Friday, May 30, 2008
Time for a change in the kitchen....
We've had these chairs for about 11 or 12 years, and they've survived many a spill. I was so pleased at how well they cleaned up after some paint and a proper scrub!
Sunday, May 25, 2008
The countdown begins...Momcation here I come!
On June 1st I will be leaving to go on my first vacation in ten years. The idea for this vacation hatched during our last family vacation. I mentioned to Andrew that while I really enjoy our time together as a family and having him with us during the days, it's not really much of a break for me. In fact, by having an extra person around the house it made for more work (in some ways), rather than less work.
Being the supportive husband that he is, he understood where I was coming from and said that he would be OK with me taking a vacation of my own to get a break.
Since that conversation, I have been saving up my Air Miles to be able to visit my friend Joanne who lives in England. Once the possibility of visiting her became a little more real, I started thinking that while I can't wait to see Jo's new home, I've already been to England twice. I asked Joanne if she'd be up for some sort of European adventure, and the idea for our pending trip to Mallorca was hatched!
While I have moments of motherly guilt (a constant for many of us, just different reasons to prompt its visitation), I am able to push beyond it and explore a new and exciting place for the sake of my own adventure.
So many of my friends and family are very excited for me to go, but I also think that many people are a bit disdainful and in awe when they hear the details of the trip AND that my husband is taking HIS vacation in order to care for our children. I could only head off on this venture because I know my kids' lives will run as smoothly with Andrew in charge. I doubt there will be any similarity to Andrew taking care of the kids and the CBC reality show "The Week the Women Went". Of course, I do want him to recognize the void that my absence creates in our daily lives...who doesn't want/need to be missed. I also want him to marvel at all the feats I am able to perform to keep our household running! That being said, I suspect he'll have it all well-in-hand most of the time, with many hands offering help throughout the time I'm gone.
Going on a vacation with just Andrew is something we'll target for the next vacation, but with the busy lives that our family leads, and the hoops that you have to jump through to "get away" from the kids, it can sometimes challenge the most creative and easy going individuals!
I think the ideal vacation would be where you can take a babysitter along with you, so that you can enjoy your kids and fun activities with them, yet you still have the opportunity to get away as a couple. Since that just isn't a part of my reality, I'm looking forward to catching up with a good friend, seeing how she leads her life (I suspect in stark contrast to my own!), and exploring a part of the world that I have never seen.
It is so surreal to contemplate not worrying about anyone else's schedule by my own, and while I know I will miss everyone desperately, I have promised myself that I will not succumb to missing them so much that I can't enjoy myself. I owe it to my family to make the most of this adventure, to be a more patient and invigorated Mom upon my return.
I hope to post updates on the blog, but I don't know if I'll have the access to the technology to post any photos. I'm not planning on bringing any tecchie gear other than the camera itself and really I don't think I'll have the time!
If you've read this much into my post, I thank you for your interest in my ramblings. I plan to write a journal during my trip, and perhaps I can put together an interesting submission/story for a magazine, so that I can put it out there that the Mom-cation is a necessity, not a frivolity!
Watch this space for updates on my excellent adventure after June 2ndish....
Itinerary: June 1 depart on overnight flight to London
June 2 Arrive in London
June 4 Travel on Eurostar to Paris
June 4 (late evening) Train from Paris to Barcelona
June 5 Arrive in Barcelona
June 5 or 6 Crew for a friend of Joanne's to sail his boat from Barcelona to Port de Soller on the island of Mallorca
June 7 or so... Arrive in Mallorca, stay at Hotel Port de Soller
June 11 return to London
June 13 return to my family and back to reality (thank goodness there's a weekend in there to recover a bit before heading back to it all)
Being the supportive husband that he is, he understood where I was coming from and said that he would be OK with me taking a vacation of my own to get a break.
Since that conversation, I have been saving up my Air Miles to be able to visit my friend Joanne who lives in England. Once the possibility of visiting her became a little more real, I started thinking that while I can't wait to see Jo's new home, I've already been to England twice. I asked Joanne if she'd be up for some sort of European adventure, and the idea for our pending trip to Mallorca was hatched!
While I have moments of motherly guilt (a constant for many of us, just different reasons to prompt its visitation), I am able to push beyond it and explore a new and exciting place for the sake of my own adventure.
So many of my friends and family are very excited for me to go, but I also think that many people are a bit disdainful and in awe when they hear the details of the trip AND that my husband is taking HIS vacation in order to care for our children. I could only head off on this venture because I know my kids' lives will run as smoothly with Andrew in charge. I doubt there will be any similarity to Andrew taking care of the kids and the CBC reality show "The Week the Women Went". Of course, I do want him to recognize the void that my absence creates in our daily lives...who doesn't want/need to be missed. I also want him to marvel at all the feats I am able to perform to keep our household running! That being said, I suspect he'll have it all well-in-hand most of the time, with many hands offering help throughout the time I'm gone.
Going on a vacation with just Andrew is something we'll target for the next vacation, but with the busy lives that our family leads, and the hoops that you have to jump through to "get away" from the kids, it can sometimes challenge the most creative and easy going individuals!
I think the ideal vacation would be where you can take a babysitter along with you, so that you can enjoy your kids and fun activities with them, yet you still have the opportunity to get away as a couple. Since that just isn't a part of my reality, I'm looking forward to catching up with a good friend, seeing how she leads her life (I suspect in stark contrast to my own!), and exploring a part of the world that I have never seen.
