Our Family Rhythm

You know when you're reading a good book, how you can't put it down? I find those books have a sort of rhythm to the words. Not in the way of a rhyme or beat, but just that cadence that draws you in and carries you through the pages effortlessly, with great intrigue. It's easy, it's fun, it's interesting. You enjoy it, want more of it, and hate for the last page to come. Families are the same. There's a rhythm to the days that you come to enjoy and expect. Yet, more often than not, that rhythm inevitably changes and you find yourself in the pages of a new story.

For the past five plus months, our family has enjoyed a very nice, peaceful rhythm. As some of you know, Des had taken a leave of absence from his ad agency position and, from August until last week, he had been home with us. While the instigation for the change was not ideal, having him home was awesome. We quickly settled into our new routine and the changed cadence of our days.

Two parents to one child - albeit one very sleepless child - made life a lot more sane. We settled into taking turns on the night shifts and early morning shifts. We could trade off on midday naps when necessary {which was much more often than we would have preferred}. Mid-week afternoon coffee dates were a common occurrence, as we were walks and hikes and hanging out in our PJs. One of us would do grocery runs and banking and other errands sans baby, getting it done faster and at more convenient times, while the other enjoyed playtime and snuggles at home. We could head out of town to Nanny's on a whim and stay as long as we wanted {thanks again Nanny!}. The rhythm of our days, even if they followed many a sleepless night, was good.

More importantly, HP got to spend lots of one-on-one time with each parent and even more time as a family together. That his first word was Dada is evidence enough for me that having Des home with us was worth the financial strain {let's be honest two people on leaves from work does not pay well}. In fact it was so worth it that it makes me want to advocate for all families being able to benefit from some joint parental leave time. Especially in those very early days when life goes topsy-turvy on you. Alas, I expect the national EI system wouldn't be so quick to pay out. I digress.

Last week, those family days came to an end. Late in 2011 Des resigned his agency position and accepted a new gig, which he started last Monday. Des went off to work, coffee in hand, waving bye-bye from the driveway. Then it was just me and HP for the whole day, for the first time perhaps in months. The rest of the week came and went. While Des went off to work, HP and I filled our days with play + snuggles + naps. We got groceries together, a little slower than going solo, but fun too. We ran errands - I was never so grateful for drive-through banking and coffee shops before! I figured out that morning naps are better times to fit in my run and, if lucky, a shower too. We met other mamas-n-babes for a winter walk in the park and a post-walk cocoa, so nice. We visited Grandma and cousins. We even fixed a car.

Before we knew it, the weekend was here and daddy was home again. This week we're planning more of the same. The rhythm of our family has changed. The cadence of the days is different and we're getting used to the way it feels now. Like any good book, I was enjoying the story of three at home so much I almost dreaded the arrival of that last page. Yet, at the same time, I was so very happy to see what would come next, what the sequel would hold in store if you will. So far, the rhythm of the sequel feels ok too.

The Story of Today

In doing the Project Life album over the past 3+ weeks, I've realized how full and busy our weeks seem to be. Yet, in the midst of those weeks are mostly quiet, ordinary days. I guess its when you add them all up, the little ordinary moments write an extraordinary story. The story of today is more on the quiet and ordinary. The simple story of today includes:

    - Starting as a two car family for the first time in years.
    - Round one of playtime, snack time, and nap time.
    - Re-rolling the toilet paper. Again. Sigh.

    - Much easier-than-expected baking for a weekend dinner. Love that.
    - A few storybooks with momma and on his own.

    - More playtime, snack time and, with any luck, nap time.
    - An overdue trip to the grocery store on the agenda, baby permitting.
    - Some form of fish for supper, accompanied by veggies galore. Mmmmm.

    - After work cuddles and pre-bedtime fun with daddy.

    - And hopefully some reading and craft time for momma in there somewhere.

Nothing fancy, nothing exciting. Just an ordinary day contributing to our extraordinary life.
Yep, that's the story of today.

Project Life 2012: Week 2

On the weekend I read a bittersweet, yet heartwarming blog post by Vicki of MotherBlogger. Her posts are always emotion-evoking, usually in the form of happy, genuine laughter as you can relate to her most recent tell-it-like-it-is mothering experience. This post, however, evoked an mix of empathy, appreciation, and sadness as she shared the story of a letter from her late father to her nephew.

As she notes the letter, written long before her father's death, "a paper portal into how wonderfully, unforgettably crazy he was. When the memory of him starts to fade — the inevitable desaturation of time — we need only reach for this letter and there he is, his voice plain as day in that beloved scrappy handwriting."  You can read Vicki's post full here, though I recommend you grab a tissue.

