PIctures of park camping and Alex's new ride.

Tent city

It was cold. And loud. And uncomfortable. And did I mention cold? In fact it was the first morning in several weeks that folks here woke up to their vehicles being covered in frost. I climbed into our tent around 11:15 P.M. next to my son, tucked him in a little tighter and tried to get warm and fall asleep. Who would have thought night life in little 'ol Cranny could be so full of ruckus.

All this was to raise awareness that Cranbrook has an actual, for real, honest to goodness, homeless problem. Especially now, as housing costs rise and minimum wage doesn't, people are finding themselves on friends couches. Those that are lucky enough to have friends with that kind of generosity anyway. So, a tent city in the central park was proposed. I didn't count the tents, but I was impressed with the turnout. I was also impressed with the variety of people from all social classes. Even a few of the homeless themselves joined us. In fact, one particularly friendly gentlemen woke us at a rather ungodly hour to remind us that by now we would have had to take down and hide our tents, were this really our lot in life. In fact we slept in a good half hour more than the men who stay at The Refuge get to.

As a humorous aside, my Mother seems to have a strange reaction to the combination of cold and lack of sleep. At some point during the night, I am not sure when, since I was at least partly asleep, she leans over to me giggling. Between quiet bouts of laughter she says, "so we were playing Taboo..." and then breaks out into what can now be described as uncontrollable laughter. At this point, I am thinking, "well that was a weird thing to suddenly blurt out." A few seconds later she manages to say, "Ferdy points at me and says, "what you are (more hysterical laughter here) except wrapped in cotton."" At this point I am now unable to quell my own laughter, because Mom can't even speak. Not only that, but I am picturing my Mother wrapped in cotton batting doing this weird trying-to-escape wiggle that she was doing in her jacket earlier in the evening. Well the word turned out to be mummy, which I would have gotten if it weren't for the late hour and my Mother's odd behaviour distracting me. It occurs to me now that this may not be quite as funny to someone reading my blog as it was to us but it still makes me giggle.

Anyway, pictures to come soon.....

bummer

It doesn't look like I will make it to Seattle this July after all. Our music teacher, finding her life too hectic, has decided to scale down her lessons so she can spend more time with her family. A decision that would normally elicit my admiration, has instead aroused my selfish disappointment. Ah, such is life...

Just enjoying the process

Last night the Fiona came and interviewed the kids. It was hysterical, I laughed so hard it hurt. I had to be in the other room where the kids couldn't see me, but she said I could listen so I did. All three of the kids who could talk pegged Hannah as the person who laughs the most in our family and Selah as the one who cries the most. Levi said he could handle another girl in our family, but he hopes he can go play somewhere else more then. Hannah talked about absolutely everything she could think of even if no questions were asked. Shiloh somehow managed to answer every question with something to do with princesses and complained that Levi wouldn't play princesses even when they really needed a prince.

So that's it. The last of our home study. In a few weeks, Fiona will bring us her overview and we will go over it and make sure it is a good representation of our family. This process has been difficult at times; peeling back the layers can be uncomfortable as anyone knows. It has also definitely had it's benefits. We have learned some things about ourselves and our kids and asked questions we wouldn't otherwise have asked. Overall, no matter the outcome, I am really glad we have gone through this process. I appreciate being able to look back six months and see personal growth as well as relational growth in our family. It gives me a sense of moving forward even if it doesn't immediately take us anywhere.

Feaster

Easter, being very busy for us every year, and us, being cheap, means we don't do the Easter bunny thing. Instead we stock up when everything goes %50 off and we do the Marriott family FEASTER the weekend after. Goodies and games and all around merriment are themes of the day and I have set out the goodies and am gearing up for a morning of fun. Holidays totally made-up and original are cooler than the trendy, everybody-does-it, days anyway. :P

Out on the trail

Today we actually had a lazy Saturday. We did not leave the house until just before noon. We did not clean or cook. When we left the house, we spent most of our time away playing with the kids in the sunshine. After a jaunt at the park, I dropped the kids and Alex off at home and went to a friends house for a trail ride on a friendly horse named Flicka. She was rather lazy and so would fall behind and every so often she would run to catch up. This was very disconcerting at first until I got to know Flicka a bit and learned that she really will stop when I tell her to. It was a gorgeous day, and although my bottom is a bit tender, I ended up enjoying going a bit a faster. I can't wait to find time to do it again!

Receiving acts of kindness

Being grossly sick this week has slowed me down to a snails pace. My usual pace has been quite impossible to maintain. Discouraging for one so used to being busy, having things to do, places to go, people to meet. Anyone who has known me throughout my pregnancies knows I loath the words, "take it easy." Yet for five days now I have found myself mostly housebound, and actually, enjoying some of it.

