Gratitude Sunday: Mostly Grace & Wool

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

Feeling grateful this week for:
::unseasonably warm temperatures and more outside time
::knitting outside on Wednesday. I meant to join in for Yarnalong but the day got away from me.
::the ladies at Serenity Knits in Newmarket saving the day with 5 skeins of Cascade 220 to finish off a big order of chicken mittens. Bless their souls! If you find yourself in or around Newmarket, Ontario go check out their store.

::a safe drive in and out of Toronto to pick up the aforementioned wool. The traffic in was a killer but there is something exciting about being in the heart of a big city. I love to visit and I love to leave!
::watching the Country Music Awards with my son this week. We're both big fans and it was special sharing this with my teenage son who is doing his best to be his own person separate from us.
::feeling content with my life of being mostly unemployed in the traditional sense. I found myself feeling satisfied with days off alone during the week, time to cook good meals, and time to knit uninterrupted.
::and then getting called back to my job at the airport. In all things be grateful right?
::grace being shown from one sibling to another. Absolutely awe-inspiring considering how these two love to pick fights with one another.

Gratitude Sunday: Chocolate, Wool & Fall

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

Feeling grateful this week for-
::chicken mitten love. Wow. I am overwhelmed by how many of you love the chicken mitten. Thanks!
::rain and wind and sun and clouds scudding across the sky. Nothing matches fall's weather and that smell of leaves on the ground.
::time outside in the garden cleaning up. I always feel good after messing about in the garden.
::a good run this afternoon made possible and enjoyable by warmer temperatures
::my brother solving a minor wool crisis. With the unexpected rush of orders I found myself out of the right colour and weight of yarn and none to be had at my local yarn store. He suggested a place in Ottawa with an online store. Bless them and their warehouse and their free shipping!
::the wisdom to embrace my body's aversion to running in the fall and take brisk walks instead listening to my ipod.
::an extra day of work this week.
::a neighbour who came by especially to drop off Halloween candy for The Boy when he didn't show up at his door last night trick or treating. The Boy had decided he was, in fact, too old for this game and had stayed home with me to hand out candy.
::chocolate :) Feeling pretty blessed right now.
What about you? What are you grateful for this week?

Gratitude Sunday: Boldly Going Forth

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday: a chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

It feels good to be back to the blog and what better way to begin again than with Gratitude Sunday.
Yesterday was your typical October day here in southern Ontario-cold, cloudy alternating between dripping and pouring rain. Today dawned all blue skies and brilliant sunshine.
Feeling grateful today for:
::sunshine and blue skies
::the wisdom to put down the work knitting and start up something just for fun-knitted pumpkins. Who doesn't need knitted pumpkins on their dining table??
::making peace with how things are right now. My mantra these days.
::the work contract that spanned 4 months instead of the anticipated 2 weeks. It allowed us to do so much this summer and helped me to know myself better. It's over now and has been for a month and I have finally settled into this new-old reality.
::my Etsy shop and the love people have for knitted chicken mittens. Who knew?!
::hoodies, flannel shirts and jeans. I love fall's wardrobe.
::that geranium up above. It just blooms and blooms and gives off that geranium smell despite cold rains and several frosts.
::the respiratory illness that has plagued both of my kids this month finally loosening it's grip.
What about you? What are you feeling grateful for this week?