In reading the story she so generously shared with us, I was reminded of why I've embarked on this journey of documenting a year in our lives in the form of Project Life. In some way, this is my letter. Through these photos, word, and little snippets I am hoping to capture what our everyday looks like. These are the moments that make up the story of our life together. I am creating this book for right now, to help me focus on the present. I am creating this book for many tomorrows from now, so all three of us can look back and remember. And while I hope my days are plentiful yet, I am creating this book as part of my family legacy - leaving something for Hudson and his family to enjoy years down the road.

With that in mind, here's a glance at Week 2 in the Project Life Album less one insert page that I'm still working on covering D's excursion to Montreal. I'll share that with Week 3.

This is the two page spread, plus a card from D's sister. I just punched a hole in the card and the envelope it came in and stuck it in. The card included some photos from the holidays, so I used the envelope to hold a few of those in the album.

The left side. A couple of the stories captured here include the seemingly constant 'no' we're saying to HP as he continuously stands up to the TV stand, playing guitar with Poppy, and HP's first mall ride with his cousin Logan. The to-do list is of the things I wanted to remember to do before heading out to mom's for a few days. I just used one of the cards from the kit to jot the list down and then added letters. Done and done.

Add caption

The right side: On this side you see the stories of our new Jetta, the sickness that drowned us early in the week, and Hudson fascination with doggies and how they crack him up. He laughs like tickle me elmo every time!

This is a card that opens up to allow for more journalling. In this one I've written a letter to HP about just holding him while he napped when he was sick. This is so not something we do regularly, but it seemed to be the only way he'd settle that day. I wanted to share that whole story with him. To the right of that is something much more mundane, our grocery list.

This page also captured the story of HP's first word ... da da da, spoken first on January 8 and then continued repeatedly ever since!

These really are the little stories that add up to a much bigger one. I am so grateful to be telling it.

Right now...

Right now I am:

... surviving sleep training. After months of interrupted sleep, we decided it was time to give it a try. More on the process and how its working {or, heaven forbid, not working} for us in weeks to come.

... researching new car seats. Hudson is reaching the end of the weight range for his infant car seat {please tell me where that pause button is, I can't seem to find it!}, so we're in the market for an infant/toddler convertible seat. Reccos welcomed.

Hey mom, I think I'm getting a little long for this one ... and I'm almost to heavy too!

... wondering what to do with my wedding dress. It's been hanging in the closet for 3 years now. Do I box it up and keep it? Sell it? Donate it? Repurpose it? I dunno ... any ideas?

strike a pose!

... christmas shopping. Yep, that's right, Halloween isn't even here yet and I'm already crossing off items on the list. Let's hope you've been nice. Or better yet, naughty.

... working on a guest blog post for another mama-blogger south of the border. Should be posted in early November I think, but don't worry, I'll keep you in the loop via my bloggo.

... looking forward to my weekend away. I'm heading out on a three-day, two-night scrapbook retreat with a bunch of other fabulous ladies. I can't wait!!! Though I fully expect to request that my handsome Hudson drop by for a visit on Saturday ...we'll see.

... running a bit more. It's tough to schedule it in, especially since it's an outdoor activity for me right now and sometimes naps or the weather make that iffy. Fortunately, Hudson likes the jogging stroller, so when he's awake and it's decent out, it's a go. It'll be easier again once/if the treadmill arrives.

... savouring crisp fall weather. Really enjoying getting out with Hudson and breathing in that cool fresh air. I'm sure we both sleep better because of it! 

Enjoying pre-bedtime backyard fire on an unusually warm fall evening



On one of our several fall hikes on the east coast trail

... sorting through baby clothes. We're pulling summer stuff out of the closet and the winter stuff out of the storage bins. We're packing up borrowed stuff that's now much too small to return to original owners. We're bringing out the next size up. Again, where in the world is that pause button?

What about you, what's filling your days right now?

TGIF

This week just seemed to fly by. I guess that was because it was jammed packed. There was the holiday Monday and visits with family and friends. Tuesday there was a visit to my office, a haircut and a trip around the bay. Wednesday was blocked, bringing Hudson to Auntie Jodie for his first sleep over, hightailing it back to town for a shower, the wine show {awesomeness} and a much later night than I’d planned. Yesterday was a semi-sleep, followed by a quick brunch and back around the bay to collect my little man, which turned into another sleep over at Nanny’s.

After a go-go-go kind of week, I was looking forward to heading back to town this morning with H and kick-starting a quiet weekend at home. I had planned to upload some photos to an already-written blog post about travelling with baby and calling it quits for some R&R. I packed up the bags and baby gear. I loaded a fed, changed and clothed baby who was ready for a nice long nap into the car seat. I flicked on some Basia Bulat for the drive and we were off.

