13 Hours of Rain

Drama Festivals. Mission Sundays. Swimming Lessons. Birthdays. Renovations. Holidays. Too busy to shovel the ridiculous drift of snow on our brick patio out back. F-i-n-a-l-l-y spring arrives. A sudden change in temperature from the negatives to the plus side. Uh-oh! Water in basement. After a relatively short moment of calm that gave me enough time to (1) call the people I needed to contact (including insurance) and (2) begin disaster control, I started to panic. And fret. Slowly, but surely, my stress levels rose, even though my husband calmly assisted me in the clean-up before his parent-teacher interviews that evening. I almost made it through bedtime stories with our kids. But then my son accidentally jabbed me in the ribs. I yelped, and started blubbering. My husband come home to a distraught wife. Then I started to vent, cry, and, (yes, swear). Not at my husband. Not a God (officially, anyway). Just at the general situation and the potential negative repercussions of th...

Dear Children, Years ago, your Nana, Nani, Mausies, Mamu, and I travelled to Ontario for a family wedding. Since the bride's house was filled with immediate family, we were billeted at the home of an elderly couple from our relatives' church. This couple was an inspiration! They had rearranged their home so that one section was furnished for the exclusive use of visiting missionaries and their families. There were several guest rooms and even a separate living room for tired minds and souls to enjoy in quiet solitude. In the morning, a delicious breakfast appeared at the dining room table to be savoured just as family. In the background, a huge bulletin board was filled with innumerable missionary prayers cards. This home was a retreat, a peaceful respite, a place to hear God's voice when away from foreign lands. I hoped that my home would be like this one day. We are currently in the midst of a Missions emphasis at our church for the month of April. Your Dadd...

Biking in Snowy April Dear Son, You and I had a little interview, about your favourites. Here is what you said: Your Favourite... Color : Green Snack : Pears Letter : O Number : 6 Ice Cream : Rocky Road Drink : Milk Book : Animals (Translation: He likes books about animals.) Toy : Trucks Clothes : Tiger Shirt Movie : Veggie Tales Jonah Inside Activity : Blocks (Translation: Duplo) Outside Activity : Ride Bike Your Character... Your Daddy and I have noticed something very remarkable about you. You persevere. When you start a particular task, you complete it to the best of your ability. For instance, when you work on a puzzle, you keep at it until it is completed, even if the puzzle is challenging. When we, your parents, are shovelling snow off the driveway, you help until the job is done (and yes, we are still shovelling this April!). And, even though you love to run and jump and make loud noises, you have the ability to sit quietly at a table and focus on s...

Dear Reader, Well, we did it. Sort of. Over the course of a week, my husband and I removed kitchen cabinet doors and spread them over tables and tarp in our kids' basement play room. We scrubbed years of grease and grime off. We patched up holes and sanded plastic wood filler. We painted. Coat one. Two. Three!? And then we brushed on the protective layer. What a helluva lot of work for two amateurs! Our kids were thankfully at their Grandparents' home three hours away. But we had less than a week to get much done. There are still parts of our kitchen that need painting. But we accomplished our main goal: resurface cabinet doors, drawers and visible frames. The product we used was Rust-Oleum Cabinet Transformations in the colour Quilters White . Here is my quick review of the product. Pros The kit comes with all the main products you will need in one box. You receive a deglosser, scrub pads, paint stir sticks, bond coat, decorative glaze, and pr...

Princess A. Dear Daughter, About two weeks ago, we had planned a little supper celebration at the big yellow M in honor of your brother's potty training accomplishments. I picked up your Dad from school and he asked you: D: "After Mommy's appointment, we will go somewhere for a big surprise. Guess what is it!" A: "A lollipop?" D: "No. It's bigger than that." A: "A very big lollipop?" Your Daddy and I burst out laughing! Lollipops and gum. Pink and purple. Pretty dresses and sparkly shoes. Lip gloss and nail polish. Unicorns and princesses. Jewelry and purses. There is no doubt about it. You are a little girl now. Yesterday, I was cuddling with you. I could barely hold you in my arms. Your sweet frame sprawled beyond my reach. I reminded you in that moment how little you were when I first met you face to face. So little in comparison to now. A precious baby with blue-gray eyes, bundled in pink fleece. Now, you sp...

Dear Lord, Sunday Thank you for quiet nursery duty. I was able to spend quality time with one child: my son. Halfway through, my husband came to keep me company when our daughter went downstairs for Children's Church. It was kind of nice to discuss the sermon while hearing it through the overhead speakers. Monday Thank you for the opportunity to interview newcomers and write their stories for a local magazine. I find writing energizing and therapeutic. And thank you for a welcomed phone call from a good friend. Tuesday Thank you that my children enjoy playing with other kids. Thank you for spontaneous lunch dates with friends over homemade cream of broccoli mozzarella soup. Thank you for surviving a whole day without my husband while he worked 8 a.m. - 10 p.m. at school & science fair. Wednesday Thank you for the reminder that I am not a perfect mom and that often after a "Mother-of-the-year" day, I face many hours filled with impatience (and yelling) on m...

A Twinge... There are days I feel a twinge of envy. A tiny feeling of regret trickles up from the depths of my being and forms a lump in my throat. No more newborns of mine will be cradled in these arms again. A few moms in my circle of acquaintances are beaming as they carry life within. It is beautiful to watch their anticipation and excitement. A new name. A new personality. A new collection of soft sleepers to embrace the distinct fragrance of infant skin. It is magical. My son is potty trained. I braced myself for the stereotypical battle with the male gender. I was delightfully surprised. In three days, he abandoned his diapers in favor of boy underwear. He was more than ready. I washed my cloth diapers for the last time and stored them for a potential buyer. It's hard to believe. This stage is over. Except for the "do-do" at night time, my son is a "big little boy" now. On the whole, I feel good. Those intense days as a nursing mother are behind...