Gratitude Sunday: Peonies, Peeing & Poutine

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

Feeling grateful this week for:
:: colour in our yard-an abundance of pink peonies, red flowers (who's name I can't remember) and purple sage flowers
:: after many months of belt-tightening, we are in a place of being able to relax a bit as far as the finances go. I prefer to be home tending the garden, the children etc but the reality is I have to work and it's nice to see results from those long hours.
:: a good run Friday night. I ran the whole time instead of my usual run, walk, run. I've never been a really athletic person and took up running several years ago to lose some weight and because I usually find walking really boring. Being able to run the whole 1/2 hour/3 km is a pretty big accomplishment for me.
:: The Boy's confirmation. It was a beautiful service this morning and he did well. It's not easy to write your own creed and even more challenging to have to read it in front of the church when you stutter. So proud of him!
:: an impromptu lunch with a very good friend yesterday. I needed that! We ate poutine on the patio, poked around in shops and talked each other's ears off. I came home with a new book to read, a couple of thrift store treasures and 2 hanks of wool/merino mix for my stash plus a healthier perspective on life.
:: the wisdom to stop on the way home yesterday at a lookout. In Southwestern Ontario, most of the lookouts aren't all that dramatic as we don't really have big hills or valleys but this one looks out over rolling farmland, meadows, trees and a piece of the Grand River. I followed the path down to the river and was going to keep going but I had to pee. I am the sort of person who is fine with finding a tree to pee behind but I had this feeling that I was going to run into people. Sure enough, on my walk back up to the parking lot I ran into the hot, young Conservation Officer and felt glad I had that premonition and kept my pants on ;)

Gratitude Sunday: Still Alive, Still Knitting

Joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the look that was and reflect with gratitude.
My apologies for my absence these past 2 weeks. Each Tuesday and Thursday I've been commuting an hour and a bit into Toronto, spending 10 or 11 hours trying to remember how to fix airplanes and then driving home again. It's exhausting but so satisfying.

 The beginnings of Dandelion Dreamer's Half-Cardi. I have one week to knit it and block it. Yikes!

 This girl! Don't we all combine cake-frosting and crocheting??

Feeling grateful this week for:
::satisfying work, feeling totally used up physically and mentally at the end of each day, then a drive home to unwind and process the events of the day
::a family that is willing to make huge concessions to their routines so I can drive into the city and revive my old dream of being an aircraft mechanic
::a new tap in our main floor bathroom. It's been so long since we've been able to fully use that bathroom and with 4 people in this house it makes life so much more peaceful
::2 raised beds in my vegetable garden being made from spare wood. I'd always planned on raised beds but that was way in the future. Now I have them!
::good food and plenty of it
::warm weather finally
::my independent girl who can make, bake and ice her own cake from scratch
::a new knitting project on the go to wear with my fancy clothes for next weekend's wedding reception. Feeling optimistic ;)
::a hammock in the yard. The Em-ster has spent a good chunk of her time in that hammock staring up into the trees, listening to her ipod.

Gratitude Sunday: Serendipity

Joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

 Bleeding Heart bush-a gift from another Mother's Day

 Periwinkle

 Mystery plant growing in the back corner of my yard. Any idea what it is??

 Pink tulips from my front garden

Concrete toadstool and lots of lush green-ness

Feeling grateful this week for:

::3 days straight of 30C temps. I appreciate the heat and humidity in May with the memory of a cold winter so vivid yet.

::all the growth that happened because of that heat-everything has bloomed like crazy and we have leaves on most of the trees now.

::hanging 3 loads of laundry out to dry yesterday and it all being dry in an hour.

::serendipity in the form of a contract job for a few weeks just as I was losing hope anything would ever change. I'm an aircraft mechanic and had long given up on ever returning to that job but the hanger I apprenticed at needs some help for a few weeks. It means a nasty commute across Toronto but the returns include experience I can put on my resume, a good paycheque and the chance to really stretch myself mentally. 

::5 wheelbarrow loads of cedar mulch from our neighbour who couldn't use all he bought. I've wanted to put mulch down in our front and side gardens for years. It's funny how just what you need appears sometimes eh? He didn't want to be paid but I think a loaf of homemade bread is in order.

::Mother's Day gifts-from my daughter-a matching ring/necklace/earring set, from my son-3 Lindt chocolate balls. Every year I look forward to their thoughtful gifts. They are always perfect in one way or another.

::Rouladen for dinner and cheesecake for desert. Not sure which one I enjoyed more

::that tired-muscle feeling after a good run.

What about you? What are you feeling grateful for this week?