Alas, we got about a half a kilometre up the road when I hit a big rut in the pavement. Followed almost immediately by a thump-thump-thump. Sigh. A flat. Back to Nanny and Poppy’s we went. I put on some fresh coffee. I put Hudson down for a nap. And now we wait for Poppy to come back and change the tire.  So much for starting a quiet uneventful weekend at home.

TGIF. And TG for Nanny and Poppy.

Happy Labour Day

Labour Day always feels like the end of summer even though the official end is still a few weeks away. Even when the warm weather is lingering and we hold onto hope for that coveted Indian Summer, Labour Day still feels like last hurrah of season. I suppose that's because it is usually associated with the return to school, the first fall month and the end of vacation days for most.

Like many people, our little family has some great plans to celebrate the long weekend with family and friends. There's a short road trip, a double 50th-birthday celebration, plenty of eating and sociables, and {hopefully} some R&R on the agenda. I'll be making one of these tasty pans of goodness for the party crowd and I'm pretty sure it'll be a crowd-pleaser.

What`s different this year though is that I`m pish-poshing the notion that summer is gone with the weekend. I`m not returning to work, there`s no school starting for us and, besides, I still have a few items to check off that summer to-do list.  So come Monday, I plan to continue enjoying summer until it's last official day of the year!

Happy Labour Day weekend!

Summer

Summer has finally seemed to arrive here on the Avalon. Or at least the last two days have been sunny and warm and today is *supposed* to say ditto. Better late than never I s'pose. So please excuse me while I take today to soak it all in before the rain strikes again (tomorrow if Environment Canada is accurate). Who knows what the day holds in store, but I'm willing to bet it'll include some more of this goodness:

me and my dude - summertime and the livin' is easy

Slather on the sunscreen folks and get the stink of house of you. Enjoy the day and I'll meet you back here tomorrow with my finished Week in the Life 2011 album.

Thirty-Three Thankful Things

Today is my 33rd birthday and what better way to celebrate than to count my blessings! So please indulge me as I list of thirty-three things I'm thankful for on this my thirty-third year of life:

1. My husband. The best ever.
2. My boy. The best ever.
3. My family. Both the one I was blessed to be born into and the one I was lucky enough to marry into.
4. More specifically, my mother. The best ever. {ok I'll stop that now}.
5. My faith. God is good.
6. Having family close by. 
7. My health. Certainly something I don't take for granted.
8. Running. Running is a privilege, not a right and I know that, even when I don't like it.
9. Being Canadian.
10. Having a roof over my head, especially one that I truly love.
11. My closest girlfriends {you know who you are}. Life wouldn't be the same without them.
12. Dark Chocolate.
13. Wine.
14. Pasta.
15. Maternity leave.
16. Buying new jeans in my pre-preggo size. Yep, did that yesterday. Yay me!
17. Good books. Most recently, The Help & Water for Elephants.
18. Sunshine {when we get to see it}.
19. The fresh salt water air that surrounds me.
20. Having paid off my student loan in early 2011, years earlier than expected.
21. Having a job I can say I like.
22. Scrapbooking.
23. Photographs. They tell the stories of our lives, they keep our memories fresh.
24. Having travelled to many places on my "must see" list already, including London, Italy, France, Ireland, Scotland, NYC, San Diego, Cuba and almost every province in Canada. Many more places left to see and hopefully many years ahead to see them.
25. Having a good education.
26. Having the right to vote.
27. Sleep-in mornings {though they`re few and far between these days}.
28. Hot showers.
29. Public health care. Don`t ever take that for granted.
30. The Internet. Blogs, Facebook, Google, Wikipedia. Man, what did we ever do without it?
31. The smell of woodsmoke in the fall {or in August if you`re in NL this summer}
32. A clean house. Even if I`m the one who has to clean it.
33. 33 years of wonderful life and memories.



Me enjoying yummy Moo Moo's ice cream cake on my 32nd birthday
We'll see what's in store for this birthday as the day unfolds!



a {perfect} day for...

Well, it's another rainy, drizzly, foggy day here in Newfoundland making it the perfect day for...

... hanging out in pajamas til at least noon.

... sipping on coffee (in said pajamas til noon!)



... crafting a card or two, maybe inspired by something pinned here

... working on my week in the life album - the words are written and it's onto picture editing & printing.

... playing and reading and talking inside

What about, how are you spending your Friday?

Whatever you do, I hope it's the start of a very happy weekend.

Week In The Life 2011 - Wed & Thurs

I'm still enjoying capturing a week in our life this year and reflecting on how wonderfully different it is from the last time I did it. If you missed my Monday and Tuesday recap, check it out here. And for your viewing pleasure, here are a few of my favorite snaps from Wednesday and Thursday:

More morning smiles - really the best way to start any day!

