The G-Man

This little cutie is just the love of our lives. Man he is a sweetheart. I can't believe he poses like this with his back legs stuck out. So funny. He is so good. He loves popcorn, especially with cheddar cheese seasoning. He loves to play with toys and must have 20 of them. He loves to gnaw on elk antlers. His favorite place is the dog park. He's a racist and seems to prefer white dogs. We are trying to train this out of him. So far it isn't going so well. He has no idea he only weighs 8lbs and will take on any dog of any size. He has an underbite and needs braces but we can't afford them. Plus we hate brushing his teeth, so that won't be happening. He loves to have his belly rubbed and he is not picky as to who gives them to him. He doesn't sleep in a kennel, but on the couch, or the chair or the other couch, or quite frankly anywhere he wants (except our beds). He doesn't chew on shoes but I have to chicken wire my favorite plant because that he will eat. Like Ketchup he loves pizza crust. He also seems to love rabbits and I wonder if he will murder again this year. He is so happy when you come home and jumps around like he hasn't seen you in 5 years and has been waiting patiently at the door for your return. What an ego boost!

I guess in the end, what he is is a very important part of our family. He isn't one of our kids, and we don't love him to distraction. He is our pet and a little more. For Craig, he is someone who will patiently sit and do tricks just so Craig can say he did it, and G can get more treats. For Kaedo he is the being that filled the void left by Ketchup and made his heart full again. For Sterling, he is his best friend - I think Sterling loves him most of all. For me, he is the calm in my head, the one who chases away the noise and helps me see that I can get through the day. Some days he is my dog, some days he is my savior.

For all of us he is the cherry on top of a wonderful family.

So I've been told....

Sterling mentioned to me today that the blog had not been updated in "quite some time". Hmmm. Nothing like pressure from your 17 year old. So here goes.

A couple of weeks ago the boys made this contraption out of an old table of ours, one they found on the curb down the street, some wood they bought at Home Depot and a tarp.  They also pounded a table leg so far into the ground that an earthquake couldn't dislodge it. Next they took spray paint and drew targets like they were on acid. I would like to point out how incredibly cool it is that my kids build monstrosities like this. So the question is this - why?

Sterling has caught some of Kaedo's fascination with knives.  Did I mention that the fascination has turned to throwing knives? A lot of throwing knives. Like 30 throwing knives. Before the weather turned to shit and it rained for 6 days, they spent hours out there throwing knives and laughing like hyenas. To be quite honest, I can't believe they haven't either a) hit a major artery or b) hit each other. They have however hit the neighbors pool, sent them over the fence and begged for forgiveness from the neighbor with little kids.

I should mention, this was before I forced them to build this monstrosity. Now they are relatively safely throwing knives at shit. And the table leg? That's for pop cans, bottles of water and anything else they can make explode. 

What I wish I would have gotten was a picture of the zombie printouts they had pinned up there. LOL

For the record, I blame Stan and Shirley for this knife fascination. Craig's Bowie knife is a thing of legend around here (that sounds a little dirty) and he was quick to mention he was always fascinated by knives as a kid. So thanks Stan. Thanks Shirley. You rock.

In their defense, they probably wouldn't have let Craig collect over 70 knives. Mind you, who knows - there was no eBay back then.

The End of an Era

In 1995, Craig and I made our first big purchase together. A living room set. The tables went years ago in a garage sale and one of the boys have the chair in their room but today the old beat up couch and love seat got picked up by the City, and taken away. The things that couch has seen and heard - LOL. We thought we should commemorate the end of the era of this set by getting a picture taken of us. Not to be too hillbilly, we left it on the curb and continued with our day instead of sitting outside on it all afternoon.

It seems like such a small thing when you think about it, but we have laughed and cried, slept and watched movies, watched our babies sleep, folded laundry, ate meals and snacks, had family meetings and family visits, all on this furniture.

With tears and duct tape and really no need for it any more, it was time to go. I watched them load it up this morning and it pulled on my heart a little.

I may be a soapbox loving grade A bitch sometimes, but I'm still a softy at heart. Just don't tell anyone.

Happy Birthday!

I have been sitting here for 30 minutes, trying to thinking of something to write (gasp) all I can come up with is:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

YOU ROCK!

I love you!

Heavily Fortified

Kaedo has a fascination with knives. One I will lay at Craig's feet, but that both of us have allowed. The picture here shows a sample of the knives he has collected, but does not include throwing knives and a Katana sword he picked up earlier this year.

