6/26/08

Great Kids

Stuff of Life I love Grandparents… specifically grandparents who are willing to take the children off our hands over night so we (Jim and I) can kick back and focus on ourselves and our relationship. Good stuff. I’ve spent yesterday and today tidying the house and catching up on laundry so that when I drop two of three off tomorrow, I can come home and not think “Gee, I should just toss a load in the dryer while I’ve got time.” Nope. No siree Bob. I will NOT be doing anything even remotely resembling housework during my time off! To assist in this matter we will go for dinner, meet some friends for breakfast, and possibly lunch it out as well. The only dishes produced should be Jim’s morning coffee cup, Carmen’s nightly bottle of preserved breastmilk, and perhaps my own tea cup. Laundry avoidance strategy? We’re throwing out tomorrow’s clothes after we wear them… just kidding. I wish. A fun day with the kids today. It makes me wonder what makes one day totally laid back and low maintenance, and others wound up and stressful. It really doesn’t seem like I did anything out of the ordinary, but today was just so easy. Finnegan is starting to get a mind of his own, and is learning to ignore my requests to, for example, give the puzzle piece back to Miriam. And the counting to 3 strategy doesn’t work because he immediately starts crying “Don’t count! Don’t count!” and is so focused on me not counting that he won’t do anything at all but dance around all panicked! So silly (or “dilly” as he’d say) But we had a great day with playing outside. I can push him way higher on the swing than I ever pushed Miriam at the same age. He’s not particularly a daredevil (actually he’s a bit of a chicken – doesn’t like being swung around or tossed in the air) but I think he sees Miriam swinging high and want to be like her. Her little shadow. So cute. Miriam was so into words today. After her quiet time, she got out some paper and markers and wrote a letter to Nana and Grandpa: “Tomorrow I like to have a sleepover” complete with an illustration of her and Finnegan outside their front door and Jim and I “away” with Jim having a mad face because he doesn’t want to stand on my head but that’s the only place to draw him. On another page she wrote “Macaroni and cheese” and “Perogies and sourcream” and drew pictures as well (though what a horse has to do with KD, I have no idea). Then later after bath time she was running up and down the stairs between the bathroom and the kitchen table, and when I finally inquired as to what she was doing she showed me that she’d written the words “hot” “bath” and “cold” which she’d read off the taps and written on her page (short term memory only held a few letters in her mind at a time, thus the running back and forth!) Carmen as usual is a delight – it just comes with the territory at this age, I think. She sleeps AWESOME (ten-ish to seven with rarely a wake between.) During the day she hangs out wherever she’s dumped…er, I mean, lovingly placed… and often entertains herself with her new best friend, Mr Right Hand Thumb. This frequently results in a gradual drifting off to la-la-land. And when she’s awake, she just talks and smiles and looks adorable. That’s all for today. Off to bed to rest for my day of rest!

