I love my man and my wee boys!
Monthly Archives: March 2013
Be Surviving While Your Hubby’s Away – Part II
I had to share another email from my great friend and wise woman, D! She has been surviving and thriving as her husband has started his new job in a new town.
If you didn’t catch her first hilarious email, here is the link: https://beenough.wordpress.com/2013/03/08/be-surviving-w…our-hubbs-away/
Before you read her email, I have to say how does she have time to write such witting things and be so self-reflective while being so busy! We are still house hunting, my husband is on holidays (thus home to help ALL day!) and I am barely keeping all four walls standing.
Here is D’s email:
well… 12 days and nights in now… here’s my tips for how to survive 3 children under 6 without a husband!!
1) practice regular desensitization to neck stiffness, headaches, and even skin pain caused from overtiredness (make sure car has carrots – the crunch can keep you awake while driving)
2) feed children toaster waffles and apple juice, not necessarily together (but each a great novelty when never or rarely before been seen!)
3) forget any intention to sweep/mop entire house and just aim for the occasional kitchen sweep
4) drop children at great friend’s place for dinner and go to yoga… the yoga high can carry you for days after!
5) don’t grocery shop. children really can survive on raisins, apples, cheese and the generous donations of friends
6) take your bike in for a tune up. just BEING in the bike shop and feeling your freshly tune ride is a high (even if you might not get a chance to ride until next month…)
7) SING. SING a lot. SING loundly. Same reverberations as screaming, but a lot more pleasant for the children.
8) it’s okay for your 15 month old to say “all done” 15 times in his highchair before you respond. this is particularly true if he woke up before 5, unless he is going to run off and play happily (this tactic can save your neck back and or legs from his 29 lb bug a lug clutches)
9) CHOCOLATE. enuf said.
10) when all goes sideways (meaning kids’ emotions and interactions going downhill), just say loudly “I THINK TODAY IS GOING TO BE AN AMAZING DAY!!” as genuinely as possible. Their shock and surprise will make them forget their lil troubles and move things forward!
and my last tip…
11) call your husband at 6 am. claim the baby wanted to talk to him. then take the opportunity (while baby enjoys pressing all the beeping buttons) to catch 40 more winks!!
Thanks for sharing again D! You are inspiring… and how you make me laugh.
D and I playing a game at her husband’s surprise party.
Be Aware
As a strong, determined woman in the 21st Century, I used to “think” that I should be able to have it all!
The feminist movement in the sixties was incredible for women’s ability to vote, having choice about birth control and other incredible liberating things. It has taken us to a place where we can be:
- the sexiest wife
- Mary Poppinish mother
- Martha Stewart in the Kitchen
- CEO of a Fortune 500 company
- PLUS have a house that looks like tags on Pinterest
Whew, I feel my anxiety rising, how about you?
My dear sister (and men who know women!) we CANNOT have it all. If you choose to work, go for it. If you choose to stay at home, just do it! If you choose to do both, make it work for YOU! But something has to give. We cannot be the BEST at everything.
The Dalai Lama visited Vancouver, BC, Canada in 2010. He was of the opinion that Western women will save the world. If you are reading this blog, I bet you are a Western woman or know one!
Let’s stop trying to be the best at everything. Could we agree to be the best at one thing? RELATIONSHIPS – PARTNERS – ELDERLY – CHILDREN – TEENAGERS – WIDOWS
Here is the epiphany that I had today, whether we stay at home or work, let’s be aware of those around us. Let’s stop making lunch when one of our children wants to show us a drawing. Let’s look up from our computer when someone at the office needs a five minute pep talk. Let’s really see the people around us, that God has placed in our lives. What a gift they are – even the annoying ones! It’s all about the relationship friends!
In this age of our time on earth, where we can have it all. Let’s not try to have it ALL, but let’s try to be enough to those around us!
Be A Reuser
After an autumn of yard cleaning
(remember this post: https://beenough.wordpress.com/2012/11/11/be-a-leaf-gatherer/)
and a winter of decluttering, our trailer is full! It is ready to go to the garbage dump.
Our eldest was looking in our trailer, that cost us two bottles of wine, the other day, eyeing up our Christmas tree, the old laundry sink and a few other treasures.
