Sunday, August 12, 2007

Pondering the circle of life....

It's sad, joyous, and just plain interesting. My weekend has been a study on the circle of life. A good friend of mine from bible college passed away on Friday, and another friend of mine welcomed a baby into the world early Saturday morning and yet another was married on Saturday afternoon. I've been thinking about how just as God adds another member to heaven, he sends another down to be with us. Not that He's in the business of trading a life for a life - I would never believe that He's that kind of God. It's just made me think about how short life can be, and how much time we (me) have spent wasting it on things that are of no consequence. I guess it's another step on finding the meaning of life, how to live it to the fullest and be happy. There are different degrees of all those things, and I have and understanding to an extent on all of them. But is there a pinnacle to be reached? I don't think so. The friend of mine that passed away still will have her work on earth continuing after her physical body has left this planet. Her spirit and outlook on life was pretty amazing, even though we hadn't been in contact in recent years, even though her doctors had never been optimistic. I've already learned from her, and I'm in a pensive mood as I continue to draw from her example.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Settling in...

Advice to all parents: Moving with small children has the same effect as taking away everything that may be near to their hearts and throwing it into a pit of eternal flame. I would have thought that once all the toys emerged from their boxes at the new house all would be well. I was sadly mistaken. The toys may have made it to the new house, but all rules and general common sense guidelines were lost along the way. Needless to say, it was a rough week. Caleb likes having his own room, but now has some huge issue with sharing his toys with his little brother. Reece has handled it pretty well, other than trying to stand on furniture before he was ready and getting a black eye in the process. (This combined with Caleb falling down the outside flight of stairs to the basement and his getting several scrapes and bruises has confined me to the house over the last few days to prevent people questioning my parenting skills. Oh, and Reece decided to get some new teeth over the last couple of days, so it's been especially pleasant to be housebound.)
Shawn and I have settled in much easier, I think. I'm sick of putting new furniture together. (One computer desk, three bookshelves, a dresser, a cabinet, and a filing cabinet) I've spend a ridiculous amount of money at IKEA; on some new furniture for us, and on the kitchen for the suite; but am enjoying the armchair I am now relaxing in. Oh, and have I mentioned how lovely it is to have the laundry on the same floor as the bedrooms? Who knew this could be a luxury.
So the next month promises to be equally draining. I go back to work in just over a week. We're trying to finish the suite downstairs to be rented for September. And the studio has people waiting for business, but is still an empty shell of a detached garage. It will be busy, but will pay off in the end.
Time for sleep....

Friday, July 13, 2007

Counting down....

Word of advice to anyone out there buying a brand new house: make sure you know what is coming with the house! We do know (or at least I hope we do) which makes it easier to shop. New blinds: $1200. Security system: $1200. Recording studio: $35,000. Basement suite: $10000. Hawaii trip: $5000. It adds up. At least it was budgeted for. It's nice to be about to enjoy the reward of having bought into the real estate market five years ago.
Caleb, however, is not enjoying anything. He's starting to act out - somehow thinking that we're packing everything into oblivion. The childcare people at the gym this morning had to give him a couple of time outs resulting from his possessiveness of the toys. I'm hoping this phase will be over when we actually move and start unpacking things.
I need to figure out how to use this blog. At some point in the distant past I was completely up to date with the computer goings-on. Very different now. There are just too many options! For now I'll just blame my ignorance on the laptop.
It's nearing my quiet time....bedtime looms for the boys, and the football game is starting for mommy. I might live in BC, but I still bleed green and love my Riders.....

Thursday, July 12, 2007

6 more days until the madness ends. Or changes. Or moves to a new location.

Six days until moving day. Am I excited? Yes. Dreading the unpacking? Oh, yeah. But moving from a townhouse with neighbours peering in every window to a real house with only a few neighbours peering from across the street is a nice upgrade. (So are the granite countertops, but that's to be expected.) However, moving with two small children is infinitely more challenging than moving with just one big child. (aka The Husband) Reece is small enough that he has no idea what's going on, other than the really funny sound that boxes make when they hit the floor and make him giggle hysterically. (Didn't I hear once that children don't need toys; only boxes and wrapping paper? Too true.) Caleb, however, is another story. Everything that he might have some small form of attachment to must be leaving his life forever as it enters the box. The word "storage" has become a bottomless abyss where his toys and movies have gone to do fun things without him for the rest of eternity. Granted, he's never moved before, but he's awfully smart for a three-year-old, and should understand these amazingly well thought out explainations that Mommy has provided. (because I know everything, for your information)
Shawn, for his part, has been impressive. The entire studio was packed ten days (yes, 10!) before the move. He's got the moving truck and moving buddies arranged. (I conveniently booked the gas and phone companies to come to the new place on the morning of moving day, so I'll be unable to help load the truck. Oh darn.)
So my house is a disaster, but you know what? I don't care. In a week this won't be my house anymore. Oh, I know, I have a new one to keep clean, but it's so much more fun to keep a new house clean while you try to find a place for everything. Six more days!
Oh, and only twenty-six more days before I go back to the bliss of a nice quiet office for eight hours a day.....eight hours where I will not hear the word "Mommy"......Work? Heaven? It's a fine line....