Thankful Thursday

This orange haired love of  mine has stepped up big time lately to help this Mama out. He has grown up so much in the past 2 months and we've noticed a real shift in his attitude and maturity at home and we're loving the new dynamic it has brought to our household. 

This particular day his sister was miserable and whining and he was the only one that had the patience to deal with her. He helped her cross the road, he picked her up and comforted her when she fell on our walk at the school, he carried her into the house, and he helped her put bandaids on her owies (which didn't even need bandaids, but you know, sometimes it's just not worth the fight?). 

He also watched her for me so that I could escape for a 20 minute walk around the neighbourhood to get some fresh air and regain my patience to get through the rest of the night. It was a game changer for all of us. By the time I came back I felt like I'd had a good break and she was happily playing in her room and her whininess had calmed down considerably too. Sometimes everyone just needs a break from each other and I am so thankful that we are at a place now where he can be left with the kids for short periods of time. It is a huge life change for us and one that I am benefitting so much from being able to get out for even just a short walk to recharge my batteries :) 

Thankful for this guy

He's on graveyard shift this week which is always tough but with a basement reno in full force before his surgery next week he has found himself running errands in the morning and then only sleeping a few hours in the afternoon/evening. Yesterday on zero sleep after working all night, he spent all day painting, picking up kids from school and the sitter, getting groceries, etc, all so that I didn't have to go out in the snow. I despise being cold and the snow makes me cranky. I love seeing it, but being out in it is not my favorite thing to do.

Then at 5pm he found out he didn't have to go to work, so he ate a quick dinner and then went outside for an hour and a half to shovel walkways and sidewalks at our strata. During his time outside I realized our KJ girl also hadn't been outside either all day so got her suited up at 7 to go out and play with Daddy for a little bit. She LOVED it and is clearly her Daddy's girl when it comes to snow!

I don't know how he was still functioning by the time he came inside shortly before 8. He had only slept maybe 5 hours the day before and then had been up since 4pm, so essentially awake for nearly 30 hours by that time. I could never do what he does!

I am thankful for his work ethic and how he will always sacrifice his own sleep and comfort if it means being able to be there for his kids and our family. I am a lucky wife.

Thankful Thursday

In the same vein as yesterday's post...here's a cute snap of the big and little from the other day. It's rare these days that she'll let them anywhere near this close to her, but then sometimes she'll snuggle right in for the hug or the dance that he's offering.

These two have a cute little bond on a lot of days. He loves her so much and so desperately wants her to love him, but most times ends up just pestering her so much that she doesn't want him anywhere near here...until she needs him for something, and then he's her best friend. He can reach stuff that is much higher up than her best buddy Jordie can, so she's always aware of which brother she is best to ask for stuff. Here's the rundown: Snacks and drinks - James. Games and toys - Jordie. Building forts - James. Playing in forts - Jordie. Playing in their rooms - Jordie. Reading to her - Either of them! She LOVES when they read books to her.

I am surprised that she is almost 3 and the love that these two still shower her with every day. There are always requests for hugs and kisses before they leave for the day and when they get home. I am very curious for how much longer this will go for before those requests stop. I sure hope it's not anytime soon because I love it and makes me so proud of the love that they all have for each other.

I love this one even though the disaster kitchen is behind and neither are looking, there is just something about this that warms my mama heart. 

Thankful Thursday - Mama edition

I have the best mom and dad in the whole world. They are always there for our family and are always willing to help out whenever and wherever they can. I KNOW how fortunate I am and please don't ever question whether I appreciate them, because I do, and I try very hard to make sure that I tell them that all the time so they know that I do, and I hope they never feel like I take advantage of them. I have seen friends over the years struggle to find the kind of support that I have always had since even before I had my kids.

I have always felt and known that they were literally just a phone call and 4 blocks down the road and many times I've leaned on them hard. They have come to my rescue in the middle of the night when I had the flu and Jim was away working, they've driven me to the hospital during more than one Crohn's attack, they've come to comfort me and Jordie after a really scary fall in the bathtub, they've helped me clean up barf from a really sick baby James when I was scared and alone, they've held my hand and comforted me through multiple hospital stays, an appendectomy, bowel resection surgery, bowel perforation complication from a colonoscopy, 2 regular c-sections and then the scariest of all, my c-section/hysterectomy last year with baby K. They have literally come to pick up my kids when I was at my absolute wits end and just needed a break. They have saved me from killing each of them at least once in their lives :)

A few weeks back I was feeling very overwhelmed and emotionally just spent and I showed up in their driveway at 9am with a grumpy Kennedy and just broke down into tears. I had a to-do list a mile long and desperately had errands to run. I knew I could get them all done, but also knew it would take me twice (or three) times as long to do them with Kennedy. I don't know if other people do this, but the moment I saw my mom and she hugged me I just started to sob. She is and always has been my safe place in life, when everything else is going to shit, I know my Mama is always there to listen and give her opinion about something. She encourages me to reach out when I need it and always just lets me know she's there. I don't think anyone could ask for anything more than that.

Today was another errand running morning and I called up Nana on my way to taking Jordie to school and she thankfully let me drop Kennedy with her for an hour while I ran to 4 stores for stuff I needed for Jordie's party. She also then went and picked up Jordie from preschool an hour later while Kennedy was napping. And then this weekend she's watching K during the party so we don't have to worry about a crazy little toddler running around the bowling alley!

If you've read this and you haven't told your mom lately how much you love and appreciate her...go and do it!

So apparently the only picture I can find on my phone right now is of these two goofballs on the night before their garage sale wearing some of the boys old hats! 

Hahahahahahaha...what an awesome photo!