Life's Expensive...

Whoever said life isn't cheap sure new what they were talking about!
With our family about to expand, we have been getting more REAL about our budget and expenditures. I am a little embarrassed to admit we have never been too good at this; what better time than the present to get r-e-a-l.

We have gone through our budget with a fine tooth comb...and now the fun begins!
I know, that may sound weird...but there is some form of a rush in trying to see how much we can save in a month...opposed to how much we can spend. Wow, what a revelation! ;-)

I came across an interesting article:

How Modern Moms are 

Taking the Lead in Financial Planning

Some interesting points. Do you fit into to any of them? Are you feeling a little more out of the loop and need more info; or possibly the one filled with the info and need to educate your significant other?

So, what are your money saving tips!? Anything that you and your family do to save at the bank every month?
Coupons...what else??

"A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty."  ~Author Unknown


Happy Saving!

Bedtime for Two...

I think I mentioned the other day how Si is finding pleasure in falling asleep in Kai's bed. Or rather, not always falling asleep; sometimes playing, talking, laughing, giggling, fighting, biting...not always "sleeping." Well, last night, two exhausted kids wanted to sleep in Kai's bed together; And that's what they did. They slept.
I had to capture this peaceful moment on camera. They were way too adorable, loving...and quiet!

Emotional Ride to Whistler...

Wow. I cannot believe it is already Wednesday. Nearly a week since I last blogged. So much to write about and so many things to express, yet my mind and body have not been linking together well these past few days and I have not found much time, nor the energy, to type... I am dying to get things down, but am having problems finding the right words to express myself.

Lets start easy and see where it goes.

Thank you again to Kristi Gordon for her interview last week for the featured Celebrity Mom Interview! It is always fun to catch a glimpse into the busy lives of other woman (mom, mom to be, or not at all!). I find sometimes glimpses of other peoples lives helps to put our own lives in perspective in some odd way.

As for life and what has been going on over here. Well, my husband is officially 3-0! We celebrated last weekend with the family as he rang in the new digit. Too much food, good wine, some amazing gifts...and one not so great one.

Unfortunately, the art of surprise to my husband isn't really a good thing. I am not going into any great detail here, lets just say, I thought that a surprise trip to an undisclosed location sans kids would be an amazing gift for him...and us.  A nice thought and gesture wasn't received the way I had "expected" it to...and thus, a weekend blow-out and emotional exhaustion for the two of us, beyond any we had experienced in a long...LONG...time.
Life can be full of surprises. And his birthday came with one for both of us. Never in my wildest dreams did I think my plans would cause any form of argument, sadness or anger. And it did all of the above. That is the funny thing about expectation. Even when you know someone, you cant necessarily "expect" things. Be it a reaction, an outcome, a gesture or a gift. The minute you take your own expectation out of the equation, you wont get hurt, saddened, angered or disgruntled along the way. It is something that seems so simple, yet is the hardest thing to accomplish.

Putting the past behind us, we picked up our bruised hearts and broken egos and continued on with time for just the two of us; only looking a little different in location to me...but with the same intent. To spend time with my husband...just the two of us.

And so, here we are in a wonderful part of our province, even more beautiful on a hot sunny day, spending time together:laughing, talking and re-kindling the love that was hiding behind anger over the past few days.

It is amazing what you can allow to escalate and argue about when feelings get hurt and exhaustion takes over.

The tears are gone and the smiles are here.
The clock has been reading 8:30 am..instead of 6:30 with the kids. The work emails and phone calls have been minimal. The food has been made for us. I have only done one load of laundry. We are relaxing.

And so we are enjoying our mini-vacation. With the kids never too far out of thought. They are in most of our conversations.
Once a parent always a parent. Always wanting a mini moment to yourself, but missing them the entire time you get it.

To Life. To Love. To Happiness.

Post-it's and Paper...

There has been so much going on lately that I cannot live without my pen and paper to ensure I write down every flitting thought; otherwise i don't think anything would be getting done!
I feel like I have no time to breathe lately, but honestly, I am not complaining. It is a good thing to be busy. It seems as if, and i am not sure if this is true for all, when I am busy with one avenue in life, everything seems to kick up at the same time. Now it is the balancing act to ensure all is done; and that all is done correctly!

I have been so crazy with party planning, birthday surprises and a child-free vacation after Ryan's birthday that our personal life was taking on its own form of busy. Now add real estate picking up with lots of showings and offers being negotiated...and I have found a new scale of busy. And I cant forget the pre and post natal fitness classes I have been subbing along with a new interest in a prenatal training program by some new moms I now have to develop...and in a crazy way (cause clearly I am!) I am loving it all!

