8/22/2019 0 Comments last of the summerMy kids are at my mom's and I was beyond thrilled to enjoy an interrupted-in-my-own-bed-with-just-my-husband sleep. This hasn't happened often this summer. Turns out I'm a robot who ended up in Shiloh's bed even though Shiloh isn't even here. Thank you subconscious mom brain.
I also think my kids are definitely getting ready to go back to school although Jackson freaks out everytime I say that. Kid, it's not like you are going to prison! Okay maybe a little... just kidding. My kids love to do workbooks, especially the Costco ones. Jackson's is full of blank spaces where you need to practice your penmanship and Shiloh's has hearts everywhere. But they love telling each other which things they've missed, how messy their writing is and Jackson's favourite, telling his sister off by yelling "Shiloh!! You are stealing my learning!!!" when she answers his stuff. Seriously guys, we are fighting over learning. Buuuuut HARPER IS POTTY TRAINED!!!! Guys I legitimately think that potty training my children is one of my greatest accomplishments in life. Anyone else agree? And I'm going to remind my kids of this as they get older. "But remember Jackson. You used to poop your pants. But after literally months of pooping everywhere, anytime, requiring hazmat suits constantly, you did it. WE did it. You are wearing underwear and can control those sphincters like a champ!" It's like this insane freedom that comes with knowing soon I will not have to buy diapers and wipes, I will cut my garbage in half, and my kids will no longer walk around as toxic spills. And I'm hoping that the bend-over-to-wipe phase ends soon. Harper's philosophy is shaking it off as opposed to wiping and that hasn't been ideal but hey! Little victories right?! But yes, this is also slightly sad that my baby is in underwear... Not sure who cried more about ''giving the diapers to the babies''... They've also attached my resistance bands (the exercise ones that I resist working out with) to Reuben's office chair and whip each other around until they get so dizzy they smack into the walls. Or each other. And then do it again and again until I want to puke watching. Did anyone else's ability to ride rides and withstand spinning come out with their placenta? Also, I finally took the kids to Niagara. We walked Clifton Hill, spent waaay too much riding a 5 minute 6D ride that terrified Harper senseless, ate at the Rainforest Cafe and then rode the carousel at Port Dalhousie. A great day right!? And yet, their highlight was going in the lake in their clothes. Something we could literally do 5 minutes from my house. I'm so glad I plan all these events. So all you people who think I do crazy things with my kids, please remember that all my kids care about is just some time at the beach. In the water. Can you tell I miss my kids??
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8/21/2019 0 Comments last of the summerMy kids are going to my mom's for the next few days.
They've been gone for all of an hour annnnnnd I miss them and want them home. That is all. (Okay, we all almost murdered each other this morning and the kids waited outside for almost an hour until my mom came so I know this will be the highlight of their summer... but I miss my little balls of insanity. Pathetic mom eh??) 8/8/2019 0 Comments vulnerability. hurrayI haven't hid the fact at over the years I've realized I'm drawn to vulnerability and honesty, especially when it comes to parenting. These days you can't post a picture unless it's Instagram worthy. Which is none of my life or photos. Also... I don't know how the stink to take pictures with proper angles, filters and all that other jazz. So whatever Instagram, you suck.
But really. I've always had a tribe (see?! I'm being hip and cool using that lingo) that although I've considered a crazy insane bunch, they've been a pretty amazing bunch. And I've learned that your tribe changes throughout the years. Sometimes because you've been fortunate enough to find another crazy to add. And sometimes you've had to let go, or been let go of. Those ones get harder. Much harder. I've found especially after being a mom I don't have the time or head space to continually invest in new relationships. Sometimes it's all I can do to have a somewhat coherent conversation in broken English and commiserating eye contact with a friend sipping cold coffee and preventing WW3. But it's a tribe nonetheless. And it's hard to be vulnerable when you know relationships aren't always going to last. Looking at some of my own I know that some of the ones that I love the most have been the ones with the most broken heartwrenching vulnerability. The ones that go beyond even my unwashed, filthy, sleep deprived insanity. But it can be so painful and just plain hard to be that vulnerable. It means showing your underbelly, your hidden weakness. And there is no guarantee that the relationship will last. So you build walls. Okay maybe just me. And Trump. When I suffered with severe postpartum anxiety after Shiloh (a post for another time) I had a friend break down all my walls and literally save my life. Without her willingness to continue to love me through my legit crazy I would not be alive today. I was vulnerable with her about some of the scariest things I have ever experienced and she never let me go. She forced (what felt like blackmail) me to get help but never saw or treated me any different. And man the pressure as a mom during that time was incredible. But that is a relationship I will never let go of and she's proven she won't let go of me. And sometimes we realize our tribe isn't quite what we thought. Our hard, our defensive mechanisms, our crazy moments are sometimes just too much for someone else. That has been one of the hardest things for me as a mom. Learning which friends aren't what you thought and having to choose your children over continuing that relationship. Or struggling with huge things in life and having to restructure your support system because it hasn't been what you needed. It's really stupid hard. And I know I've let other people down and haven't been the support they need. Believe me, I am by no means perfect at all, especially in relationships. I fail every.single.day. But man anyone else feel all the hard? As I've been wrestling through relationship challenges, work disasters, health issues and then all of 'normal' life these last few months I've been increasing thankful for warm days full of sunshine, sunscreen and stinky sweaty kids. Kids who bring cicadas into my house, pee on my floors, tell the world our secrets and still can't seem to figure out which bed is theirs. Kids who laugh because they flew their airplane into a wall, laugh at their dad cannon balling into the water, or laugh at chickens flying into their faces. Kids who bandaid each other's wounds, feed all the neighbours from our garden, and hold hands everywhere we go. And yes, even the kids who poop on the neighbour's lawn. This is my 'vulnerable-but-I-need-to-process-I'm-so-sorry-you-are-subjected-to-this" post. And now there is a crown on my head and my 2 year old is going to teach me to pose. Love you all. 8/8/2019 0 Comments the number three part 2So... we are still potty training. Because well Harper is Harper Last week my kids frantically called me over to the neighbours yard where I found Harper, buck naked proudly standing besides three piles of poop. Her poop. On the grass and patio. The neighbour's grass and patio. My child has turned into a dog. Shiloh has taken to telling everyone "Harper is learning to use the potty! It's so adorable when she poops!" Apparently red faces, grunting, running commentary and counting farts until a poop is so cute. We also play ''guess that liquid'' quite frequently. Is it juice? Is it water? Is it pee? Harper finds this game hilarious so she thinks it's best not to be honest. Or she pees and puts the cat it in so apparently poor Edna can take the blame. What can I say? She's definitely not lacking in creativity. |
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