Loud Mouth'd That Is!

Family Day, a new statutory holiday, was officially announced as a new holiday in October 2006. Every 3rd Monday in February will be deemed as Family Day. Our then Provincial Government recognized that there are no holidays between New Years Day and Easter, thus giving us this one. HOORAY! In my world that was the only reasonable thing our then government did that was worthwhile. It’s also recognized as National Heritage Day. The rules of the day are to ‘celebrate the long weekend with your family, exploring our heritage and Saskatchewan's history. Visit a museum, explore an archive, research your family tree or read some folklore. There are many wonderful ways to enjoy Saskatchewan's rich, diverse heritage’. The following is a diatribe of how my family day was spent.

In the chicken coop, my family day consisted of waking up to a 3 year old poking my eyebrow and asking if it was time to get up yet at 6:36 a.m. In the past four months the chicky has slept until 8:30ish, and today, on this family day, we rose before dawn. On the other hand, the four-legged chick snorted in indignation and crawled under the bed to her dark sanctuary; letting me know that 6:30 something didn’t work in her world. She was NOT participating in this morning family fun.

First thing on the agenda was a little breakie. The chicky wanted jungle pancakes. That was easy enough considering it takes about 1 minute in the microwave. Coffee for me and vitamins for everyone around the table. Including the one hibernating under the bed. The day seemed to start off on a good note and our regular routine. The littlest chicky was rocking out to Bo on the Go on CBC Kids and everything in my world was peaceful. Family Day seemed to be unfolding into a beautiful day to celebrate my family.

Unfortunately once the sun got up, it was apparent that outside activities would be stymied very early as it was again a balmy -31 with the wind-chill. WAY to cold for the littlest chick, and the four legged one has back legs that stop standing up when it reaches anywhere below -12. So we opted once again for the indoor stuff; which is starting to get very stale. We have been watching Scooby Doo consecutively since 7:30 am. We have built a tent, played Barbie’s, and dressed up like princesses. My feet are still aching from wedging them inside those little pink dress-up shoes. After we had had enough of that, or at least I had, I thought perhaps I should tackle the end of the laundry, maybe catch a couple of ends of the Scott Tournament of Hearts that is being telecast via webcam from our local Brandt Centre (courtesy of CBC Sports), and maybe take a look at filing my Income Tax. Not a lot of fun to be had on Family Day in that arena but the two younger chicks were needing some quiet time.

It didn’t take long for the boredom to set in and the fight broke out between the four legged chick Brandee, andmy two legged chickadee. I’m sure Brandee was thinking that at her tender age (9), she shouldn’t have to succumb to a midget throwing a towel over her head and try and trip her up as she walks around the furniture. Nor try and put Molly the bunny on her back to ride like a horse. Not that she would bite, but she can growl a mean growl when she has her knickers in a knot. I have tried to separate the two on several occasions, trying as I might to reason with a 3 year old that our precious puppy is her friend, and that she should respect that and not be so mean to her. RIGHT…reasoning with a toddler is a really good idea. But, my chick-a-dee usually agrees, and I think that she is finally listening to me and it takes all of 5 seconds for me to turn my back and it starts all over again. I can seriously understand why some cats have been known to eat their kittens.
What started out as a family holiday day has soon turned into a gong show. I have fed and watered the chicks and they are now having some serious down time. I on the other hand, have disappeared into my office for a little quiet time of my own. I’ve sent up a couple of quiet prayers that the two of them sleep for at least 2 hours. That will put me closer to the supper hour which puts me closer to bed time which puts me closer to tomorrow and over this family day holiday.

February 19th brings us back to our new normal. My little chickadee gets to go back to the babysitters and play with all the other kids her age for another day. The four-legged foul mouthed one gets her nest back, and for me, Foghorn Leghorn; I get to start my new classes in standard first aid and CPR.

”Details about my day? I’ve already, now listen to me woman, I’ve already told you all about my day. It was fine. What more can I say?”