Gratitude Sunday: Camping & Coffee

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.
This weekend my son and I went to Scout camp. I only had my ipod with me but did capture some moments from a hike we took through the property. The weather was perfect although the nights were cold. I should've known better and brought my favourite huge sleeping bag but didn't and shivered my way through 2 nights. Thank God for coffee and plenty of it.

 My accommodations for the weekend-a 3 person tent all to myself. Decadent I tell you.

 One of the cabins on site, complete with stone fireplace

Feeling grateful this week for:
::the wisdom to take a step back from everything I do and give myself room to breathe, then slowly add things back in as the Spirit moves me.
::warmth and sunshine, especially this weekend at camp
::the energy to spend all day with kids and adults without zoning out by 4pm. This introvert used to have such a hard time by Saturday afternoon but now for some reason I have built up this ability to be with people all day and not need to find quiet and solitude. I suspect it's because I love being outside and enjoy the company of the people I was with.
::coffee at camp. It's my comfort blanket, that thermal mug.
::little pea shoots coming up in my garden
::the birth of a new baby boy next door this week. I heard him crying this afternoon and it made my heart glad
::binding off my current knitting project and the joy of looking for the next thing to knit
What about you? What are you feeling grateful for this week?

Gratitude Sunday: Beginnings and Green Things

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday-a chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

Feeling grateful this week for:
::a body aching from a few hours of hard work. I raked the leaves off the veggie garden this afternoon, dug new paths and planted lettuce, radishes and onions.
::warm sun and wind to dry my laundry.
::2+ hours, 3 days a week all to myself to blog, read, research and knit
::being forced to walk to work on Friday. I'm always trying to cram as much as I can into the time before I go to work that I usually drive rather than walk. What I need to do is walk for the fresh air and exercise
::the wisdom to go for a run with my daughter this week. I remind myself that as long as she's still asking to do things together we're alright and it's my job to say yes as often as I can.
::sleeping with the window open
::the silence in the evening when I am the only awake, the house is dark and peaceful and I can hear myself think.
::being aware of the anticipation, the pause next door as my neighbours await the birth of their second child. It's a special time and I remember the watching and waiting and knowing that the time alone with our son before our daughter was born was coming to an end.

Fridays of Mayhem and Madness

Today is a day of mayhem and madness. Being Friday you'd think I'd be all giddy and light with the weekend so close but alas no. The kids have a PD day, I didn't have a good sleep last night and The Em-ster woke up on the wrong side of the bed. To add to that-back to back eye doctor appointments for the kids this morning. Added to that, the city has shut off our water, filled our little crescent up with all manner of work trucks and dug a huge hole in our neighbour's front lawn. Lots of excitement!
I still need to run to the bank and the hardware store and clean the house before we go away for the weekend. The only reason I'm bothering with that last chore is because the kids are staying here with their Oma and may or may not be sleeping at our house. Can't have spittle-covered mirrors with my mother in law staying in the house.
Why is it when you go away for a weekend to relax you spend the day before rushing around like a crazy person so you spend your relaxation time recovering from all the work it took just to go away in the first place??!! Dunno but I'm still pretty excited about being kid-free for the weekend with my husband.
I'm planning on bringing along the Em-ster's sweater to work on. I'm knitting sleeves and it's not very exciting. Hopefully knitting sleeves in another place will make it better and go faster too. Also, I'll bring along my Be Simple Shawl. Such great car knitting. Maybe by the time I get home I can start a new knitting project! Oh the possibilities!
Wishing you a somewhat calmer, less chaotic Friday and subsequent weekend :)

