Fresh Starts

Spring is in the air ~ at least until another snow hits.  For now nearly all the snow and wet dirty residue snow leaves in it's wake are gone.  We brought the boys bikes out from hiding today!  Always a great day when you can finally fly to school on wheels, eagerly gripping handlebars, after a long winter of trudging through snow.

This spring is bringing with it some new beginnings.  After 17 years with the same company, Jon was laid off, or bought out, at the beginning of February.  With this transition comes new changes at home; for the first time in our family we have a Monday-Friday routine.  Weekends actually have meaning now, since shift work is no longer our way of life.  The best part is...Dad is home for supper!    A luxury previously unavailable to us (except on days off, of course).  I really enjoy having Jon walk through the door at 4:45(ish).  The boys enjoy that too, seeing more of their Dad.  New company, new routines, new possibilities, new spring.

Family Photo!

 

Our most recent family photo ~ taken in Cuba on a catamaran cruise we were lucky enough to enjoy this spring.  I feel so blessed to have a wonderful, hard-working husband who does it all so we can have precious moments together like this, memories to last a lifetime, and the opportunity to see beautiful places! 

 

 

 

Quilting Time

I started my quilt!  My mom helped me get started over Easter;  now I am well on my way to completing my first quilting project.  So excited!!  This will be a lap quilt ~ I think it's called an Irish Chain quilt.  Still have 3 more rows of blocks to do before I can sew all the blocks together.  My very first project!  My mom and I did a project last year, two t-shirt quilts for my boys... we worked together but Mom did most of the work.  This time, it's all me!  Yikes, hope it turns out...  LOL

Magic Potion

     My son has a gigantic imagination.  It's wonderful, like a breath of fresh summer mountain air.  He dreams up countless career rolls for himself and puts them into action.  Usually sometime during my day an invitation will be delivered to me; an invite to a rock concert, a bakery opening, a hockey game, a lecture... you get the idea.  Frequently the invitation is to a store opening, where I can (and am expected to) buy any and all manner of goods. 

     Yesterday I was invited to such a shop.  My little guy is such an attentive shopkeeper; he will bend over backwards to serve customers whatever they are looking for.  I found a Tim Hortons apple juice bottle, the juice replaced with a cloudy water, and knew it was the item for me.  Partly because I was making supper at the time and just didn't have time to browse further, and partly because I wanted to confiscate the sketchy water bottle in the least-resistant way possible, I purchase this item with a fake credit card and left the store. 

     It was a fast sale and I could tell my son was frustrated that he couldn't provide the full-service deal, so on my way out the door I turned and asked "what is this, anyway?".  My shopkeeper absolutely loves to explain all of his products.. what they do, what they don't do, how they may be used and what else I may need to buy to go along with it.  His face brightened and after a split-second thought he replied the coolest thing I've ever heard in his store :  "It's a magic potion; if something is in your way this will make it disappear."

     Oh my little guy!  I haven't been able to shake his answer from my mind.  It hit me, because I am the thing in my way.  I have always believed all things are possible, when you work for something and give it all you got.  Yet my goals seem so unattainable because I stuck myself in the path and won't budge!  My fears of failure, my fears that I won't be able to handle success, my fears that achieving my goals will change me (and I don't handle change well..... ).  Anything and everything one could think of to stop them from moving forward in developing themselves, I have used not as a reason to power forward but as a brick in a wall in front of me.  I get in my own way. 

     My sweet boy, who lets nothing stand in his way, who loves life and lives it as fully as allowed at his young age, sold me a potion to disappear objects in my way.  How can I not learn from this?  How can I not adopt some of his love for this wonderful life and just move forward and give it my all??  That is my new goal ~ to be more like my son.  To not make lists upon lists of goals, things I want to do and learn, but to just go.  DO.  Learn.  Live life and love it.  If I want to sew a quilt, then sew it.  Get it done.  If I want to learn a language, then learn it.  Use it.  Be happy.  Like my son.

 

Oh my, it has been a long, long time since I've visited this blog!  Two years.  This page has been on my mind lately. Creating and managing Thoughts and Stuff used to be my therapy when the boys were small.  It was that long-time friend who listens unfailingly and never will judge to my sleep-deprived, lonely self.  Those days feel like an eternity ago! 

My little guys are big boys now, making their way through the adventures of Grade 1.  They are in the same class and enjoy their little friends and their world.  I hope to get back into regular posting on this thing!!  I miss that old friend ;)

Our Truck!

