A mom can’t be replaced.
A photo from five years ago.
Mom leaning in.
3 boys looking her way.
A mama is never replaceable!
Category Archives: Parenting
Be Lighting up Flu February
3 little sickies lying on the couches.
3 red faces.
3 fevers hot.
White candles burning.
Filling up the space.
3 little boys lit up with light.
Holding space with my boys.
Holding my boys.
Water.
Soup.
Apple sauce.
Toast.
3 little boys down for the count.
Not for long, though, so world watch out!
![IMG_4046[1]](https://beenough.me/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/img_40461.jpg?w=474)
With gratitude for the choices that I have made to allow these days to be simple days where I still get paid.
Freedom.
Day by day.
Being present.
Mothering my boys.
Being me.
Be Living a Dream
Our home is in another’s hand.
We are roaming around our region in Grandma and a Papa’s truck and camper.
No plans.
No agenda.
Just living in the moments that create our days and make our lives.
It’s a dream of ours to do this.
Creating a bit of financial freedom through sharing our home.
Making carefree memories for our boys.
Day one is complete with a stop for a paddle and kayak.
Throw in a post-hockey camp tailgate party provided by friends celebrating their sixteenth wedding anniversary.
A stop at a beach then up the road for ice cream.
Now we are tucked in and ready for sleep on our friends beautiful acreage with crickets singing us a nightly toon.
Don’t be surprised if you see our rig pull into your driveway if you are living close by….
No plans.
No responsibilities.
One moment.
One day.
One life.
Living a dream with my boys and friends.
Be Saying ‘Yes’!
I have many incredible mentors in my life.
Women.
Men.
Children.
Time.
Life.
Death.
One incredible mentor that I am blessed to know is Linda Lou, my old Principal.
Often when I am living life, her sage wisdom will come into my head.
Last weekend was one of those marvelous moments!
Linda Lou ALWAYS tried to find a way to say ‘yes’ to every person, adult or child that she worked with. She was an incredible negotiator. She listened well and she came up with amazing solutions so it was a yes for everyone.
After a few days of feeling like a drill sergeant with my boys: fill your water bottle, grab your hombag, where is your helmet…. I decided to say ‘yes on Sunday.
First I said yes to post-breakfast painting:
and then my oldest wanted to make a brunch buffet for everyone. (CC had shared earlier in the week that he loved our resort in hawaii because he could take whatever he wanted at the breakfast buffet.)
And then we finished off with some sewing:
Just say ‘yes’ and see what happens.
Creativity?
Freedom?
Joy?
Laughter?
New adventures?
I wonder what will come our way next!
Be Taking the Plunge in April
Be Rolling, Jumping and Balancing
What do you personally think every human being should know or be able to do?
For Sexy Neck and I, we believe it is essential that our boys learn how to move their bodies safely.
Thus, gymnastics is a priority for our schedule and our budget.
Man, it isn’t cheap!
As we move into our winter activities, we say goodbye to our autumn gymnastics class.
Thank you for teaching our boys to balance, hop and roll.
I wonder if we made gymnastics mandatory for us all, what would our Western-living lives look like?
Be the Power of a Penny
This blog post was started in the summertime as I was playing a “healthy living” game with my friend Penny and an old neighbour and her friend T. I had to add to the post after our ski vacation a few days ago… and finally introduce you to one wonderful human being and friend. Formally know on my blog as Princess P and now just Penny.
Here is a photo of the people playing our summertime game: My teammate Penny and I on the right and our wonderful opponents on the left. 
Here are my boys sharing some after dinner books at Auntie Penny’s house. My boys cherish the wonderful books she had for her own children. We love going over to their house for dinner!
Penny made a special point to celebrate our middle guy’s fifth birthday before she went on an European summer holiday. He was thrilled with the very special transformer and book she bought him.
And now while they were working hard to renovate their bathrooms and get ready for their own three wonderful children’s arrival, Penny and Bob came to spend a few wonderful hours with our family on the ski hill.
Penny knew my mom always made PJ’s for my boys at Christmastime and look what she got the boys:
![IMG_7671[1]](https://beenough.me/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_76711.jpg)
One of the other gifts that my mom has always given me over the years is a knitted scarf and look what I pulled out of the Christmas bag from Penny:
![IMG_7669[1]](https://beenough.me/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_76691.jpg)
A very lovely, hand-loving-made scarf!
The depth of gratitude I feel is incredible.
When you lose someone important in your life, there is a HUGE hole.
Forever.
The greater the love, the deeper the hole.
But others will lean in and close the gap.
The hole won’t pull you in and down.
People are holding me up right now in prayer and physical presence and “knowing”.
Penny has brought us such joy through these beautiful, thoughtful, handmade gifts.
These were very important to our family.
Healing through fabric.
My mom is gone, but never forgotten.
She lives on through all of us who “knew” her.
Generous.
Thoughtful.
Caring.
Kind.
Mom.
And now the power of a Penny!
![IMG_7589[1]](https://beenough.me/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/img_75891.jpg)
Be Out of My Mind
Two different antibiotics sit on the counter.
Two more antibiotic creams.
Echinacea and cold remedy bottles.
Plus vitamin C and D to round out the counter display.
And I only have three children!
I have an embroidery guy that promised me shirts last Friday who didn’t even have the shirts started today.
And today I have my oldest say that he thinks our dog “is feeling something, maybe sad!” Yup, he’s right. She has hurt her leg.
My middle son, sadly, lost his very best pair of ski gloves. We spent time searching the playground and the school lost and found, but to now avail. But I have one very sad little boy.
AND NOW….
In thirty-six hours, I am going to be fortunate to share GreenTeaHAWAII in Vtown’s hockey arena, where I used to live.
Trying to coordinate mommy going to ‘work’ for two whole days and evenings has taken a small army of help to coordinate.
I can’t comprehend my mindset.
Health issues.
Daily routine.
Special request.
Lost items.
Unwell dog.
Trying to prepare to do something for the FIRST time.
And I am not even freaking out.
I feel peace.
I feel gratitude.
I see such beauty around me.
(Even driving down the road.)
Amidst the messiness of daily life,
I feel great love for all that I have, all that I can do, my given family, my chosen family, my community and my God.
We are living in a fear-filled, chaotic time.
But, I see beauty everywhere.
I feel overflowing waves of gratitude EVERY day, all day.
Maybe I am out of my mind!
"Be" ENOUGH 