Thursday, April 26, 2012

Toronto Bound

Just wanted to wish everyone a great and wonderful weekend!

We are packing up our little family and jumping on a plane bound for Toronto.



My boys and I are very excited to visit the Toronto Zoo  (perhaps Joel more than anyone!!!)

We are hoping to see all sorts of differents animals and perhaps some cute little babies like these ones!!




We are going to visit family and friends, attend a first Communion, visit some new parks, the zoo, the ROM and fingers crossed for some shopping!!!

Enjoy your weekend!!






Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Outdoor Kids

It seems I might not be the only one that's talking about the way it used to be and the way it is. 

Here is an article in the Globe and Mail that talks about getting your children outdoors and experiencing things.

I loved the Bucket list for kids to do before they are 12, take a look.

They sound so simply and fun, hopefully we can all experience some of these with our kids this year and maybe let them do a couple on their own!!

The list
1. Climb a tree
2. Roll down a really big hill
3. Camp out in the wild
4. Build a den
5. Skim a stone
6. Run around in the rain
7. Fly a kite
8. Catch a fish with a net
9. Eat an apple straight from a tree
10. Play conkers
11. Throw some snow
12. Hunt for treasure on the beach
13. Make a mud pie
14. Dam a stream
15. Go sledging
16. Bury someone in the sand
17. Set up a snail race
18. Balance on a fallen tree
19. Swing on a rope swing
20. Make a mud slide
21. Eat blackberries growing in the wild
22. Take a look inside a tree
23. Visit an island
24. Feel like you’re flying in the wind
25. Make a grass trumpet
26. Hunt for fossils and bones
27. Watch the sun wake up
28. Climb a huge hill
29. Get behind a waterfall
30. Feed a bird from your hand
31. Hunt for bugs
32. Find some frogspawn
33. Catch a butterfly in a net
34. Track wild animals
35. Discover what’s in a pond
36. Call an owl
37. Check out the crazy creatures in a rock pool
38. Bring up a butterfly
39. Catch a crab
40. Go on a nature walk at night
41. Plant it, grow it, eat it
42. Go wild swimming
43. Go rafting
44. Light a fire without matches
45. Find your way with a map and a compass
46. Try bouldering
47. Cook on a campfire
48. Try abseiling
49. Find a geocache
50. Canoe down a river

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Time

Time.




(Beautiful Michael Kors Rose Gold watch, if I ever decided to wear a watch again, I would want this!)


Remember when your parents used to tell you that time would go so fast when you got older and you did not believe them at all.  The only thing that went by fast was summer and even then it still seemed like you had so long to do things!

Well apparently I grew up because time is on full speed ahead around here.

I just don't seem to have enough of it.  Sure I can get things done after dark but I realized something very important this weekend.  I don't do well at doing things after dark.  When the kids are in bed and I have brought order (slightly) back to my house, all I want to do is sit down and watch my PVR'd shows or read a book.  (Or perhaps shop online for shoes!!!)





(I dream of the space to do this, I have the shoes, just need the space!!)



I do not want to do all the things on my list once the time actually comes.  I make all sorts of plans in my head but then the couch calls to me and I sit!




(Love the colour scheme, whenever the basement is finished these are it's colours!)


I realized this on Saturday night when my husband went out with an old friend.  I made grand plans in my head for his night out and my night in to get things done.  Instead I watched HGTV (at least someone was productive during my time!)

I am an early to sleeper because my children are early to risers!!!  So up we are at 6:30am and I am ready to face the day.  If life didn't get in the way, I could get those things done.  We are always so busy out and about that I rarely get to my projects.  Which is why my children's art work project is still sitting on the shelf all ready to go, I just need to put it up!  Someday and I promise to take a picture, if it ends up anything like it looks in my head, I should be very proud!

I think one extra day a week would definitely help me out.  I spend most of my lunch times running errands and going to appts.  When we get home from work, I want to play and visit with my kids after supper and before they go to bed.  So by the time I can get organized to go do my errands, most places are either closed or will be soon.

So if I do have stuff that needs to be done and I go out, I end up feeling guilty that I didn't put the monkeys to bed or play with them long enough. 

I think I need to let go of the guilt and of the rush for the projects.  Eventually they will get done and I will make a plan for a new one!!!!


Does anyone else wish we had a little more time in the week?

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Parenting...such a tough subject



Wow, it's been so long!  Even my blogger dashboard thought it was a long time since it made me sign in again!!

My poor little man Liam has had a rough week but is finally on the mend.  Thanks to the help of my mother I was able to get some work done this week.  For all of you with children who do not have the benefit of having family around to help out, I applaud you.  I do not think I could do this without them!

So a little shout out to my parents for helping out!!!  Thanks for everything!!

Today's post is just going to be a little rant about things I have been thinking about.  I have lots of projects, ideas and thoughts to come in the future but the world has been a little tospy turvy and next week we are heading on vacation!!

A few of my thoughts have been about how we raise our children these days, I have seen posts about the overprotection of our children.  I grew up in a small city, we don't have a lot of crime, poverty or huge issues.  So perhaps I just don't get it but I remember hearing this cbc story on the radio about the amount of people that were up in arms because a woman put her 9 yr son on the NYC subway by himself.

