Sunday, June 4, 2023

Goodbye Tooth Fairy

 It has been an unfortunate amount of time since I last published something.  These last couple of weeks have been full of looking back and cherishing bits and pieces of the past and some traditions we have had that are now at an end. Some of the nostalgia could be from having my 40th birthday approaching, but I think it has more to do with the amazing memories we've already made as a family and some sadness that kids grow up just so fast.

Monkey lost her last tooth this week.  No more baby teeth to be set out for the tooth fairy, no more notes to be exchanged.  See, in this house the tooth fairy takes requests and writes back to the children.

When Smarty was in preschool, way before he lost his first tooth, we received a book by Karma Wilson called "Bear's Loose Tooth."



The Littles in this home loved the story so much, I think every single page is taped back into place from so much reading.  When Smarty lost his first tooth he did what Bear did in the story - put it on a plate and expected blueberries.  The tooth fairy delivered.  And the tooth after that, and the tooth after that.  Then one child, I can't recall which child it was, wondered what would happen if they asked the tooth fairy for something besides blueberries.  So they wrote out a letter and found out that the tooth fairy did what they could to fulfill the request plus also write back and answer questions posed in the letters.  

 It has been learned that the tooth fairy looks different to different people; they appear pink to some, blue to others, to still others green.  The tooth fairy has a pet pacu (look it up if you dare...) and it has been discovered that even the magic of fairies can't make fruit grow out of season sometimes. We've had dragonfruit, kiwi, strawberries, pineapple, cherries, just so many different kinds of fruit. 

 When Monkey discovered her last loose tooth a few months ago she held on to it; she didn't want to be done with being little, she didn't want some of the magic to end.  A trip to the dentist for a routine cleaning made her think differently though.  The tooth needed to come out.  So she set to work and out it came a few days ago.  

What followed was some crying at youth lost, Mom and Dad reminding her that she's still pretty young and there's no rush to grow up, and figuring out what to ask the tooth fairy to bring this last time.  I have to admit, watching her write this last letter made my tear up a bit.  Just so many feels.










It's crazy to think of the amount of fruit, the letters, and excitement that has happened in this home because a story touched a little boy and it grew from there into this significant part of these children's lives.  I am so touched by these curious and caring creatures we're lucky enough to call ours.  

Monday, November 1, 2021

Fun Chaos!

 Well, another All Hallows Eve is in the bag.  We had a few false starts for costumes, a couple were vetoed because despite all the grand faith in their Momma's abilities I definitely am not as good at the crafting things as they think.  


Smarty's group for drama worked out a theme for group costume, so they were Loony Tunes.  He decided Daffy Duck was who it was going to be, so we started thinking of ways to make that work.  Foam for a hat/head, suit for the body.  Thrift stores were our amazing source for supplies and we were lucky to find a suit that was perfect!  I helped only very minimally and the rest was all him, and it turned out wonderfully!

Daffy and our own little "Sylvester"



Sergeant was determined to be Scarlet Spiderman, and that would have been awesome, but I got around to ordering the morph suit too late so we needed a backup.  Another trip to the thrift store turned our boy into Sherlock Holmes, inspiration of Robert Downey Junior's interpretation of the role.

So dapper!

Sanding a walking stick and finishing painting a hat/head were designated outdoor activities.





Now, the girls were far more difficult and time consuming.  They wanted to be "cat-people," there is an actual name for it but I can never remember what it is... so we set out to look for faux fur to turn into tails and ears.  Guess what? No faux fur.  Like, anywhere.  So we started a search for how we could troubleshoot that, and it turns out it can be made with yarn!  So we turned our time and efforts to making millions of tufts of "fur.




After we made so many of these I was going crazy with bits of yarn everywhere, we brushed them out to fluff them up and started gluing them to the fabric that would be the tails.



So.  Much. Fuzz.  But looks so pretty! I was crazy pleased with how these ended up looking, especially after so much time was put into making the individual pieces.




Found some makeup for Girlie, and suitable weather layers for everyone, and we were good to go! Just needed to turn our pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns and we would be good to go.



Not a lot of seeds in this year's gourds, but they were roasted up and devoured within an hour of coming out of the oven.  Girlie carved the mammoth, Monkey the cat silhouette, and I'm not sure what to call what Smarty and Sergeant did... but that's them!

 When all was said and done we had a lovely front porch, ran out of candy to hand out, and everyone had some fun.








There were times I felt overwhelmed with what needed to be done for this past weekend but breathing through it and remembering that there was an end date helped.  I kept calm and helped a few children through their own stress reactions.  There is all the time in the world as long as we don't leave things to the last minute.  Which is hilarious for someone like me to say, because I often feel why do today what can be put off until tomorrow?  But I'm learning.  :)

Sunday, October 24, 2021

Costumes and Snow

My memories on social media this week have reminding me that we often have snow by now and that time really does move quickly.  Pictures of our not-so-little-anymore children, stories of shenanigans and parenting woes.  Fall has often meant transitions for us too.  Often Hubby has been away for most, if not all, of the month of October, especially in the last near-decade.  


