Seasonal ramblings and moving.

Well it looks as if this poor neglected blog took the backseat to life, again. Constantly struggling with the need to write, be creative and my mom life. One day,  I hope soon those two things will be able to coexist. But until then, a few thoughts....

We are finally entering Spring up North here. Lots of sunshine melting the snow piles away and lots of smiles to go along with it. It was a very long, cold winter. Many of the days too cold to go out unless you had too. Days the car wouldn't start and the window drafts would chill our bodies. But thankfully we are well on our way to spring. I am putting away the winter gear with no fear of having to pull it all out again as I had to three weeks ago. It's sweater weather! And we are thrilled! 

A photo of my baby girl enjoying some fresh snow a few weeks. Too cute to not share. 

We have been enjoying parks now that they are dried up, sand toys, slides and swings. The boys are happy to let all that pent out energy and Madeline is finding new independence as she climbs ladders and goes down slides all by herself this year. It truly is a new season for our family. We can do more now and it feels really good. We are all looking forward to new adventures. 

Speaking of new adventures we are moving back West in 3 weeks. Excited for this new adventure and as always scared and nervous for the challenges that moving always brings. Including 8 days in a car with 4 kiddo's. We are prepping with audio books, new colouring books and a new movie to keep them happy. My husbands job has our family on the go a lot but this will be the last one for our family for 8-10 years. We are looking for somewhere to call home and we have a really good feeling about this one. 

Our new adventure brings us a tiny farming town and a tiny home to go along with it. 1,100 square feet of space for our family of six! The children have to share rooms and no room for a play room just a small living area with a nice wood fireplace. We are getting rid of things the children do not play with, with the help from them. Talking a lot about our new home, sharing, and long road trips. I'm going to have to get creative to make this space comfortable for all of us but I'm up to that challenge. Luckily for us, they are so good with moves. Resilient. Moving brings them excitement. This is the boys fourth move in just over four years (and fourth province!) so I guess they have had practice. So thankful for them to teach me over and over again how to look at the bright side of things. 

And a few moments recently that make me smile:

Movie nights including Popcorn and Norm of the North. The kids loved it. Their giggles were definitely worth the vacuuming that needed to be done after these kiddos eat popcorn.

His expression, priceless! 

This guy, so handsome. 

And this little lady helping with the chores. She totes her little broom and dust pan around. She loves to help with everything. My happy little helper. 

I truly hope your spring is going well. Lots of sunshine, picnics and bubbles. 

Xoxo. 

Seems like an eternity...

Well hello poor neglected blog. I never meant for this to be so long away, heck, I never do but it is what it is. We have been busy living our lives this past summer and Fall. Park play dates, water table fun, walks on trails with our puppy and so on. It hasn't been anything exciting and over the top but we thrive on normalcy so it was all so very good.

The little area we live in is fairly quiet leaving us to a deserted parking lot to safely ride bikes, scooters and skateboards in. We truly love the freedom that this has given the kids to play. We still practice the road rules but have fun too! Madeline loved to sit on the skateboard and scoot around. She was pretty quick once the summer came to an end as well.

     Pirate park adventures. 

Our summer was fairly wet and chilly but ended hot well into autumn.The milder fall temperatures are very welcome as we usually have snow by Halloween.

We had the pleasure of being all together without school getting in the way or sports practices to run to. As Rhys gets older and would rather play street hockey or go bike riding I'm constantly struggling to find things such a diverse age group can get into. I think we found a great balance this summer. Rhys maturing so much, enjoying the big brother status much more. 

Making bug homes were a huge hit with the little boys (maybe not so much for the bugs) as they love all things creepy crawly. 

Enjoying a long nap after playing hard all morning. This sweet girl does a pretty impressive job at keeping up with her brothers. 

We said goodbye to our summer days quickly and jumped right back into routine. Both little boys in preschool and Rhys back in school all day. Once again we wait on news from Curtis' work as another move is in our near future. Not even 2 years here. This is a welcome change since living somewhere the language is not your own is exhausting on so many levels. So we wait to hear with hopes heading to Western Canada is in the cards for our family. Uprooting the littles in our family is hard and I often wonder how this will effect them as they get older. Rhys has already been to 3 different schools.... I crave stability. Is it bad that our closets still have boxes I haven't unpacked in them from 18 months ago. As welcome as this is, always so hard to pick up and move across the country. An update hopefully soon.

Until then my little goof troop readies for winter in silly ways. New boots and goofy hats. Celebrating fall birthdays, Christmas shopping and normal day to day chores to keep us busy.

