in pieces

This morning we woke to frost on the ground. And to many of us “hurriers”, it is a serious offence... often because we are running late to the next thing. Having to stop to defrost the car adds minutes you can’t possibly produce. But it happens and you have no choice. You will be late. So you sit and blast the air and crank the windscreen wipers to high (if they can move). If you’re really proactive you may even get a bucket of water out. I remember days in Canada using old CD cases - and in some instances, tape cassette cases to scrape the windows down. We have no time for this kind of nonsense. Not in today’s day and age. But then I stop and I look. And the visual on the windscreen takes my breath away. Fern like patterns display across my window and I am in awe of its beauty. As I wait I am forced to look and really see my Creator lavishing His most beautiful masterpieces before me and I savour and enjoy the brilliance of His work.  To be too hurried to take in t...

I think it’s been 5 years since I last made time to sit and write here... A huge part of that is the lack of time , creativity, and energy to do it. It’s been good to record  details in snippets on FB so I don’t forget the seasons, but now that the boys are finally in Grade 1 and Aliyah is in Kinder (pre-school) it has created some space for me to consider writing again.... My friend Tara (who has her own set of twins) said it best... when the kids turn 5 there will be a big celebration! All 3 of mine have finally reached that magic number. Gone are the days of sheer exhaustion and what felt like unending wild chaos. Thank goodness! Now it’s just a “general tiredness” that stealthily sneaks its weariness in when I stand still. The kids sleep through the night, go to the toilet, and dress themselves without too much help from me. That’s a huge win. They are also getting better at making their own breakfast, putting their toys away, and cleaning their rooms,  which ...

It has been a busy season!  The kids keep growing up and I'm trying to heed the advice given to me to enjoy the early years as much as possible because this season passes too quickly.   Yet as much as I live in the moment, I can't believe how quickly the time is passing. Aliyah is rolling around trying to crawl, playing with and throwing toys, interacting with people, babbling, and eating solid foods!  She had her 6 month  immunisations yesterday and she is doing well.  She is chubbier than the boys were so I think she responds to the shots better than they did (full term vs premie).   She loves people and is so friendly already - her whole body lights up when she smiles.  Her hair is still gorgeously dark and her eyes seem to be blue so far!  Her brothers are so good with her still, and they often try to help her settle by bringing her toys or tickling her toes - sometimes they like to cuddle her by "laying on top of her!".  But s...

The love for each other is overwhelming in our family... 

I can't believe that Aliyah will be 11 weeks this week and the boys will be reaching 21 months next week! It has been a good few weeks now that I'm not feeling as ill as I was.  Aliyah is starting to make a routine which is helping me out immensely. The colic is starting to lesson - Thank God!  It allows me to plan and organise better which gives me much less stress and much more rest! It has been a week though where the boys have been exploring their boundaries. And of course I want to do everything "right"! And instead find myself yelling in exasperation "Haven't I just told you NOT to do that 3 times already today?" And one kid looks at me innocently as in "Mom, what's the big deal?" And the other shouts back, "no,no,no!" "So you DO know then? You're just seeing how far you can push mommy today?" Great!!! What? Oh! You DIDN'T want me to pull the tissues out and rip them up into tiny bits!? Yesterday ...

Levi shows off his bravery.  (the next video I filmed, I didn't post as he fell and hit his head!) Aliyah shows us how she can smile I thought I had video of Kai drumming but can't find it - But here are two photos enjoying drumming inside with 2 harmonicas and daddy's drums, and outside he found a stick and a stump to use...

It has been wonderfully sunny this week which has helped my mood immensely.  I'm so thankful that the kids are mostly finished with this dreaded cold & flu.   It has made this week so much easier to take on too.  But poor Levi had a longer stint of sickness with a fairly high fever one day that finally passed.  I have managed to catch the virus and have struggled with an inner ear infection alongside of another bout of mastitis.  Once the antibiotics begin to work, I imagine everything will be even better. Hallelujah Aliyah has begun to sleep throughout the night.  But for some reason the more sleep we get, the more aware of how tired we are.  Leigh is an absolute champ through these past few weeks of sickness too, waking at night to help me care for Aliyah and the boys, and still rising early to get to work in the mornings.  It's amazing how one can function on such lack of sleep but he's happy to do it, and won't do it any other way. ...

Last night I had a dream that I was caught in a series of tornadoes.  I'm not much of a dream interpreter, but I've learned that often your dreams are subconscious out-plays of what's going on in or around you. Perhaps you don't have to be a guru to see the parallels to my current situations, but I still browsed a "dream symbol" site for their insight.  It said, " To see a tornado in your dream suggests that you are experiencing some extreme emotional outbursts and temper tantrums... To dream that you are in a tornado means that you are feeling overwhelmed and out of control... To see several tornadoes in your dream represent people around you who are prone to violent outbursts and shifting mood swings".   I would never suggest to anyone that a dream website is the way to completely interpret or analyse your life, but boy this seems dead on this time! Extreme emotional outbursts?  check! Temper tantrums?  (mine or the kids) check! Feeling overwh...

We're finally in to winter.  The rains have come, keeping us inside for longer resulting in a bit of cabin fever.   Leigh and I were fortunate enough to get out this past weekend and go to a hockey game in Melbourne - Canada vs USA - and it was great to get out and about and get a break for a bit. Go Team Canada! The boys are constantly on the go, and being stuck inside because of the weather doesn't stop their enthusiasm either.  In fact, they continue to grow bolder and more curious, and it worries me somewhat.    All I want to do is protect them and keep them safe, but I know I can not.   I am proud of their achievements and see such different abilities and strengths in each of them. Levi - Almost 20 Mon ths Levi loves cars! Levi has such a sweet nature about him.  He loves to spend time with his family, and absolutely adores his sister.  Throughout the day, he'll often come over to give her a cuddle and a "pat" ...

Levi's smashed foot It's been a tough week, but there were some really great moments too.  I've decided to remember the positives.  I think my top five favourites this week were (in no particular order) 1 - Watching Levi shower Aliyah with kisses and hugs.   The boys absolutely adore her, and I hope that will always be the case.  They love to kiss her and touch her hands.  It is so tender and special to watch.  I hope they are never jealous of each other.  I am careful to spend time with each child, but the difficulty lies in the moments when more than one child require your attention.   I have such a hard time knowing what to do in these cases.  Will they remember those moments when I went to their brother or sister instead of them?  Will it affect how they feel loved and in turn how they love others?  Or will it teach them to become stronger?  Will they learn to put others before themselves?  I can only ho...