Monday, June 7, 2010

So much....

So much for writing regularly! Sigh. Ok, so I will try to re-focus and be more committed to writing on here, it is a good release. Writing things out always seems to clear your head, doesn't it?! Getting things out, in a healthy non destructive manner, wrestling thru problems and stressors in your life, perhaps trying to 'order' your life a little more. Hmmm....maybe my blog one day will be a to do list. One never knows.
I am enjoying the weather so far this 'summer', hopefully it won'tbe excrutiatingly hot and damp this summer, I like the cooler ones.
Willow is done JK in 3 weeks tomorrow! DONE JK! Shut the front door! How can I possibly have a child old enough to have completed a lettered grade already? Where HAS the time gone? Then its off to kinder camp 2 days per week, maybe VBS.
Levi's vocab is picking up steadily every day, altho he will still refuse to say things, he just doesn't care. Yesterday was the first time I saw him pick up a marker and call itby its correct colour! He so doesn't care to sit still long enough to really learn his colours and how to say them, I think he is just picking it up, Willow helps him and encourages him to say lots of different things. Its been great to have conversations with him! But, on the flip side his temper doesn't surface too far down! he gets angry really easily and throws things, flops to the floor, yells and cries and bites/pulls his own hands. yay. This. Is. So. Much. Fun.
Autumn is a dolly! She is almost 6 months! She is around 16 lbs, happy and just so sweet! She is a pretty easy baby, no complaints here....except, she can be a bit annoying in the wee morning, waking up and talking to herself for up to 45 minutes at 5 am or shortly thereafter, frequently. Sigh. She really is a mini-Levi. He kept me up for months last year! Otherwise she sleeps 7:30-8 all the way to the next 7:30-8! Sweet!

What else....Tim is still working!
I went to Michelle's wedding a few weeks ago, it was beautiful. I had a lot of fun hanging out with the siblings! I think we are all pretty funny together!
We went to Puddicombe Farms, the kids all loved the train ride.
I went to a Women's retreat this past weekend, overnight, with no kids. I really missed Autumn, my 1st time away from her. The retreat was great.

ok, thats it for now. Ciao

Friday, May 14, 2010

Week 2....

So I haven't been as ambitious with the writingas I would've liked BUT.....the flu, or some virus, swept through the Graham Clan, starting last week Thursday and ending the Wed, well I still have a sore throat. Needless to say there were lots of missed buckets, lots of disinfecting, lots of laundry and lots of aches and pains. I had a migraine on Sat, when Tim was suppossed to do a 12 hour shift. I woke with a cold fear of not knowing how I could competently take care of 3 kids when I could barely move/open my eyes/breathe. But we soldiered through, and here we are, at the end of another week.
Tim has been working for 2 weeks, and we are out of the negatives! YAY. I was never super worried, just concerned. I knew that it was coming,but my income alone, well EI and CCTB, does not cover all the expenses of a family of 5, Tim didn't get one EI pay during the 2 months of school, and got it all this week!! So, billls:PAID, groceries: DONE, and tithe:READY! Finally.
Right now again, guess whats on the flatscreen??!! Right, Sesame St! Love it, and so does Levi! He has been talking up a storm this week! It has been amazing and actually really funny, Willow and I are getting a kick out of it! We went to my sisters house on Monday eve, and she has a BEAUTIFUL property, a pond, forest, some trails, the kids LOVED it. After we left I told the kids we should look for horses, so out of nowhere Levi starts saying, "Horsey, where are you?!" I've never heard him even attempt to say horse, let alone where are you. It was so cute. Now he asks: Where are you going? What are we doing? What am I doing? Why and Where is(fill in the Blank).

Willow has been significantly more well behaved over the last week and a bit, it has been a blessing! She is so sweet, she made me a Mothers day card at school, and wrote I love my mommy all by herself! She draws pics of our family all the time with all our names under the stick people, we are never mommy and daddy, but always Tim and Amy. Meh, they are super cute drawings and I always have crazy spikey hair! Its a new look! An no glasses, amazing! LOL

Autumn is good, growing well. And was 5 months already yesterday! So becasue she screams so much when I put her down for naps and bed, I have decided to stop breastfeeding! I don't think I have enough 'quality' milk(and all you breastfeeding Nazi's can judge away, becasue I don't care! You granola judgy moms are a horrible example of making other women feel small for choices they have made. Not everyone wants a kid who can hold conversations and brush their own teeth to be latching on! So suck it!) I've been doing half and half for a long time now, and breastfed the other 2 till 8 months, but Autumn so far, seems quite different from Willow and Levi! She is a dolly!

