For the last 3 weeks or so, and for about 3 more, my parents are vacationing in Hawaii. My Mom had been once before, but in something like 1981 and my Dad had never been so this was a long overdue trip for them considering it was always at the top of my Mom's list of places to see.
Words cannot express how happy I am that they are where they are right now. For one, no one NEEDS to experience the cold and wind that we have been experiencing since they left (it actually got cold that same day they took off). But much more importantly, I am just glad that they are together and enjoying their time as a couple in what I can only imagine is paradise.
For the past year or so, my Mom has had some very serious health concerns, ones that resulted in surgery and chemotherapy and although she never let it get the best of her and remained positive and energetic all year, it elates me to know that that is all behind her and she is now living a healthy, happy life once again. After 40 years of marriage, I can not begin to explain how blessed and overjoyed I am to have parents who not only are still married, but actually love spending time together, even after all those stressful years of money crunching, teenager raising, and workaholic-ness - I only take the blame for 2 of those 3 issues :).
Bottom line is this - I could not be happier for them. I MISS them terribly, but in away, that makes me even happier. I feel so silly to think that at almost 30 years old, I miss my parents when I can't see them multiple times a week and talk to them almost every day, but again, that is what makes me so lucky to have them. As they are just that - parents that you MISS.
They will be in paradise for another couple of weeks and I smile each and every time I think of them on their walks, watching whales, or eating at a new place on the beach.
Love you Mom & Dad!
For anyone interested in seeing pictures of their trip so far, visit:
www.canadiandreams.blogspot.com
Monday, January 23, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Play.
I am not a huge resolution maker and I am even less of a resolution keeper, but this one is worth it. If there is one thing that I want to do this year, and more importantly for the next 4.5 months at least is to plan less and play more. Anyone that knows me knows that I am huge planner and there is nothing that challenges my patience more than plans changing unexpectedly. If I have a to do list, I complete it and very little can usually sway me otherwise. This year, I think, that needs to change from time to time. I remember a long time ago my sister telling me that her and Cole were on their way for groceries on a nice day when they passed a playground and Cole commented how fun it looked. Right then and there she decided that the an hour at the playground was far more important than groceries so she pulled the car over and put play before the plan. I remember thinking that I wasn't sure if I could ever really do that due to my usual inability to put plans and checklists aside but now more than ever, somebody around here needs me to.
The fact of the matter is that now I have a little man who wants nothing more than to simply play and I need to respect and honor that....just as he has respected and honored (well for the most part at least), my plans and to do lists over the past 15 months. In the past month or so, Colin has really started to play. He pretends with his toys, makes car noises as he drives them all over the couch, and loves to dress up Mr Potato Head over and over again. For the next 4.5 months or so, at least a few days a week, I have a choice - I can either play or I can plan. So here is my resolution...I plan to play. As long as it is just him and I, I will choose play every chance I get as soon he will need to compromise his needs for the needs of a much smaller, more needy person. We will obviously still run errands, get groceries and do housework but I swear I will make each and every one of those chores as fun and full of play as possible. If nothing else, it is worth it just to hear this laugh...
The fact of the matter is that now I have a little man who wants nothing more than to simply play and I need to respect and honor that....just as he has respected and honored (well for the most part at least), my plans and to do lists over the past 15 months. In the past month or so, Colin has really started to play. He pretends with his toys, makes car noises as he drives them all over the couch, and loves to dress up Mr Potato Head over and over again. For the next 4.5 months or so, at least a few days a week, I have a choice - I can either play or I can plan. So here is my resolution...I plan to play. As long as it is just him and I, I will choose play every chance I get as soon he will need to compromise his needs for the needs of a much smaller, more needy person. We will obviously still run errands, get groceries and do housework but I swear I will make each and every one of those chores as fun and full of play as possible. If nothing else, it is worth it just to hear this laugh...
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Christmas Cupboards and Counters
Having parents who were both teachers, I have always enjoyed the holiday break that comes with Christmas. This year, since Christmas was at the very beginning of the break, it has allowed Jason and I lots of time to get some nagging jobs done on the house. In the past 3 days, we have tackled the final kitchen cupboard doors, as well as the main bathroom vanity doors as well and the installation of the mudroom countertop.
The kitchen saw the last of its doors finally installed and the final corner was closed off for good. It's nice to have the garbage put away at least so that we don't continue to find toys/cups/kitchen items dumped in there by a certain someone.
The main bathroom vanity, after 2 additional drawers were built was also closed off. This first picture is very old, even before we had faucets, however it was the only one I had...I guess I wasn't big on taking pictures of the bathroom?
It is so nice to complete these projects and cross them off the list. They have definitely dragged and it seems like a long time that they have been near the top of our list. What makes it even nicer, is to us, currently, they cost zero dollars to complete since the materials have long been paid for. It was simply a matter of finding the time and thankfully, this week, we had plenty.
The 3rd job that was finally completed was the installation of the countertop in the mudroom. This job, unlike any other in the entire process of building this house, dragged. We originally ordered the countertop in November of 2010. After a very lengthy process of our order being lost, our order not being submitted, and not being notified that our order was complete and ready to be picked up, we finally had the countertop for about March 2011. For the next 4 months of so, the countertop sat in our basement, wrapped in cardboard, as we tended to other projects that needed tending. Finally, we decided enough was enough and planned a day to install. After all the tools were brought out, the countertop was unwrapped only to find that it was in fact damaged and would need to be sent back. We then started the same process all over again, and even went through many of the same issues that we did with the original countertop through the ordering process. Finally, in October 2011, the countertop was delivered and resumed its spot in the basement (after a close inspection to ensure it was not damaged, of course) until today when it finally made a trip up the stairs and into position. From no counter to counter!