Weekending with Quilting/Knitting/Granola

These are the photos I was planning to use for a post on Saturday but between a dead camera battery, sheer time and energy and lack of creative juices it didn't happen. Do you ever have those blue funk days where you kind of feel like a cranky 3 year old that needs a nap but has outgrown naps and you just want to stomp your foot down and say "No and you can't make me!" I felt a bit like that over the weekend. I'm finally learning to listen to my inner cranky 3 year old and do what soothes my soul when I need to. Instead I read a book and went to bed early. I also went for a run on Saturday after dinner and that did me a world of good. Why is it so hard for mums to say this is what I need right now and you'll be fine until I'm done doing that thing? Instead we keep on and keep on.
It had been a lovely weekend here in southern Ontario with temps kissing 20C and lots of sunshine. I began on The Em-ster's quilt finally. I had cut most of the pieces out ages ago and the Spirit finally moved me to begin sewing them into a quilt. I'm starting with 9-patch squares because that seems manageable and when I have a bunch I'll start arranging them and sewing them together.
I have rules about everything including quilting and my big rule with quilting is that apart from batting, backing and thread they aren't allowed to cost me money. Pioneer women didn't run out to the local Fabricland to find coordinating fabric for the Irish Chain quilt they were making, they made do with what they had and the results were still amazing. Anything that involves that much stitching and sheer WORK is beautiful and amazing in my eyes. (Disclaimer: this is more a reflection on the state of our finances and not in any way meant to imply that I think less of quilters who go out and buy fabric and assemble breath-taking, heirloom-masterpieces. Do you hear the envy there?!)
I had to rip out the Lady Kina sweater I had been knitting with this mystery Chinese wool because it was so thick and so hard on my hands. Instead I found a simple shawl pattern and began on that. I'll post more about it on Wednesday for Yarnalong.
I also made granola (which is mostly gone and it's only Monday! Must've been a good batch) I love it sprinkled on yogurt although my stomach would disagree. It would seem that I am lactose intolerant and more's the pity. I love milk in all it's forms. Granola also works in almond milk and I fortunately enjoy it almost as much.
Laundry was hung outside the last 3 days-snowpants and mittens on Saturday then regular clothes yesterday and today. You have no idea how much joy I get out of hanging laundry on the line. I feel like I am channelling my inner homesteader. Don't even get me started on baking bread!!
I hope your weekend was restful and relaxing, productive as well as creative :)

A very small everyday miracle on an average Tuesday

I've been writing a blog post in my head since I got home at 5pm. I had all sorts of things to say but it's 9:10pm and I am tired and now I find myself staring at this blank page, unable to remember any of the witty, thought-provoking things I had been meaning to type 4 hours ago.
Since 5pm I have scoured fridges, cupboards and cookbooks seeking something to make for dinner with what we have on hand. It's 2 days till payday and grocery day and things are looking pretty empty. I settled on Empty the Fridge Nachos-a recipe recently invented by me ;). It involves dumping the contents of a half empty bag of organic, low-salt, gluten-free, blue tortilla chips on a baking sheet, toping it with the cup of black beans left over in the fridge from something else and covering the whole mess in mozzarella cheese. This goes under the broiler to get all nice and melty while I frantically root through the fridges looking for something (anything) to flesh it out with. I found one orange pepper which got chopped up and put in a bowl. Not everyone in this house appreciates the value of a crisp orange pepper so making it optional seemed like the right thing to do. Next I discovered a slightly brown half an avocado languishing near the back of the fridge in a forgotten container and (miracle of miracles!!) another whole, ripe avocado. That went into the food processor along with a glug of olive oil, a splash of lemon juice, a clove of garlic, bit of chopped onion and salt and pepper. Voila! guacamole! By then the cheese on the tortilla chip-bean situation was nice and melty so I put it on the table with my loaves-and-fishes toppings of peppers and guacamole plus a half empty jar of salsa.
This whole meal started as a bit of a panic but ended up a success. The only thing left was a lone bean and a microscopic pile of crumbs in the corner of the pan. Not bad for no plan.
My son said the nicest thing about my guacamole (which he normally does not go for). He said he likes guacamole because it reminds him of summer and being at the cottage because we eat it so often there. I had no idea that was true! You spend your kids' childhoods providing them with all sorts of experiences and the thing they remember is something random like guacamole!
After dinner I dealt with dishes, a load of laundry, a herd of kids migrating in and out of the house and I knit one row on my daughter's sweater. Not exactly witty or thought-provoking stuff but it's real-life stuff and probably sounds more like a normal Tuesday than if I starting telling you my thoughts on how to achieve world peace.
Tell me, what did your Tuesday look like? Tell me the nitty-gritty details that made up an average Tuesday in an average person's life. Why? Because it's real and lets the rest of us feel like not everybody lives in a Pinterest board house with model children and a smiling spouse, washing dishes.

