Ahhhhhhh...Silence

  Here that sound? It's the absolute quiet of the first day of school! Yup another school year has begun and not a minute too soon. Both kids, though Alex would never admit it, were ready to go back. Not as ready as their mother was!

  I love my kids. Spending time with them is a privilege and joy. As long as it's in short bursts. And they are not together. Because like most brothers with a three year age gap, they don't particularly like each other. Even in the pool, which we thought would be the great peace maker, they argued over everything. Enough already.

  The nine weeks of summer break is seven weeks too long. I like the way they do it in some European countries where school is year round, with short breaks throughout the year. It would be horrible for daycare scheduling at first but we are a pretty adaptable group of people. Besides kids outgrow before and after school care quite quickly. Think of the benefits.

  Watching Alex leave this morning I was filled with nostalgia. I remember the four year old climbing up the stairs into the bus with a backpack that was bigger than he was. That same boy is six feet tall and in grade nine. How did that happen?

  Riley, who was in a stroller watching Alex's first day, is now in grade five and almost my height! He walked down to the bus stop with Dad this morning, excited and over joyed at seeing his friends again on a daily basis. The kid loves school and doesn't even try to hide it. I love that about him. Now if only he loved doing homework even just a little.

  I will enjoy the quiet tomorrow. With John home today we will relish a few hours spent without the kids. Tonight we will listen to all the stories and start to settle into a routine. Fingers crossed that will be easier than last year. 

  Enjoy your children. They grow so fast. Before you know it they are driving, getting jobs and moving out. But always, always, enjoy the first day of school for yourself. You made it through another summer break!

  Pop the champagne corks Deb, Kelly and Jen!

  Ang

  

Last of the Free Days

  Backpacks are filled. Pencil cases are crammed full of newly sharpened lead, and colored, pencils. Binders have been emptied and refilled with lined paper just waiting to be written on. Calculators, rulers, erasures and pens are in assorted zippered compartments. New sneakers have been broken in. Let the new school year begin!

  Though they would never admit it, the boys are ready to go back. The lazy days of summer are fading and now they are longing for some time away from me, this house, and most importantly, each other! They need to see their friends and make new ones. Their brains need more stimulation than any video game can provide. They are ready.

  I too am ready. My brain longs for quiet stretches where I'm not refereeing a fight or figuring out who started what. An opportunity to get things done without interruption. To purge their rooms without complaint. To listen to the quiet. It brings me joy just thinking about it.

  This Labour Day weekend will be the last bit of freedom they have for another year. They will sleep in and stay up late. They will complain about Tuesday and their lack of freedom. But secretly they will be on pins and needles. Excited to see what the new year will bring.

  I won't be so discreet!

  Ang

  

Reality Sucks!

  I've been home now for two entire days. And let me tell you one fact.....reality sucks! Why you may ask? Well because I came back to the kids fighting as soon as we pulled into the driveway. The laundry is piled up and the never ending cycle of dishes is in full swing. Add to that back to school shopping, which in the past has been my favorite thing, and you have one very tired person here.

  It's not as if I thought the laundry and dish fairy had taken up residence while I was gone but a girl can dream. And while the boys were far from perfect this past week, they were much better than they had been for a while. Obviously they have no intention of extending that streak!

  All I really was hoping for was a day, maybe two, where I could rest from the drive and enjoy the quiet of home. Nope not to be. Instead I walked into a time loop and it's the week before vacation all over again.

  I really can't, or rather shouldn't, complain. Lots of folks are not lucky enough to go away at all so I'm thankful. So enough whining and on to happier things.

  Hmmmmm I wonder if I could rent a laundry fairy? Just for a day or two....every week!

  Ang

Back To Reality

  Another summer vacation is over! While I am sad to leave my extended family behind for another year, I am happy to be home. Even my lumpy old mattress feels good. I guess it's true what Dorothy Gale said.... "There's no place like home."

  I wrote very little while I was away. I really do believe that part of vacation is being off-line and being present for those few sacred days away. I did write the old fashioned way though. You know on paper. With a pen. I forgot how much I enjoy that. In the next few days I will type those out and share them with you.

  Unlike other years, I didn't get a chance to see everyone on my list. In fact I missed just about everyone. But I'm thankful I got to see at least a few. Especially since one or two of them may not be there next year. 

  Now that I'm home, and reality has set in, I'm left wondering.....when will the next adventure begin?

