Girls Day AND Night - Mamma Mia!!

The plans were in motion, after months of hiatis from Girls' Night, to get some of "the girls" together last night to see "Mamma Mia!" - (the movie based on the musical) - I had already seen it once before with my mom & sister, but couldn't resist the opportunity for another fun night out.

BUT... seeing as the weather was so great (and isn't supposed to continue that way for the rest of the week) - some of us first gathered at Aldergrove Lake for a little R&R in the sunshine.



Then we (went home, unpacked the beach stuff, made/ate dinner, had FHE, put kids to bed... phew!!) and met up again- Myself, Angie, Marcy, Amberlee & Colette - for some munchies before the movie, then got there RIGHT on time, had perfect seats and were thoroughly entertained :)

My "official" critique - to enjoy this movie, you have to turn your "music ear" off a little bit - the performers are not the best singers (Pierce Brosnan singing SOS - I rest my case :)) but for some reason, it only serves to make the characters more endearing in their imperfection. This movie is about RELATIONSHIPS, but in a very positive light. People who really love each other. I found it particularly inspiring as a mother of daughters. I want to be close with my girls (& boy) in the ways that only happen by PLAYING, dancing & being silly with them. I want to make memories to cherish always.

Seeing it the 2nd time, only made me all the more motivated to leave behind the discipline & house cleaning more to build relationships and make memories...

I don't know why, but there's nothing quite as therapeutic as crying at a chick flick with some of your best friends.
Thanks for a fun night, Girls!!

Happy Birthday to me!

32... the "in-between" birthdays are always a little strange at this age; you know, not 30 or 40... or even 35 - just 32. I haven't reached the point yet where I dread birthdays, or getting older. I always try to take each chapter as it comes instead of sweating the whole novel (especially the "end" haha)

I'm always a little introspective when birthdays roll around... almost like another New Years (what am I happy with from the last year - what would I like to change) I am happy to report that this year the list of what I'm happy with is longer than the list of stuff I want to change :) That doesn't happy too often.

It was a GREAT day...First there was a trip to the Wild Orange Spa here in Abbotsford... Graham had gotten me a gift card for there for Mother's Day 2007 & I still hadn't used it yet. Well, I put it to GOOD use yesterday!! I had the "Spa Pedicure" - 75 minutes of pampering!! It was unreal!

Here's the result...

Before (Ewww!)

After
Too bad they can't fix my "flip flop tan"!

Then Moriah (one of our most trusted babysitters) came & watched the kids for us & Graham took me up to Cultus for a picnic dinner & a swim... with NO kids! SO fun! I had almost forgotten what it was like to relax on the beach instead of always having to watch for kids.

It was a very nice way to ring in my 32nd year :)

Birthday dinner... mmmm
- by candelight (even if it is citronella LOL)

Complete with cake!
That is fresh Blueberry-topped Boston Cream!!
Oh ya! It was THAT good!No boyfriends!YUMMY!!!


My pretty feet & toes at Cultus :)

A very fun birthday memory! (Thanks, Honey)

Roller Coaster!!

A trip down to Olympia, Washington a week ago to visit my parents (aka. Grandma & Grandad) found us at Lakefair - a good old fashioned U.S. County fair! Yeehaw! Cotton candy & elephant ears all around! :)

The kids enjoyed a few rides but the best thing to watch was Averie & Tanner (my nephew) on their first roller coaster ride! It was, of course, the teeniest little thing you ever saw, but with just enough speed & just enough bumps & turns to get a 4 year-old's heart pumpin' pretty good!

Look at that face! (That's my nephew Tanner beside her, looking terrified!) Averie was thrilled when I told her that on a roller coaster she is allowed to scream as much & as LOUD as she wants! And she took FULL advantage! :)
She loved it! Handled it so well that now I can hardly wait to take her to Disneyland!... well, more than I already couldn't wait to take her :)

Boys & Tractors

Today found us doing our usual Thursday activity - Park Day! We were joined by the Buchanan's (Cayden, Cassidy, "little" Evan & Mom (aka Marcy)) at Bateman Park. It was a nice mellow afternoon with our little group being the only ones enjoying this particular playground today.

An interesting observation though... Marcy & I both have 1 boy amongst girls in our families (I also had my cousins 2 girls with me again today) so the 2 "Evans" were the only boys at the park today with 5 girls. They are also 2 boys who have older sisters (mine is sandwiched between 2 girls) & neither Marcy or I are minded to "monitor" our boys to ensure they are not picking up any feminine tendencies by being surrounded by (or playing with) Barbie, Polly Pocket & Hannah Montana.

However, as Marcy & I were enjoying some pleasant conversation & snacks, we looked up to see this...With an entire playground to themselves, & a pea -sized attention span between the 2 of them, these little boys stared with wonder for a good 15 minutes while the tractor went around & around aerating the soccer field!
They could hardly peel themselves away! What a fluke that Evan happened to be wearing his "John Deere" t-shirt! Notice the tractor driver waving?