I am happy and satisfied, as long as I can put my best self forward in all of these avenues...and so far it is all coming out ok! And in a few weeks time, I will have a week of R & R with my amazing husband...some quiet time...sans kids!

Another update that I am behind on is Si's legs!
We had our follow-up appointment with the pediatrician a few weeks back and her legs are getting straighter every time! When she walks, she still shows a bow; but how they can judge progress is by pulling their legs together while lying down to see if the bones aline straight...and they went straight! So it really is a matter of time that will heal in this circumstance and we are so relieved. She is running fast and climbing high already...those little legs have not and will not hold her back!!

I had to sit and write for a few minutes to unload my brain...now its time to do the laundry, have a workout, clean the house, take dog to the vet, pick up party supplies, write and offer, drop of documents, play with the kids, show a house...you get the idea.

Hope your Tuesday is a great one!

"As busy as I claim to be, I've still got the greatest job in the world. " ~Peter Criss

Here comes the bloat...

written March 10, 2011

Isn't this just the best part of pregnancy... the part where you know your pregnant, maybe a few family member and friends...but to the rest of the world, your clothes just look a little tight.  It is amazing how fast the female body changes during pregnancy. Instantly your system is exhausted, your breath gets taken away when you walk up a flight of stairs... and the pants...they just feel so damn uncomfortable!

So far, the mornings through mid day are my best hours. Sometimes I forget I am pregnant... it all just seems so surreal. But come 4:00 on, I start to feel like I am dragging my butt and the heartburn kicks in as well. Of all the symptoms possible, I am not complaining...I just hope they stay this "easy."

I had a hard pregnancy with Kai. I was ALWAYS tired; I even napped, which I never do! I was SO sick for the first 5 months with the occasional bought through till the end. I remember one trip to Seattle with my mom; she was treating me to a shopping spree of new maternity clothes. We had a great day together, until the car ride home; I was so nauseous and puked in a Ziploc bag...you will never look at Ziploc the same!

I was fortunate with Si, in the beginning. I did not have the luxury of naps while pregnant with her as Kai was around and still so young. When he slept, I got things organized. We were also in the midst of selling our condo and moving. Not the most optimal timing!  But unlike my first pregnancy, Si was harder towards the end. I had quite a lot of pre-labour cramping...she just wanted out! And by about 8 months...i was ready for her to be out too! She made her entry into the world 3 days early.

And so, number three. How are you going to treat me?
I am excited for the next 8 months (or 7.5 if you want to be nice ;-) ).

Never Say Never...

Written March 5, 2011

Ryan and I have had a whirlwind couple, well handful, of years and just as we think we are finally settling... a curve ball is thrown.
A positive... a positive...!?
That in laments terms is, I peed on a stick and yep, I am pregnant!
Here's to three under three-and-a half...holy s*#t.

Here we were getting used to our life as a family of four, still not sure if "eventually" there would be more, but not totally set on that... and as life would have it, there was a plan for us I guess.

"A grand adventure is about to begin."
-- Winnie the Pooh
Our life is already crazy chaos, what is this new stage going to look like? I guess only time will tell. We will need to band together as husband and wife, mom and dad, and Kai and Si as sister and brother.

So many emotions/feelings sit inside of me right now, along with a fluttering stomach and slight bit of nausea. Oh my god, to start. Can we do this. How will we do this. Thank goodness I am working again. Will our new addition be a boy or girl? How will Si handle a baby (being the youngest). How will Kai and Si handle it as they are the best of friends right now. How is my husband handling the news I graced him with this Saturday morning...

"Family: A social unit where the father is concerned with parking space, the children with outer space, and the mother with closet space. "
-- Evan Esar

And through all of my questioning, concerns and worries... I can't help to be really excited for this new chapter of our lives that is ahead.  I know that I will continue to learn everyday. Be filled with love and joy. And that I will just have to remind myself to breathe every once in a while.

"The most important thing she'd learned over the years was that there was no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one."
- Jill Churchill

The Great Debate...

Enter the world of parenthood and everyday is filled with its own set of challenges.
Our current/upcoming topic that is a HUGE decision...preschool. Now the parenting begins and the playing is left till after school. Kai will be 3 in April and ready for his first year of preschool this September. These days, it is not only where to send your child, but at what age as well. There are some new "junior kindergartens" that take children as young as one. In essence it is a childcare facility at this age, yet they still have some structure to their days (as much as you can give a one-two year old!). The topic is on the table because over the next few weeks, registration begins!

