Hiking!!

On the Holiday Monday last week, swimming isn't the only thing we did. The weather was perfect for a hike. We have never really gone on a hike with both kids. Someone always needed to be in the stroller or backpack carrier (we never found one we liked) and so hiking was just something we didn't do a lot of. Besides, when Nathan and I hike, we like to hike. Not stroll for a few minutes and then be done.

We found out last week that our children are now of age to enjoy a hike lasting more than a few minutes, on a path that is longer than a couple hundred centimeters. :o) In fact, we hiked for an hour.....covering about 2 kilometers! I know, doesn't sound like much, but remember, they are 3 and 5. And the path was filled with ups and downs.

 

 

 

 

What you look like when you get taken out by a tree root......

If it wasn't for this girl, I would not notice every pretty little flower 2.4 cm from the ground.

 

 

 

 

The day was certainly a warm one, so what better way to end a hike than hitting the yogurt shop?!

 

We are excited that this hike may be the first of many with our kids. We can't wait to show them the great outdoors our amazing Creator has made.

And here's a little proof that the day, totally wore out a little 3 year old. Be ready for a good chuckle!!

Lincoln: Dessert?

It's Off and It's Open!!!

I realized while looking on my latest posts, I never did update on Lincoln's cast. Well, this picture will tell you:

After wearing one for almost 4 weeks, we are thankful to have had the cast taken off a couple of weeks ago. So is he! There is still a bruise on the back of his elbow, but it looks waaaaaay better than it did.

It couldn't have come off any earlier, because something is open that we have been enjoying immensely. Yup, our pool!! And guess who was in first?! The poor guy who didn't realize that the water is slightly cooler than the water at the Y.

 

This girl knew it was going to be cold!!

 

"C'mon Keziah - it's not cold for me!!"

And in she goes - without a life jacket! So exciting to watch her swim and do well, even in the deep end.

Showing us her belly flops dives

Loving it, now that he is numb....I mean, used to the water ;)

It is hard to remember that it is only mid-May, as we have been enjoying some absolutely beautiful and summer-like weather. Now that the kids are a bit older, I do believe this pool is going to be used a. lot. Wanna join us?!

Scenerios

"MOM!!!! Come and see this!" Yelled on the top of the lungs, through the house.

"I want my mom!!!" Said when child gets hurt.

"Who is her mother?" Asked at a doctor's office.
"I am."

"I don't want you to do it, I want my mom to do it." Said at a friend's house.

"Mommmmmmmmyyyyyy" Said after not seeing mom due to a day at school.

"That's my mom!" Said with a note of claim to a friend.

What do the above scenarios have in common? They were all scenarios that would put a knife through my heart before we were gifted children by God.

I would hear this day in and day out as a teacher and as a person who had friends that were moms long before me.

So often I would hear a child exclaim excitement that only mom was allowed share in it first.

Seeing my friend busy, I would offer to help a child, only to be told that I am not allowed to by the child because I was not his mom.

I would see the glee on my students' faces whenever mom walked into the classroom. Up until that point, I was everything. But once mom walked in, I got bumped.

I  have overheard the pride in a child's voice when they laid claim of their mother to their new found friends at the playground.

Not every time, but many a time, it would twist my gut. It was so painfully obvious that no matter how much I loved the little people in my life, and they loved me - my nieces, my nephews, my students, my friends' kids - when it came down to it, I just was *not* their mom.

Don't get me wrong - that excitement for their mom was rightly placed. That need of wanting only mom to help was normal and expected. Despite it often hurting so much that I was naturally bumped, I was also thankful to witness this relationship between a mother and her child. It made me long for it as well.

That is why now my heart is often in my throat. My eyes are often flooded. My breath is snatched away from me.

By the grace of God, all those scenarios mentioned above, plus so, so many more, now include ME and my children.

When Keziah comes off the bus or meets me at school and cries out, "Mommmmmmyyyy!!", I am still struck with "Is a child really calling out to me?! Really?! My very own?!".

When Lincoln is tired, or lonely, or nervous and all he wants is me, his mom, I can't help but take him up in my arms.

When we are walking in a parking lot, and both children quietly slip their little hands into mine, I want the time to stop so that I can just savour this moment for longer.

And when I tuck them into bed one last time before I go to bed, and they sleepily look up and say, "Mom. I love you." with sweet-smelling breath, my heart lodges in my throat and tears form in my eyes, and I just want to snuggle them forever.

Yes, God has blessed me beyond measure in many things, one of them being my children. He has used my children to bring me closer to Him, to look to Him for wisdom, encouragement and strength.

I  pray daily for those who find themselves hurting, outside of the above scenarios, praying, wishing, desiring to one day have their own mother-child scenes, or scenarios that include more than one child. May God be your source of comfort.

I praise and thank God for these treasured gifts and continue to pray that He may bless me as their mother - that I may do my best to teach, guide and nurture these two blessings to the honour and glory of His Name. I certainly mess up many times (as you will know by reading this blog), however, with the help of God, my dear husband and lots of forgiveness and grace mixed in there, we are able to enjoy so many scenarios that build up our relationship between mother and children. How blessed am I!

Been Busy.....Refocusing!

With Spring in the air (it actually felt like summer today!!), you can't help but see the earth around you rejuvenated and refreshed, becoming alive again.

And this is exactly what I've been busy with as well the last number of weeks: a big part that needed to be rejuvenated, refreshed and refocused in my life was my parenting. My parenting of a 3 year old.

