MOMMY LIKE ABOUT YOUR DADDY?
- she likes kissing him
(ain't that the truth..)

WHAT DO MOMMY AND DADDY LIKE TO DO TOGETHER?
- go to Chinese restaurants

WHERE IS MOMMY'S FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?
- Boston Pizza's
(I am noticing a theme here, we do do more than eat)


Little J

WHAT IS SOMETHING MOM ALWAYS SAYS TO YOU?
- clean your room

WHAT MAKES MOMMY HAPPY?
- If I clean my room

WHAT MAKES MOMMY SAD?
- I don't know

HOW DOES MOM MAKE YOU LAUGH?
- I don't know
(ouch.. that hurts)

WHAT WAS MOMMY LIKE AS A CHILD?
- I don't know that either.
(your killing me here kid)

HOW OLD IS YOUR MOMMY?
- 24
(ok, that's better)

WHAT IS YOUR MOM'S FAVORITE THING TO DO?
- watch T.V

WHAT DOES YOUR MOM DO WHEN YOUR NOT AROUND?
- watches T.V by herself
(man I sound pathetic..nice image to leave with my kids.)

IF YOUR MOM BECAME FAMOUS WHAT WOULD IT BE FOR?
- you'd get penny's and make them into gold.

WHAT IS YOUR MOM REALLY GOOD AT?
- playing games with me.

WHAT DOES YOUR MOM DO FOR A JOB?
- keeping the baby healthy by eating healthy foods.

WHAT IS YOUR MOM'S FAVORITE FOOD?
- Rice, chicken, cooked carrots and peas, and that's it.

WHAT MAKES YOU PROUD OF YOUR MOM?
- that she is almost done being pregnant.

IF YOUR MOM WERE A CARTOON CHARACTER WHO WOULD SHE BE?
- Sponge Bob.

WHAT DO YOU AND YOUR MOM DO TOGETHER?
- cook and mini golf.

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR MOM THE SAME?
- we have the same skin color.

HOW ARE YOU AND YOUR MOM DIFFERENT?
- your a girl, I'm a boy.

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOUR MOMMY LOVES YOU?
- because she's my mommy.

WHAT DOES YOUR MOMMY LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR DADDY?
- that she's married to him

WHAT DO YOUR MOM AND DAD LIKE DOING TOGETHER?
- to play kissing games at night.

WHERE IS YOUR MOM'S FAVORITE PLACE TO GO?
- Medicine Hat, AB
(um.. ok)

Sing me the Winter Blues

"Winter is my worst day ever!", these are the words that came out of my 5 year olds mouth today. I think he has pretty much summed it up for our whole family.
The temperature really dropped this past weekend, so much so that we let our kids spend ungodly amounts of time playing Nintendo and watching T.V. We rented movies, ate take out and pretty much vegged. And while it was nice to spend time with the kids, doing nothing, one can't help but wonder if there isn't a better way to spend 8 months of the year then in front of the T.V?
I think this winter is particularly difficult because I am so big with the baby that the idea of trekking through the snow, and slippery sidewalks are both unappealing and dangerous. Our kids are pretty young also so they get cold fast and all the effort of actually getting them bundled up and out the door is lost when they reappear 10 minutes later complaining of the cold.
Yes I think it may be time for a change. We still have a commitment here for sometimes, but as I am sure I've mentioned in another post, change may be comin'.