We began our thoughts on this pretty quickly after Kai was born. The reason being, most of the good schools (yes, even preschools) have waitlists for years! If you can believe it, some actually register your name the minute you find out you are pregnant. A little excessive, I think yes! But to each their own.
We were originally thinking of sending him to a Junior kindergarten a few days a week starting this past fall. It didn't pan out for a few reasons and in the end I have been happy it didn't. What's the rush to send your baby to school so fast!? They have their entire lives to be there. Come the fall, I think he will be ready, and so will we by then.

Now for us, the decision is where...and why! Sienna follows Kai around everywhere. She loves to sit and read, and yet she loves to stick her hand in dirty diapers...yes discgusting! But she is a big factor in our equation of Kai and preschool. With Kai going a certain number of days/mornings a week, Sienna will still need to have a place to be. Currently, when I am working, the kids are with our part-time Nanny. She is fantastic and the kids love her, but realistically, we cannot afford to employ a nanny and pay for school; and so, our thoughts are leading us in the direction of a junior kindergarten where Sienna can be on the same "campus" as her older brother. The two of them can have the same schedule, and this in-turn makes a happy mom :-)

Here are some of my thoughts and "foreseen debates" that we are, and will be, dealing with:

- How many days a week
- Time of day (morning or afternoon)
Cost
- Preschool and part-time nanny
- junior kindergarten for both kids
- Preschool and daycare!?
Cost
curriculum
-Location
-Cost

For those of you who don't have children yet, or you do but you have not gotten to the stage of looking into preschools, they seem to charge an equivalent rate to University. Since the children are 1/4 to 1/2 the height of a grown adult, the tuition is reflected by 1/4-1/2 the price! Not really, but I figure, pretty damn close! So if we are shelling out this amount of money for our child's education and learning, I want to make sure that we are getting the most value for our dollar. Preschools are private and therefore you must pay...I can see another debate a few years in the future, private or public!?

We have looked into CEFA (Core Education and Fine Arts), and they offer some amazing things at their schools: from uniforms all the way down to meal planning. This is a Junior kindergarten. And here, the days are full from 9 to 5 if you want. Great for a working 9-5 parent, but not necessary for me...but maybe this is where the kids can go on the same 2 days a week and no more would be needed!??
Or do we go to preschool...there are some amazing ones in our neighbourhood: from Montessori programs to French immersion.
Wish us luck and please send thoughts, suggestions and advice...it is all welcomed and appreciated!

"It will be gone before you know it. The fingerprints on the wall appear higher and higher. Then suddenly they disappear." ~Dorothy Evslin

Private Parts

It's the things that come out a child's mouth that can truly brighten your day. Children seem to make all the sense in the world and at the same time, no sense at all! They are so innocent and yet so guilty. And one thing that is for sure, they are VERY honest...and at the best of times, those honest moments lead to a smile, a laugh, and maybe a much-needed conversation.

Kai is quickly creeping up to 3! Hard to believe that in April I will have a three year-old. And with growing, his vocabulary as well as questions are starting to fly out of his mouth. I thought a few recent ones had to be shared. I hope they brighten your moment as much as they did mine.

A few days before Christmas, I was in my closet getting dressed to head out. I had our nanny that day, and the kids were both with her...until I heard a pitter-patter of feet running up the stairs. Kai was going to hang out with me until I left, apparently. So I started to get dressed. The next thing that happened...

"Mommy...?...You have no pee-pee!??"

Oh my gosh! Before I could respond with any form of an adult like answer, I burst into an abundance of laughter. And with the laughter came another

"Mommy...?...You have no pee-pee!??"

And after the second time, he ran out of the closet, hoped on the chair in our room, and continued watching cartoons.

This left me with many thoughts in my head. The first being, I guess shower time and dressing time is over in-front of my two and a half year-old son! The second was, wow what a great observation. And third was how maybe next time something like that happens I should have a prepared answer opposed to a morning ab workout :-)

He hasn't said anything again since, and he hasn't asked, but I have said "girl" and "boy" a lot more often and using his sister as an example to being different then he is. It is a funny thing, private parts and kids. And with both a son and a daughter, it is amazing how different they are in observation. Sienna is almost 16 months and I swear has noticed differences since the time she could walk, around 11 months. I have this time frame as a note because it was when I would be changing Kai's diaper that I would hear her little feet  making their way down the hall in enough time to attempt to grab Kai's "privacy" as he would call it, before the diaper was put back on. Yes, she made us both laugh with this attempt, but also made be realize that she was being very observant of the differences.  Until lately, Kai hasn't given any thought to his own "privacy," as Sienna will always try to grab her's as I change her diaper. Kai's form of self discovery lately has been with toys being shoved down his pants! What!?? Oh the things they do! 

So my lesson, to answer more questions for my kids and to maybe read a few more books on the subject of girl vs boy.

