Teara's Sanctuary

Originally published at Creative Thoughts. You can comment here or there.

I always muttered that I wouldn't do it.

Who can blog EVERYDAY?!?!

For a MONTH!

Psshaaa

There are a few bloggers that I am addicted to that have participated in past years and it was fun to read their journey.

I need my blog groove back. So here we go.

I am an official NaBloPoMo participant. See I got the badge.

I am hoping this challenge will boost my creativity, enhance my writing and reconnect me to the blogging community.

Not asking much eh?

I can't promise earth shattering, epiphany like posts everyday ... but I do hope you will join me this month. Let's get to know each other all over again, friends.

Are you participating? Could you post on your blog everyday?

(first day DONE! I RULE!)

Originally published at Creative Thoughts. You can comment here or there.

Today was one of those whirlwind days. Halloweens parties, parades at the school, no naps, no time to pause and reflect ... just go go go.

Ethan enjoyed being "Bob the Builder". He had his own party at the library this morning. He is growing up so much. Enjoying having his own thing, his own interests, not being a tag along with his older sister.

Becca was thrilled to see me at the school. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy! I went in the afternoon and helped with costumes, then watched the school parade around the gym in their Halloween attire. Afterward Ethan, Cordi and I joined Becca and her class for a little Halloween party. Becca chose her costume that I created last year!

Meanwhile, Cordi decked out in her bunny costume basked in all the "Ooooo's" and "Ahhh's", content to tag along and soak it all in. She is such a cool baby.

My favourite part of the day was coming home, the weather was warm so the three kids and I played in the backyard. Talked, ran around, buried each other in leaves and had so much fun. It was so nice to be active with them and enjoy them.

Tomorrow we will head out through our neighborhood, trick or treating. To think last year at this time we were not even in our house yet!

Hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween! What are your plans for the weekend?

Originally published at Creative Thoughts. You can comment here or there.

Today was one of those whirlwind days. Halloweens parties, parades at the school, no naps, no time to pause and reflect ... just go go go.

Ethan enjoyed being "Bob the Builder". He had his own party at the library this morning. He is growing up so much. Enjoying having his own thing, his own interests, not being a tag along with his older sister.

Becca was thrilled to see me at the school. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy! I went in the afternoon and helped with costumes, then watched the school parade around the gym in their Halloween attire. Afterward Ethan, Cordi and I joined Becca and her class for a little Halloween party.

Meanwhile, Cordi decked out in her bunny costume basked in all the "Ooooo's" and "Ahhh's", content to tag along and soak it all in. She is such a cool baby.

My favourite part of the day was coming home, the weather was warm so the three kids and I played in the backyard. Talked, ran around, buried each other in leaves and had so much fun. It was so nice to be active with them and enjoy them.

Tomorrow we will head out through our neighborhood, trick or treating. To think last year at this time we were not even in our house yet!

Hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween! What are your plans for the weekend?

Originally published at Creative Thoughts. You can comment here or there.

Have fun with more Wordless Wednesday.

Originally published at Creative Thoughts. You can comment here or there.

This indecisions bugging me ....

At the beginning of the school year, we discussed with Becca if she would like to stay at school to eat lunch with her friends or if she wanted to come home at lunch.

Honestly I had hoped she was going to want to be with me forever and  ... But alas she opted to stay at school. However this is the first year that the school has been open to all students staying for lunch (previously one had to pay to be part of the lunch program that was run by a third party). This year the department of education mandated that all schools provide the opportunity to stay at school for lunch to all students for free.

Yet the department of education did not provide extra funds for this. So now there are 300 students staying and 8 lunch monitors supervising them. Needless to say it is a tad chaotic and will only get worse as the weather worsens, preventing the hoodlums children from going outside.

Granted my child is not hoodlum material. I am told she eats her lunch and them plays with her friends in a totally acceptable manner. So really it isn't bad for her to stay.

I miss her. I would love to have her here half way through the day to talk, bond, argue and annoy us. Yet then Ethan would not have his time to nap, and Cordi would be interrupted all the time. It is a tough balance between the three. Plus Ethan would have to walk to the school and home 4 times a day.

I am so torn. Becca keeps changing her mind.

What are your thoughts?

Do you adore having Clash stuck in your head now all day?

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know

Originally published at Creative Thoughts. You can comment here or there.

Cordi went for her first set of shots this week. Never fun to watch your child go through pain. The doctor weighted her ...

14 lbs ...

The girl is growing! She has added 10 cm to her height and is the average height and weight of a 4.5 month old! She is so stinking cute! With her chubby cheeks! She is smiling at everyone now and so content.

Ethan is randomly not taking naps. Not fun. He gets so tired by the end of the day he cannot even manage anymore. His potty training is still a slow feat, but we are sticking to it.

Becca is meeting more kids and settling into school. She seems to really enjoy it and is learning so much! We all went for a play date Friday afternoon. It was great to hang out with new friend!

My Dad is here visiting. We are all loving that he is here. He walks with us to school and watches some, all or one of the kids making my life easier at times! It is going to be such a shock to them when he returns home.

We are cooking up some turkey this weekend to celebrate Thanksgiving. I also hope to get the yard cleaned up and start preparing for winter.

