Thursday, October 24, 2013

And then there were two!

The last six weeks have brought a lot of change in the red house.  My son Rudie has turned into a polite little boy that loves his sister, follows direction easily and uses his words much more than he uses his fists.  I am, of course, speaking generally here.  I mean, he’s definitely no angel.  He’s still a 5-year old boy but for the first time in a really long time, we seem to be dealing with regular old, age appropriate boy stuff (and we’re so happy to do it!).

A few things changed six weeks ago.  Rudie settled into senior kindergarten with an amazing new teacher who keeps learning fun and students interested.  This is also his first year in French Immersion, and that in itself is keeping him challenged and loving school.  Six weeks ago was when I started working part time and that has helped in a huge way.  Not only does it mean there is one less person “handling” him every day, it’s another opportunity for us to chat, play and most importantly, connect as we walk the few blocks to school every morning.
The other thing we did six weeks ago was enroll Rudie in a karate club.  Three days a week he gets dressed in his gi, offers his courtesy, and for thirty minutes practices his jabs, crosses and hi-yas.  He’s learning discipline and respect and having a crazy amount of fun while he’s at it.  An added bonus?  They talk about how to talk to and listen to mom and dad at home, and they go over stranger danger strategies every few weeks.

We’ve been so happy with the progress we’ve seen in Rudie over this past month and a half that we decided to enrol Edie in karate as well.  She’s there three days a week watching her big brother anyway, so why not?  And selfishly, it's great for me to actually get to sit and watch the class with both of them in it rather than trying to watch him and keep her entertained at the same time. 

Maybe it's a combination of all these changes that have made such an impact lately.  I know for a fact that karate has been a huge part of it.  Martial Arts played an important role in my husband’s life as he was growing up and I can see it becoming just as important in our lives going forward.  It's fun, it tires them out, it teaches them really important life-skills and for that, I am thankful.  Courtesy.
 

Monday, October 21, 2013

Fall Lovin'

You know when things are going so good that you don’t want to acknowledge it out of fear that your world will come crumbling down once again?  Okay, that’s a bit on the dramatic side, but you know what I mean, right?  Everything is really, really awesome right now.  I just wish I could pause time so I’m able soak every second in.  Every smell, every colour, every laugh.     

Maybe the fall season is finally getting to me.  The slow-cooked dinners, the chilly evenings wrapped in blankets, the crunching leaves on the ground.  Maybe I’ve had one too many pumpkin spice lattes.  Whatever it is, it’s wonderful.
Thanks for reading.  xo

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Lesson Learned: Never Say Never

You know all those things you said you would never do before you became a parent?  You know, co-sleeping (did it), letting them cry it out (did it), putting them in Crocs (but they’re just so easy!).  I’m doing something now that I swore I would never do, even just a month ago: I’ve over-scheduled my kids.

Here is how our week looks:
Monday:              daughter dancing
Tuesday:              son karate
Wednesday:       FREE DAY!  HOORAY!
Thursday:            son karate
Friday:                  both kids swimming
Saturday:             son karate
Sunday:                Another free day and a big, happy, lazy sigh.
Somewhere in there, we also fit in the shopping, cleaning and the adult activities, such as my yoga practice 2-3 times a week (some weeks are much easier than others).  Luckily, my husband is a runner so he can just strap his sneakers on and go for it whenever there is some free time to be found.

This has been our schedule for the last month and, although I’ve moved to part-time hours at work, I’m now busier than I’ve ever been.  But you know what?  It’s working for us.  My kids look forward to their activities and my son in particular loves knowing that something is scheduled on any given day.  Karate has been so good for him in so many ways (another post about that later!) and I’m happy with the choices we have made.  We all are! 
I’ve thrown my never-do list out the window.  I’ve learned that your situation can (and will) constantly change and you never know what you need to do next to accommodate your family’s needs.  You also never know what will actually work for you until you try it.  Like those damn Crocs…they may be ugly but what kid doesn’t love a slip-on shoe?