Random little moments

Riley is doing great at his reading and writing skills lately. He isn't the type of child who sits down to color and write lots, so the fact that he's progressing so well and shows some interest is exciting for me...a girl who loved/s writing. This is a note he put on his door. I saw it and asked, how am I supposed to read stories to you and tuck you in if I can't come in your room? He said, well it's for at night, when I'm sleeping. Oh.


He wrote us a cute little letter when we went out to dinner the other night. "Dear mom and dad. I love you varee much. How was your dinner. Love Riley".

Liam decided to write his name on his artwork at playgroup today! It was his first time writing the whole name. YAY!

He wrote it again in yellow underneath the purple....don't know if you can see that.

Riley just started doing piano lessons, so we're in the "studio" practicing most days. Shea has just discovered how much fun a piano can be, so we often end our practice with him on Riley's lap. He loves it.
Here he looked up so cutely at Riley who was singing the song he was playing.

When having family around ROCKS

Just wanted to add as a sort of sequel to my last post, that in the last few days I have been reminded just how good it is to have family around. As you know, G has been away. My in-law's lent me their van to use, my sister came for tea, my brother and his wife invited me to her parents house for a dinner/party, my in-laws went to the 2nd church service with me to help me with the boys, they took the boys this afternoon while I got groceries, and then my parents took me out to McD's with the kids for supper tonight. That's what I'm talking about. That is when it is good to be home.

Is Salmon Arm home?

Hmm...that is a complicated question! Many people have asked how life is going for us in Salmon Arm. How has the change been from big city to small town, from no family to lots of family, small church to big one, working from home instead of the office etc.
It has been an adjustment, that is for sure. Probably a bigger adjustment than G or I expected. Throw into that the addition of a third child, and it is HUGE! We think of our life in Calgary as when we had only two children (as Shea only arrived right before we left), so in some ways our comparisons of "how it was" do not include him.

I had thought that people would be less busy in a small town. That we wouldn't need to make "appointments" to visit with people, that they would drop by or just hang out more. Not so. If I didn't call and plan to see my siblings on Friday nights, I wouldn't see them. I hardly see my parents, or G's as both are busy with work and other things. Most mothers work, as the cost of living in Salmon Arm is super high. I know a few SAHM's, but we've got house-fulls of children, so getting together gets pretty loud and crazy. Many people are involved in projects or skiing, church activities and extra-curricular sports, so unless you are part of those things, again you don't see eachother. I have said "no" to teaching SS or Awana this year as I have a baby to nurse, and in a lot of ways I don't know many church people because of it. Just as in a large city, unless you're involved, it becomes hard to meet people, especially in a larger church setting.
Having Greg at home has its pros and cons. One of us runs Riley to school while the other stays with Liam and Shea. Greg will often join us in the afternoon for lunch or a much needed "wrestle time" with Liam. I get to have the van. He can listen for the napping baby while I run quick to the school to get Riley. He is done work right after 5pm and doesn't have to deal with traffic...this gives me an extra hour or more of his time before/after work than I used to have. Those are the pros. I do notice that when he is away (like he is now for four days), that I tend to be more organized...I'm running on my own schedule and not working around his or depending on him to help me out. He doesn't get to interact with other people during his work or lunch break anymore, which means if he wants to get to know people in Salmon Arm... it has to be done during "family time". The kitchen is slightly messier as he eats and makes his coffee here. Having him working in the house makes it hard for the boys who think daddy is home, and maybe they think he's ignoring them and hiding out in his office most days. Even for me, it seems slightly "unfair" that he gets to go run away to his little room while I deal with the tantrums. In my head, of course it's my job and I know he isn't just playing on his computer, but it's more in your face when the office is just around the corner and not across town.
I think the boys are better off in a lot of ways, to grow up knowing their cousins and grandparents (even though we see less of them than I had thought), and being in a smaller, safer neighborhood and school. They see more of their dad, and are more surrounded by elders that I trust and know. There is more accountability in a lot of ways. I am working at getting them signed up for swimming and soccer in the spring so that they will have more to do.
Many many evenings in Calgary, we would wish we were in Salmon Arm, hangin' out with the family...maybe a little rose-colored dreaming...thinking that any issues of loneliness or unhappiness would be miraculously whisked away if we lived here. And of course, that is so not REAL LIFE. In that sense, I am challenged to just make the most of the way things are! I could sit here and wish for things to be more the way they were before...but then I will have spent my whole life wishing for things that don't really exist. There is no real easy place for us to live...it wasn't perfect in Calgary, and it isn't perfect here. It can't be. Earth never will be ideal. Life with three active boys is tough, especially on a social life, no matter where we'd live. Who knows where the future will lead? We do want to be here for our kids, but I wouldn't say we feel at home here. We need to work on that. We're still figuring out how.

A little angel...just needs wings

What's new, you ask?

