Aug 22

It’s day #2 on the road and we are settled in for the night at a generic two star hotel in Elkhart, Indiana. So far we have been treated to more whining and fighting that we thought possible of two children, although it’s hard to blame when they haven’t gotten to bed at their bedtime for somewhere in the vicinity of two weeks. They are exhausted and as much as we like to say our kids are flexible and go with the flow, there’s no denying that the impending move and the upheaval of packing and saying goodbye to all their friends and the home they’ve known for the last year is likely taking it’s toll.

On the upside, tonight we ate dinner at a Cracker Barrel restaurant where our delightful server told us the reason they don’t serve beer at their establishment is that she would spend all her breaks drinking it. Awesome.

I realize now that it’s been nearly two weeks since I last updated which is not good. The only excuse I have was that we threw ourselves into enjoying our last few days in Boston. Seeing friends we have made and spending some time at our favourite places. We will definitely miss our East Coast home more than a little.  As usual, it is only after one year that we are just starting to get the feel of the place and figure out what we love and what we don’t (post coming soon on that) and, as always, knowing you are leaving permanently creates a load of sentimentality in my little head.

But here we are, on our way to home. Real home. Small(ish)-town home in the prairies where friends and family and new jobs and a new house are awaiting us. I know it will come as no surprise to anyone who knows me if I tell you that I am absolutely thrilled.

But for the next week we will be continuing our road trip through Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota and then up to Manitoba for a short visit with family there before we go home.

Home. Sounds good, doesn’t it? :)

I have so much more to say on the subject but that will have to come when the time is available.  Thanks for all the well wishes to those of you who follow me on Facebook!

Aug 13

On the day after our ninth anniversary….

There was a time when I wouldn’t have been happy with a simple trip into town on the subway…

…to eat dinner at a simple pub and make silly faces at the camera and laugh with the kids…

…and to stroll through the city after dinner and enjoy a fountain…

…and to ride the carousel with the kids before we head home early to put them to bed.

But last night it was enough. It was good enough to celebrate our family…

…and the fact that after nine years we’re still laughing together and enjoying the good and simple things in life.

I love you hubby.

Aug 10

Question: How many times is a reasonable number for a group of three people to visit the public restroom in one 90 minute visit to Target?

Answer: If each of the three individuals consume a slushie or a medium diet coke at the beginning of said shopping trip there will be a total of 11 combined restroom uses, some for a single individual and some for any combination of the three shoppers.

Note: Age does not appear to have any bearing on the number of bathroom visits required as the individuals in question were two children and one adult. Ahem.

Aug 6

Dear Avery and Kieran,

I often wonder what you will remember about this time in your lives. There have been a lot of changes in the last couple of years and they aren’t over yet.  I know you will adjust and life will settle down again as it always does. Routine inevitably falls over us like a familiar blanket. But I wonder…

…I wonder if Avery will remember her first sweetheart. A neighbour and classmate who she bonded with early in the school year and before a few months were through, had pledged to marry. Will she remember his possessive and sometimes manipulative and hurtful behaviour in order to keep her attention focused solely on him? Or will she simply remember their unabashed affection for each other and the way they simply felt comfortable playing together. Their innocent acceptance of each other and their bold plans for the future, despite any attempts by her parents to convince her that she *might* change her mind in the future.

(Yes, she looks like she’s yelling at him here, but she really wasn’t. And just seconds before they were sitting there with their arms slung around each others shoulders and it was just so cute!)

…I wonder if Kieran will remember his constant fluctuating between fear of everything from the bathroom towel to the dark to sounds in the night and putting on the bold and brave act. Will he remember telling me that he’s a “superhero” and his super powers are “killing bugs…aaand…spiders….and skeetos…and bad things” and that his super powers are “geen (green)”?

…I wonder if Avery will remember her unwavering devotion to mothering her “babies”. Each new doll was welcomed into the fold and her delight delighted me.

…I wonder if Kieran will remember roasting “smushmellows” or constantly asking “Why you doin’ dat Mommy? WHY?” with always the same format: Why_____________? Why?

…I wonder if you will remember the first time you went to the circus and neither of you blinked for the whole performance because you were so enthralled.

…I wonder if you will remember playing outside from dawn to dusk, wearing nothing but a bathing suit and only stopping for snacks and bathroom breaks. Will you remember running around with popsicles melting all over your hands and even after twelve consecutive hours of constant action, you are still reluctant to come inside, until we settle down to read stories and you fall asleep before the book is finished.

…I wonder if you will remember the way you alternately loved and hated each other. Playing for hours without a problem and then fighting like cats and dogs the next. I guess that will continue for years to come but I hope the memories of the fun you had together will be stronger.

I know I will always remember the feel of hugs from sweaty, sticky children who smell like sunshine and the way new freckles popped up on Kieran’s nose every day until he was covered just like his daddy and how Avery grew what felt like six inches in a summer and suddenly felt like such a big kid to me. I will remember birthday cakes and shaking the sand off our feet after a day at the beach and the smell of a fresh coat of sunscreen and the sound of the ocean lapping at the shore while your happy shrieks and giggles sounded in the background.