It is so surreal to contemplate not worrying about anyone else's schedule by my own, and while I know I will miss everyone desperately, I have promised myself that I will not succumb to missing them so much that I can't enjoy myself. I owe it to my family to make the most of this adventure, to be a more patient and invigorated Mom upon my return.
I hope to post updates on the blog, but I don't know if I'll have the access to the technology to post any photos. I'm not planning on bringing any tecchie gear other than the camera itself and really I don't think I'll have the time!
If you've read this much into my post, I thank you for your interest in my ramblings. I plan to write a journal during my trip, and perhaps I can put together an interesting submission/story for a magazine, so that I can put it out there that the Mom-cation is a necessity, not a frivolity!
Watch this space for updates on my excellent adventure after June 2ndish....
Itinerary: June 1 depart on overnight flight to London
June 2 Arrive in London
June 4 Travel on Eurostar to Paris
June 4 (late evening) Train from Paris to Barcelona
June 5 Arrive in Barcelona
June 5 or 6 Crew for a friend of Joanne's to sail his boat from Barcelona to Port de Soller on the island of Mallorca
June 7 or so... Arrive in Mallorca, stay at Hotel Port de Soller
June 11 return to London
June 13 return to my family and back to reality (thank goodness there's a weekend in there to recover a bit before heading back to it all)
Meredith's 9th Celebration
Meredith hosted a Mocktail party for a number of her friends the other night. It was a big hit and while both Andrew and I questioned whether it seemed a mature theme for 9 year olds, the kids had a blast and Meredith just wanted a reason to dress up!
Here is the cake that resembled the invitation that was sent out....
Here is the cake that resembled the invitation that was sent out....
The spread
All of our colourful concoction ingredients ready for the festivities. The kids got very engrossed in creating their own mocktail. There was minor spillage just on the table, and before we wiped it down the cat (Axel) managed to walk all over the table (he considers the table one of his perches) and get completely sticky! He then spread the stickiness to our kitchen floor and it took him most of the next day to groom the stickiness from his paws!
Garcon....may I have a Mickey Mouse?
Meredith ordering her second mocktail from the wait staff. Andrew was added some dashes of tabasco to her Mickey Mouse (essentially a Virgin Caesar)....the kids loved trying it out, but not many of them actually liked the drink.
Poison M&M
One of the favourite party games for our kids is Poison Smartie....we used M&M's. The kids have to wear a blindfold and take the candy one at a time. We count how many candies they can take until they get the "poison" one (the blue one). The top number was 11. Many of them grabbed a blue one within the first or second go!
Mix your own concoction
The kids loved blending together ingredients to come up with their own sweet drink. It felt like a big science experiment going on, and it was a miracle that none of those bottles were knocked over with all of the long reaches for different juices.
The life of the party?
Keigan enjoyed the silliness that went on at the party. He joined right in with ease.
Look familiar?
There was still party remnants all around the house, so Findlay caught some shade under the umbrella....doesn't he look a lot like someone else pictured in the same pose?
Monday, May 19, 2008
Monkeys climbing a maple...
Olivia, Meredith and Meredith's good friend Sammy enjoyed climbing our maple tree over the long weekend.
Bluenose Youth Run
Meredith and her friend Sammy participated in this year's Bluenose Youth Run. It was another rainy one, but their spirits seemed quite good in spite of the weather.
Little brother...
I think I'll have more pictures like this over the years. Findlay has really been working on his goofy faces and seems to have perfected this one. Luckily he'll still give me nice smiles too.
The threesome on a spring evening...
The spring weather has the kids outside more often (weather permitting), which is nice. The bugs haven't hatched yet, but I think they'll be out soon...then the stamina for outdoors will diminish very quickly, but until then...we'll enjoy our yard.
Mother's Day Gift
I was given many a treat on Mother's Day. This little shoe plant is what Olivia made at school for me.
Movie Dates
Aunt Wendy wanted to celebrate birthdays for the "little girls" of the Stevens family (Maggie, Jackie, Olivia, Lauren and Meredith), so she took them all to a showing of Nim's Island. Nanny and Diane joined in as well. Pictured here are Nanny, Wendy, Olivia, Meredith and Jackie.
They all enjoy the special attention Aunt Wendy showers on them all.
They all enjoy the special attention Aunt Wendy showers on them all.
Friday, May 09, 2008
IIHF Fans....
We managed to get some hockey tickets for the IIHF 2008 World Hockey Championships. The kids enjoyed a play on the waterfront (with cousin Maggie) before heading to the Metro Centre. It was exciting to see the game and catch the energy of so many visitors from all over the world visiting Halifax. The kids seemed to have fun through it all, but we only lasted until the second period as they lost their spark that is evident in this picture. Being a school night we thought it best to get them back, considering the game started past their bedtime!
The Stevens Family
It's a rare chance these days when all of the siblings get a chance to get together. Everyone is busy with their own lives with many milestones coming for some of the families (high school graduations for Thane, Janette and Wendy's kids).
We enjoyed a get together for Wendy's 50th birthday and it was just so nice to have a chance to see one another and catch up.
We enjoyed a get together for Wendy's 50th birthday and it was just so nice to have a chance to see one another and catch up.
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