Gratitude Sunday: Seeking Signs of Spring

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

 Tulips insistently poking their heads up in my front garden. It has not been particularly warm here but the tulips know it's spring.

 I had to dig under the old, dead bits to find these little chive sprouts. This is exciting.

 Chive seed heads in the neighbour's garden.

 I know it's spring when my chair can come out of the shed and live on the front stoop again. (why, why, why do my photos tend to list to one side???)

A clever selfie taken in our front window.

Feeling grateful this week for:

::one last Etsy sale of a blueberry hat-a gift for a new baby.

::time to knit on The Em-ster's sweater. I'm about halfway done the body now and it's been the perfect mindless knit that I needed.

::helping out at a fundraiser for our church yesterday. It was very early and very cold but satisfying and fun. 

::other kids seeking my son out. We are always encouraging our Aspergian to go find some friends and how exactly he can go about doing that, it's nice to see other kids seeking him out.

::climbing into pajamas early every night. 

::my son serving communion at church this morning. We belong to the United Church and the tradition is that everyone is welcome to partake. Our minister asked him specially to help serve because he's working on being confirmed this spring and thought he would find more meaning as a server.

::more often being thankful for things in my prayers than needing to ask for things. 

Creativity

There is a fountain of youth: it is your mind, your talents, the creativity you bring to your life and the lives of the people you love. When you learn to tap this source, you will truly have defeated age.
~Sophia Loren

While I'm not looking for a fountain of youth or particularly concerned with defeating age at 38, I do know I feel more alive and awake when I tap into my creativity.
Ginny wrote the other day on Small Things blog about the importance of finding our own passions as moms and I can't agree more. Creativity makes us be the individuals we are rather than blending into the crowd wearing the same clothes as everyone else, watching too much tv and buying too much stuff to fill our houses and the empty spaces in our hearts that creativity is meant to fill.
I believe that every woman is creative in her own way. Creativity comes in all forms including knitting, sewing, scrap-booking, painting, gardening, making a home beautiful, cooking, singing and making music.

Creativity helps us work through the dark places in our lives either by expressing it or allowing our minds to wander while our hands are busy, working through the issue.
If you are a regular reader of this blog, you know that Thursday nights are my night off from parenting and cleaning duties. Most nights I come down to my corner of the basement and am seized by the need to MAKE SOMETHING. I don't know what that thing is but I do know I need to make it. One of my favourite quotes that I found on Pinterest says "I wanna make stuff even if no one cares". That's me.
I've been poking around the blogosphere the last few days and keep coming across the same angst, the same searching from souls everywhere looking for SOMETHING. Isn't it funny how we're all searching? Spring seems to bring that out in us doesn't us? Everyone is fluffing up their feathers and nests, turning in circles looking for the comfortable place to settle down into again.
The message I keep getting is "Follow your Passions". I'm taking it as a sign to focus on getting creative and getting outside. In two month's time we open our cottage for the season. It is my very favourite place on the earth.

So I too am searching for a way to combine my passions and see where they lead me. I am also seeking to reinvent myself as an entrepreneur and that certainly involves creativity and using some muscles I didn't even know I had.
Are you feeling the universal restlessness? Are you often seized by the soulful need to MAKE SOMETHING? What are you doing about it?

Gratitude Sunday: March Break

Joining Taryn at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

 We went for a walk in the woods this afternoon. On one side of the trail is the Conestoga River and the other side is a man-made canal called the mill race. Back in the day the water from the mill race was used for grinding grain. Now it just looks nice and makes for a good walking path between the two. Lots of people use it and enjoy feeding the birds in the winter. Whatever gets people outside is great in my mind.