To My Beautiful Valentine

Quincy McKinley. My beautiful valentine. As I ponder what words to put to page, grace is the first word that comes to mind when I think of you. You have taught me enormous grace since your arrival in my world. This is not to say that you don’t have an edge. You have your limits and do not suffer fools easily. Yours is a quiet spirit with a certain inner peace and gentle humility that most will never find in a lifetime. Quincy, you have taught me what it means to be human in all senses of the word.

Sweet girl, you have never seen race, creed, color, religion, economics or handicap as a barrier to friendship in your young life. I only pray that continues through your childhood and into adult life. Always generous and loyal, I pity those who will not have an opportunity to share in your gift of harmony and esprit de corps.

My hopes and dreams for you are only that you attain your hopes and dreams. I hope for you the most blessed of lives; filled with interesting people, grand loves, music, art, laughter, hope, wisdom, integrity, sure footings, warm embraces, sunsets, sunrises, warmth, quiet moments to reflect and the profound ability to bestow forgiveness and to never hold onto hatred. I wish for you resilience and longevity, peace, spirituality and few tears. I hope for you to behold every moment with wonder, to breathe deeply of life’s beauty and to never take for granted a single moment or person. I wish for you to be loved and to be loved.

Oh, yes, and lots of chocolate! I wish for you lots and lots of chocolate!

I want for you all that life has to offer and then some. For no one is more deserving. You have been a gift to me since the first day I realized I was carrying you inside me. I knew then that I loved you before I even met you and you have given me nothing but joy everyday since then.

You are my Valentine sweet Quincy, and I hope you will always know just how very much you are loved not only on this day of love but everyday of the year!

Love always,
Mommy

Scat Cat Baby!

Living in the Canadian Prairies does have its good points. Albeit the spring and summer months are never long enough. They do, however, always start with breathtaking sunrises and end with the most fantastic sunsets. Our fall season is beautiful with its kaleidoscope of colors, crisp morning air and warm days. Even the winters in the past few years have never really been that unbearable and the hore frost that appears most mornings always lends its sense of wonder to this vast flat province.

It was +2 last Wednesday I was sure we were on our way to sunnier days. The snow was dripping off the eves. There were squirrels and Hungarian partridge sunning in my backyard. I was whistling Dixie thinking that we were well on our way to Spring! My garden books were out and I was making plans for my new backyard. I even took my four-legged chickadee down to the beauty parlor to get a much needed new doo. It was short and cute and coiffed.

Obviously in my one brain cell moment, I had forgotten that we live in Saskatchewan. It is famous for the weather changing in a mere 5 minutes. A new blast of arctic air set in that very night which set us back to our now familiar - 45 degree weather that we have been privy to for the past several weeks.

It’s starting to take its toll on ALL the chicks in the coop.

Brandee, the four legged chickadee has been hiding in her bed shivering since the new hairdo. She has only made brief appearances to eat and in a very unchick-like way, snort like a goose at me.

Quincy, my 3 year old chickadee, has serious cabin fever. I’m not sure how one acquires that malfunction at 3, but I’m pretty sure that sticking out your tongue regularly when asked to NOT do something and jumping incessantly across all the furniture is only a symptom of that condition.

Venturing outside in this mess is not something that I revel in either. I just don’t find the necessity in wrapping everyone up in toques and scarves and ski-pants, and mitts, and sweats and tights and turtlenecks; let the cruiser warm up for ½ an hour to wrestle with a cranky cold 3 year old, a frozen car seat and a chilly-nilly frou frou that needs to be carried across the tundra to the car JUST to get out of the coop for a few moments of sanity

I’m thinking the latter is a small price to pay for wanting to now poke my eyes out with a lego.

So instead of venturing outside, we have watched the Aristocats 56 times, and I now dream about Duchess and Thomas O’Malley in my sleep. We have read all the books, put all the puzzles together, and are in the playroom pretending that we are at Mardi Gras. Oh yes, it’s a carnival around here.

The forecast for today is only -30, WOOT WOOT! I’m hoping that the winter madness is about to end.

