We are gearing up for Halloween. Pumpkins procured and carved, costumes half done kind of maybe. Each kid wanted something different in their pumpkin. Little R wanted a moon, R wanted a house, tree, path, guy with a cape, mountain, car and pumpkin and he got it all, M wanted a face, and K wanted a face with a big mouth. Craftymama was crafty of course and used a cookie cutter to make perfect stars in her pumpkin. Cableman did a nice smiling face in his. As for me and glassman - we helped the kids. Now we are enjoying plentiful pumpkin seeds.
Halloween is not how this holiday started. It started as All Hallow's Eve, which was a celebration of the coming darkness. Families gathered together in their houses around a fire and remembered those who were lost to them. It was a time of celebration of life and death - not a time of scary figures and candy. Today it has morphed into something unrecognizable. I dislike the new Halloween, but the school does this pumpkin path where they hear a story and walk through a maze of lit jack-o-lanterns. At the end there is a bonfire with cider and popcorn. It's a much nicer rendition of Halloween while still honouring the commercial aspects of it. I like it!
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Heat
We have none. No seriously. Until this past weekend we were relying on sweaters and one single small space heater. We have since upgraded space heaters (only because the kids accidentally broke the little one). Our boiler is broken and because it's that time of year getting the repair guy and the sweeper coordinated is quite challenging. We have to wait until the beginning of November. Then there was the firewood issue, no one could deliver, people were booked up, no more wood etc. We finally found someone and they delivered this past Sunday - so thank goodness for small miracles.
See, our house is cold. It's 100yrs old and not insulated at all. The windows are single pained, and there is a draft that comes in through them and all the doors. It gets so cold all the time. Sometimes it's warmer outside than it is in our house. Some people bring slippers when they come over. The kids live in wool, which is great because then they wear all the projects we have made for them.
So yes. House=cold. Hopefully King Winter doesn't make an appearance early.
See, our house is cold. It's 100yrs old and not insulated at all. The windows are single pained, and there is a draft that comes in through them and all the doors. It gets so cold all the time. Sometimes it's warmer outside than it is in our house. Some people bring slippers when they come over. The kids live in wool, which is great because then they wear all the projects we have made for them.
So yes. House=cold. Hopefully King Winter doesn't make an appearance early.
Friday, October 19, 2012
The Fall
No, no one fell - this is about the season.
Andrea loves fall - its beautiful, and most importantly it's not summer! Me on the other hand, I like the pretty leaves - when they are on the trees, but we live in a house that is covered with trees, and thus the raking begins. So many leaves already and it's only the 3rd week of October. They haven't even really began to fall yet. This is going to be a long fall of raking and bagging, raking and bagging.
Then there is that rain thing I talked about last time.
Our yard is such a disaster, toys everywhere, little indents in the ground where we get mud puddles, those leaves, and total chaos of plants and shrubs everywhere. The yard is why we bought the house and it is so much more work than I ever anticipated it being. But the whole house has been more work than I anticipated - so I guess it makes sense that the yard is too.
We need a place for the kids to put their toys - and then they need to put them there. We also need a place for them to park their bikes so that they don't get wet and rusted in the rain.
So many things to do.
This entry was pretty pointless, but sometimes, daily life can be pretty mundane.
Andrea loves fall - its beautiful, and most importantly it's not summer! Me on the other hand, I like the pretty leaves - when they are on the trees, but we live in a house that is covered with trees, and thus the raking begins. So many leaves already and it's only the 3rd week of October. They haven't even really began to fall yet. This is going to be a long fall of raking and bagging, raking and bagging.
Then there is that rain thing I talked about last time.
Our yard is such a disaster, toys everywhere, little indents in the ground where we get mud puddles, those leaves, and total chaos of plants and shrubs everywhere. The yard is why we bought the house and it is so much more work than I ever anticipated it being. But the whole house has been more work than I anticipated - so I guess it makes sense that the yard is too.
We need a place for the kids to put their toys - and then they need to put them there. We also need a place for them to park their bikes so that they don't get wet and rusted in the rain.
So many things to do.
This entry was pretty pointless, but sometimes, daily life can be pretty mundane.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Teeth and Trouble
R is losing teeth faster than we can imagine! They just keep getting wiggly and falling out. This is typical of the 6yr change, which only proves he is definitely going through it. We do the tooth fairy in our house so I guess she will have to make another visit tonight as I hear he has lost another one today!
Fall is here, and with it the rain and more rain and then a torrential downpour. It has been quite grey and grisly out the last couple of days, though it has brightened up some today. With Autumn comes falling leaves. Leaves which gather on our roof. A gathering which causes a section of our roof to leak. Glassman cleared a path for the water but it is just a matter of time before they return and we start seeing those drips again. Such an old home. I often wonder what we were thinking.