December 16th brought another moment for me when I had to take Kai to the Doctor's office. We had a morning just me and him, which was so nice because that really doesn't happen very often. We went to Starbucks where he enjoyed a hot chocolate, that I am sure was 50% whip-cream! Then with his backpack back on his back, we crossed the street in time for his appointment. On a side note, Kai never thought much of his backpack until his amazing Uncle came over to visit him one day, and he was wearing his backpack. Now, Kai will not leave the house without one. So now in the waiting room, with a CLEAN diaper, I am trying to keep Kai entertained as we await the arrival of the Doctor. And then, just as I began to smell something, Kai came out with a comment:

 



 

If it's not one thing...it's another!

Why does it feel like life is always, "if it's not one thing, it's another!"

Lately, LIFE begins to settle in one area and then LIFE begins building in the OTHER. If it's not you it's another that you are affected by.

My question, when does life become your own...for a year, for a minute, for a second...

I am quickly learning...it never does. If you have family, in ANY FORM, it never completely resides in your own hand; because, the minute you care for someone, family or friend, you never know where life will take you.

If it is not your life experience and learing, it is someone elses...

To the tears, the laughter, the love...

To learing...

To life... 

Thank you for tomorrow.

xo

Terrible Twos...

So I am discovering, on a daily basis, that the "terrible two's" are a real phenom; And with them comes the "terrible twenties" because I don't think I have ever been so mentally and physically exhausted! Mix a two-year old, with daily life and stress, with a walking one year old, and there is no mix in that equation for much of anything...let alone rest!

Kai is at a point lately where I can only leave him with a select few people, otherwise I can't leave him at all. Everything is "mommy do it" "i want my mom", when does this phase progress forward!? It's hard to wish away time, but when you are arguing with a 2-year-old, you quickly find yourself loosing your mind! 

In parenting, I find that with friends around you, you learn from one another. I constantly find myself in "growing friendships."  Within my circle of friends I was among the first, if not the first, to marry, to have a baby, to have a second baby... so I was in a place to "make new friends." With kids the learning and growing never stops, and to have people who can relate to the ages and stages of life help make the days go by! Thank you to all of my friends for being such a strong support system. I don't know what I would do to get through some days!

What I have learned about this age and stage that Kai is going through, is that he needs stimulation and exercise. He LOVES playing outside, going to the park, coloring and playing with his cars. When a tantrum begins sometimes all he needs is a re-direct on to a different activity. This is why Ryan and I have decided it is time for him to enter into Junior Kindergarten. We are now wait-listed for an amazing Junior Kindergarten school CEFA.  Check them out at www.cefa.ca

One of our amazing friends is involved in the Cefa School in Langley and we have heard nothing but the best! Check out her amazing blog at www.cefalangley.wordpress.com

Fingers crossed we can have a fresh start to 2011 and have both Kai and Si in this amazing program!

My feelings are that, like adults, kids need to be social and set into different environments. It only allows them to grow and expand their little horizons. There is so much to learn in life, and as a parent, we can't even begin to think we have the ability to offer it all! We all need a little help. A little piece of mind ;-)

a little...rest!

While They Are Sleeping

While they are sleeping is the one time in the day i can count on at least 1 hour for myself.

Well, i guess i wouldn't always consider this self time as i am usually doing laundry, cleaning, doing bills, running a household, but at least its quiet!

I have now decided to take some of this time for me. To sit down here and to write.

I am surprised with every minute of life these days. It seems that just as you begin to get one area sorted out or feeling more positively about certain outcomes, there is another worry, sadness, stress, whatever waiting for you. Is this called life!? I guess so!! Although many of these lessons aren't seen at the time we experience them, there has got to be a reason for them all in something...i hope!

Currently i feel myself struggling to find a sense of self and direction in my world of marriage and motherhood. With Kai now 2.5 and Sienna 1, i feel it's my time to discover the ever-ending question of "who am i" and "what do i want." I know who i am in the form of wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend...but who am i in this life that evolves around me and what makes me happy in the everyday? Before our two amazing kids were born i ventured in a few different career paths 1) realtor 2) photographer.

 I truly LOVE these both but find myself questioning whether these are paths i want to take as career and whether i CAN take these as career while still raising our kids. I need time away from the house and kids; i am sure this is something that every mother can relate to! I need it for my own sanity!

So what is the next great place!? Work! I know, a little crazy some might think, but this introduces a new place of "adult time", sense of identity, and knowing that i have the ability to contribute to my family on a financial level as well.

So here i am, stuck with the overall question of "what do i see myself doing."

I am sure a question most have asked of themselves thru life...but when do you see the light at the end of the tunnel clearly?