Ta Da!

Ta Da!!!!! Kaedo has spent almost a year growing out his hair. Today is the day he chose to donate it for Locks of Love. I took him to the salon and the stylist was fantastic. She did a great job and Kaedo thought she was terrific. She gave him a wonderful haircut afterwards and he is just thrilled with the results and proud of himself. Craig and I are very proud of him and his tenacity to stick it out when people were telling him to cut it, or mistaking him for a girl. He ROCKS! Now I need to get a big stick to keep the girls away.

The last gnome picture of the Summer! Can you believe it? My gorgeous boys are off to school on Tuesday. Both of them had just had a shower before this picture as they are heading out to the Blue Jays game. One last hurrah with gramma (or gramcrackers as Kaedo calls her) and grampa before they leave tomorrow.
Here's to fun fun fun for them and no one eating peanuts behind them!!!!

It's almost over....

The last week of the Summer is almost over and I truly can't believe it. The boys have had such a wonderful couple of months and are so lucky to have a couple more fun filled days. I am working more this week and training with a new team to cover my return-to-work hours. I am loving it and hope to have the opportunity to remain with them. As it stands now that doesn't seem likely but I am hoping that something might come out of it.

Craig has been hard at work but as of 4:30pm today he has 5 days off. Hopefully he'll get the opportunity to play some football this weekend. He's not too sure with it being the holiday. We may be able to use our last gift certificate and spend some time on the golf course.

Kaedo played his last game of soccer last night and was brilliant. I think gramma and grampa were impressed. The opponents were a rough team (on our last meeting their coach took a swing at ours) and that makes every 13 year old boy (and their parents) ticked off. It makes for a lot of action. After the game Kaedo asked his coach for his player book and his coached asked if he was going to play for another team. Kaed told him he didn't know if he was coming back to play in the Fall. His coach was very surprised and said some very nice things to him which stirred up a whole bunch of emotions causing Kaedo to be quite upset. We've talked about another season in depth and now we're leaving it to him to make a decision. I think we'll quietly be able to guide him to a different activity but we'll see.

Sterling goes to his new school in the morning with N for a grade 9 (gasp) orientation and BBQ. How can he be in grade nine? That is just shocking. I can't wait to hear all about it.

The boys have a wonderful evening planned for tomorrow (Thursday) night. They will be heading into T.O. to see the Blue Jays play.  This is something grampa really wanted to do and the boys are thrilled to go. It will be their last night here and while the boys have invited me, as have Stan and Shirley, anyone who knows me well knows I really believe in kids spending one on one time with their grandparents. We have fostered these relationships since infancy and because of that they are all so close. The other part is they get to act a little differently when with their grandparents and get spoiled a little more when mom or dad aren`t around.

Big news coming on Friday..... you`ll  have to wait and see! (I`m pregnant - ha! just joking!!!)

Week 48

Boo and Yah!

Mom and dad left today after a 10 visit at the end of their vacation with the boys. To say I love having them here is an understatement. We are used to being a family of 4, but having that back-up, someone you can count on when you aren't around, is just amazing. I love that they took into consideration the arrival of Stan and Shirley and timed their departure so the boys didn't have to be alone. Love. It. So today I am a little sad that they are gone. I miss them. Mom and dad - YOU ROCK!

On another note - Craig is on his way back from the airport with Stan and Shirley. I am so looking forward to seeing them. They will be here until next Friday, rounding out the boys' summer vacation perfectly. It's been a year since we've seen them so I am looking forward to spending time visiting. I'm so glad they are here!

week 47

Week 47. Boy have they grown through the summer, and I don't just mean their hair! We have had a great week with Amma and Baba. I have been so happy they have been here while Craig and I have been working. They have golfed, been to the movies, been to Costco, hung out with their friends, slept in and watched episode upon episode of Big Bang Theory with Baba. I can't believe mom and dad are leaving next week and we have no plans to see each other again. That is the first time in about 10 months that we haven't had a visit to look forward to. Hopefully we will see each other soon.

Stan and Shirley come next week and we are so excited to see them. The boys will have the opportunity to spend their last 10 days of holidays with them and I think this is the longest visit they have ever had here, so we are looking forward to it.

This weekend plans to be awesome with the opportunity to head out to see some stock car racing as well as an afternoon at the horse races. The boys can't wait to go to the horse races. I think it is their favorite outing and aside from Kaedo's 12th birthday we have always gone with mom and dad - it seems to be a tradition. So much fun!

Falling Behind

Not much posting, eh? With the boys gone there didn't seem to be anything to say and now that they are home other things are going on. One of the great things is that my mom and dad are still here and don't leave until next week. I worry they are bored and may very well be but they sure don't show it.

My first week of going back to work is over and I am now midway through the second. It is going well. I am enjoying it (though not the early wake-up). I am remembering things all the time and am re-learning how to do others. While I am not returning to the same job I am glad for the refresher.

Craig and my dad spent the better part of two days removing the alternator from our car, searching for a new one, getting the old one rebuilt, taking Sterling to the scrapyard and having many other adventures before finally getting the car running late yesterday afternoon. They are quite proud of themselves I must say and I'm proud of them. Don't let anyone ever tell you you can't learn from YouTube.

Not too much else going on here as summer winds down. We are lucky to have Stan and Shirley coming next week and are so looking forward to that.

Speaking for myself, the last 4 months have been wonderful for my recovery. Seeing mom and dad 3 times, Jessica and the girls twice and Stan and Shirley once is awesome. I am so lucky to have the family I have.

Week 46

Kaedo tried to email the picture earlier in the week but it did not arrive.  A trip to Target was an obvious choice as the kids needed to stock up on their treats they can't get in Canada.

one

The first one is always the hardest, right? Well, here's to everything looking up. My first day was not too bad at all. When you work reduced hours due to a graduated re-integration, it's not too hard. Getting up at 5:45am, now that was a killer. Craig and I drove in together and then he took the train home. I work tomorrow and Thursday and I increase next week.

The boys will be home soon - much to their dismay. They have absolutely no interest in coming home and I think have conned their Amma and Baba to extend their holiday. Soccer game next Tuesday so I said that was the absolute last conceivable date. I think they'll be home for the weekend. I miss those brats - I want to see them!

468

It has been 468 days since I have worked. 468 days since I came to the realization that I was not able to continue my life as it was. Almost 10 years since I had had a breakdown, I was having another. This time my children were not toddlers, my parents weren't 2 hours away, my in-laws couldn't come for the weekend, my sister couldn't drop everything and come. This time my family had to do it ourselves. My boys are miraculous. They are kind, caring, beautiful children who were my reason for getting up each day and getting them to school. They needed their lunches made, they needed their mom, even though they are teenagers. My husband never doubted me. He never told me to suck it up and get back to work. He supported me and  cared for me and NEVER once threw this hardship in my face. Our families have helped us so much. You will never know how much everything you have done for my family means to me, to us.
There will be no 469. Tomorrow I go back to work. I am nervous, anxious, scared. But I know that I can do it. I know that I am ready. I know that with the support of my family I will be able to make this work.
So as for 468 - I hope it's the last time I see that number in this context. And to you, 469 - bring it on - I'm ready!

Week 45 and the boys are enjoying their holidays with Amma and Baba. Kaedo was a ball of excitement last night as I spoke with him for over 10 minutes about his day and all the amazing things they are doing. He was over the moon. Sterling just couldn't express how much fun he was having. I guess Washington DC and area is the place to take teenagers because it sounds to me like they don't want to come home!

We are missing them but are glad they have this opportunity to have a dream vacation.