Inspiration

"I would rather die of passion than of boredom." Vincent Van Gogh

An old teacher of mine passed away after a battle with cancer last week.

Mr. Delaney was an all inspiring man.  He could have caused action from a rock - and not by being loud or giving you shocking facts, but by listening, by being attentive and intentional.  He lived his life caring for others all over the planet (literally).  And although I haven't spoke to him in ages and haven't thought much of him in recent years, his death shook me.  Death always shakes me.

As a parent I genuinely hope that my children will one day encounter a teacher/adult/peer who inspires them the same way that Mr. D inspired me and so so SO many other students who walked through the doors of Waubaushene, Fesserton or Victoria Harbour Elementary. He encouraged me to take action, to make a difference in any small way that I could.  It was there, with him, that I started writing letters to various Ministers in Parliament and expressing concern for education for myself and my peers.  Expressing concern about injustices that were happening all over the world, but focusing mostly in Sierra Leone, where Mr. D has spent a significant amount of time.

As an adult I have lost that inspiration, passion and vigour. Those traits have been replaced with ignorance and complacency. I occasionally believe that one person CANNOT possibly make an impact on the world, but Mr. D proves that theory to be incorrect.  The number of people who he touched, that could make it to his funeral, could barely be contained in the confines of the church walls, but that is still only a small portion of people affected by his life.

I wish I did not feel this ignorance (which I suppose I could change) but at times it is hard to believe that my life as a stay-at-home mom/babysitter could make much of a difference, and that definitely needs to change.

I am clearly in need of some inspiration since last night I was even having incredibly boring dreams.

I am a dreamer - not like the John Lennon song. I mean in my dreams I live a crazy, unbelievable life (which would only be possible in dreams).  My dreams involve flying, not in airplanes or helicopters, but me, flying through the air, and managing for undisclosed periods of time under water.  Sometimes I dream that I am travelling to exotic and magical places and meeting new people and learning new skills.

Last night, I dreamt about going to the grocery store and buying 5 lemons (yes, specifically 5) and going to bed.  I DREAMT ABOUT GOING TO BED!! How incredibly lame is that!?!

Last night I was sitting in Southlake hospital to get a little chest infection looked at, but while I was there it occurred to me that I was sitting in the same hospital where Mr. D took his final breaths last week.  A place where hundred of thousands of people have taken their last breath.

Perhaps some of them were also global citizens/inspirations like Mr. D, perhaps many of them were apathetic, barely acknowledging anything that goes on outside their own community.  Perhaps more of us need to think on a global level.  We need to take over the calling of people who have been called to something new (or taken from this green earth).  We (as in me and you - just to be clear) need to make a difference and leave an impression on the world we will one day leave behind.

I guess you could say I am breaking out of my rut... but I still need to figure out what it is I am going to do about it.

Stuck in a RUT!

So, I'm stuck.

I am stuck in the rut of running children to programs after dinner every evening and coming home and flopping on the couch, (or some nights right into bed) currently coughing and hacking every step in between.

Seth says I sound like a motorcycle.  He thinks it's cool.
Seth says my constant coughing is getting really annoying.  Right, it's annoying for him - it's not bothering ME at all!

I am stuck in the rut of leaving my daughters in their PJ's until noon.

I am stuck in the rut of cooking, cleaning and caring for children (which isn't too bad because at least my house had been staying relatively tidy).

Halloween is disturbing my rut.  Now I have to sew and cut when I get home from running kids to Awana, swimming, skating, or the chiropractor.

I have to admit, I think I kind of like my rut - but it sure isn't giving me a lot to think about. Clearly my rut doesn't involve blogging - which I imagine is because my thought process is relatively the same throughout every day.

"It's time for breakfast.  It's time for a walk.  Hey! Stop hitting! It's time to tidy up. It's time to colour.  It's time to cut and paste.  It's time to eat lunch.  It's time to have a nap (not me - but kids).  Hey!?! it's quiet!  It's time to clean the kitchen.  It's time to get the babies from their nap.   Hey!?!? Where are your clothes? It's time to go to the park.  It's time to play.  It's time to cook dinner.  HEY!?!? how did your face get so dirty?" and so on and so on...

I swear to you - my next post will be about breaking myself out of this rut - but not tonight... tonight is Grey's Anatomy -  so I need to be stuck for just one more day... hahaha.

Cream of Carrot Soup

Today I am going to share with you, a family soup recipe.
My mother in-law gave me this recipe the first year we were married.  Since carrots are one of the cheapest things to buy in the fall, this soup is budget friendly and delicious.

Cream of Carrot Soup

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups carrot
3 cups of chicken soup base
1/2 cup long grain rice
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp thyme/basil (depending on your taste)
Add any herbs and spices that you like, this soup really takes on flavour and it's great if you want to add nutmeg or cloves for fall flavour.
2 cups milk

Sautee onions in butter until golden. Add carrot until coated with butter. Add soup base, herbs and rice, cover and simmer until carrots are tender. Add salt.  And puree (Usually I can do this in 3rds without it overflowing on me.  Put back in the pot, and add milk. Feel free to garnish with whatever fresh herbs you have around.

This soup is pretty filling.  The rice makes it more than just 'soup' (since my husband needs more than just soup for dinner) and I serve it with some garlic bread or fresh buns... YUM!

Enjoy!