Social media has also been showing me bits and pieces of past Halloween costumes we've made or bought.  These last couple weekends have been used for supply shopping and material preparing for this year's lineup.  We have already had a few tears over "THIS IS GOING TO TAKE FOREVER!!" but we're getting there with the countdown only a week away.  I really like that I'm making the kids work on their own, with help, instead of the other way around this time.  With work and the solo parenting I just wouldn't have the time before my energy wears out at the end of the day.  Plus this is teaching them to curb expectations to whatever reality is.  So out goes the most involved, super complicated costume ideas and in come ones we can manage.  It'll still take a long time, especially for the girls' ideas, but it's going to look awesome and they'll feel the pride that comes with the work too.


Yesterday evening Monkey had the best thing ever happen.  She has been hoping like crazy for the white stuff to fall from the sky.  Like, since September.  We had rain all day yesterday, mixed with some frozen stuff at times, but before supper it turned white!  She ran outside onto the deck and made a snow ball and just stood with her hand out for a bit.  It isn't going to stay, but it was a nice start to the winter season.  


All in all we've had a pretty alright week.  Food was made, clothes got cleaned, cuddles were had, physical activity happened.  Another week down with laughter and tears, anxiety and tools to deal with it.  Not too many balls got dropped, so I call that a win.  We've video chatted with Hubby, watched a few fun movies, had some junk food along with healthy, and got a few things done for the costumes, that I'm sure will be AMAZING! This week they'll be finished off and take a few pictures so we can share them :)

Saturday, October 16, 2021

Cats and Space

 Well, another couple weeks has passed and with them the obvious passage from summer to fall.  There is frost on the ground most mornings now, a definite chill to the air.  Hubby was able to sneak home for a week from working away over Thanksgiving and it was a wonderful week with him here and our hearts full.  We had glorious weather, lots of family time, some friend time, and no one wanted the week to end.  But it did, as all things do, and we are back to plugging away at life until he can come home again.  


A couple weeks ago the Littles and I tackled the basement, finally tucking away the last handful of opened-but-not-unpacked boxes from the move at the end of June.  There really wasn't much work to do, just needed focus to get it done, so we did.  When it was nearly finished the Boys asked if they could rearrange the furniture down there as they had an idea or two to optimize the space.  I totally understood their urge - I was (and sometimes still do) rearrange furniture just because.  I'm sure it drove my parents crazy when I was constantly doing it to my bedroom when I was younger, and I love that Hubby humours me in it as an adult :)


I left them to it, with instructions to ask for help if they needed any, and I went upstairs.  No one was allowed in the basement until they were finished and they did a "big reveal."  They did a terrific job!  Lots of sitting space for movie nights, things organized, and lots of space for play/exercise.  


Last weekend while Hubby was home we introduced the crew to Sherlock Holmes, the one with Jude Law as Watson and Robert Downey Jr as Sherlock.  OMG, there is a new obsession in the house!  Hubby and I have always liked that interpretation of the classic and I am thrilled the Littles do too. 


The kittens (I can't remember if I mentioned we got 2 kittens this summer...) have been growing and going crazy.  The Gremlin (using nicknames here too) is a tuxedo cat, and The Void is black and SO FLUFFY!  They like to play in the sink while water is running, licking tooth brushes, and knocking over their water dish, especially when it is first filled thereby making watery paw-prints all over the house.  There are days I don't see them at all from the time I return from dropping Monkey off at school until the after school chaos starts.  There are days they harass me, sitting on my keyboard, climbing on my shoulders, demand love and attention.  Yesterday was one of the latter ones.  I opened the fridge, the Void jumped into it.  I made a cup of tea, The Void had to sniff and supervise.  I brushed my teeth, The Gremlin was making sure I rinsed the sink.  I put on my makeup and The Void "helped."  I am grateful for these fur balls, though.  They have added to the home and are terrific at helping feels that happen in times of upheaval.

Sunday, September 26, 2021

House Keeping

So... it's been a really, REALLY long time since I've written!  It has been busy, ups and downs.  I won't go over every minute detail; it would ramble.

We have bought a house!  Now all the kids have their own rooms and as part of making that space theirs we've undertaken giving everyone a wall to paint their own colour :) A few weeks ago Smarty picked out a colour and he and I did his wall.  The following weekend was Sergeant's turn, and this weekend we did the girls.