There have been offers to cook for me, people coming over to keep me company, and Alex's boss giving him unprecedented time off with a, "take as long as you need." I am getting bored, and would love to have my energy back, but being forced to acknowledge what incredible friends and family I have, has made the slowing down somewhat worth it. So, my body may be tired and sick and frustrated, but my soul is well-nourished and ready for another round of Marriott Mom-ness. Thanks everyone!

At ease or somthing like it.

I have been "resting" for 4 days now, after a bout with pnemonia last weekend. I have taken sick days at the group home, pulleed myself out of music lessons for the week, aquired a fill-in maintainance person for the shelter, and asked Jamie to get her Mom to take the kids for the weekend.

I really did try to take it easy, but by yesterday afternoon I was going batty so I vacuumed the whole house and today I did about 11 loads of laundry and unpacked some more of the garage. I am sorry. I don't do "taking it easy" very well. I have learned, through this experience, never to spend money on a tropical vacation. I wouldn't last two days poolside before I went loopy. How does a person (as described to me by dear friends who vacation often) just sit on a beach day after day.

It's not that I don't stop to smell the roses, I do. It's just that, if I am stopping to smell them, why not weed them while I'm at it? Maybe even trim a few to take home. Far more satisfying, in my opinion.

Spring approaches..

February, in my opinion, is the Wednesday of the year. It's the hump. Every year, February sees me just pluggin' away hoping for sunshine. So when I woke up one morning and suddenly it was March, I wasn't sure what happened to the previous month. Although, I really can't say I am sad to have missed it. Besides March is beginning with such fun....

Last week Miss Andrea passed me the reigns to teach a music class (with her close by my side of course.) She had an injured hand and called me up the night before to ask if I could wing it. It was fun and excruciating at the same time. It was like the first time you drive a car. You know how everything works, you covered that on the learner's test, but you keep waiting for something to explode because you've hit the wrong peddle or something. But nothing exploded and it was fun!

Then last night as I was suffering from a fever and chills and coughing up my spleen, my husband did the sweetest thing! First I must give you some background. While on our trip to Nelson, we bought this little booklet called 52 weeks of romance. It's a little book of nice things to do for each other. It's not that we need spicing up, it's that we are way too overworked right now to be very original and this is our way of preventing the need for spicing. So anyway, this week was Alex's week. After dealing with an ill wife and the 7 children running around here lately, he popped over to the store. Within a half hour of his return, he had scrubbed out the tub,filled it for a eucalyptus bath and brought me a bowl of fresh raspberries! It does not remotely matter that it wasn't an original idea, his timing was perfect and he turned a horribly painful, hacking, medicated day into all kinds of warm fuzzies. I said it before and I'll say it again, I think I'll keep him.

Seattle

In July I will be heading to Seattle with Miss Andrea, my children's music teacher, to get trained as Musikgarten teacher!! I will be teaching babies and toddlers music lessons in the fall! I can't wait. When Andrea was telling me about the workshops, she was saying how intensive they are. She then asked if I would be OK doing a full week because of how tired I will be at the end of each day. My response was to ask her these questions.

Will I be able to use the washroom and shower uninterrupted?
Will I get into vehicle and only have to worry about doing up my own buckle?
Will I get a designated lunch break where I will sit down and eat at the same time and no one will eat off my plate but me?
Will I be able to concentrate on one thing at a time without getting asked 4 questions at once?
Will I get up in the morning and just dress myself?

Since Andrea answered yes to all of these through her laughter, I think I will manage six days of intense workshops just fine thank you very much.

P.S. for any interested people who might want to pop down from the coast, I will be out of most workshops around three and have my evenings free. This really sounds more like a poorly disguised holiday than training......

Roadtrip!!!

Roadtrip!

We head out today at noon for a night to ourselves in Nelson. We have a room in the historic Blaylock mansion and we are going to have a nice dinner out and go shopping!! (Thank goodness for Tax returns!)

In other news, we attended KCF's second round of leadership olympics last night. This is the second year it came down to the team I was on and the team Alex was on and this is the second year my team soundly kicked his team's tooshies. :)

Eureka!

Shiloh comes out of her room this morning with sunglasses on and exclaims, "Look Mom! My rock and roll is better! I can sing it again!"

What a relief.....

Kid Konversations

Shiloh: I can't rock and roll anymore.
Mom: Why not?
Shiloh: I don't know what's wrong I just can't sing rock....
Mom: Is it broken?
Shiloh: Yea....can you help me fix it?

Hannah: I am going to be a piano player when I grow up.
Mom: I thought you were going to be a rock star with a guitar.
Hannah: Oh, that's just on Mondays and Wednesdays now. On the weekend I am going to play piano.
Mom: What if someone calls and asks you to play the piano on a Wednesday?
Hannah: (thoughtfully) I guess I will have to cancel the rock and roll that day....