6/24/08

Nurturing Life

Stuff of Life Mastitis – if you don’t know what it is, all you need to know is you do NOT want to get it. Ouch. Still on my gardening kick. I am about two days away from “done” in terms of getting everything planted and organized to the point where I can sit back and enjoy it and simply maintain it. I’m so excited about my garden. I have over 60 different species of plants growing out there. I have plants that are well on their way, and plants that are yet but seeds. I envision my garden as a place of relaxation, comfort, beauty and peace. I envision my garden as a place where my children will learn about the amazing process of growth. This garden will not be a hands off affair, though already I have consciously held back from saying “don’t touch!” Instead I tell the kids to be gentle, and how to touch so the plant isn’t hurt. I remind them to be careful not to step on plants as they wander among the new buds. I like seeing Finn eye-to-eye with the delphiniums and the Echinacea, and Miriam gently fingering a green poppy bud one day and surprised by it’s yellow petals the next. This is their garden too, where they have helped me plant less than straight rows of peas and carrots, beets and beans. They will enjoy it too, and we will be in awe of God’s creation together. This is a privilege and a joy for me. I’ll cherish it. Spiritual Insight of the Day My two hour wait for a doctor yesterday (see Mastitis above) gave me some time to delve into “The Sacred Romance” again. No, this is not some sleazy romance novel, but a look at God’s relationship with His people. The chapter I read talked a lot about what our role is in this great play we’ve found ourselves in – the epic story in which we have a part. It was good reading. I especially liked a paraphrase of one of the verses in the bible which went something like: God’s people/the church is not peripheral to the rest of society. Society is peripheral to God’s people/the church. I can’t really put into words what this means to me. I can only say it helps me feel more significant, and motivates me to be braver in my walk through this world. The chapter also remembered Jeremiah, who was a prophet sent to speak God’s word, but who wasn’t feeling up to the task. God reassured him that He would give him the right words. I know that God also will give me the right words so long as I am willing to speak them. So that’s my prayer today, that I would be willing and waiting in expectation for God to invite me to speak in His story. Scrapbook Idea of the Day Journal. Take time to remember the little things that are so easily forgotten. Like how Miriam always used to wake up with a pirate eye when she was a baby because her one eyed gummed itself shut at night. Or how Finnegan fell in love with “Olivia Forms a Band” after Melissa gifted the book to Miriam for Christmas 2007, and how he always said the same things at the same points in the story for weeks on end (“boke neck?”). Or how Carmen learned to suck her thumb at 11 weeks of age and how we didn’t try to switch out for a soother because it was a) self soothing which is good when you’re one of 3, b) better for van rides because we wouldn’t be able to stick the soother in if it popped out because we can’t reach you like we could the first two in our little escort, and c) it’s so darn cute! These details are not important. Not life altering. Not significant to anyone but us. But it’s these little details which differentiate us from all the other two-parent-three-kid-middle-class families out there.

6/22/08

Grow Up

Stuff of Life Sometimes there’s just too much stuff and not enough life. Focusing on the positive… actually mostly just trying to ignore the negative. Spiritual Insight of the Day Start a garden. Grow something from seed. Visit a berry farm and pick a few baskets. Today it’s all about the garden metaphor… scratch that. It’s not just a metaphor. It’s also just God’s great creation. Scrapbook (Gardening) Idea of the Day To be honest, I haven’t scrapbooked in a while… not really. I’m in garden mode right now. My grandparents a few years ago gave each of their children an early inheritance gift, and my father gave my sister and I $1000 of it for ourselves. I’ve saved it in its original American currency form (darn that – whodathunk the Canadian dollar would go par? – crud). I had thought to use it as part of the down payment on our first house, but what with housing prices in Alberta so high, the thou would’ve seemed a meager contribution. So I thought, “Hey, we have no landscaping other than grass. How about a MacDonell tribute garden?” See, my grandparents were hard working parents of ten children, and as well as owning the MacDonell Inn in Cornwall (now gone), they also owned the MacDonell Greenhouse, selling plants and trees and shrubs to people and landscapers (not that landscapers aren’t people…) Anyways. We spent our first summer just getting the landscaping done to the point of grass (don’t even GET me started about our landscaper). We spent our second summer digging out the packed cement-like clay to 18 inch depth (deep for perennials – can go shallower for annuals). Now in our third summer we’re finally at the fun stage. And by we I mean me. I’m doing most of the work because quite honestly I have most of the motivation. I’m super excited to have planted 45 perennials as well as 4 tomato plants, a zucchini, basil (two kinds), oregano, chives, cucumber and seeds for carrots, beets, peas and beans. I still have to plant some Chinese lantern, sweet pea, dill and morning glory seeds, and after looking at the empty patches in my garden, I went today and picked up 20 more perennials to fill. Can’t wait to get them in, but it’s raining today, so am trapped inside watching the clock and wishing it was sunny. Maybe tomorrow. So, my scrapbook idea of the day? Be creative with whatever you’ve got, whether it’s paper and ink, or dirt and seeds. Make your world more beautiful!