I love how this picture shows my perspective while driving- always glancing back to check on those sweet cheeks

A successful trip to the grocery store

A quick lunch before heading off to our playdate
 (I have cute pics of the playdate too, but not sharing here as I didn't ask permission of the other mamas!)

mmm breakfast

One of our many ways to play - he's a bit of a narcissist really ;)

More cuddles and playtime

I think it's important to capture the ordinary along the extraordinary parts of our everyday 

Hudson is just (barely) figuring out the jolly jumper, he mostly likes to just hang there

Happy when he realizes it's daddy taking him out of the car - after daddy being gone for a couple of days



paper goodness from the Paperie

new recipe ...  kale chips ... recipe will be shared next week

sweet sleepy boy

Hope your week is shaping up nicely too.

Week in the Life

You may recall I wrote about finally finishing my 2010 Week in the Life album here ... and even though it took me until 2011 to complete, I'm so glad to have it. Already looking back at it shows how so much can change in so little time - uhm baby anyone?

This week, I'm again joining Ali Edwards in documenting a Week in the Life 2011. I'm not sure I'm going to use the digital templates this go around ... maybe, maybe not. I'm also not sure I'm going to focus on the time theme she's chosen throughout, maybe on one or two days. Overall, I just plan to capture what life looks like for us Right Now.

So far, a few of my favorite photos from the last couple of days that show our everyday life around here are:

Love that I finally need sunscreen after many rainy days

Nothing like those `good morning`smiles as I peer in over the crib

Daddy and boy, enjoying a snack break in the sun

I can`t get enough of those baby blues!

So typical - walking and working at the same time

Enjoying some fro-yo with fresh strawberries for dessert, on the deck in the sun to boot!

Hanging out back with the fam, enjoying the boys first fire in the pit

All smiles for the diaper change, holding Sophie tight

What mornings look like around here these days: boy plays on his beloved bee mat while mama sits close by
enjoying a coffee, checking emails and of course chatting with him

Enjoying some tummy time and building up those arm muscles for crawling

At Bowring Park for a hike with a bunch of other mamas and babes

Reading time (note the naked babe and fan nearby, it was a hot afternoon!)

And for fear someone think I have an ever-pleasant child, here`s the typical `Feed Me Now` face

Of course, those are just a few snaps out of the hundreds taken over the last few days, but they give a good look at the everyday around here Right Now.

What does your everyday look like?

Savouring The Moment

Just a moment I want to remember. Walking and dancing with the boy, brightening an otherwise dreary day.

Making the Most of Summer

There's something about the summer that boosts the spirit and relaxes the soul. I find myself more willing to abandon chores and savour the moments. I guess it's the boost of Vitamin D and warmth of the sun's rays. Or perhaps it's just knowing that summer in these parts is so short-lived. Either way, I plan to make the most of the next couple of months and enjoy the warm summer days and long summer nights. Here are few of the things on my summer to-do list:

1. A few more Saturday mornings at The Rocket with my men. So love that they kept the common area from when it was Auntie Crae's and that they serve the sweet pastries, rich coffee and savory treats.

Having a yarn over coffee, sweets and the weekend paper. Love.

2. Some hiking with the boy on board in his new carrier and sporting the SPF gear we picked up for him downtown.

some cute in the spf stuff :)

3. A visit to the Ferryland Lighthouse. It's an annual tradition for D & I that I'm eager to continue now that we are three.

The food is delish, the view amazing and the experience just wonderful. A must-do for tourists and locals alike.

4. Sitting around the fire in our backyard with wine in hand, at least once (or twice or thrice, now that would be nice!).

We have a different fire pit these days, but the experience is the same.

5. Our first official roadtrip with the little guy.

6. A visit to the beach.

7. Introducing Hudson to swimming at the pool. I'm thinking our visit to the beach/the ocean might be a bit cold for his first experience!.

8. Completing my first post-baby 10km run. I survived a 5km one with some walking on the weekend and enjoyed another 5km yesterday, shaving a couple of minutes of my weekend time, so easy as she goes on this one.

9. Scrapbooking a few pages about the little man. Perfect rainy day activity.

10. Reading. I'm already well underway with this, almost finished The Help by Kathyrn Stockett and enjoying it immensely.

11. An out-of-province excursion, complete with Hudson's first plant ride and catching up with great friends.

12. Lots of dining al fresco on the deck with my hubby.

Again, we have a new BBQ these days, but the experience is the same!

I'm sure there will be many other wonderful experiences woven among these as well, making summer as full and complete as I'm hoping it will be. What about you, what's on your summer to do list? How do you plan to make the most of the short-lived long summer days?