Advent is a'coming!

I didn't grow up in a home that celebrated Advent or Christmas as Jesus' birthday. I think sometimes that drives me to find traditions for my little family that will be both memorable and Christ filled. I have been doing the Advent candles with the girls for the past few years, but this year I wanted to do something a bit more. Then a friend blogged about an idea and I think I'm going to do it.

The Advent Activity Calendar from the Kiddley archives gives lots of ideas of what to do.

What would you add to the list?

The Parenting Paradox

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I am not really maternal. I love my kids, really! I would give up anything for them, lay down my life for them...but sometimes I need a break from them. I enjoy quiet, reading, music..and the cool thing is that they are getting to that age where they do too! And they can play for chunks of time on their own or together. It is a thing of beauty.

Having said all that, I often feel like I'm bumbling my way through this mother gig. I like dropping off my kids at school and picking them up when they are done. I don't want to be at the school "helping" with everything...reading class, special events etc. I want to go drink coffee and hear about their day when they get home. Not be in class with them, or peeking in the window to make sure they eat snack and lunch or that they have friends to play with. (another post on that later). I don't mind if they run out our back gate to the park a couple of minutes before I do. But let me tell you that other parents do! I can see them eyeing my kids and looking around wondering who the delinquent parent is that let them go by themselves. How dare I!??!!

A few months ago I read an article of a mother who was arrested for child endangerment. Her crime? Letting her 10 year son walk 2 blocks to the park for his baseball game unattended! She had given him a cell phone to call home when he arrived at the park and she was actually heading there herself in a few minutes. But other parents called the police when they saw him walking down the street by himself! The mother was vilified in the neighbourhood for allowing her son to do what she did when she was a kid! (minus the cell phone of course).

In June I was pulled over by the police due to a mistake made by ICBC. Apparently they had cancelled my license. However, they had never contacted me about it, so for 3 months I'd been driving with a cancelled license. In 5 minutes there were 3 police cars surrounded my van on a main street of my little town. I was accused of endangering my children (who were in the van with me) and threatened with arrest and the removal of my girls. Hubby was at work and so in tears I called a friend who lived around the corner. He came and talked with the police, quite angry with the way they were handling it. (Jay is a calm man, so this was quite something!). Eventually, the girls went with Jay and we got stuff sorted out. But I couldn't help thinking that I couldn't be the worst mom in the town. Certainly not worthy of 3 cops and an obvious case of paperwork gone awry.

That is why I feel both convicted and freed by this article in Time Magazine. Read it. Tell me what YOU think.

I think Winter is here...

We are having crazy weather 'round these parts. On our 7 min. walk to school yesterday it was sunny, rainy and a fierce hail storm. So fierce I had to unbutton my coat to shield the girls from its force. Luckily the girls school has hand dryers so they stood under those until they got 'less wet'.

In other random news, I've started a new blog chronicling my faith journey/thoughts/musings/ponderings. www.trustmypath.blogspot.com

I hope it will become a place where I regain some spiritual discipline and where friends will enter into the discussion with me.

Ummm...Hello November!

I'm sure that October passed by in the blink of an eye. Let's review shall we?

Sickness was a dominant theme in our household. Hubby was the weak link that brought in it and it systematically took down Pookie, Bear and then myself. All of us, except for Pookie still have some form of sickness.

Surprise trip to Disneyland over Bear's birthday was a definite highlight of October and possibly our life as a little family. We did the whole princess dinner, 5 days at the park and a trip to the San Diego zoo. It was our first ever 'just us' family vacation and it was amazing. The girls were troopers, patiently waiting 1 1/2 hours to see the princesses...I could go on, but the girls tell the stories so much better. Suffice it to say, they were the perfect age for the magic of Disney. To see their excitement at meeting all the princesses and the wonder of It's a small World...I'm so thankful we did it.

The classic Disney picture!

We had Bear's 4th birthday when we got back and a visit from Hubby's Mom...it was great to spend a week together!

My baby girl..who is not so much a baby anymore!

Halloween was right after my M-I-L left. We dressed up as a farmer family for our church event, Hubby was a scarecrow, I was a farm girl, Pookie a cowgirl and Bear a donkey (her choice and so cute!)

Crazy family!

Phew...that was October....that was exhausting!