This weekend is busy! Going to see the Sutherlands tomorrow in the morning! and going to The Hasletts for a party in the evening, and Tim will probably be working through both! C'est la vie! Looking forward to seeing Ron! That's all for now!
Ciao! Peace!

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Day 2...

SoI have definately gotten some positive feedback regarding my blog! YAY! I didn't intend for the first post to be so serious! This seems to be one of the best times of day for me to write, its early so I can think clearly, Willow is at school, Autumn is 'sleeping' and Levi is once again watching Sesame Street. I remeber watching Sesame Street when I was little, and then going out to play for the rest of the day. Fun times, ah the freedom of childhood! Today we have Story time at the library, it'll be the 3rd time Levi has gone, and I think he likes it, he is really funny during it. Runs to the book points to the picture and then runs back to me to tell me what is going on, too cute!
Today Willow is going to hang out with Danielle after school. She told me Danielle is her favourite babysitter (sorry everyone else...lol), and then I said to her, Danielle isn't babysitting you, she just wants to hang out like friends. She thought that was pretty cool, and then I told her that I was going to give her $5 to spend on whatever she wanted. I know they are going to Starbucks, so I said she could buy a 'coffee' (kids hot chocolate $1.25, can't beat that - also if you ask the barista for apple juice they give it to you in a plastic cup with a straw for $1.25, instead of the $2.99 for bottled juice!) and a cookie. Or she could go to the little toy store on Locke St and buy a cheap toy, she is SUPER excited now!!!
Last nightI had a really hard time sleeping! Went to bed @ 1am, didn't fall asleep till close till 2, and then awake off and on from 5:15-7:30 when we all get up! C'est la vie,maybe I'll take a nap.
That's all I have to say.
For now!
Ciao!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

My First Ever Blog!!

Hello!

So this is my first blog ever. I should've started 4 years and 4 months ago, when Willow was born, but hopefully I will be able to get lots of Autumn's little funny sayings, since she is only 4 months! Better late then never, right! Right now Sesame Street is on the flatscreen, being ignored by Levi in favour of Rylan, who just got here, and soon enough they will start scrapping over toys! What else do you expect from 2 year olds? Levi was trying to give Autumn all kids of toys while she was in the jolly jumper, and trying to swing her which he thinks is hilarious! He wanted his blankie (thanks Helena!) out of his crib for the first time today, just like the big kid, Willow always has her fishy blankie (thanks again Helena!).
I love my brood so much, they are such a blessing to me! But it takes alot of patience to raise a 4 year old, a 2 year old an a baby. Patience isn't my forte, and listening isn't Willow's forte. Therefore we have been having some problems recently!

It has been 24 years since my own parents passed. Not until I had children did I realize how deep that void is, even when I got married I could joke it off (at least I don't have to pay for my parents friends, my mom doesn't interfere at all!). I have discovered that everyone needs a mom, not just wants one, but needs one, physically. I yearn for her, to get advice from her, for her help, but most of all to cry with her on a bad day and have her tell me everything will be ok, lke I can tell my kids. It physically hurts me somedays not to have her. I don't talk about it to anyone really, I mean who understands? I have lost 2 parents, not one, and it is impssible to understand the loss. Sometimes I think about what it would be like for my kids to grow up without me, to not know my love. Like people who don't know Jesus, but that would be worse.
Feels good toget that out!

Backto Willow, I need to remember how God reacts when we screw up, and I need to chill. He doesn't have the out-of-control anger that I can have. I don't want her to remember me being all angry and yelling and spanking. So in the midst of my freakout, in walks my calm levelheaded husband, who simply says, 'get her to clean and do lines'. Lines, like we did at school. So Willow, scrubbed the walls leading up to her bedroom, where she had decided (for the 3rd time in 2 weeks)to colour on the walls with a marker during naptime becasue she didn't want to sleep. Her walls have never been so clean! And then to the kitchen for a page of lines,'I will not write on walls'. Lines!
No fun, but educational, teaches her to write small and clear, and teaches new words as well as practicing her 'popcorn' words. So that is what I am going to do from now on, I am anticipating a very clean place over the next few months, baseboards with a toothbrush are next. She says she likes cleaning, we'll see!

Well, need to go outside and play with Levi while Autumn is sleeping, and since Erine is here I can go grab Willow from school, alone! I love not having to get the kids in the van!
Write later.