 As you can tell by the down jacket and return of the woolies, it was cold today. I feel silly complaining it was cold when it was only -5C.

I knew I should've brought my Canon along for this walk. The chickadees were so tame and we could've taken so many great pictures with a good camera. Instead all I had was my ipod. As long as I don't make this photo big, you can't tell it's out of focus ;)
Feeling grateful this week for:
::some warm and sunny weather that melted a lot of our snow
::a break from making lunches, worrying about people having clean clothes for school, being on a schedule
::The Em-ster getting a break from her brother and some special time with her grandparents
::a solo 2 hour drive to pick her up with time to check out a yarn store on the way
::poutine at Harveys. They make the best this side of Quebec in my mind. Feel free to argue with me, Canadians ;) Some people go on butter tart tours, I'll start the first poutine tour!
::a 2 hour drive home, just The Em-ster and I.  A rare thing to be sure. We had some good conversations about life and money, hopes and dreams. I do love 10.
::making progress on her sweater. I'm onto the body now and miles and miles of stockinette stitch. There is something comforting about knitting stockinette stitch-enough change to keep you from losing your marbles but enough the same that you can do it anywhere and not have to really pay attention.
::a part time job I can knit at when it's slow. I usually get a few rows done before and after the lunch rush.
::the first day of spring. Thank God!! The sun is warmer, the snow is melting and the kids are busting out of their houses and onto skateboards, roller blades and bikes. Love it.

The Lady Kina & Finding Fulfillment

This morning I asked myself what I would really like to do today and I answered that I would be knitting the Lady Kina sweater come hell or high water. A funny turn of events considering my resolve of wednesday not to start anything new until my Lorelei scarf was done or my daughter's That Weasley Girl sweater.
The wool has a story. A friend was cleaning out some bins awhile back and brought them to a gathering of crafty women called Sew Be It (or Knit Be It, or Crochet Be It, or Sort-Through-Your-Photos-So-You-Can-Begin-Putting-Them-In-Albums Be It). Among the stuff she was giving away were 2 hanks of soft, fluffy wool from China of unknown content. My friend Karen and I each perked up at the offering of free wool but there was some debate over who would get which skein. One skein was pink (the one I ended up with), the other was a sagey green. Since neither of us could decide which one we wanted we were each thrown a skein and our friend went back to sorting through outgrown children's clothing. Karen and I decided the way to resolve this was we'd each knit the other a sweater out of the wool we ended up with.
Phew! That was a long-winded way to get me to this strange chinese wool of unknown content and how I'm going to justify knitting the Lady Kina when I already have projects on the go. You see, I need to knit Karen this sweater before the momentum gets lost and all the better if I finish mine first. Perhaps I'm a little competitive.
In other, more thought-provoking news I read Ginny's post on Small Things today and it struck a cord with me. She writes about how a friend of hers comments on how "weird" she thinks she must be for needing to pursue passions outside of the domestic life. Things like knitting. And how she doesn't find child-rearing, laundry, cooking and schooling to be all-fulfilling.
I love my kids very much and do the best I can with what I have to raise them well but I've got to admit, I'm not one of those moms who finds being a mom the be all and end all of existence. I need something else to stimulate my mind and get that sense of fulfillment. Raising kids is a bit like knitting a really big blanket. You knit and knit but it takes ages before you see any progress, and it's years before you ever finish the blanket...if you ever really do.
I used to think I wasn't doing it right or putting in enough effort or somehow less of a mother because of my feelings but I've come to the realization that this is who I am and that's perfectly ok. When I pursue my passions I feel alive and happy and I parent better and I feel better as a human being.
My favourite times of day are in the mornings when the kids leave for school and I've got a stretch of time ahead of me to do what I want and at night when my kids are in bed and the house is quiet.
My passions are knitting and being outside. Gardening, sewing, reading and painting fall in somewhere there-after.

Does it always have to be about money???