Taking a moment to enjoy the view

This morning has been the first time I have been able to just sit down in a week. Obviously understanding my tuckered-outness, Mother Nature has graced me with a beautiful morning. Out my kitchen window I can see Fisherpeak. Beautiful on any day, today it looks particularly mysterious and pretty with a shroud of translucent fog softening it's sharpest edges. As if this wasn't a compelling enough backdrop to my morning cuppa, there is a couple of deer hanging out in the front yard taking in the sights with me as the cars wizz by. To top it all off, my children are actually quiet! To think, even I can a achieve a moment of peace!!

On the Horizon

I am ridiculously tired, sore, and in need of a vacation. I feel like the moment I finish any task there is a bigger one looming before me. I am working far more than 40 hours a week, homeschooling four kids, and still volunteering time for our church. I should really be having a nervous breakdown by now, shouldn't I?

Yet, I have this feeling of anticipation in my toes that keeps me moving. Every day the build-up of things to do get easier to manage. There isn't less to do, I am just getting better at juggling. I can't and won't keep this pace for long, but I don't think I'll have to. Like shadows in a fog, the next opportunities are beginning to take shape. The excitment of watching them become more clearly defined makes the insanity of the pace I am keeping, not only bearable, but exciting!

To quote Suess, "And when things start to happen, don't worry, don't stew.
Just go right along. You"ll start happening too!"

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my Mother's birthday and the only time I have seen her is when she came to help get the girls out of the pool after swimming lessons because Alex stayed home with the sick Sir Levi. Not the celebration I would give her, had she or I the time to spend.

This year Mom and I bonded with a trip back east to see her family and celebrate her parent's 60th wedding anniversary. It was a fabulous trip! I can only speak for myself, but I think it allowed a new dimention of adult relationship to bud between us. (As adult as hummingbird impersonations can be anyway)

My sister has posted a fabulous picture of Mom on her blog, please do go look if you haven't seen it yet. As for myself, however, I am refraining from posting pictures because the only one that would satisfy is the only one Mom made me promise never to post. (But if you see her, ask her about hummingbirds) Happy Birthday!

Good morning Handsome

As I was sitting on the couch taking a breather from the hurried morning exodus, this handsome man walks over to me with a warm and inviting look on his face. Then I sneezed.

Rather that say bless you and offer me his hand to get up, he stops dead in his tracks and says,
"I was going to kiss you but now that you have sneeze fresh in your mouth, I'll wait..."

And this is what it looks like to be married 8 years....

Dainty is as dainty does...or something

We celebrated Hannah's birthday today in true pink Hannah style. Teeny teacups, itty bitty scones, mini cupcakes and pink plastered everywhere! The girls started their party by decorating straw hats. Good practice for becoming red-hatted ladies in some distant future. Once adorned with their pretty bonnets, the girls sat down for tea, high society style, complete with handsome servants. Hannah is all pajama'd up now, and still beaming!

Today

Today is Hannah's 7th birthday! Seven! Where did the time go? Like fine cheese, my sweet girl has aged well. She began life as the least quiet of our bunch, always uncomfortable as a baby. She tested the title of Mother for me. Helpless is the feeling that comes when you know your baby is sick and no one can tell you why outside of labeling her colicky. There were moments in her first year that I thought she would go through life believing I couldn't help her with anything.

However, when her discomfort subsided along with her tears she became one of the most affectionate little girls I have ever known. She worshiped her big brother and climbed on him endlessly. She loved her daddy and would take any chance she got to curl up next to him. And, as my belly grew with the fullness that was to become Shiloh, Hannah was intrigued. When Shiloh finally arrived, she was thrilled!

Now, Hannah is a young lady. Confident and charming, intelligent and pretty. When she is asked to do a chore or help a sibling, her usual response is, "Of course, Mama!" That is not to say she is without any sort of impishness. When left to their devices, she and her big brother are capable of all sorts mischievous acts around the house. She is his faithful student as he teaches her to play chess and her maturity shines through with her good sportsmanship.

Happy birthday sweetheart!

Wake up World

It is 1:30 a.m. and all the living room lights are out on my block. Most people sleep at this "unholy" hour, but not I. No, I have just come in from the cold, and though I am very tired, the cold jolts me wide awake on my way home from work. This is so not what I signed up for.......

The bright side? The moon is very pretty and Cranbrook is still just small enough to see a few stars. How many people actually look at the stars. I mean, really, look at them. I think I may pick up a book on constellations and brush up on my astronomy. That will make coming home at 1:30 in the morning worth it, won't it?

At least there is coffee for the real morning. I am, of course, talking about that time of day when normal people get up, get dressed, and go start their cars. The time of the day when you don't consider picking up books about the stars for the sole purpose of not going insane. It's a good time of day I will never take for granted again. 'Cause, even if you are blurry-eyed, there is usually someone suffering alongside you. Misery loves company and all that. Perhaps I should mount a fog horn to the front of my house and wake the neighborhood when I get home from work so I won't be lonely. That could be fun the first few times........