6/17/08

Time Flies When You're Completely Overwhelmed

Stuff of Life Things I never thought I’d hear myself say: #451 – “Don’t put grapes in your shoes” #237 – “Don’t eat your pasta with a pitchfork” #105 – “It’s not a good idea to put fingers in bums.”
Ah, yes… the joys of motherhood. I knew I’d encounter silly and bizarre behaviours with my munchkins, but even I can’t predict from one moment to the next what kinds of zany plots and crazy mischief these two will cook up. And as a result, my list of unusual phrases is growing and growing. If I had a penny for every time I shook my head at something I said, well, I’d have enough money to pay for a chiropractor to fix the neck damage from all that head shaking! Spiritual Insight of the Day It’s a long haul, so… Be patient. Be authentic. Be connected. Be wise. Be intentional. Be who God created you to be. Just be. Scrapbooking Idea of the Day Sign up for ScrapinstyleTV. This is a neat sight with some interesting videos (only available to members – free) and some galleries and ideas to inspire. I suppose that’s where I am right now, just gathering inspiration while I organize and sift through my supplies.

6/6/08

Things Which Are Excellent and Praiseworthy

Stuff of Life It’s official! My wonderful husband is officially a “Doctor.” (Of philosophy, not medicine!) June 5, 2008 marks the convocation of James Sandercock as a Ph.D of Microbiology and Bioinformatics (or something like that!) I’m so happy for his achievement after 6 loooooong years of often frustrating repetitive experiments. And on a personal note FINALLY! IT’S OVER! It’s been a long 6 years for me too, not so much in the beginning, but towards the end as first one baby then another arrived and life became very busy. But this chapter is now over and we are entering into the world of “real” work with him teaching at the local college and hoping to move into something permanent. Deep breath… ahhhh… freedom… Spiritual Insight of the Day On the topic of convocation, during the President’s convocation address, she referred to the University motto “Que cum quae vera” (might be misspelled). It apparently means “Whatsoever is true” and originates from the bible, Phillipians 4:8, which states “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - thing about such things.” Of course the secular liberal arts University takes this phrase and twists it, but I digress. Here, today, is my response to this passage, the excellent and praiseworthy things I will think about: 1) The sky is cloudy and I can smell the rain in the air preparing to water the grass and plants and clean the dust off the trees and buildings. 2) Dinner last night was a splendid affair of beautifully laid out dishes, diverse flavours and enjoyable company. 3) My daughter is creative and independent and inquisitive and often eager to please. 4) My son is funny and gentle and bright and energetic. 5) My infant daughter is calm and cheerful and precious and sweet. 6) I have such fun friends with whom to play German board games and jam to rock band and scrapbook and just chat with. 7) My dishwasher ran this morning and my washing machine and dryer are busy in the basement… I’m blogging instead of being elbow deep in suds… if this isn’t praiseworthy, I don’t know what is! Scrapbook Idea of the Day I’m using Close to My Heart’s Cherish idea book to clean out my scrapbook supplies in preparation for a new batch. I take a bunch of related papers, check the idea book for a layout and throw it together in record time… no titles or journaling or even photos, but the pages are ready to be personalized, and if I’m not thrilled with the outcome, I have friends who will happily use the pages for their photos.

6/3/08

Bork! Bork! Bork!

Stuff of Life Ever had a day that seemed to move in slow motion? That was today for me. I can’t believe it took us until 10 to get out of the house to go shopping, and I honestly can’t explain why. The store was crazy busy, and the line up about a half hour wait… at least they had cookies for us near the end! Despite the slow-mo, the day’s been great. Hung out with my girl for a bit while the little ones napped… I just love her conversational style these days. It’s so grown up and articulate. She’s using phrases like “Seriously mum,” and “No, probably not” and talking to her imaginary friends “So I was like, that’s so irritating.” My boy’s picking up some grown up vocab too. I sat down on the couch to read him a story the other day and he says to me “Aksee I dit deya.” (Actually, I sit there) He’s still working on some sounds (“Binny dop Bork ona goun” isn’t a return of the muppet’s Swedish chef, it means “Finny dropped fork on the ground.”) As for Carmen, she mostly sucks – literally! Life is good. I could complain – really I could, but what’s the point? Sometimes you’ve gotta consciously ignore your gripe and sit back and say “Life is good!” So… Life is good! Spiritual Insight of the day. I confess. After all that the other day about getting back to basics, I didn’t… not yet anyways. But I will. Seems like I’m making choices to do other stuff lately. No one to blame but myself really. But it’s still in my mind. Scrapbook Idea of the day Seriously loving Ali Edward’s Blog these days. Check it out, and follow some of her links. Really creative inspiration, and lots of up to date info on what’s hot out there! I’m purging my supplies these days. I made a big order with a friend of mine for some papers and stuff, so I’m trying to use up my odds and ends to make room. Still scrapping from my crop bag. So long as I limit my space, I figure I’ll also limit my budget, prioritize my projects, make the process simpler by minimizing choice etc… Of course, I do sometimes dream of a scrapbook room stocked to the rafters!

