Get out the tissues....but once again, it was too good not to share.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Hockey, Hockey, Hockey!
A few weeks ago we took the boys to a Chicago Wolves hockey game. They are a much cheaper option than the Blackhawks games and just in case we don't make it through the entire game, it makes more sense to go there. The Wolves games start with flames and fireworks. Dane loves fireworks and we will see how Kale feels about them this 4th of July, but being in a stadium makes the fireworks much louder. Kale sat on Cameron's lap through most of it then decided that he was scared and reached for me. Dane's face was buried in my shoulder for most of it. But once we got past that part, they did awesome! They were both completely enthralled with the game. They SAT for the entire thing. I really thought we'd only make it through the first 2 periods but we were able to watch the entire game!
At the game, Dane got to pick out something for himself and for Kale. Dane got a little stuffed Wolves mascot named "Skates" that has been a constant sleeping companion for him since. He picked out a soft hockey puck with a wolf on it for Kale. And Dane has been hockey obsessed again since we went to the game!
Dane watching the blimp drop prizes:
Kale made friends with the little boy in front of us (who had a completely blue mouth...from his nose to his chin from the cotton candy he consumed):
A random trip to Chucky Cheese (again trying to find ways to pass our over abundance of "inside" time):
Just hanging out at home:
Cameron and I were also able to sneak away to a Blackhawks game on February 16th to celebrate our friend's 10 wedding anniversary. Congratulations Luke & Nicole on your big milestone!
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Gold Club 2013
Photo courtesy of the Four Seasons Nevis webpage...looks terrible, doesn't it?
Cameron's annual company trip is just around the corner...we leave April 9 for 4 nights in Nevis. This is the 2nd time we are heading there, the first trip we ever attended was there as well. I am so excited to go back and see how it's changed, however I am struggling with leaving the boys for 4 nights. This is the longest I have ever been away from them. I know they are in amazing hands while we are gone (a HUGE thank you to Teresa, my mom and Janel for splitting time with our munchkins and at our house which makes it even easier for us). But I also know that after the first 48 hours my arms will ache to hug them. We will be staying at the Four Seasons which is where we stayed over 10 years ago when we were there but in between then and now the resort was demolished by a hurricane and completely rebuilt. It will be planes, trains and automobiles to get there just like it was the first time...airplane to Miami, airplane to St. Kitts, bus to the dock and boat to get to Nevis!! We leave at the disgusting hour of 5:30am and we actually arrive there at 3ish. Looking forward to some time alone with Cameron but please pray for our boys to have so much fun with Grandmas, aunt and cousins that they don't even notice we're gone!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Happy St. Patty's Day!!
Cameron and I were able to sneak out for a bit yesterday to celebrate St. Patty's day with our friends!
The luck of the Irish must have been with us because we met a drunk Leprechaun!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Motherhood
This is too good not to share....
MOTHERHOOD
We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"
"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."
But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.
I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.
I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her.
That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.
I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mum!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.
I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her
baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.
I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming
children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.
However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.
Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.
That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.
I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.
My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.
I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child.
I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.
I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.
I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike.
I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.
I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.
My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.
Please share this with a Mum that you know or all of your girlfriends who may someday be Mums. May you always have in your arms the one who is in your heart.
By Dale Hanson Bourke
'Chicken soup for the woman's soul'!
MOTHERHOOD
We are sitting at lunch one day when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of "starting a family." "We're taking a survey," she says half-joking. "Do you think I should have a baby?"
"It will change your life," I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral.
"I know," she says, "no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations."
But that is not what I meant at all. I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes.
I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable.
I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking, "What if that had been MY child?" That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her.
That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.
I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to the primitive level of a bear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of "Mum!" will cause her to drop a soufflé or her best crystal without a moments hesitation.
I feel that I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood. She might arrange for childcare, but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her
baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of discipline to keep from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.
I want my daughter to know that every day decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming
children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that restroom.
However decisive she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother.
Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself.
That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give herself up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years, not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs.
I want her to know that a cesarean scar or shiny stretch marks will become badges of honor.
My daughter's relationship with her husband will change, but not in the way she thinks.
I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child.
I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.
I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and drunk driving.
I want to describe to my daughter the exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike.
I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is touching the soft fur of a dog or cat for the first time.
I want her to taste the joy that is so real it actually hurts.
My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes. "You'll never regret it," I finally say. Then I reached across the table, squeezed my daughter's hand and offered a silent prayer for her, and for me, and for all the mere mortal women who stumble their way into this most wonderful of callings.
Please share this with a Mum that you know or all of your girlfriends who may someday be Mums. May you always have in your arms the one who is in your heart.
By Dale Hanson Bourke
'Chicken soup for the woman's soul'!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Men's Day
Dane's school has a special men's day that happened last Saturday. There is a special women's day coming up in May that I get to attend. So last Saturday morning, Cameron & Dane headed off to school. They had the opportunity to do some crafts and the kiddos actually got to shave their special man. Cameron had the chance to meet some of the other dads and Dane was so excited to have some special time with Daddy.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
The Big One!
We've been waiting for the big snow storm this year and as of yesterday we thought we were going to get nailed today. The winter weather warning started through the night at 3am and was scheduled until midnight tonight. All area schools had cancelled classes by last evening before we even went to bed and everyone was preparing for the worst. I ran to Walgreens for chocolate milk (obviously a staple since Kale won't drink white milk) and it was crazy busy. Cameron told his team to work from home. We woke up to nothing...no snow on the ground and none coming down. But it started just a few minutes ago and is coming down pretty hard. The last time it snowed (last Thursday) we did get hit with almost a foot but it was late in the day into the night and everyone still had school the next day. As for me...I am done. Done with this winter, done with snow, in serious need of sun and spring! I want to play outside...in the sand, in the water, at the park, in the SUN. I hope this is it. In the meantime, I think we've made the best of it. There is a big sledding hill behind our local pool that we took the boys to a couple weeks ago. I try to get outside with them everyday even if it's just for 20-30 minutes. And we're getting very creative in how to spend our time indoors. Much of the time is spent hunting for baby animals that are in trouble (sound a bit like Go Diego Go and Wild Kratts?? Two of Dane's favorite tv shows). We go camping since Kale got a backpack and both boys got sleeping bags for their birthdays. But I cannot wait to walk to the park everyday or play in our backyard or just feel the sun on my face!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)