Mom Day

Grateful, just grateful.  For all of it.  For the crazy parts, the cuddly parts, the sleepless, the quiet, the noisy, the messy.  I'm so grateful, that not once, but three times I have been so blessed.  I truly feel that I wasn't me until I was a Mom.

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.  ~Lao Tzu

I am very grateful to my sweet Ken.  I told him several times today, "thanks for making me a Mom."


AND I am very grateful to my Mama.  For my Mom's mother's day card I used this picture.

And this quote:

It’s a cliché, of course, but there is no greater love. Everyone tells you that from the moment you are pregnant. I believed them, but now I really know what that love feels like. It’s literally this pulling and tugging sensation at the heart. I understand now why moms would do anything for their kids… anything and everything. There is no better job in the world than being a mom.  

~Natalie Morales

After the Party

Going out in the late afternoon is awkward.  That is prime fall asleep time and when Alice and Kate fall asleep in the late afternoon, well, that is not fun.  Not fun at all.  After Darby's party we invited ourselves over to hang with Grandma and Grandpa.  We were able to give Mom her mother's day cards, have a little visit and maintain a somewhat normal bed time, win, win, win! 

Darby Day

Every time we go to a family birthday party I'm happy and grateful.  I love doing things as a family, so when a birthday party becomes a family fun day, well, what more can I ask for?!  I am so grateful for the group of women that all had babies when I did.  Happy Birthday Darby! 

Cohen Beck

I was so excited to meet this new little babe today.  So excited.  Sweet Sacha, one of my beehives, from when I served as the second counselor in Richmond Hill Ward when I first came home from university, just became a Mama.

She and her hubby Nathan just moved to Barrie, and I couldn't wait to go meet Cohen.  I just couldn't wait!  I didn't want to stay too long and I wanted to be useful, so I brought dinner and Alice and Fiona of course, and we stayed just over an hour?  Or so?  This was the first time in a long, long time that I was truly excited to hold someone else's baby.  And little Cohen slept in my arms almost the whole time we were there.  it was delicious.

Elevensies!

I just feel so thankful when I look at that sweet happy face.  So thankful that my girls live in a society where women have value.  So thankful that all my girls are healthy and happy.  So thankful that they're mine to hug and cuddle and love and teach.

Miss Fiona is eleven months old today.  I am looking forward to her birthday next month.  There is no sadness attached to her turning one because I am taking another year off work, and I am so thankful for that too.

Fiona is attached to me for much of the day.  She stays close and likes me to stay close.  She loves her sisters and she has starting giving kisses and sort of hugs.  She sort of waves, she sort of claps.  Her favourite thing to do is pull herself to standing at the toy box and pull out treasures.  She still makes lots of noises and growls, but words... she kind of says Ma-ma and Da-da with meaning.  She has just started standing unsupported in the last week.  I wonder if she might walk in the next month, but I don't want to get my hopes up!

This past month she has cut two more teeth - she now has fangs on top!  Too cute, and like her big sister Kate.  I need to take a picture before her two front teeth come in.

Fiona (or Fifi as we sometimes call her) is the joy that was promised.  

Amelie Turns 3!

Having good friends is a blessing.  Having good friends around the corner is a double blessing.  I was blessed to meet Michelle in Kindermusik when Kate and Marisol were babies.  I was blessed again when we shared our second maternity leaves together.  And now our sweet number two's are THREE!  It was so fun to be part of Amelie's 3rd birthday party.  We had a great time!

Michelle and Alexei rented a bouncy castle, and Michelle's sister made their swimming pool into a cake.  It was a little wet, but there were clear spots, and no one complained.  Everyone just had a great time!  Happy Birthday Amelie!

I Owe My Mother An Apology

Since becoming a mother I have HATED the term "Mommy-brain".  It seems like such an insult, such a derogatory phrase.  I never use it.  Instead I say that I'm tired, or busy thinking about children.  Busy... that is a bit of an understatement sometimes.

Many years ago, many, we went on a family vacation.  One of the stops was to a beach called Turkey Point on Lake Erie.  While we were there my Mom locked her keys in the trunk.  I'm assuming that Dad's were in there too.  The doors of the car were unlocked, so when it rained we had somewhere to escape to.  CAA did eventually come and unlock the car.  I think Mom cried.  What I do have a very clear remembrance of is organizing my younger siblings in chanting "Point at the turkey, Mom is a turkey", over and over and over again.

On Friday we all drove up to Alliston to pick up the little white car at the dealership.  We turned the trip into a dinner party, and went out to Swiss Chalet.  After dinner, I couldn't find my keys.  I didn't really look very hard for them until we were standing by the van and then they really weren't to be found.  Wonder of wonders we did find them, in the ignition of the van.  I'd never done that before.

Yesterday I took all three girls up to Alliston to an indoor play place.  We'd been there for an hour or so when someone noticed that there was a van with its door open.  Yes, it was mine.  And it was raining.  I'd never done that before.

Today I took all three girls to the community centre in town for Kate and Alice's ballet classes.  Alice had a great class.  Kate had a great class.  Sadly Alice had a total melt down during Kate's class - thankfully it was around the corner and down the hall from Kate's class, as we're not allowed to stay and watch Kate's class.  I didn't start looking for my keys until it was time to go.  They weren't in my coat pocket.  They weren't in the diaper bag.  I knew they had to be somewhere.  At this point we were in the parking lot.  There were my keys sitting on the driver's seat.  Finding my keys was easier than convincing Alice to get into the van, but I digress.

I'm not exactly sure when I lost my mind.  I don't remember losing it.  But I didn't remember leaving my keys in the van, twice either.  I love being a Mom.  I love my crazy busy life.  I love my three girls.  I still refuse to admit that I am suffering from Mommy-brain, but I do need to come up with a way to stop leaving my keys in the van... which brings me to the title of this post.  Sorry Mom for being an incredibly obnoxious kid, rubbing your nose in your forgetfulness which was probably a direct result of having me!

Oh and I almost forgot the best part.  When I took Fiona out of the car seat (out of her bundle bag) at ballet class, I realized that I had never replaced the shoe and sock that had come off on the floor by the couch.   So Fiona spent the hour at ballet class with one shoe and one naked foot.

Yup, no Mommy-brain here.  None.