They lived and her son had grown up in NYC, so one day she let him travel from Bloomingdale's to home and she met him there.  She had given him a metro pass, a map, and $20.  Apperently he had been asking for a very long time and was super excited to go.  He made out fine and I am sure travels it extremely well by now.  She got huge flack for it and I personally think she shouldn't have.  Now I don't live in New York (obviously) and have only travelled the subway system there once but it's not unlike any subway system.  They really aren't so bad, at night it might get a little tricky but for a child who has been given instructions and rode on it many times it's a way of life!

She wrote a book called Free Range Kids and also has a blog called Free Range Kids here and which I think is great.  People continue to say that our society is more dangerous, scary and not safe.  However I don't know that we have any more actual dangers, crimes or issues than before, if anything it might be a little safer.  Now we are just able to get every bad story from anywhere in the world and the happy ones are forgotten or just aren't good media!!!  When we grew up, you didn't here about the child that got abducted in Port Alberni, BC (as an example) but now you know it the moment they alert the police.  It's great if you live in Port Alberni, BC because then you can be on the look out for this child but it doesn't help parents in other cities and towns.  It just makes everyone that much more scared to let their children do anything without supervision.

I live within walking distance of the elementary school that my children will attend, I can actually hear the announcements we live that close.  I see parents walking their 8 and 9 yr old children to school each morning.  (a side note:  the neighbourhood I live in does not have busy streets that need to be taken into consideration, I can only go by the experience I had and will have)   I walked to school everyday from grade one (6yrs) old until I took the bus in grade 10.  So did everyone else in my neighbourhood.  Our parents did not walk us to school; they got us up, organized and sent us out the door!  I plan to do the same thing with my children.  They will be walking to school alone from what others will consider a young age.  Currently, they are allowed to play outside in our yard without my constant supervision right now at ages 4 and 2.  They know they are not go on the road or to the neighbours unless the neighbours are outside (no one wants someone else playing in their backyard!!) And I of course check on them but I am trying to teach them to follow rules on their own, sometimes it works great and sometimes I look outside to see Rhys strolling back into our yard from the neighbours!!!


Now I don't want anyone to think that I let my children run around unruly and do not care about their well being or about safety (I am always saying "safety counts").  My children are being taught to respect people and things, listen and follow rules, help, learn new things and have fun doing it.  They do not always follow those teachings and won't always but I have to have faith that they will learn them and make the most of them.  My hope is that they turn out to be wonderful, independant men and I think that has to start now. 

I believe that you provide your children with the information they need to make good decision, teach them right from wrong, show them how to do things and allow them to experience it for themselves. If you don't do this now, how are they going to fend for themselves when society believes it's time for them.  You need to learn to be careful, make proper decision and handle things on your own but if you haven't been given the opportunity then how can you.

I, in no way, want to push my views on other people because it's one of my pet peeves.  I just wanted to share what I thought about this topic.  Some, all or none of you might agree with me and that's ok either way. 

I just want everyone else to think about it, how was it when you grew up?

Are things that much different?


Monday, April 9, 2012

My Loves



A few weekends back I took Friday off for a little family fun with my boys.  It's always nice to take some time off and enjoy being a family.

We visited with old friends, watched some hockey, went to our regularly scheduled activites, suger bushed it up and I even got a date night with my husband.
Great weekend, topped off with a relaxing Sunday afternoon and evening at home.

These are the important things in my life, I sometimes forget it.  It's weekends like this that remind me of how much I have!  My two active little boys are adorable, loving, magical and topped of with a little touch of mischief!  I couldn't ask for two better monkeys!!!  My husband is an amazing, kind, caring and handsome man who I take for granted sometimes but I think he knows how much I love him!

I am blessed to have my parents around to visit and play with their grandchildren, wonderful brothers and extended family!  My in-laws are amazing people, I definately lucked out!

My friends are also my family, I am so lucky to have wonderful, beautiful and thoughtful friends who are always there when I need them and when I don't!!!!



I have so much to be happy about and I have so much to be thankful for!  It's wonderful when you have moments were you can sit back and reflect on the life you have been granted, created and nutured!


This past Easter weekend was another one of those great weekends.  I started this post before the cold's took over my home and I thought now was a great time to finish it.

This weekend was another great family fun weekend, we visited with lots and lots of family.  I am sure I ate too much candy and that my pants are going to have trouble fitting soon if I keep this up but we enjoyed it!

I just wanted everyone to remember the important things in life.  They aren't the material things, they are the wonderful memories you are creating everyday!

Enjoy your loved ones and enjoy the moments!!!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Tissues and Medicine

Tissues and medicine have certaintly taken over our house the past two weeks.  Hence the lack of love the blog has been receiving!

I had started a post about family time early last week but a cold took over and I feel under the bus!!!  That post will come at another time.

This is just a little hello so you don't all forget about me.  I am going to show you a few of my favourite things, so then I won't feel so sad!!!!!

Daisies and blue skies....Spring is in the air.


My all time favourite family photo - you can't not smile when looking at this!!



Shoes - always put a smile on my face



Adorable baby photos



MY adorable babies!!! (little boys really!!!)



My dream of someday having a space like this




CANDY!!!  (If only I could find these again.....they were the best sours around!)



And finally, knowing that days like this.....



....are just around the corner!!

Enjoy your day and you will be hearing from me again soon!!