Butterflies

If I fill in all the details of the last few days this would be a long post but really all it would be is another account of activites. Which, in some way, is what I want to remember but in another way, isn't one summer day with four kids just like the last. Not to imply that life is boring or monotonous, both of which it is not. Okay - I do have a point - I would like to try and bring my posts back to focus on the tiny details of life. Those things that set one moment apart from the next.
So eventhough I feel like I should write about our very fun day with three sweet boys on Friday (Christine's nephew's triplets), and our great trip to the playground in Lyndon, WA on Saturday, and of course my lovely 'kid-free' shopping day with Mary on Thursday, the detail that stands out in my mind that I really want to record is something very different.
As I drove to Vancouver Thursday morning with my ipod playing my tunes and no little voices asking to hear SK8RBoy for the 12th time. As I drove through the Starbucks drive thru for my caramel macchiato with no little voices asking for a hot chocolate. As I drove in blissful peace, by myself, I felt butterflies. I was completely aware of it, completely aware that I was feeling nervous, anxious somehow. I don't consider myself an anxious person in any way - not a worrier by nature. So why, on this beautiful morning, was I feeling this in the pit of my stomach? This feeling that I wasn't doing the right thing? I knew that my kids were happy and in great hands (thanks Nana) and I knew that I deserved a day out to do my own thing every once in a while. So, I still have no answer as to why the butterflies made home in my gut that morning and nor do I feel the need to over-analyze. But I find it curious. I wonder when, if ever, I will lose the feeling of needing to be where my kids are, even though I enjoy the time away. Always that urgency to get back even when there is no hurry. I have no answers but for now, I will take it as a sign that I am exactly where I am supposed to be 99% of the time.
But that is not to say that I won't welcome the butterflies back the other 1%.



And just one little account (because I can't help myself) of Friday. Christine brought these three little boys to hang out with us and we had so much fun. Erin, my niece, came to hang out too (seen on the picnic blanket with the kiddies). My kids enjoyed them so much but the funniest thing for me was lunch. They shoved food in their mouths so fast you would have thought they need to fight for food on a regular basis. They ate off eachother's plates, out of eachother's mouths and at one point stepped right into Christine's sandwich. So cute and very entertaining. My four seem pretty mellow next to those three.

It's been a week of normal Mom and kids stuff. The waterpark on Monday, hanging out in the backyard on Tuesday, and playdates for everyone today. Good stuff...but tomorrow...a day for me. I get a playdate - imagine. A whole day. I'm meeting Mary and we are in for a day of sushi, shopping, and chatting. So looking forward to a day to rejuvenate. Thanks Mary in advance for a well needed Mom's day out. Thanks Nana for making it possible.

Still without my camera so photos are at a minimum right now. But here's a few faves from the past couple days.This is how we see Reagan most often now - those goggles always on her forehead. She sits at dinner like this. Love it.Taggart hugs are hard to come by and for Hudson they are gold.

Together again

Just got back from picking up Cooper from camp. He had a great time just like I know he would. He was very proud to tell me that he did not change his clothes all week. He slept in them and everything - just got changed to go in the pool. You would think that would save me on laundry but when I opened that bag I was quite sure that everything would go through the wash - worn or not. The only thing I don't have to wash is one particular pair of socks - they can't be saved.

Nice to have everyone back together again (except Tony who's working late again). Nana made the trip up to camp with us tonight. It was nice to have her see where the kids go.

Sorry, no photos again - bad Mom again forgot the camera.

Coop's calling - he's out of the shower and back to his clean, pre-camp, smell. Time to tuck in and go to bed myself.

And just because I hate to post without a photo, here's some from the other day. What a couple of hams.

Since my last post...

1. We got Hudson back from camp. He had lots of fun but could not smiling at the thought of getting back into his own bed. (forgot my camera at drop-off and pick-up - bad Mom)

2. Had a treasure hunt in the backyard. Took me an hour to make up all the clues, complete with rhyming poems and all. Took the kids about 5 minutes to complete it. They were happy with the loot - I was annoyed they were smarter than I thought they were.

3. We decided to visit Dinotown on the way to take Cooper to camp. Hadn't been there since before Reagan so we thought we should do it again for our littles. It hasn't changed. Discovered that even if the parents think somewhere isn't worth the $, the kids still do. It entertained them all despite the range in age. It's definitely geared towards younger kids.The boats were the biggest hit - did them 4 times.Hudson volounteered to be in the show - he rocked it!

Tag loved these guys and ran to give them hugs whenever he saw them. Very cute.My fave shot of the day - of the month. 4. Coops is at camp for 5 whole days - this definitely brings a certain sense of calm to our house.

5. I. Don't. Have. My. Camera. It's getting repaired (flash thing). He said 2 -3 weeks. Yikes.

6. Hudson has been at Nana's since Monday - he comes back today. Having only 2 children is bliss.

7. I am so behind on editing, deleting, sorting, storing, printing my photos that it feels like I need a whole week on my computer to get caught up.

