I am a person who is a proponent of giving justice where justice is due. I believe in sharing the minutiae of daily life, in all of its glory.
Hence, I write on this here site.
I would like to give justice to the video clip that I took of my kids dancing in the kitchen on Saturday night.
Nathan woke up Saturday morning complaining of a “sore tummy”. He still wanted to go to church, so we all traipsed to the House of the Lord. Upon returning home he slept for two hours straight. When he awoke, he was burning up. I gave him a tepid bath to bring his raging temperature down. He then emptied the contents of his stomach into my en suite toilet.
I would like to give justice to the second annual Canada Day barbecue that we hosted. Good times were had by all. Or so I am told. I managed to visit with my friends for the hour or so that Nathan felt well. He was almost like his normal self. But not quite.
Nathan started burning up again. He also spewed all over the walkway. I gave him a second tepid bath to bring his temperature down. We watched Transformers while lying under a ceiling fan that was spinning at high speed.
I would like to give a better introduction to one of the most amazing opportunities I have been given lately. Kristin sent out a call for writers at one of the other sites she posts at, and I responded. The site is Work It Mom. The roster of writers over there include many of my favorites, whom I hold in high regard.
Kristin took me up on my willingness to participate and asked if I would write an article about why I am raising my kids with faith. There is another lovely lady who is writing the other side of this topic. As I draft this, I do not know what has been written by her. I do know that I wrote my article on why am raising my kids to be Jesus freaks with a pure motive.
I am not trying to be judgmental, nor argumentative, nor condescending. I am just speaking of my experience, within a precise word limit. I just got the link to the article and can now hit “Publish” on this here post. You can read my side of the debate HERE.
If you are new to my site and want to read the full story about Our House Fire, you can read it HERE. It makes me weep every time I read it. Consider yourself warned.
Nathan is better today, and our family unit plans on keeping ourselves cool at the water park and the lake. Have a good one, folks.
I would love to hear your thoughts on the article, if you could be so kind as to let me know.
Keeping My Cool
Date: Saturday June 28, 2008Posted in: Emily, Family, Graham, Nathan, Workin' It, me
Yesterday marked the end of my two-month “I might go crazy” work contract. The students wrote their exam which means that there are no more students’ emails to respond to, no more assignments to grade, to more reports to write. I AM DONE WORKING!
(Well, except for the wedding photos I need to edit and an exam I am going to author, but the time crunch has significantly decreased.)
I celebrated yesterday by (mostly) staying off of the Internet. The kids and I spent the morning at a friend’s house, during which I managed to sneak away by myself for an hour-long power-shop. I am behind on my BlogHer preparedness shopping, but yesterday put a HUGE dent in my shopping list. And also my credit card.
It is a good thing I stayed off of the Internet, or you would be reading a HUGE rant about the gong show that occurred between leaving my friend’s house and arriving back home. What is usually a thirty-minute trip took ALMOST TWO HOURS, thanks to a string of events created by my children. We got home and I gave myself a time-out relaxed a little.
The weather has turned HOT, so we filled up the kiddie pool. Daddy (true genius he is) thought to pull the jungle gym over so that the kids could slide into the pool. When I wasn’t playing “lifeguard” (sitting in a lawn chair and reading a magazine), I took a few photos. 68, to be exact, but I’ll only post a few of them.
(See the gash on his forehead? Nathan threw a rock at his head the day before. A ROCK. Lest you think Nathan is one of THOSE kids, it turns out Graham asked him to throw it. According to Graham, “He picked a bigger rock than I wanted him to”. WHO ASKS TO BE HIT BY A ROCK? Boys. They make no sense.)
Back to the water slide.
Going…
Going…
Gone!
Nathan was having fun too.
He wants to be a surfer when he grows up, and I think he’s on the right track with all of his waves.
He was having way too much fun.
As for Miss Emily, she was busy being a hoser.
She took her job very seriously.
(My kids wear SPF 50, in case you were worried. I also slather it all over Emily’s head since she will have nothing to do with hats.)
I played a bit with shutter speeds.
(1/30 sec, f/11, ISO 100, for those who care.)
We plan on doing more of the same for the rest of the weekend. The forecast is for 38C/100F. HOT. Have I mentioned that we don’t have AC? And that my bedroom is on the top floor of the house? It is AWESOME.