Well, not a whole lot. The sun was shining today and the snow was melting off the road a bit, so it felt slightly like there could be a chance that spring will actually arrive. I don't think our snowbanks will melt until August though, as they are still so high. Our deck still has snow on it, level with the picnic table, so it'll be awhile. I walked to school for the drop-off and pick-up of Riley today, which was refreshing and made me think how much nicer it'll be when I can just throw on a sweater and walk out the door.
It was this time last year that I would sit out back in our alley, pregnant and huddled in layers on a lawnchair, watching the boys bike endlessly back and forth. Riley really misses that a lot. We're still getting used to our new life in the wilderness here! with many a tree and hill. Riley has been practicing downhill skiing in our little backyard slope. He loves it...I wish we had the time and money to get him up on the hill more, but it has only happened once.
I am battling a head cold today, so feeling slightly lousy. It is just sitting there behind my eyes and nose and making me feel clouded. I can't really think straight, so if this post goes in circles, there is a reason!
Greg is going away again this weekend, but I'm trying not to think of it. I instead am hoping we'll get to go away WITH him during the spring break which is soon coming. Riley actually gets two weeks off school, so we may head out to Calgary for the first time (for me) since the move. All five of us have never had a holiday together yet. Could be crazy!!
Greg and I were able to go out for dinner the other night without the kidlets, thanks to grandma and grandpa. We usually take Shea, but there is this pub in town that doesn't allow babies, so we left him as well. The food was fabulous and it was nice to just concentrate on us.
Shea is yellin for food now, ironically...
duty calls.

Isn't he pretty

I told a few of you that I would take a picture of Shea in a dress that I had actually bought for Liam (had he been a girl). I still haven't been able to part with the dress, so the other day I stuck Shea into it and took a few pictures.

Isn't he precious!?



Don't worry, honey, it won't happen again! (Can you tell that he wasn't too thrilled?)


And why not, let's try on a sweater set.



Ok ok, I will finally get rid of the dress.




*sob sob*

Sugar cookies

Is it just me, or has every "Hallmark holiday" gotten extremely more crazy and over-the-top!!! When I was little, we made sugar cookies with pink icing and handed out simple Valentine cards. Today, the kids at school were practically buried in cupcakes and candies, some of the cards came with attached chocolates, and the stores are just LOADED with not only boxes of chocolate, but a ton of extra junk to go with it!!
Oh well...once in a year it is can't hurt to tell someone you love them...and how much you appreciate them. I wrote about my first love a few days ago (who by the way, no longer looks like a bush man, he finally shaved!).
I had a happy valentines day...spent the morning at playgroup visiting with other moms and decorating cookies. Spent the afternoon making valentines with my boys, got chocolate and licorice from hubby, snuggled with my baby and will watch LOST tonight after the boys get home from Awana.
So in the spirit of this lovely day, thank you for being around and reading through my blog life. I hope you all have someone special to hug today!!
love me!

Happy in the highchair

This one isn't so bored. He still finds things like squash quite interesting. Look at him smile. What a cutie...his eyelashes are growing.

Bored to DEATH

Bored to DEATH
Originally uploaded by Sarah Dzines

Doesn't this just say it all?

My first love

Greg was off and away in Calgary again for a few days. He puts in his time at the Calgary office every other month or so. He was due to be home this evening, but a collision on the road ahead of him delayed him in Revelstoke overnight. This left me as solo-parent for the past four days, and those times apart help me to reflect on all the things he does and that I love about him. Valentines day is coming up by the way...so this post is rather appropriate.
There are the normal "guy" things he does, like shovel the driveway, take the trash to the dump, put gas in the van, work and pay the bills, help me tuck in the kids, bbq and cook, etc. But there are some things that only G can do.
When work is done and he walks through the door, the atmosphere changes. I am usually in a mad panic trying to create something in the kitchen while baby yells at me from his highchair and the boys are going ape on eachother. Greg walks through, goes immediately to the CD player and puts on some music. He picks up the baby if need be, or gets wrestling with the older two. Sometimes he'll play a song on the guitar and Shea immediately calms down.
...s i g h...that's when I can unclench my teeth and actually breathe again......He completely makes me more relaxed in this chaotic world I live in.
He makes the best coffee. I wouldn't be a coffee drinker if it weren't for his master craft of figuring out how to make it just the way I like it. And he has this special talent for remembering other things that I specifically like a certain way, or for other friends as well. He has a gift of memory which makes him a good gift giver as he's so thoughtful. I don't mean the big birthday gift type gifts, but the day to day little thoughtful things that he contributes.
He loves me. The "me" that wakes up grumpy on occasion, the "me" that can't think of anything to make for supper, the "me" that enjoys home improvement shows more than hockey!, the "me" that is tired, the same-ol-me that he met 16 years ago. Most importantly, he makes me feel like a better me.
He shares children with me. That is huge. Little parts of him and I are united in our three beautiful boys. I look into their eyes and see little bits of him shining out which gives me little butterflies because I love their daddy so much. They are so challenging right now, but they are such gifts of wonderfulness that are part of both of us. I imagine them to grow up to make some lucky lady feel as special as I do to Greg and it's totally exciting.
He has always been my biggest cheerleader and has supported any sort of interest or hobby that I've pursued or hope to pursue. He is optimistic and not so much of a realist as I am. I'm always extra cautious and worried about things working out, but he seems to take things in stride and is so steady.
I won't go on about him...but the main point is that I picked "the right one" and he's been the "right one" for me since I met him. I'm so thankful God worked that whole meeting, dating, breaking up and reuniting thing out so we could be married these past almost 9 years. He'll be home soon for me to tell him these things to his face, and hey, I need to get my beauty rest before he gets here.

Liam Macgregor

You guys...he's almost 4!