I couldn't be talking about this handsome blue-eyed innocent looking boy, am I?!?!

Still think he is so innocent looking??! :o)

After a few weeks of frustration and not getting anywhere, thanks to my lack of parenting skills (well, it sure felt like it!), my best friend gave me a book, a book that has totally refocused my parenting from "I am not really liking you right now" to "Man, I enjoy being with you!". And no, it wasn't him that changed first - it was ME! I had to change my ways, my attitude and my actions. And this book helped me to do that (as well as a lot of humbling prayer).

I highly, highly, recommend this book! It put enjoyment back into my parenting, changing the atmosphere in our home from one of frustration to one of pleasure..

Because really, he *IS* such a joy.....so full of life! Those blue eyes show so much expression.

He is a lot of fun and I am so thankful to have had my eyes opened and my parenting rejuvenated. Have I mentioned I highly recommend that book?! ;o)

This boy is a gift to our family - one we are so blessed to have. As is his blessing of a sister.

See Ya For Another Year!

I am talking about the month of March and the first two weeks of April. I have never been so thankful for a month to be done as I was with March. I don't know - that month just did me in. It's hard to be upbeat each and every day, especially if Winter is not your most favourite time of year (and when I speak of Winter, I am not thinking of Winter near the equator......).

But March is long gone (yes, it's taken me this long to even want to think back to that month to write about it), and April is soon to follow.

Despite what I found to be tough days, we still were blessed with snippets of joy, love and good times as a family. No matter how much I may be struggling with my moods, thanks to the dreary weather, when God helps me to open my ears and eyes to the sights and sounds around me, mostly from my children, I am left with a heart that surges with emotion - the good kind.

Like this picture. I had put a picture of the two of them in each of their rooms, up high. The next time I came into her room, Keziah had relocated her picture...."So I can see it every night before I go to sleep." Sob!!!!

That sibling love even carries into the classroom. Another picture that just melts me. The younger brother allowing his big sister to place her protective arm casually around him, to let him know, "Don't worry, I got this."

Together they feed each other's imaginations, which results in some of the most interesting contraptions, like this "tractor":

 

Do they fight? Certainly. They are siblings after all. However, the fighting is few and far between, with them both ending up on the couch on either end for a time-out, which guarantees giggles in a matter of 43 seconds.

The beginning of April was not too different than March, however last week we were treated to some absolutely beautiful weather, and so these two spent hours and hours outside together, wrestling like cubs, playing hide and seek, and enjoying the sandbox:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that it has been rainy and cool again, we are keeping busy inside to keep the grumpies away, by doing crafts and enjoying new clothes for her doll. Oh, and a trip to the library certainly helps as well!!

 

We know that April Showers brings May Flowers, so we shall keep our heads up and deal with it day by day. The difference the grass is amazing! A week ago it was brown. It is now a beautiful green!

What a blessing it is to see things come alive around us - praising God for continuing to care for His creation.

The Saga Continues.....

So, it's been awhile, eh?

Let me bring you up to speed with the Linc Meister.

After spending Tuesday and Wednesday of last week at Sick Kids with Keziah for her 7th surgery (here if interested....), we were discharged in time to bring Lincoln to McMaster hospital on Thursday to the Fracture Clinic.

Is it not pathetic that my children are claiming hospitals?! "I go to my hostible, mom? Not Keziah's hostible?". In fact, just this morning I overheard them comparing their hospitals....what computer games etc.

Off we went to see what was up with his arm. The last time he had x-rays was when the incident had happened, and it was just too swollen to see things.

He was pretty good with going to the hospital, thinking he was going to see Dr. Zuker, Keziah's surgeon :o)

Thinking we might be there for awhile, we came prepared!

Between the doctor coming in and then the nurses, Lincoln became quite nervous. So nervous that he put those fingers in his mouth and that was it. Not a single word out of him, no matter how hard the nurses tried to get him to talk. In fact, they eventually asked me if he even knew *how* to talk! HA!!!! This kid doesn't know how to shut up, er, be quiet!!! ;)

They took off the cast....and lo and behold: his elbow was still swollen, not looking great and still had bruising all down his forearm. And when they touched it? The poor boy jumped like he was being shocked by electricity.

So on went a full plaster cast right away, even before x-rays! That was so they could at least get x-rays, or else it would have been too sore to move around.

And here are his x-rays.....can you find the fracture?

Yeah, neither could the doctor. No fracture. So what then is causing it to be still swollen, sore and bruised??

Well, the doctor then suggested that it could be a dislocated elbow - which is rare for a 3 year old to have, but not surprising due to the circumstances of how it happened. He was not comfortable with how much bruising was still there and so he also thinks there may be tissue damage.

My tough "I refuse to talk to strangers" boy:

He left the new cast on to protect the elbow, and we are to come back in two weeks, next week Thursday, for more x-rays and a plan of what next. That'll be almost 4 weeks in a cast for the boy. But you would never know! He has adjusted so well!! And he LOVES it when people sign it!

Any guesses as to why I haven't dared to step out of my house with these two?!

 So, with last week spending time at Sick Kids and Mac, this week a morning at Sick Kids, and next week a morning at Mac, we seriously don't mind paying our taxes, seeing as we pay for health care when we pay for our taxes. We certainly are making that money go a long way!!

We do hope and pray that things heal up well for Lincoln (and Keziah), and that soon I can do blog posts that are non-medical :o)

Have a good weekend and enjoy this weather!!