I also plan on editing wedding photos and preparing for our Second Annual Canada Day Barbecue. The weekend, it will be amazing (Except for when I melt into a pile of goo). What about yours?
Stay cool, folks.
I remember the very first time I held him in my arms. A love like I had never known filled up my heart and burst through the walls to spill over onto this little being. I marveled in his ten tiny fingers and his ten tiny toes. He smelled like all things new and had skin softer than the finest silk.
*Blink*
I remember a pudgy little toddler who would shake with excitement over the smallest things.
We would spend our days building towers out of wooden blocks, reading (and chewing) board books, and getting baby belly laughs from the most random of events. We went for long walks, exploring our neighborhood and all of the sights to be seen.
*Blink*
I remember what a great big brother he was, right out of the gate. He took great care of little Heen-Heen from day one, and before you know it his baby brother was his play time companion and best friend. My first baby was still a baby himself, but was showing glimpses of turning from a baby into a BOY.
*Blink*
I remember his first day of Kindergarten.
My chest heaved with pride at this baby-turned-boy. It also heaved with sobs because my baby had become a boy. He launched into Kindergarten with the same joy and enthusiasm that he faces each and every day of his life. He learned, he grew, he flourished.
*Blink*
My boy, my baby, is now a Kindergarten graduate.
He has skills he did not have a year ago. He has grown about six inches and lost the baby fat that so desperately clung to him. He is witty, he is funny, he is such a little man.
Sometimes I wish I could slow life down just a little. So that I can breathe in more of his innocence. Of his zest for life and his exuberance that cannot be contained. Because what “they” say is true, no matter how cliche.
It really does go way too fast. I almost can’t keep up.
*Blink*
Are you going to BlogHer? Are you a little nervous? Do you have questions? Read this stellar post by my roommate Heather B.
If you love Leah and Simon as I do, this post is making you as weepy as I am. That song is KILLING ME.
Mommalicious
Date: Wednesday June 25, 2008Posted in: Emily, Family, Graham, Nathan, Parenting, domestic bliss
I remember when Matthew and I were first married, I would often sit back, look at him, and take in the whole situation.
I am MARRIED. To THAT GUY. HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?
Those feelings still pop up every once in a while. We are busy beyond all reason, but when I just stop and think every few months or so, I have those same thoughts.
I am MARRIED. To MATTHEW.
Huh.
The same thing happens with the kids.
Take Tuesday, for instance. Graham had his second-last day of Kindergarten. I fired Emily and Nathan into the (Fixed!) minivan and we picked Graham up from school. We all piled back into the van and headed to the grocery store.
Graham was recounting tales of gym class! And crafts! And grade five (GRADE FIVE!) girls that he thinks are “cute”.
Nathan and Emily were making farting noises with their mouths and busting a gut. They are classy like that.
I was hit with that similar wave of conciousness.
I am a MOM. I have THREE KIDS.
HOW DID I GET HERE?
I mean, I KNOW how I got here (HELLO, Pregnancy horribleness, fourth degree tear, and RING OF FIRE) but it still seems surreal somehow. Maybe I need a two-by-four to my head to wake me up.
It is not that I regret having kids (AT ALL), but I still feel like a fifteen-year-old inside sometimes, which means that I SHOULD NOT HAVE CHILDREN.
But I am not fifteen. And I do have children. Three of the most beautiful children on the planet (This is where I insert photos of said beautiful children, while trying to be all smooth about it).
G Force.
Nate Dawg.
(Daddy may or may not have been mooning him while I was taking this shot.)
Miss Emily.
Graham.
Nathan
Emily.
And her eyes.
Maybe I am alone in these ” WHEN DID I BECOME A WIFE?” and “HOLY CRAP I AM A MOM” feelings. However. I have a feeling that I might not be alone.
Am I right?
I do find it humorous that I am so adept at realizing the completely obvious. Next thing you know I’ll realize that I am a woman. Who walks, and talks, and breathes. I am brilliant, I tell ya.
Stefania from CityMama is the woman for recruiting Savvy Source (among her MANY other talents). She’s also having a SWEET giveaway. Details are HERE.