Suddenly, he reached in and pulled out an old tire. He asked his dad for some rope and he was off. With a bit of cajoling from dad, they worked together to create this:
JC, you are incredibly thoughtful and full of ideas. Your brothers and friends have had an incredible time on our new tire swing! CC, thanks for helping your brother and for enjoying the ride.
Be A Snow Lover
Hahahaha… I laughed out loud this morning when I looked out the window.
Last night at 6pm, we have friends over to play in the backyard in the sandbox and tree fort(sans mitts, snow pants, boots…).
Twelve hours later we have this:
Hmmm, time to get the snow shovels out again.
God, I love you. Snow is an incredibly powerful, purifying symbol. Thanks for the reminder (and the laughs!)
Off to play in the snow (and encourage some very depressed neighbours!)
Here’s what we ended up making today:
Be A Ski Racer
Bright, glorious sunshine welcomed us to the cross country ski hill this morning.
It was our last Saturday of lessons. Every year the age group called “Bunny Rabbits” or “Bunnies” has a little race they call the Hoppet Loppet. The real Loppet happens tomorrow for the older kids and adults.
The Hoppet Loppet was a “race” that involved going as fast as you can from the bridge to the finish line.
Our three year old skied almost as quickly as it took him to eat his cookie medal that he received at the finish line.
AWE! I have never seen CC feeling more proud of himself. AWESOME!
CC is the one wearing the bib with #12!
Gotta love having the whole family being together, even my parents got out for a ski before the race and met CC at the finish line.
Be A Reader (My 100th post!)
I am sitting by my computer gob-smacked realizing that this is my 100th post – how is that possible?
I guess my dad was right when I used to cry and moan about Math homework. His response was often, “Just do 10 minutes per day and it will get easier!”.
Since starting this blog, I think about what I want to share with my boys as they get older, sometimes, I even think of my grandchildren. I pray that this would be a living document for them to laugh at and maybe even ponder when they are older.
Every time I write, I think about YOU, the people who may read the post. I am careful with my words, not being to extreme, but being honest and real in my daily life with three wee lads. (I can be a tad extreme, just ask Sexy Neck!)
Today, as I sit my six-foot frame at the keyboard, I want to write about reading. What a gift reading is to give to our children!
Last night, I was putting baby OC to bed. Usually, I come out from the boys’ room to screaming, running, wrestling, chasing – it is that time of day. This is what I came out to last night:
Without a television in our “Playhouse“, books are our go-to activity. None of my boys are able to read out loud yet, but the reading skills are so evident: looking at books, pretending to read, retelling the story by looking at the pictures, trying to guess the words.
I am looking forward to when they can read me a book and I can fall asleep. Much better than me falling asleep mid-book! Yes, this parenting of boys is sometimes very tiring!
Be Surviving While Your Hubby’s Away
Do you ever get an email that is so real it make you laugh til your stomach hurts?
I got one of those today and I have permission to share it with you. It is from my great “mothering” friend, D, who has journeyed this entire motherhood experience with me. All three of our children are one or two months apart (no we never discussed this!) and now we are moving to different cities within months of each other (we never discussed this either!). We are kindred spirits!
Her husband has already started his job many miles away. She is holding down the fort, while he looks for a new place to live and starts his job.
Here is her email:
Subject: How to survive four nights and four days without K (her husband).
1. Wash your hair every four days. brush teeth once per day.
2. First diaper change at noon, if not after… only change him when he does #2 or wets his clothing.
3.Field most “Mommy” questions/complaints with “you figure it out” (confidence building!) add “you’re a smart girl” as a 2nd choice.
4. allow water play all over your house. they will probably play longer with the water than the time it takes to mop it up later… and that can be a whole other activity later to keep ’em busy.
5. It’s okay for a 15 month old to pass you plates out of the dishwasher.,
6. cook the children their breakfast, use the quiet eating time for cleaning up, and eat later (like toast and peanut butter in the car on the way to wherever it is you are going – with COFFEE!)
7. Use the gated fenced yard – go on my mom’s adage that if something happens, I’ll find out quick!
8. Strap the kids in the car, tell them you are getting a quick snack and quickly whip off the top three things you wanted to get done that day, checking in with the kids now and then… two can’t undo their buckles! YEAH!
9. Go to dinner at a friend’s house…
Love this email, as I can relate to most of these things, even when my husband comes home after work! My question is how did she have the time and insight to read it. Answer, she is pretty amazing!
Cheers to a beautiful friend!
"Be" ENOUGH 