With the rain also comes the trouble with children. See, they don't like spending hours outside like they did when it wasn't raining. They play indoors more, which means more boredom, which means more frustration on theirs and Craftymama's part. They need to have some rainy day indoor activities and find some places to go in Duncan that aren't the library. It's hard to take all four of them swimming with only one parent, parks are out because of the aforementioned rain, the river is less exciting (though it will be cool when the valley floods; there simply just isn't much to do in Duncan.
I try to think of what we did in Nanaimo when it rained and snowed. I honestly can't think of anything. The only difference was we had a playroom. A big space that the kids could call their own and make up all sorts of games. In the new house, there isn't a play room. There is no space that's just for the kids. I think that's most of the problem. We can't really fix that though. We could take LittleR's room and turn it into a playroom and move her into K's room - either in the closet or the bathroom (though this would require removal of the fixtures which we want to do anyways). Maybe that's a decent solution. Give them the little room, and move LittleR. I'll have to bring that up to Craftymama when I get home from work.
Fall is here, and with it the rain and more rain and then a torrential downpour. It has been quite grey and grisly out the last couple of days, though it has brightened up some today. With Autumn comes falling leaves. Leaves which gather on our roof. A gathering which causes a section of our roof to leak. Glassman cleared a path for the water but it is just a matter of time before they return and we start seeing those drips again. Such an old home. I often wonder what we were thinking.
With the rain also comes the trouble with children. See, they don't like spending hours outside like they did when it wasn't raining. They play indoors more, which means more boredom, which means more frustration on theirs and Craftymama's part. They need to have some rainy day indoor activities and find some places to go in Duncan that aren't the library. It's hard to take all four of them swimming with only one parent, parks are out because of the aforementioned rain, the river is less exciting (though it will be cool when the valley floods; there simply just isn't much to do in Duncan.
I try to think of what we did in Nanaimo when it rained and snowed. I honestly can't think of anything. The only difference was we had a playroom. A big space that the kids could call their own and make up all sorts of games. In the new house, there isn't a play room. There is no space that's just for the kids. I think that's most of the problem. We can't really fix that though. We could take LittleR's room and turn it into a playroom and move her into K's room - either in the closet or the bathroom (though this would require removal of the fixtures which we want to do anyways). Maybe that's a decent solution. Give them the little room, and move LittleR. I'll have to bring that up to Craftymama when I get home from work.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Today is thanksgiving - my favourite holiday of them all! Today things have gone smoothly, except for on a nice walk to the river we got attacked my a swarm of bees protecting their nest. Remy and Teo both got two stings on their legs and arms respectively, and I got stung on my head.
Today I am thankful for: My family. They have supported me over the last year and without them I probably wouldn't be the better person I am right now.
Today I am thankful for: The kindness of other people. Over the past year I have been touched by random acts of kindness from a variety of people. It has restored my faith in human nature.
Today I am thankful for: My kids. They have shown me how to live one day at a time and how to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. Life is about more than simply surviving each day. \
Happy thanksgiving to everyone who passes by this blog. I hope today, and all days, finds you happy and at peace.
Much love,
Resourceful-Mama
Today I am thankful for: My family. They have supported me over the last year and without them I probably wouldn't be the better person I am right now.
Today I am thankful for: The kindness of other people. Over the past year I have been touched by random acts of kindness from a variety of people. It has restored my faith in human nature.
Today I am thankful for: My kids. They have shown me how to live one day at a time and how to slow down and enjoy the simple things in life. Life is about more than simply surviving each day. \
Happy thanksgiving to everyone who passes by this blog. I hope today, and all days, finds you happy and at peace.
Much love,
Resourceful-Mama
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Love
I find myself being amazed and awed by Craftymama. I don't think I could do what she does day in and day out. She makes so many breakfasts, and snacks, and lunches and entertains four children all day. It is so much work and definitely a thankless job.
I realized that though my days are also hard at work - for a variety of reasons, overall it is probably harder to stay at home. Emotionally it may be harder to go to work for me because I miss my kids fiercely, but mentally it must be tougher for her to keep track of the needs and wants of all the kids.
Kudos to you Craftymama. I'm sorry if it ever seems like I don't appreciate what you do. I love you.
I realized that though my days are also hard at work - for a variety of reasons, overall it is probably harder to stay at home. Emotionally it may be harder to go to work for me because I miss my kids fiercely, but mentally it must be tougher for her to keep track of the needs and wants of all the kids.
Kudos to you Craftymama. I'm sorry if it ever seems like I don't appreciate what you do. I love you.
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