8. I am annoyed that all the summer stuff in stores gets cleared out in July and when I want a new floaty, loungy thing for my pool because my old one got a hole I can't find one anywhere.

9. My house tends to get very messy in the summer because I would much rather be outside than inside.

10. I am dying to get to my scrapbook table but I can never find the time. I love the late summer evenings (last night Reagan and Tag didn't get to bed until almost 10:00) but they really cut in to 'me' time.

11. Happy Wednesday!

Breakfast smoothies on the front porch.

Lunch on the back deck.

Afternoon snack on the grass.

Who knows where dinner will be. Don't you just love summer?

Lots of comings and goings here. Cooper left for his long journey on Monday to go and spend two nights with Nana. Yesterday Reagan, Tag, and I drove to Camp Squeah to drop Hudson off until Friday. Coop arrived back to us this afternoon. For a while I was down to two (imagine!) and now we are back up to three - until Friday. Back to full capacity for only a short time until Sunday, when Hudson goes to Nana's and we drive Cooper to camp. Never a dull moment.

And a little something that made me giggle and I don't want to forget:

Tag comes running in the backdoor very excited. "Mom, Coop's playing with us and we are having sooooooo much fun. We're playing 'Cops and Robins'." :)

Summer fun

I don't know if this first bit really fits into the title but it does only happen in summer so here it is.

120 lbs of strawberries - was I insane!? We headed to the patch last Monday and brought home 75 lbs. It took me three days to get all those washed, frozen or made into jam. Then I thought "that's not enough" and back we went for another 45 lbs. And today, a whole week later I am finally done with strawberries. If all that jam and all those frozen berries don't last us until next year I will have to conclude that we consume far too many strawberries.I occasionally had helpers but the novelty of stirring soon wore off and I was left alone in the trenches once again.

In the middle of all those piles of red juiciness we still managed to have a little fun.

Mary and the kids came over Friday for a picnic dinner at the park. Aunty Mary arrived with a face-painting kit and after everyone finished being 'decorated' with that we saw some very dark clouds roll in. So we opted to picnic in our own backyard where, if need be, we could quickly duck for cover.

This one cracks me up - only Cooper would actually bring Aunty Mary a sample of what he wanted her to paint. The weekend ended last night with another picnic and this time we made it to the park. This is our favorite local picnic spot. We spread our blanket right next to the playground and the kids 'eat-play-eat-play-eat-play' (Tag's terminology). Then after dinner and a game of football we pack up our blanket and take a walk all the way around the park. We stop at every little access to the lake to throw a couple rocks or to yell at the Canada Geese. There are two more playgrounds on the route and we stop at each one, everytime, without fail. The kids are completely tuckered out by the end and we head home for baths and bed. Perfect.

It was a 'spur of the moment' picnic so McD's was the logical choice.When you have to eat before you play you have to shove the food in - no time for messing around.A game of pig in the middle with Tony and the big boys.When Hudson wins the fight for the ball - happy!

When Hudson doesn't get the ball - not so much!Cooper's 'up-to-no-good' face.Love how Nana is holding on to the back of Tag's shirt so he doesn't fall in.Couple walking by with this cute little furball let the kids pet her. Now they are all on the "can we please, please, please, please have a puppy" kick.Tag would have stopped to sit on every bench if we would have let him.

Reagan's determination to beat her big bro - Coop, upon losing the race, promptly blamed the path being too hard for his roller blades. Tough to get beat by a girl.
It's a long walk around the whole lake.Sometimes you need a lift.Tag had to go to the bathroom and Cooper spotted this one, the only one around. Tag wan't sure until Coop told him it was the one from Shrek. I said I wasn't going in there so Tag made Coop take him in (they're both in there in this shot). But after Tag saw all the bramble bushes growing inside there he decided he could wait until we got home. Smart choice.

Happy July

Summer is here with a vengeance. We are in a nice stretch of 30*+ weather and the pool is getting such a workout. Taggart has finally gotten comfortable in there floating around in his life jacket and today he discovered that if he really stretches his toes can touch the bottom. He was very excited about that.

Yesterday was Canada Day and with that comes our annual neighborhood picnic. A smaller turn out than past years but still a great time. The kids have such fun together and the pool was a big hit. We, of course, did the water balloon fight again and it's still a little tough to see about 600 balloons get destroyed in a matter of minutes when it took Steph and I hours to fill them all. But it has now become 'tradition' with the kids and I can actually see the memories filling up in their minds. I love it. We ended the night with some great mojitos (thanks Wade) and the kids all trying to see the fireworks from the upstairs window.

Late nights mean late mornings so this morning we all got off to a very late start. Not much happened today except more swimming and a good sweep of the yard to pick up all the water balloon scraps. Which reminds me, I owe the kids a loonie each for that. Jake is here spending his 'special time' with Nana so he joined us in the pool and that's always extra fun.