I'll warn you now, this is going to be a bit of rant. Remember: you were warned ;)
Being March and all, Grade 8 parents everywhere are preparing for graduation in June. Grad photos have been taken and ordered for my son and the first post on Facebook about the search for a dress appeared yesterday. A part of me snapped a little this morning when I heard about this because I know what's coming: the perfect dress/shoes/jewellery, up-dos, parties and make-up. Someone will order a limo to take the proud graduate to the ceremony. And over the top it will go.
I feel like the Lorax right now standing on my tree stump yelling "Won't someone think of the trees?" but in my case I will be the lone parent yelling from atop my reusable shopping bin "Does it always have to be about the money??"
WHY... does everything end up being an excuse to spend large amounts of money on things kids don't need??? The average 13 year old does not need a designer dress and shoes to graduate from public school. The average 13 year old does not need her nails done.
Why are we teaching our children that the most important part of the fact that they have successfully completed public school is that they must look good, must look like a model to do so?

In our house I am celebrating the fact that this boy who could barely make it through a day of school without a parent being called at the age of 6 has completed all the requirements of our public school system to graduate with his friends and go onto high school.
What a momentous achievement for this Aspergian!
I am celebrating the fact that he understands now what is expected of him in a classroom and can meet those expectations.
I am celebrating how well he has learned to self-advocate for his needs in a (mostly) polite and appropriate way.
I am so proud of this boy and all he has achieved, the marks he has earned, the friends he has made and the connections with the adults in his school life that he has forged. Incredible.

And none of this has anything to do with how much money I choose to spend on his graduation from Grade 8. Because, although it is momentous it is also only grade 8.
It's important to keep this in perspective.
As parents lets keep the focus on learning, celebrating hard work, growing up and marking the passing of a milestone. Not on how nice your daughter's nails look or the label inside your son's shirt.
But I digress...

Empty Nests and Husbands

Just a quick post this Tuesday night. I've been sitting here at my kitchen table working on some corrections for the other blog I write (link here:Shop Local in Waterloo if you're interested...) when a lazy thought occurred to me that maybe this is what it will be like when the kids are older.
The house is quiet, it's just my husband and I right now as The Boy is out with his Oma and The Em-ster is away for a few days over March Break. I've got some laundry on the go and I should probably deal with the dishes but there's nothing pressing on my time really. Life is temporarily not on fire as it so often seems to be these days.
So, I thought to myself-"Gee, this is what it must be like when the kids grow up and move away"
Then my husband shows up in the kitchen door and breaks into my thoughts with something along the lines of "You won't believe what I just saw on YouTube!" and proceeds to tell me about a magician with this swirling disk thing and then you look at the guys face and it disappears and another one showing a montage of guys hurting themselves.
Huh. So this is what it's going to be like when the kids grow up and move away. I think I hear Paris calling....

Gratitude Sunday: Signs of Green

Joining Taryn today at Wooly Moss Roots blog for Gratitude Sunday. A chance to look back at the week that was and reflect with gratitude.

 Tulips poking through the warm earth this afternoon

 Hostas reaching for the sun

 Can't remember what this is but it's green!!

Tapping our maple tree out front.

Feeling grateful this week for:

::melting snow and green things poking up. It's still early yet in the season and we haven't seen the last of the snow but this gives me hope.

::celebrating my Grandmother's 90th birthday with family. Families are funny things but no matter what they're still your family and share part of your history. I find comfort in that.

::figuring out something we can offer my Grandma to brighten her day. It's all well and good to want to do something but it's so much better when you figure out that one thing you can do. She isn't overly mobile anymore and hasn't left her building in months but bringing her food in to share perks her up so much. I can do that!

::my daughter spending a few days with my parents up north for a change of scenery and a break from her brother. Plus the chance to have her grandparents to herself and be the centre of attention-I am grateful for this opportunity

::seeing my brother after 6 months overseas. I miss not having him in the same province...or country. 

::getting our taxes done yesterday and not having to pay. A refund this year will be a welcome thing to look after this house and garden.

::coffee and bacon.