It was interesting, the whole project from picking colours to getting it on the walls.  The boys were the fastest to choose- they looked at the choices and made a quick choice.  The girls, however, took a lot longer.  For the longest time Monkey had it narrowed down to her favourite 13 shades.  Girlie was quicker in her decison, though.  I think everyone did well.  And everyone held roller and brush to get it done.

Monkey decided on Sophisticated Lilac.



Smarty chose Platinum



Sergeant chose a colour with the name "100 mph"



Caicos Turquoise for Girlie

Everyone is super pleased with their spaces, and I am so proud of how they did! They learned about taping the wall, using the brush to do the edges, how to not put too much paint on the rollers.  They learned about waiting for the paint to dry before taking the tape off, and how to make sure the coat is even.  


I found it a lot of fun, and I discovered places on my arms and face where the paint ended up that I didn't expect!
 

Friday, June 26, 2020

School's out!

School is finished!!

Last week we tied up the last of the assignments, Google Meets, and farewells for the school year.  We had goodies for the assorted teachers who have adjusted and put in so many extra hours over the last 3 months as the shift to home learning was enforced.  We had a few distanced meet-ups to say goodbye to staff, catch up a little with friends, and enjoy the first days of summer break.

Sunday evening we started a new end-of-school tradition - we took all the papers from school that didn't need to be kept and we took them to burn. Cathartic and symbolic :)

Monday we started a major shift in the house. With the end of school, the return of living space as living space and no longer doubling as learning space, we put ourselves to the task of moving things around.  The idea was Hubby's.  In order to help make our space work for us longer term we needed to do some serious culling and downsizing of toys (don't judge me, I've been holding on to baby toys).  Hubby and I have moved our bedroom to the basement for a while so we shifted things this week so the boys finally, for the first time ever, have their own bedrooms!  The girls are still sharing, but they now have the larger of those rooms.  And are no longer in bunk beds. 

The change feels good.  The littles are more able to have their space and organize it the way they want without things falling underfoot.  We are now just over 24 hours after completion of the task and it feels amazing!

Tied in with that is that report cards went live recently.  Reading the teachers' observations about this crew, seeing the growth and development through the upheaval of lockdown and having life so significantly shifted.  We have such a terrific group of children.  Their personalities, their strengths, the way their wit and humour comes out in the class setting, it makes my heart smile.  They aren't perfect, we certainly have our struggles; but the smile I got reading those report cards, seeing the way they are growing into adults that I want to spend time with, I feel incredibly blessed and fortunate to have these 4 sharing space and time with us.  I might be feeling a little sappy.  And happy.

There are 10 or so weeks until the beginning of September, and it will likely be an interesting time.  I anticipate low key, some day trips, some fishing, some lake time.  Lots of walks and bike rides, Pokemon Go walks too.  Depending on travel restrictions we may get family visiting time in as well.  Really hoping that will work out for us.

Tuesday, June 9, 2020

A Handful of Birthday Reflections

37.  I don't put much thought into getting older, not since becoming an adult really.  In my mind and spirit I'm still 20 or so, which causes a little dissonance when I notice my first born is taller than me and is almost at an age to start driving... over the last year my hair colour has changed a few times, and I have an appointment tomorrow to change it again, but I watch my roots with an interest that I notice is less common. I see white hairs and they make me smile.  They are more coarse than the rest of my hair, more curly, and every few months I notice a few more. Hubby says I'm imagining things, as does Smarty. Sergeant sees them and tells me I'm not old enough yet to have them. 

They are badges though.  They show that the last handful of years have affected me differently than the previous ones.  It's that or everything is starting to catch up, I'm not sure.  I have lived and survived, am continuing to survive, even thrive in a lot of ways.  These interesting times we currently live in aren't really going to stop, children will always be children as will teenagers.  Family dynamics will continue to cause joy and frustration, and the learning and growing will never stop. 

Growing doesn't stop.  Girlie doesn't want to grow up.  This has been a consistent fear of hers, she has had bedtime tears surrounding it since she was 4.  However, she will be turning 10 in 3 months and needs to have some of the types of conversations she would rather not have; you know the ones I mean - age, puberty, body changes.  We have had them before, age appropriate but still very open as we are an open and body-positive family.  She really dislikes them but I think I have finally helped her understand that she needs to know and be aware, even if she doesn't like to talk about any of it. 

We try our best to set the kids up for success.  For fitness and heart health, for communication with others, for conflict resolution, for faith and spiritual growth.  This time of school-directed home learning has been incredible for my own growth and the kids.  A little more pushing than I'd like to have done on my part, but it's forced me to take a more active role in a lot of ways that I hadn't been taking and I have noticed bits of maturity changes in the kids, the older couple in particular.  I have enjoyed seeing the increase in awareness of what time some assignments will take, how to plan out the week so there is time for fun as well as work, pride in a really good test mark, paying more attention to detail.  I have grown as a parent and the children are growing into amazing people.