To say he loves them, would be an understatement. While he does buy new throwing knives off eBay, the majority are vintage or antique that he has bought in flea markets and antique shops. He had initially started storing them in a letterpress tray, but the size and quantity have outgrown this. (maybe I should confiscate the tray???)

Sterling and Kaedo have set up a system in the back yard for throwing the knives, and G is very unhappy he doesn't get the backyard for his own play place. I'm not sure how you would explain a knife to the gut of your dog the your friendly neighborhood vet.

For now, we are letting him enjoy the fun, and this cool hobby.

Yikes!

Friday

As it thunders and lightnings here and the rain pours down, I just think how thankful I am for the life I have. For the life I provide for myself, that Craig provides for me and the joy my sons bring to my life every minute of the day. I see my tulips growing in my garden, and the flowers scattered around my house and know that Life is Good. No one can tell me otherwise.

We all have our trials and tribulations but at the very base of it, for me, with family, a roof over my head, a job I love, a calling I love, and flowers - oh so many flowers (lol), I know that I can face whatever the day throws at me. So I leave you today with a picture of some tulips that are lazing away on my kitchen table, enjoying knowing that someone thinks they are so very beautiful.

Happy Friday my friends. May the force be with you. (kickin' it old school with that reference)

For Cheryl

In January 2000 I started working at a scrapbook store in Calgary, almost 6 months to the day after Kaedo was born. A sweet clerk taught me the ropes, worked with me and quickly became one of my dearest friends. I remember the days when Craig would come barreling into the store, Kaedo in his car seat and Sterling by the hand, informing me that "time for your break, Kaedo needs to be fed". Never did she judge me, she just chuckled, sent me to the back classroom and covered while I nursed my tiny baby.

Over the years we spent time together at work and outside of it. We shopped together, quilted together, scrapbooked together, had dinner and went to the movies. All the while working and raising our families.

When I moved across the country 3.5 years later, she threw me a wonderful surprise going away party and wished me all the the best for my new life.  For quite a few years we stayed in contact, and I even had the opportunity to host her here for a long weekend, where we laughed and cried and took a trip to Niagara Falls and crossed the border and spent so much the border guards charged us duty. I visited and spent time with her when I returned to Alberta and as always our conversations resumed as if they had never ended.

Over the years we lost contact and a sadness for my lost friend settled in my heart. I started searching for her. There were so many things I wanted to tell her.

As a non-lover of Facebook, but after running out of ideas, I started searching for her there. She was nowhere to be found. Then I thought of her daughter, and about four months ago I sent her a message, explaining who I was and that I wanted to get in contact with her mom. I never heard from her. I feared my friend had died. Why she would have, who knows, but all I could think was that for some reason I was getting no response. We had not fought or ended our relationship. I was stumped.

Then yesterday I get a message from her sweet daughter telling me she had come across my message and that she had spoken to her mom and she gave me her contact info.

It was seriously the best thing to ever come out of Facebook. EVER. Within a minute of the message I was writing to my friend, telling her about my family and trying to find the words to express how very much I wanted her in my life. So I waited, and waited and nothing. Then this morning, a reply. One of the best emails I have received in years.

The one thing that stood out for me was that even after all these years, she still reads the blog.

So, Cheryl, this is for you. You were the best friend I ever had. You are kind, generous and amazing and I am so happy we have re-connected. I look so forward to the many more emails and the day we finally talk on the phone again. Maybe one day we will see each other and get to laugh and joke and I will just be able to hug you again and tell you I've missed you.

I love you my friend - lets never lose touch again!

Dating and raising boys. What's luck got to do with it?

It has been a long time since I have been on a 'date'. Almost 21 years. However, this afternoon I watched a clip of an interview with Garth Brooks, who 14 years ago gave up performing to raise his three daughters after his divorce. In the 3 minute clip, he was asked for 5 tips for raising daughters. One really struck a cord with me.

Garth Brooks has the same rule as we do - no one-on-one dating until 16. He also gave each of his daughters cars when they got their licenses at 16. This too is something I strongly believe in - boys or girls.

So this was his tip - if a boy wants to date his daughter, he better come to the door and introduce himself. If he honks his horn, he might as well keep driving. Along with that, he had an agreement with his daughters that while the boy had come to the house, the daughters always drive on the first date with any boy. His logic is that being the driver gives them the control to cut the date short, come home if they are feeling pressured or not having a good time and gives them the independence to make the decisions that are best for them.