It makes such a difference to the room and I am so glad we chose the one we did. I suppose it was worth the wait, however I will maintain that it would have been very nice to not have to deal with everything we did.
These 3 projects have been the first that Jason and I have attempted to complete since Colin started walking and the difference now versus when he was somewhat stationary is drastic. Not only is he everywhere, he wants to get right in there, touch everything he shouldn't and basically just get in the way as much as possible. I remember when we hung the first of our kitchen cupboard doors, he just sat on his play mat for most of the time a few feet away and enjoyed the view from the cheap seats. I guess his taste has changed as no further than front row pleases this boy now. Thankfully, my parents took him for New Year's night and kept him for New Year's day, therefore allowing us to get the countertop done. I cannot imagine how we would have done that with him here considering the gate to the basement needed to be open the whole time and it was definitely a lengthy, two person job. I love the little man, however his curiosity, combined with the fact that we are down to one nap a day does not equal Jason and I getting much done if we are both needed.
Our baby is definitely not a baby anymore and it constantly amazes me to look at pictures from even a few months ago as he has changed and grown up so much. Besides the thinning out that he has done (thank goodness), he is now a talking, running, climbing, communicating little person who grows up a little more every day. Yesterday, my pregnancy marked its 20th week which means we are officially half way to welcoming the next of our little people. If how much Colin has grown up in the last 5 months is any indication of how much he will in the next 5, I think we will be just fine when everything is shaken up and life changes forever once again. I am glad that we still have some time together where it is just the 3 of us, and glad that his communication and listening skills still have time to improve as I am going to need them both once I have a new person needing me as much as new people tend to need their mama's. At this point in it all, I have no idea how Colin will take to the baby or what kind of reaction he will have, but I am sure that no matter what, after some time, everything will seem normal again and we will have a hard time remembering what life was like before the new baby.
The kitchen saw the last of its doors finally installed and the final corner was closed off for good. It's nice to have the garbage put away at least so that we don't continue to find toys/cups/kitchen items dumped in there by a certain someone.
The main bathroom vanity, after 2 additional drawers were built was also closed off. This first picture is very old, even before we had faucets, however it was the only one I had...I guess I wasn't big on taking pictures of the bathroom?
It is so nice to complete these projects and cross them off the list. They have definitely dragged and it seems like a long time that they have been near the top of our list. What makes it even nicer, is to us, currently, they cost zero dollars to complete since the materials have long been paid for. It was simply a matter of finding the time and thankfully, this week, we had plenty.
The 3rd job that was finally completed was the installation of the countertop in the mudroom. This job, unlike any other in the entire process of building this house, dragged. We originally ordered the countertop in November of 2010. After a very lengthy process of our order being lost, our order not being submitted, and not being notified that our order was complete and ready to be picked up, we finally had the countertop for about March 2011. For the next 4 months of so, the countertop sat in our basement, wrapped in cardboard, as we tended to other projects that needed tending. Finally, we decided enough was enough and planned a day to install. After all the tools were brought out, the countertop was unwrapped only to find that it was in fact damaged and would need to be sent back. We then started the same process all over again, and even went through many of the same issues that we did with the original countertop through the ordering process. Finally, in October 2011, the countertop was delivered and resumed its spot in the basement (after a close inspection to ensure it was not damaged, of course) until today when it finally made a trip up the stairs and into position. From no counter to counter!
It makes such a difference to the room and I am so glad we chose the one we did. I suppose it was worth the wait, however I will maintain that it would have been very nice to not have to deal with everything we did.
These 3 projects have been the first that Jason and I have attempted to complete since Colin started walking and the difference now versus when he was somewhat stationary is drastic. Not only is he everywhere, he wants to get right in there, touch everything he shouldn't and basically just get in the way as much as possible. I remember when we hung the first of our kitchen cupboard doors, he just sat on his play mat for most of the time a few feet away and enjoyed the view from the cheap seats. I guess his taste has changed as no further than front row pleases this boy now. Thankfully, my parents took him for New Year's night and kept him for New Year's day, therefore allowing us to get the countertop done. I cannot imagine how we would have done that with him here considering the gate to the basement needed to be open the whole time and it was definitely a lengthy, two person job. I love the little man, however his curiosity, combined with the fact that we are down to one nap a day does not equal Jason and I getting much done if we are both needed.
Our baby is definitely not a baby anymore and it constantly amazes me to look at pictures from even a few months ago as he has changed and grown up so much. Besides the thinning out that he has done (thank goodness), he is now a talking, running, climbing, communicating little person who grows up a little more every day. Yesterday, my pregnancy marked its 20th week which means we are officially half way to welcoming the next of our little people. If how much Colin has grown up in the last 5 months is any indication of how much he will in the next 5, I think we will be just fine when everything is shaken up and life changes forever once again. I am glad that we still have some time together where it is just the 3 of us, and glad that his communication and listening skills still have time to improve as I am going to need them both once I have a new person needing me as much as new people tend to need their mama's. At this point in it all, I have no idea how Colin will take to the baby or what kind of reaction he will have, but I am sure that no matter what, after some time, everything will seem normal again and we will have a hard time remembering what life was like before the new baby. 
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