In the meantime, we have started the Aristocats for the 57th time and donned our high-heels.

Does it get any better than that?! Not a chance, so scat baby scat!

Lazy Dazy of Summer

I posted this on a blog I tried to keep up, oh, about 2 years ago! I thought I would repost it today just as a reminder that Spring and SUMMER are right around the corner...I think we could all use a little lazy dazy summer fun!

Enjoy!

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JULY 2006

July 1st came and went, as did our first week of holidays. My peanut, my four-legged chickadee and I had a wonderful time at the lake. It is amazing how the lake air can knock your socks off and relax you all in one swoop! It was also a wonderful test to see how well my littlest peanut travels and she was a trooper!

When I was a kid my family always camped at a host of nearby lakes for our summer holidays. My Dad was a traveling salesman which took him away from home 5 out of 7 week days. My Mom was a stay-at-home-Mrs-Cleaver-sort-of-clone; or she tried to be for the most part of our growing up years.

My Dad, (God love him), spent the first 13 years of his married life surrounded by girls; my mother, my older sister and I. Thus, his weekends of camping were his saving grace away from the daily grind. The traveling part, was nothing more than a nuisance, which is one of the reasons we camped at nearby locations.

My Mom came from a family of all girls, and roughing it, was NOT in her vernacular. Needless to say my parents were on opposite ends of the spectrum when it came to camping!

Our camping career started in a tent, and very soon we graduated to tent-trailers. A couple of years of that led to hard-top tent trailers, to hard top trailers to finally a 18’ Airstream; equipped with fridge, stove, tub, shower, toilet and sink. All the the roughing essentials my Mom needed.

As kids, we learned very early on that getting to the destination was the most important factor. Stopping in-between was not an option according to my Dad.

“You better pee before we leave cause you never know when we’re gonna stop again and it’s gonna be a long time before we HAVE to stop for gas. Get in the car, move it! move it! move it!”

We also learned very quickly that our weekend roving was not for those of tiny bladders. We did a lot of traveling in the dead of night, so as young children we were awake when we left, and the next time our eyes popped open, we were already at our destination. Although it made easier traveling for our parents, what we, as children learned, was that it takes ZERO time to get anywhere.

Fast-forward 30 years. I am now instinctively handing that down to my own progeny.“Get in the car, we leave at dawn, and we’ll drive till the gas light comes on!” Good thing we were only 3 hours away from the lake.

The short story; both my chickadees are great travelers, AND they loved being at the lake. I can see many weekends this summer lounging on the deck and soaking up the sun.

My lesson for our up-coming holidays...I need to realize that pit-stops are a good thing! It allows all of us to stretch our legs and our minds. It opens up the possibilities of exploring a new area or green space if only long enough to say “We’ve been there!”

Its time I realized that holidays are not for rushing around wildly trying to reach the end of them…its for exploring and resting and enjoying the lazy days of summer.

After all, at my age, resting and stretching have become a requirement!

40, IS BY FAR, YOUNGER THAN IT USED TO BE!

When I was 40 adding an infant to my hectic, but rewarding life I thought would be a piece of cake. I think that was just a pipe-dream I made up in my head to appease the nay-sayers in my very single life.

My daughter, Quincy, now 37 months old is a live wire to say the least. Never a dull moment, and every day is an adventure in the truest sense of the word! She is the love of my life. Although my life hasn't been "back to normal" for about three years, I wouldn't change it for the world.

I don't know how I survived the previous 40+, nor can imagine my future without her in it. She is an old soul who keeps me grounded, despite the hours of wiggling to the Wiggles!

It is an amazing process watching someone that was borne of you emerge and step out into the world with narry a care...However, I now completely understand the meaning of "mother bears and their cubs", as well as absolutely grasp why some cats eat their kittens! Changing the "perspective" of my new normal was a good place to start!

So here goes nothin'!

I'm stepping out of my old comfort zone into my new (that isn't so comfortable yet), as my Mom's words of wisdom ring inside my head...

"Suck it up sweetheart and march on!"