Let me just say that although I am the mother of boys, one of which has his own car, I am in full agreement with this and think that any young man that does not understand and appreciate this is not worth the first date. My sons included.

Like my parents, we have been hit with some backlash over giving Sterling a car when he got his license, and I am sure we will get more in February when it is Kaedo's turn. The reason behind it is simple. My children are in as much control as they can be, of their destiny, their safety, their happiness, when they have the power to just leave. Sterling has on a couple of occasions left situations, and while Craig and I would go to get him, no questions asked, the power of having his own car, gives him the strength to walk away and know that he is responsible for his choices because he has an 'out'. I am happy that we have chosen to do this for our sons. Not just for the above reasons, but for the responsibility it teaches them.

The one hard and fast, no exceptions rule we have, is that no child is allowed in the car unless I hear from their parents first. If the parents can't take 1 minute to call me so that I know that they know that it is a 17 year old driving their child, not an adult, they are not allowed.  Sterling has caught a lot of flak for that one, as parents don't seem to understand, or care and kids think we are assholes.  We are talking children driving children. Added to that, I don't let the boys get in a car with anyone I haven't met and spoken with.  A couple of weeks ago I got a call from a dad who said, "I have never had to make a call like this before for a simple trip to the bowling alley, but thank you". When Sterling and his friend picked her up, he went to the door, shook hands, introduced himself and made me proud. His list of friends who drive with him is growing, but there are some parents who refuse to call. It's their loss, and their child's loss. The boys know this is an unbreakable rule. They may get away with it the first time, but I'll find out, and when I do, no amount of begging will get them back in their car. I only wish more parents understood.

As toddlers and young children, we set out rules and parameters for our kids. As they grow older, so many parents seem to feel that they are no longer able to do so. We do not have a lot of rules, but the ones we have are strictly adhered too. Teenagers need boundaries, rules, expectations. Not to keep them in line, but to give them something to strive for, to see that we respect them and expect them to respect us. They need to understand that what we do is for their safety, happiness and well-being, and if at any time they disagree we can talk about it, make adjustments. The time between when school gets out and parents get home is the most dangerous time of the day, in my opinion. More children are conceived by children, more alcohol is consumed and more drugs are tried. I know this to be true because my children speak to me, they tell me what their classmates are doing. It scares the hell out of me. So we have rules. About girls, about alcohol, about drugs.

What I hope is that with clear rules and guidance, we will continue to raise charming, smart, beautiful, kind, caring, loving and generous individuals who are going to kick ass in this world.

Lastly, you know what I hate? When people say to me "oh, you're so lucky to have the children you have". For the record, LUCK has NOTHING to do with it. Nothing. Raising children in the hopes of luck, is setting them up for failure. Raising children is not the hardest job I have ever done, it is however the one I have been the most consistent, the most diligent, the most honest, the most caring and the most careful in doing. Those things are what makes my kids great, normal, kids. Luck has nothing to do with it, and quite frankly, I'm offended anyone would think so.

Happy Easter!

Wishing everyone a wonderful day today, although I suppose we should wish that for those we love every day, not just on special occasions.

The boys had a teenage version of an egg hunt this morning. We have over the years had hunts where they have to find their treasures based on clues. It was a lot of fun this year as they were totally surprised. I had told them during the week that their new clothes were their Easter gifts.

I warned them that I would be taking a picture at the end, so shirts may be wanted but obviously Kaedo is secure in his manhood and decided a skinny pasty white look was all good. lol

I think they likes the money more than the chocolate.  Who can blame them?

Craig and I also exchanged gifts - which is beyond rare. He has a small collection of these 'dolls' that his staff have given him and I have always said when we see them that I like Anna from 'Frozen' as she is so brave and totally cool and never gave up on the person that was the most important to her. Very cool. So this is what I got:

While I don't usually buy gift cards for him, the three days before Easter I worked during all regular business hours, so I succumbed and bought the one that I knew he wouldn't use on the family and would truly treat himself to something:

We went to see Furious 7 and it was filled with fabulous cars, gorgeous women, kick ass car chases, awesome fight scenes and tonnes of shit getting blown up. It was topped off with a wonderful albeit very sad tribute to the late Paul Walker. A fitting send-off from those who love him. My kind of movie.

We were going to have a traditional Easter supper - Pizza, but my breadmaker is true and well broken so that went out the window. Maybe the kids will eat the chocolate they got?