Look at Evan's face!! You would have thought he'd been waved at by Superman himself!! Not some poor shlub working for the Parks Dept! LOL It sure made his day to see the looks on these little ones faces though :)

When I studied Early Childhood Education, I learned there is a school of thought that gender stereotypes are all learned - boys only like blue & tractors, etc. because we (their family or society in general) TAUGHT them - even subconsciously - that boys are SUPPOSED to like those things.

Let me tell ya - these 2 boys are evidence that it doesn't matter how much estrogen & pink boys are surrounded with...
Even in a world that has "metro-sexualism" & men who enjoy cooking & mani/pedi's...

There's is something about boys/men & heavy machinery... :)

Synchronized Sleeping??

I am proposing a new Olympic sport...
only because my children seem to have an innate talent for it...
Synchronized Sleeping!
Observe...

Averie & Evan share a double bed & let me assure you (though it may be hard to believe) that there has been absolutely NO "posing" done for this picture. We checked in on them before we went to bed & they were just sleeping away like this! What is even stranger is it is not the first or last time it has happened!! (Just the only time we were "with it" enough to grab the camera).

Is it possible that there is a genetic component to preferred SLEEP POSITIONS?? I never would have thought it before... but the evidence seems to be piling up around our house! LOL

Cutie Patooties & the Park

Today was a good day. Yes, I am very satisfied with today :)

We started out by picking up my cousin, Amberlee's 2 adorable girls, Alexis & Emma, to spend the afternoon with us (their Mom was feeling & little under the weather & needs the break)...

So we headed off to the park to meet up with the Duncans - Averie's friend Ella from preschool (with her 2 siblings, Connor & Lily) & their mom, Heather; for a picnic & fun :)

The weather was not as nice as we had hoped but we persevered & the kids even braved the little spray park a little bit.



Emma helping Evan brave the "scary" play structure :)

Alexis, Averie & Ella having lunch


Emma giving Brynlea "gentle pushes" on the swing

We spent a couple hours & had a picnic lunch, then said goodbye to the Duncan's & headed back to our place. Averie had SO much fun playing with Alexis! They are such sweet girls and were no trouble at ALL.

And then, are you ready for this??? I actually MADE DINNER!! Woo hoo! If you had been around our place lately, you would know why this is such an accomplishment...

I utilized a much desired cookbook I received as a early birthday present from Mom (post to come later with details) - it is an AMAZING cookbook :)

So, all in all - a very good day.

Clean house = Happy house??

I feel over whelmed... most of the time. I have a hard time with house work. I think this may be a cardinal sin for a stay-at-home mom to say out loud but... I don't enjoy it. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a clean house - but the CONSTANT picking up that I would have to do to keep it clean is not something I enjoy spending every waking moment engaged in.

The "shoveling in a snowstorm" effect :)

I also don't like it when I hear myself telling my children NOT to play with their toys because "I just cleaned up in here!" - sort of doesn't seem like the right priorities...

So, I resign myself to the clutter & try to put it in perspective (Thank you Tricia for your inspirational quote on your blog!!) - "It's a stage" I tell myself... "There will come a day when you will WISH you had little people around messing up your house" - & this is the worst it will ever be because none of my kids are old enough to help out yet...
and I do really believe those things...
And yet...
those feelings of inadequacy creep in... and the shame; Oh the shame to have someone show up at my door unannounced!! I have often thought I would claim we had a break in!

I let that inadequacy poison my mood so then I'm not really having fun with my kids either (which really was the excuse for the house to be untidy in the first place) & I'm crabby with my loving husband - trying to put the blame somewhere else...

Why can't I just accept it for what it is? Without feeling like a lazy, good for nothin??

I think I just need to take my kids & get out of the house more. Ya, that's the ticket! Run away & hope the mess doesn't chase me :)

Got Milk??

I had figured, or hoped at least, that Brynlea, being my 3rd child would get the "lion's share" when it came to breast feeding. That I would have finally got the hang of it, so to speak... not to be the case unfortunately.
There is no rhyme or reason as to why, but I will have adequate one day (though those days seem to be fewer & far between these days) & then will have to supplement with multiple bottles the next. It is beyond frustrating! If it weren't for the cost, I think I would just throw in the towel...

So, I play the guessing game day to day of whether I need to be bringing formula with me, or not (guessing wrong does NOT lead to pleasant times).

LaLeche league I am not...

Thanks a lot, Shelley!

So as if I didn't already have enough to do...
now the inspiring stories from my sister-in-law's recently started blog have me feeling like it's something I could also find "therapeutic"... a venting mechanism, a method of sharing the events of our lives & general journaling, while finding a use for all those many pictures...

So, here it goes.... Welcome.