Tuesday, August 17, 2010

HELP!!! How much cake can one person eat?

Okay - I know I have said it before, I LOVE cake. I really do, but I LOVE LOVE LOVE vanilla cakes with vanilla frosting from Safeway (a grocery store here in Canada). It is a sick obsession, honestly it is...someone close to me must come to my house and save me from myself. I accidentally bought to much cake and it not as much was eaten as I had predicted (there was two kinds) and I was left with alot.

...So, I had cake last night, then I had cake at midnight, then a bit more when I woke up at 2 am, then cake at breakfast, then a bit more for a morning snack...some at lunch too, and a bit more for afternoon snack too and maybe some for supper and well, maybe some after supper as well...and there is still more left!!!!

My very good son took a large piece to help me out when he saw I was going back for more and I even sent some home with my mom today - but help me!!!! I have no ability to walk away from the cake!!!! It is a sickness, I can't even help myself! I actually wrestled my son to shove a piece whole into my mouth!!

The sugar level has reached toxic levels, I actually wrestled my son when he tried to stop me and shoved a whole piece into my mouth!!! It is a sickness, I can't help myself! I need reinforcements! I need backup, so please, please come help me!!

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Summer

During June I am dreaming of long, lazy days spent basking in the sun. Warm skin, cool drinks and the shrieks of happy kids playing. I am dreaming of doing nothing and having to go nowhere. Yet summer is over in a blink of an eye. The end of summer is looming ahead of us and the back to school shopping and preparing will soon begin.

My summer days passed with not a whole lot to show for them. I have totally put aside all goals of learning for easy reading historical romance books, all the while doing the bare minimum around the house, which is basically laundry and dishes, and I don't remember the last time I went to bed before midnight or got up before 10. But that is what summer is - a break from all the mundane, everyday tasks, chores and demands that occupies my time during the school year, yet, I have to admit that I am a bit ashamed that I am not using my time a bit more effectively.

Over the next three weeks my Jesse and Tia's days will be filled with back to school prep (Justin is away for all of August). Tia will be have two weeks dedicated to getting ready for fall dance classes and will spend most of her days at the dance studio preparing for fall exams. Tia's final week will be spent in a volleyball camp getting ready for fall tryouts. Jesse on the other hand will fill his final summer days with First Aid and lifeguard training, with some extra time spent lane swimming as he wants to increase his strength and speed. Plus, Jesse wants to prepare for his driving learners test and do a bit of driving training - hmmm, we will have to see about that one.

With two of my kids buckling down and ready to work hard towards their goals, I too will resume working on goals from my Ten Year Plan. The first thing I am going to re-focus on is studying sign language. I know I will want to use it during volleyball season with Tia, so I need to study hard and then practice with Tia so that she will have some practice too (although she reattains it far better then I seem to).

I will also clean my house on Monday - I mean REALLY clean my house. The kids will be out of the house all day and I am going to do both my weekly and monthly clean jobs - both of which have been largely neglected as of late. I will then move on to the yard work. Jesse, Justin and I have been keeping up with the yard work, but I think that some extra time spent weeding and fertilizing may be needed. Plus, it seems like a endless pile of flip flops and runners is growing on my front porch and balls seem to be laying everywhere - soccer balls, volleyballs, basketballs, and kick balls. So before the rain hits - and it will - all those balls will need to be picked up and put back into the bin in the garage. All in all - I think my cleaning will take me all day Monday and some of Tuesday.

Summer is coming to a close and days filled with nothingness is definitely over...but it was nice while it lasted!

Christine

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Growing Up and Moving Out


It feels quiet around my house as of late. It is very different then when I had four young kids running around my house. When my kids where young there was a constant clatter of noise that made me feel like I would sell my right arm for a bit of piece and quiet. Something was always happening - fighting, crying, banging of toy trucks, the bossing a small, but determined little princess...


Quiet was only reserved for night time when everyone was gloriously all asleep or when the kids were being particularly naughty, like making a magic potion out of laundry detergent or causing a great flood like in Noah's time in the bathroom with small men and animals. Quiet time was basically unheard of.


Yet things do change - one day I woke up and realised that things have definitely changed around here! Now quiet seems to be the norm. Sleeping in and taking naps is loved by all and quiet reading or watching movies is a favorite activity. Every now and again I hear music coming from my daughters room and some pounding on the floor and I know that Tia is once again practicing her ballet, or I hear the kids make plans to go into the field to play soccer or someone bangs around in the kitchen to put together a sandwich, but all in all, it is eerily quiet around here.


This summer also came with another big change. I helped my eldest son pack up his stuff and move out. His once VERY messy room now stands clean and empty and his spot at the dinner table now sits empty.


It is a weird feeling, mixed with happiness and relief of not having the argument to clean his room or having to do his laundry, along with the terror of not having my child under my watchful eye, and knowing that it is totally up to HIM to make good choices now, not me.


As I watch my eldest son work his first full time job and take on the responsibilities of bills and rent I have to admit that I feel a mixture of pride and fear, all mixed up in a tangle of emotions. Questions and thoughts have swirled around in my mind of what I did right...what I did wrong...what is my role now...what does he still need from me?


Even though there is some relief when your kids move out, it is hard to let go. Now, when I look into the eyes of my adult child I remind myself that he will never be too old or outgrow his need for the love, guiding and understanding of his mother and I am reminded that the argument over a messy room will not last forever!


Christine

Monday, August 2, 2010

Just Had to Share...

So I was doing some random reading and I came acrross this:



“A lifetime can be well spent correcting and improving one’s own faults without bothering about others.”
-- Edward Weston



I have no idea who this person is, but as soon as I read this it hit me hard. How often do I focus on what I see as other peoples faults? Far too often...maybe I should change my focus...