  Ang

  

Vacation Day #3

   What a day we've had. After a restful sleep, except for the air conditioner that sounded like a lawn mower, we enjoyed the included-in-the-price free hot breakfast. Of course Alex slept through it but he's a teenager so it's expected. A quick shower and change then off to see the Halifax Natal Day parade. 

  We are only in the city to see this parade and get a glimpse of Lord Stanley. Riley was promised right after Pittsburgh won the cup in June that if Sidney Crosby brought it to Nova Scotia while we were there he could go. One promise kept. 

  The parade wasn't very long and we were out of the traffic quickly. Living in Ottawa, our idea of traffic is the polar opposite of what we experienced here today. In a good way. 

  Next we headed for a quick lunch with John's brother at a local pub. We all enjoyed seafood that was excellent. It was so fresh you could truly believe there was someone outside with a fishing pole and hook. Maybe there was.

  Off we pile into the car again for the two hour drive to Mom's house. Let me say one thing about this drive.....how can the major highway not be four lane? How? It makes absolutely no sense. None. You can feel the frustration of the drivers as they apply the brakes when they come up behind a motor home that is driving 70 kmh in a 90 zone when every other vehicle is doing 100! No wonder there are so many accidents on this stretch of road.

  Arriving at mom's at dinner time was unplanned but genius. While the kids asked a million questions and told her a thousand stories, we ate, laughed and relaxed. Once the mandatory after dinner cup of tea was finished and the dishes washed, we sat outside in the fresh breeze. No mosquitoes to speak of. Ideal.

  It's now time for sleep. The salt air seems to make me tired. I can fall asleep with the windows open and a breeze coming through. It should make for a good nights sleep.

  Hmmm I just realized I'm not used to sleeping without the occasional siren and no street lights. Interesting.

  Ang

Vacation Day #2

  I'm sitting beside the pool at a hotel in Halifax tonight watching the kids go for a late night, well semi-late, swim. We spent the day walking around some of our old haunts from when we were young and foolish. Boy things have changed here. A lot.

  The city is very different from when we lived here. Some good. Some bad. It's busier and much, much bigger. The new subdivisions of our day are now twenty years old and showing their age. Quickly being replaced by bigger houses with smaller yards.

  As we drive around we find ourselves a little lost, or rather confused, as new streets are branching off familiar ones. And then branching off yet again. More than once we found ourselves several streets over from where we thought we'd be. And more and more amazed at just how big the city has become.

  The waterfront has under gone just as many changes. In the process becoming more commercialized and even a little tacky. Tonight the blow up bouncy castles, at $3 a play, proved my point. But like most summer nights, the crowds are out which spells big bucks for the city and local businesses. Too bad the season is short.

  Tomorrow we are watching the Natal Day parade. The Marshall is none other than our favorite hockey teams captain Sidney Crosby who is from the local area. It also happens to be his birthday so it should be quite fun. This is the one thing Riley asked for when we discussed coming here. He's hoping for an autograph. Fingers crossed.

  It's time for sleep now. Walking for hours and the swim should guarantee everyone sleeps soundly. 

  And the spicy meal will guarantee me some crazy dreams!

  Ang

 


  

Keep It Clean

  I want a cleaning service. One that comes every single day and stays the entire day. And it can't just be one person I want at least two. Three would be ideal. Four would be perfect. 

  If you have children you probably want the exact same thing. Because all kids are exactly the same. Messy. With a capital M. I'm not sure if it's laziness or distracted-ness. Am I to believe they didn't realize the wrapper fell out of their hand and then pushed it under the sofa? Or that they didn't see the hamper was overflowing? Do I really look that gullible to them?

  All kids are messy. I get that. But is it too much to ask that dishes make it to the sink and not the upstairs hall table? Or that the entryway not become the dropping ground for every piece of sport equipment and school item they come across? Apparently it is.

  Let's not forget the bathroom and the need for 3 towels per shower. Or a glass for every single drink of water. Lego pieces on the stairs. Crayons ending up in the dishwasher. Stickers stuck to freshly painted walls. And my personal favorite, fingers on each and every pane of glass in the entire house. 

  We "live" in our house. It's never spotless. Dishes are always in the sink. Fingerprints on almost every wall. Chances are you will walk into a bathroom with an empty roll on the toilet paper holder. Try as I might that island is never empty for more than a few minutes. 

  Life is a semi-control state of chaos. That's life with kids....and we wouldn't have it any other way. But I still want that cleaning service!

  Ang