6/1/08

A Prescription to Blog

Stuff of Life There's an article in Jim's Scientific American this month about the therapeudic nature of blogging. I haven't read it yet (gotta be in the mood for geek-speak) but the implication is that this here what I 'm doing right now is beneficial to my mental health... Hey, I'm not going to say "no" to a boost to my current mental stability! If I’d had my camera this morning, I would have taken a photo of Miriam and posted it. Instead, I’d leant it to my mother yesterday so had to settle for video (not scrap-worthy unfortunately) and a verbal description here. As I was on the phone with my best friend Tara this morning, the house became suddenly very quiet… when there are two children and an infant in the house, this silence is usually a bad sign. So I put Carmen down and tiptoed upstairs to check on my munchkins. They were happily and quietly playing in their closet, sitting inside the IKEA drawer shelf that holds their clothes, but which they take the drawers out of and use as imaginary cars. And get this. Miriam had on the most hilarious outfit. She’d put on her flowered cloth swim diaper, flowered swim suit, Finnegan’s swim trunks, her green and white polka dot swim suit, a fuchsia swim suit with floating Styrofoam inserts, and a ridiculous pink cap which Carmen will grow into but will probably never wear because it’s so unfashionable! Cracked me up completely, but I managed to say in a really positive upbeat voice which only a mother can conjure up in moments like these “Hey, Miriam! Cool outfit! What are you wearing?” At which point I got the proud breakdown of her attire. She actually asked if she could wear it to church! I briefly considered it, in light of the song lyrics “Come, just as you are to worship!” (Tee hee J) Finnegan is such a sweet, gentle hearted boy, not your typical rough and rowdy boy, but first thing in the morning he wakes up and absolutely BELLOWS from his crib! Not in a mad/sad/impatient way, just for the sake of being loud. I have no idea how long he yells for someone to come and get him out of his wooden barred prison, but once he’s out, he’s his peaceful little self again! I should get him up from his nap right away… but the peace and quiet in the house right now is gooooood. Spiritual Insight of the Day I gots nuthin’. Feeling a bit drained and uninspired, spiritually today. I read a blog though – my he{ART} (see left link) – and I was reminded of the importance of just the basics, that is, simply scripture. No devotional, no discourse, no history… just the Word. God really does speak through His word. I’m going to take time to read my bible today. Scrap Idea of the Day You know all those scrapbook magazines and idea books sitting on your shelf? I don’t know about you, but I have no intention of letting them go any time soon (My husband on the other hand reads his Scientific American once and never picks it up again and is happy to recycle it… not a re-reader, that one!) But other than flipping through them from time to time, I haven’t really gotten the best use out of them. So my current project is a search for journaling ideas. Flip through, find a journal that is creative, and jot down a note about the format so I can imitate it in my own scrapbooks. I’m basically a big scraplifter, but given my stage in life (4 year old, 2 year old, 8 week old, working husband, Master’s degree in progress…) that’s about all I can muster up generally. My other project is organizing my photos in my computer. I’m renaming everything based on year-month-day (08-06-01 will be all today’s photos for example followed by a, b, c…). And once that’s done, I want to create index cards so I can easily scan for photos without going into my computer.