What are your plans for this awesome long weekend?

Originally published at Creative Thoughts. You can comment here or there.

Have fun with more Wordless Wednesday.

Originally published at Creative Thoughts. You can comment here or there.

Wow.

I suck.

I have had very little computer time. Living life instead I suppose. I so miss this blog community yet I struggle to get into the mode. I peak in on google reader to make sure you are all ok.

I am about to get busier. My Dad is coming for a visit, so my time will be even more limited. However, I am looking forward to sharing our lives with him so much. He is totally excited to get here, having Thanksgiving with us and being here for Cordelia's baptism.

Know that we are doing great. Cordelia is growing like mad. She is eight weeks and so sweet. Smiles and coos for us, sleeps well (most if the time) and is just amazing. The pictures are from last weekend when we went apple picking :) Cordelia is sleeping in the sling.

Becca is loving school, Sunday school and swim lessons. She is busy, tired but growing and evolving at an alarming rate. She is such an amazing big sister. It is a role she is becoming more gracious and giving in. I am grateful. Here is Becca enjoying the petting zoo area at the apple orchard.

Ethan seems to be forever underestimated. Soon he will skip afternoon naps, as it is getting harder and harder to get him to fall asleep. He speaks so much and has such an amazing imagination. We were cleaning the kitchen after dinner tonight and he came in and closed both pocket doors...then proclaimed we were "going up in the elevator!" Gives you an idea how small my kitchen can feel with five of us in it!

Ethan was not really into the farm animals. In fact, they scared the piss out of him ... literally (hehe poor kid). We are full throttle potty training (ugh) and he is doing fairly well. He is not catching onto it the same way Becca did but we are making progress.

We had such a great weekend. Shopping, sushi and a lot of quality time together. Did you have a good weekend?

Originally published at Creative Thoughts. You can comment here or there.

We have had quite the excitement around here as of late. Sunday evening as we bustled about the kitchen, packing Becs lunch and getting ready to BBQ our neighbor came by. She lives across the street, we had waved but never introduced ourselves.

"Did you know that part of your tree fell and is blocking the road?"

J & I rushed out ... Sure enough our big beautiful maple tree, had split leaving a huge branch across the road, taking down a street light wire as well. I jetted in to call the power company and let the children out to investigate. Cordelia in tow I stood outside as I watched EVERY single neighbor come out and help my husband with hand saws start to clear the tree.

The ladies and I stood there chatting (hey I had to hold the baby, and they each wanted their turn besides there weren't enough saws to go around!), thankfully another neighbor from an adjacent street drove by, then drove home, returning with a chainsaw, making the job a lot easier.

We now know all our neighbors. They left their football game watching to lend a hand. We even got a business card of an arborist, whom I called that evening. There was some concern that the other parts of the maple could come crashing down. I am in awe that the branch fell when it did. We have amazing neighbors.

The tree survived hurricanes, tropical storms, winds and rains. Our street is not crazy busy but a lot of people walk, run, take their dogs out and drive by.

No one got hurt by our maple tree. It would have killed a pedestrian. It would have totaled a car. No one was parked there (we have a fire hydrant in front).

So now our old maple tree is almost gone. The tree removal guys did their thing yesterday, taking it down branch by branch. Now we have a larger view of the harbour, and a lot less privacy. Looking out the window feels strange like we are looking out the wrong window. Almost 50 years of history and stories stored up in that old tree ... gone. I am heart broken for the old tree.

I hope in a few years we can plant a tree in its honour. We can watch the tree grow and make new history, new stories.

Originally published at Creative Thoughts. You can comment here or there.

It has been such a crazy week. Having three kids, one in school is freakin' exhausting. Not to mention I caught the cold that the kids had. Good times.

Wednesday Becca started swim lessons. Me being the worst mother ever, failed to sign Ethan up for lessons. He was heartbroken. Devastated he was. I felt terrible. So I got really lucky and found a spot open for him Wednesday evenings. So now we have to be at the pool for Becca's lessons at 4pm then J will take Ethan back to the pool after super for lessons at 6pm. Next session I am so putting them both in the evenings (Ethan is in a parented class so I need J there so someone can be with Cordelia).

When did Ethan become a little being with wishes? Wasn't it a glimmer ago that he was my little baby? He was content to tag along and explore as Becca did her thing. Now he wants his own thing! Fridays we are in a Tales for Tots class that he totally LOVES. He gets right into it, dancing, singing and listening to the stories. He is growing up so much!

Cordelia has grown and changed so much in 7 weeks. Her favourite place (besides breastfeeding) is the change table. I call it her happy place. No matter how freaked out she is, crying and what have you, take her to her happy place and she calms down. Gazing up at the apple tree that grows outside her window, she is happy.

Not that she cries a lot. The last few days she has had some uncontrollable crying in the evenings after the other kids are in bed. Sometimes J taking her for a ride in the car helped. Other times, walking and bouncing her constantly with the same rhythm worked. Slow down or need a break and she would get all worked up again. Her usual state is aware, gazing at everything or contently sleeping in the sling or bouncy seat.

My three kids. I have this feeling that they will keep me on my toes for many moons to come ...