Yummy pork roast with apples and apricots that make the entire home smell like fall. Seriously love baking/cooking with apples right now.

Olliver turned 4 last week and it just seems so big! It's like overnight he grew. Over the past few months that sweet hint of a lisp almost vanished, he is independent, smart and still so very passionate. We celebrated all things Ollie on Thursday and now the next few weeks the little boys tell everyone they meet they are four. Try explaining that one to people, in French!?? It's been interesting I tell you.

Until next time, and hopefully there won't be an eternity in between posts. Lots of love, from my family to yours. 

Xoxo.

These Days.

The mornings are still pretty cool here in Northern Canada. We wake up requiring socks before heading down the stairs. The boys ask eagerly, "Will it be a sunny day?" Unfortunately there has been a lot of rain these days. Although there has been enough breaks that we can sneak outside to ride bikes, go for walks, and play with friends a little. Where oh where is summer? I'm sure it will arrive soon enough but never stays long enough for my liking.

We wrapped up school last week for Rhys and at the end of May for Tristan's Nursery School. Our days are now not ran on a schedule and we like that a little. Although our kiddos have always been routine lovers sometimes going with the flow is good for them. Our summer plans are sticking around home and lots of family time. Nothing elaborate but hopefully creating memories in the hearts of our little's.  I have learned over the years that what sticks is the time we spend not the money and over the top trips. They remember playing Nerf Tag with Mummy and Daddy, making crowns, pillow fights with brothers, and little sister learning how to give kisses. These are the days.

Can you believe this girl is already 14 months old?!?

Stinky blanket love.

Ollie showing Madeline how to do her puzzle.

Reading together.

Practising Thankfulness:

I'm afraid to admit that lately I have been caught up in the "I wants" of life. I see all these beautiful things on Etsy and these wonderful rooms in the Pottery Barn catalogue or on the Ikea website. Wanting all these things I don't necessarily need. I had to step back and look at the home that Curtis and created. We are comfortable, We have everything we could possibly need plus more. Being more aware of the fact that my wants are getting in the way of appreciating what I am so lucky to have.

I have been more aware of how I am wording or responding to the wants of my children. After all, I want them to be thankful as well. How is that possible if their Mama is always wanting as well.  How do you practice thankfulness in your home with your children?



Some more of our moments:

Goofy boy "helping" unload the dishwasher.

Daddy and his baby girl.

Big Brothers.

Happy Big guy.

Well it's now late and my eyes are getting heavier. I am a early to bed type of girl as the morning seem to always come at the crack of dawn. I am done arguing so I get up and embrace the the day, say Good Morning with a smile on my face at 5am and cuddle with the little ones. So I'm off to get some rest!

Good night friends,

Tasha

Xoxo.

A day in our life.

Monday ~ April 13, 2015.

The ever so faithful Monday came with the promise of warm weather. This makes it easier to climb out of bed before the sun. For some reason the kids all sleep in on the day that we need to get up and moving. It is Curtis' first day back at work at his unit. He has been away for three months and then took a week of leave to settle back in. It always takes a bit for us all to get used to living together again. 

I tiptoe down the stairs with wishful thinking I can get Rhys ready for school and see Curtis off for the day without waking them. It's pretty rare they sleep past 6. I get my tea ready. Im pretty useless without my first tea in the morning. A little grumpy. It's my cup full of sunshine that helps me get through the wee hours of the morning.

Rhys is also a bear in the morning, I wish I could say he didn't get that from me. I rub his back, he rolls over, pretends not to hear me, grumbles something. Great, he's in teenage mode this morning. I rub his back again. Trying my gentler methods of waking him before I resort to poking him and whipping open his curtains... Most often it ends that way anyways. This boy loves his sleep. Once he is up, and I know he isn't going to fall back asleep as I walk out the door we argue for the next few minutes whether  or not he needs a shower. He really does. But is going through his smelly stage and doesn't want to take one. Boys are gross, what can I say. I win and he jumps in while I head back downstairs to start making breakfast. 

Coming down the stairs I notice that grumpy bear #2 is now awake. Sitting on the sofa waiting for his warm milk. Curtis is up rummaging through the kitchen getting his lunch packed and breakfast done. Tristan waits patiently while watching some Daniel Tiger. I fetch some breakfast which is Alphabits and fruit on the side this morning. We don't have cereal every morning but I am feeling a little lazy and this Monday is a cereal

Kind of morning. 