Grace at my House

A good friend of mine and I read a book together last year.  We called each other once a week, and talked about what we read and what was going on in our lives. The book was called 'Grace based Parenting' by Dr. Tim Kimmel.  I recommend this book to all parents, but especially Christian parents as it really speaks on the basis that we, as parents, need to be able to show the same grace as our Father shows us, to our children.

I made this as a reminder that God has given us his grace so I can make mistakes, and so can my kids.

This Emotional Mama.

It doesn't take much to make me cry.  I am an emotional woman.  I cry over "Ontario" commercials, and "Our heritage" commercials.  I cry when my kids amaze me, and I cry when my kids upset me.  I cry when I think about my friends who live far away, and I cry when I think of my friends near by.

I cry.  A lot.

Two weeks ago I was feeling a little sick.  I was laying on the couch and talking to Miriam.  I was crying because I love her.  Lucy was sick too, and I cried because she loves me!

Last week, I went to sign Seth up for swimming.  I was concerned that his level would be full, and he wouldn't get to go, but there was one space left.  I almost cried.  *Almost - because there was a line-up of people behind me and I has to hold myself together.

After signing Seth up for swimming, and getting the final spot, Miriam asked to watch the kids who were swimming in their lessons, which you can do upstairs in the same building.  When we got upstairs there was figure skating sign-ups.  I asked Miriam if she would like to do it, and she answered with a resounding "YES!".  So I signed her up.

As we were leaving the pool/ice rink facility I told Miriam we would go buy her skates very soon.  She requested pink skates.  Knowing that I wasn't going to any fancy stores to purchase her first pair of figure skates, I told her that the skates would be white. She then requested 'PINK LACES!?!'
 There I was, sitting in my car, crying again.  I used to figure skate. I used to have white skates with pink laces. She really is MY daughter! (I know this, but she is so much like her father, it's SCARY!)

We bought her skates on Friday evening, but she fell asleep on the way home.  First thing in the morning she asked to put her skates on!

So she wandered around the house for about an hour with her new skates, with pink laces!

And finally, as many of you know, Seth played Rugby this year.  He finally found a sport that he likes!
Yesterday was their final festival of the year, so he got a medal and a trophy, and also scored 4 tries!

Again, I held back the tears because of a crowd, but I was just so proud!

Now, I think I have always been fairly emotional.  I had a little teddy koala bear when I was a pre-teen,  and teenager.  It fit nicely in the palm of my hand, and I remember using it to wipe my tears as I fell asleep at night sometimes.

And DON'T think that I am sad all the time.  I am really not!  But when I get all excited, and I'm ready to explode, I generally explode through my tear ducts.  I cry all the time, and I am ok with it, although I can start to see the panic in Seth's eyes if he sees me crying, which makes me laugh, and cry at the same time, which is really unattractive, as I wimper and snort and turn red.

My point is, if you aren't an emotional person you might never understand why a friend of yours cries all the time (especially men wondering this about wives)  but sometimes, us emotional, criers, just need a good cleansing cry to feel better!  It's ok, don't fear, don't run and hide, but do I understand the shock and panic that could overpower you to run the other direction!!

Are you an emotional person too?

Garage sale?

This past weekend two of our neighbours had a great big garage sale.  They must have collected items from other people as well, because they were HUGE!  Both sales were to raise money for someone who is currently battling cancer. The sale lasted all weekend, Saturday and Sunday from 8am-4pm.

I had to work on Sunday afternoon but I thought I should send my husband down the road with a few bucks to support the cause and get the kids a little something.

While I am at work I am getting text messages from my husband. "I got tons of stuff!"  "There is lots of good CD's here"  We got "CD's, DVD's, some VHS, some lights and stuffed animals." This was what I expected... pretty typical of garage sale's and my husband, who likes to find a good deal.

Later that afternoon I start receiving text messages about my house being filled with junk.  My husband tells me that he looked out the window and Seth and his best friend are dragging home all of the 'FREE' stuff that was left over from the garage sales.  Later he looks out to see Seth pulled a wagon load of items and Sean wheeling down the sidewalk with a computer chair that is also full of garage sale items.

By the time I get home at 10 o'clock I am expecting disaster. There is Eric, sorting through a pile of CD's and listening to random ones to see if he likes any of them.  There is a pile of CD's for me, mostly pop from the 90's.  There is a box of DVD's and VHS's for me to decide what I want and don't want.  I enter Seth's room where he has a T.V. sitting ontop of the desk chair that I mentioned previously and nice leather bar stool and a few new random stuffed animals. I guess we were lucky and his friend took home most of the really junky stuff, we just got saddled with the CD's and movies. (which isn't such a bad thing to be stuck with, if you are my husband)

Yet on Monday morning, when I went down to play with the kids in the basement I was in for 2 shocking surprises.

This here GIANT bear is sitting in my chair...

and as I started to do a little dusting I noticed this staring at me...

A wee bit creepy considering that the mother is missing her eyeballs.

At this point I still feel like we got off pretty well.  There were quite a few good CD's and DVD's for the kids.  Mind you on Monday evening I heard from an other parents that my son and his friend were back down the street, looking for more junk to bring home....

1, We don't have a pool... so why the pool noodles?
2, we don't have an xbox... so why the xbox guitar?
and 3, How the heck did you manage to bring home a BAR!?!?!

Looks like I am going to have to have a garage sale!

WW: Dishwasher: try, try again

I know that the dishwasher doesn't clean sandwich containers very well.  My husband knows that too, yet for some reason we continue to try....