We have a truck now!  It's not brand-spankin' new, but we love it anyway.  It was a work truck in it's former life, then up for auction and my husband put a bid in - long story short, we have a truck now.  The boys are REALLY excited, being as they are so star-struck when it comes to their dad and this used to be a "worker man's truck" from dad's work.  Now it's ours and though it needs some TLC and minor mechanical lovin' we are very excited to have a truck.  Trips to the mountains to visit family won't be nearly as squished now!!!  WOO HOO!

                                                      My extremely talented husband!!

                                                    "We have a truck now!!  YAY!!"

While Dad and JD work on the truck, David gets in some serious stunt practice...    yes his helmet says Spiderman.  The helmets are exactly the same so to tell them apart we stickered on some names. Spiderman and Speed.  Yep, we're cool like that!

Preschool is OVER!

    It's official - the twins have graduated preschool.  The ceremony was short, cute, and I was totally fine...even glad to have the year over with.  No more volunteer commitments, no snacks to provide for 22 kids, nothing.  Then....

    The ceremony was on Wednesday and by Thursday night I was a wreck.  I know, I know - it's only preschool!!  But for some reason I am having a hard time letting go of my little babies and welcoming my big, strong little men.  I should have no problem;  they are already doing stunts on their bikes!  Riding with no hands, no problem... riding up a homemade ramp, hey it was my idea!  David even is apparently big enough to ride laying down (with his tummy on his seat)... that one did make me freak a little ("hey Mom, look at this!").  But thinking of them off for the summer before they start kindergarten - that leaves me in tears!  My little babies!!! 

Cute little chairs!!  Love 'em!

Nervous grad? ?

Soooo bored!

Way back then.... ok it was only September...

                                                           My guys on the first day!!!

  Now we are done; they've discovered, grown, and learned a bunch of stuff.  It's time for summer and all the exciting adventures ahead!  I still get them for 3 more months before they are really big little guys in kindergarten.  I am so grateful for this time with them, 4-going-on-5 is a Wonderful Age!!! 

Dedication

Ahhh Spring.  We are lovin' it!  Kids are out all day riding bikes and playing, and Diesel is out too enjoying the scenery.  By scenery, of course I mean our neighbor's yard, which Diesel loves to stalk, waiting for their dog to come out.  Next door they have a German Shepherd, just a year or two old.  Cute guy!  Diesel sits there waiting... and waiting... and waiting....

Another My Guy!

This smile is bright as the sun!  Every morning I get to see this smile - well, most every morning.  One of the sweetest things on this earth is a sleepy, bright-eyed smile saying "good morning Mom", and this guy has one of the best.

Every day I learn new things about my little man.  He is such a little individual! Quick to show me new things he can do with his body (i.e. snap, hop on one foot) and very excited about growing and learning these things. This guy is also quick to ask questions about confusing things he may see or hear, wanting answers that make sense to him and help him figure out this life.  He is sensitive though; if he asks a serious question and is met with criticism or isn't taken seriously, he is quick to retreat and slow to reach out later on. 

I love this little man so much.  He can do anything!! While he gets very frustrated with his limitations sometimes, with some coaxing he will keep trying until he gets it.  This little man likes to prove the theory of 'practice makes perfect'. 

 I love watching him learn and grow, the delight in his world so plain on his face.  My sweet guy.

My Guy

Isn't it amazing how children, siblings, have their own distinct personalities?  I love this little man.  He is my sunshine, my sweetie.  My warm spring day.

This guy has a heart of gold. He will share anything, give you the shirt off his back and not complain. He cares about people, and if someone is hurting he is gentle and nurturing.  That being said, he will laugh if you fall on your face.  Not from a mean place or anything, just because the sight of you stepping in a pothole and toppling over tickles his funny bone.  I love that about him. 

If I burst out with a beat, he will dance. He moves his little hips and rocks out, and it is the cutest thing I have ever seen.  When I point the camera his way, more times than not he will strike some outrageous pose, mugging for the camera.  Those pictures are the very best, the most treasured.

Some days I find it hard to believe he was sent to us, and how blessed we are to have this little man in our lives.  How richer we are for having him in our family!!  I wouldn't change one hair on his head, his sweet little-kid-accent, his tiny little hands that love to build stuff or bake stuff.  He is amazing.

Oh yeah, and he dresses himself too!  haha  :)