Rhys heads downstairs smelling like Old Spice. He sits at the table and waits for his breakfast. We don't usually all eat together week days mornings. Rhys needs to catch his bus at 7 am so I get him all ready, fed and out the door and then the three little ones and I go at our own pace. This is a little different on Tuesday and Thursday mornings since Tristan goes to nursery school.  

I still miss him when he goes to school. I have never been eager to have them spend so many hours away. But this is the way it is. 

I can hear a faint cry from the monitor. And a little sweet echo calling "mommmmy" from upstairs. I go upstairs to get them. I fetch Madeline from her crib before helping Olliver down from the bunk bed as she was getting upset waiting. As I get Olliver down I notice he is all wet. He has leaked through his pull up. Frustrated I wonder to myself, will he ever be completely toilet trained??  Madeline looks at books as I help him get undressed and  pop him into the shower. Tristan comes upstairs to see what we are doing and Curtis calls up to let me know he is leaving. A quick kiss goodbye and we go about our morning. 

Olliver gets all rinsed off and insists on going back in pajamas. That's okay since we have no where to be this morning. And we all head downstairs. While I add milk to their cereal and put fruit in their bowls they watch a few more minutes of cartoons. Usually something on PBS. I turn the tv off once we have breakfast for the morning. Usually only turning it on again for transition times or when I make meals. 

We sit down together, I sip my tea and Madeline tries to share her Cheerios with us. We talk about our plans for the day. Lots of suggestions, going to the beach, to the park, getting our sand toys out, and so on. We still have quiet a bit of snow so bubbles and tricycles out front is what we settle on. 

We loose ourselves in the sunshine since this is the first time we have been able to enjoy the spring like weather. Bikes and bubbles in how April is supposed to look.

After an hour and a half we head inside to get lunch ready and I need to tidy and clean the bathrooms. Madeline is tugging on her ear which usually means nap time is quickly approaching. We are trying to skip the morning nap and just do a longer afternoon nap but she keeps falling asleep. 

The boys head to the play room downstairs and I attempt to tidy up their morning messes. 

Leaving a pile of splash pants and rubber boots in the door way. 

Madeline slept for 10 minutes at the most before she woke up again. I will try again later. I aim to get all three down at once in the afternoon. 

  

Lunch needs to be made by noon since

Rhys is home the lunch hour. 

A little time in the afternoon to myself. I usually have a tea and read and then get supper prepped. Having what I can do early done makes the evenings run a little smoother. I'm used to being on my own during the witching hour so I do whatever I can. I need the silence to refresh so I usually turn off the tv and music. Silence is hard to come by in a home of 6 people so I don't waste it when it is possible.

The curtains blowing from the wind, my tea is still hot. The house quiet for a few moments. It's perfect.

Little do I know a half hour later I hear a

Sweet baby girl chatting to herself upstairs. I listen for a little while with hope that she lays back down. A half hour is not long enough. She isn't going back

down. I tiptoe across the creaky floor of this old townhouse and quiet Madeline as  we come back down. 

She looks wide awake. Clutching her blanket (which we lovingly call stinky blanket) while I change her. 

Madeline is quiet. She explores quietly. Plays with her toys. We read books and cuddle while her brothers sleep. I probably should be thankful and 3 and 4 they still need their quiet time. 

Supper simmers on the stove. African peanut stew is in the menu tonight. The smell of curry carrying through the house.  I couldn't stand it in university as I walked through my apartments hallways. Now I don't mind it, probably because it won't always smell that way. 

Tristan is quietly sneaks down the stairs. Asking to watch a show. I put Disney Junior on and Olliver calls shortly after that.

They watch me pack up our winter clothes. I am keeping some light hats and mitts out for chilly mornings. I know we have a few more of those before wear done with winter. Generally once we hit May we are safe. 

 

Always excited to see Daddy come home. It was so sweet to see Madeline peeking out the window. She isn't walking yet. A happy crawler and we are not rushing or pushing it. The boys were walking by 10 months. It's nice to slow it down. 

We sit down together for supper, talk about our day. What are favorites are. I take the little ones up for a bath. Curtis cleans up after supper and Rhys starts on his homework.

Bedtime nears and there are tears over silly things. We tidy their rooms and start bedtime routine. I rock Maddy and tuck her in. And then read with Olliver on his bunk bed.

Tristan and Rhys snuggle up with Daddy while he reads Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, with voices of course.  

By 8:30 all four and snug in bed. We have the rest of the night to ourselves. I called my Mum and chatted. Curtis played on the computer and now settle into bed to watch Netflix. 

It's been a long and good day. Hope yours has been wonderful too!

Xoxo.