Carpe Diem

The phrase is part of the longer Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero – "Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future".

In other words, live like there is no tomorrow. Our kids have no problem with that philosophy.


Giant mud puddles are meant to be jumped in...

Little girls are meant to dance...

...and so are little boys...

Ponies are meant to be rode...

Tractors are meant to be driven...

Bunnies are meant to be softly petted...

Tiny fingers are meant to be pointing excitedly at tiny calves...

...and thankfully carseats are made to be comfy!

Carpe Diem!

Lesson learned this week...

After spending four days with my dearest friend and her adorable daughter...

After spending today entirely with my children and no distractions...

After saying goodbye to my beloved grandma...




...I've learned a valuable lesson in parenting: Love them harder.



When they are smacking each other and grabbing toys: Love them harder.

When they are whining: Love them harder.

When they are arching their back in protest against the dreaded car seat: Love them harder.

When they won't settle into sleep despite a busy day: Love them harder.



Love them harder.

It is like pre-emptive discipline.

Thank you for the lesson, "House", R&B, and especially Grandma.

Bikers

I'm trying to get a little bike gang going but these two are reluctant. I decided that our fall project would be mastering the art of bike-riding. The kids have their own ideas about it. B would much rather have you push him around than have to actually pedal himself. R would just rather be doing sidewalk chalk. So when I insist and take them down the street to practice riding their bikes it lasts about one lap and then I find myself carrying someone's bike home. Oh well - at least they look cool!

Always

My back craves the comforting discomfort of a wicker chair…

My hands are restless, wanting to shuffle cards or blend pastry dough…

I want to curl up in the spare bed across the room from her and thumb through a biography late into the night…

I want to hear her snoring and say, “Grandma, you’re snoring!”
…and hear her indignant grunt as a retort…

I want to talk to her and sense that familiar feeling that she is really listening…
my words matter to her…what I think is important….I count…

I can still hear her distinct voice…I will always hear her distinct voice…
I love you…

Today my heart is full of love…and grief…but mostly love.

Our Ordinary Day

On paper our day today seemed busy...


R had her first day of preschool.

...rockin' the side ponytail



B had his first dance class.

...rockin' the soother (that is supposed to be "only in bed")



I looked after R's little friend from down the street.

...our toys were happy to be played with by someone new as they were carefully cued



RKA worked late.



Stani came over tonight with her new baby boy (who is so adorable).



It could have been hectic and exhausting but in reality it was a really good day.
The kind of September day when the sun is shining again and you have a chance to do a few summer things one last time.


Like play with caterpillars...




And watch spiderwebs gleam in the sunlight...




It was a perfectly "ordinary day"!

Matriarch

ma·tri·arch (mtr-ärk)
n.
1. A woman who rules a family, clan, or tribe.
2. A woman who dominates a group or an activity.
3. A highly respected woman who is a mother.

Take any one of these definitions and apply it to my grandma. It fits. She rules our family, not with force but with love. She is the head of the family and has been for many years now. Her kitchen has always been the meeting place for her six children, thirteen grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Now, we find ourselves meeting in the hospital. And it seems sudden and surreal to some while others were trying to prepare themselves all along. But for everybody in the family it is a blow. Yet the funny thing is that holding Grandma's hand in her hospital room with the family gathered around her it is the exact same atmosphere as it always was in her kitchen. There is conversation and laughter and love. Much love. And she is soaking it all in as she waits to peacefully slip away.

So as I sit here and think about my Grandma nearing the end of her life I feel deeply sad at our family's loss but I also feel hope. She is leaving a legacy of love with us. And anyways, as she put it so bluntly yesterday, "I'm 82 years old - what more do you want from me?!?!?" The answer is nothing - we could not ask for anything more.

September

September is a time of new beginnings and fresh starts. This is the start of our last school year with me on leave from teaching and I want to make the most of it. For us that means keeping busy. R starts her second year of preschool, B will be in a new music class, and they will be taking a gym class together. R will be doing ballet on Saturday mornings while B is at swimming lessons. There is anticipation in the air as we wait to meet new teachers and friends. We laid out R's clothes tonight to wear to her "Meet the Teacher" day tomorrow. She will have the same teacher as last year and she already told me that she is going to give her a big hug! She has no jitters - just enthusiasm!

The Evolution of a Tradition

Every summer we bid farewell to the carefree season of summer with a day at the fair. This is a tradition that began with RKA and I before marriage, cat, or kids. It has evolved throughout the years. We used to tuck our keys and our ID into our pockets and take transit from UBC, tour around, visit the beer garden, watch the fireworks and then take the bus home. Now we pack our car with the stroller, diaper bag, cooler bag and our two small children. The cooler bag is at my feet as I dole out the food on the hour long drive to get to the fairgrounds. Then it is the quest for free parking which I must admit is one of the most thrilling parts of the day for me... I get such a charge out of finding the perfect spot. Then we max out the load-bearing capacity of our stroller and use all of its attachments. Blankets, spare clothes, and loveys are stuffed into the cargo area underneath along with the cooler bag. The diaper bag and the camera bag are hung off of the handle. The kids take turns sitting in the main seat, chilling in the jump seat on the front, and hanging on the boogie board on the back. Over the years our PNE agenda has changed but we have never missed the Superdogs! This year has topped all previous years for many reasons.

R was big enough to walk hand in hand and soak in all of the sights...

She loved the carousel and chose the most fabulous horse of the bunch...

B found his niche in the animal barns...

...and was astonished at what he saw...

Both kids loved fishing for the ducks and were loving their prizes...

RKA had as much fun as the kids...

...so did I!

We had promised the kids that we would stay late and see everything lit up...

Just after nine o'clock our youngest member started to fade!

So now we have a new goal for next year - staying until 10:15 for the fireworks!

Wordless Wednesday