Things we love: What's Up Moms

I'm obsessed.

It started the other day while on a play date with my kids when I referenced a parody video I saw on Facebook about friends without kids. I remember laughing at the video and wanted to watch it again and pulled up Google to find it.

What I discovered was a website about three moms who are passionate about making short, useful videos about life, food and crafts. They call it What's Up Moms.

I started with the friends with no kids video (which I forwarded to my play date friend). Then was directed to a mod podge animal canvas DIY (which I sent to my sister). Then another canvas DIY (which I sent to my friend)... You get the idea.

Before I knew it two hours had passed. And I just wanted more. More videos. More tips. More! More! More!

It turns out that these moms post videos frequently.  Meg posts a new tip related to kids in the kitchen every Monday. Elle posts a vlog about life lessons every Wednesday. And Brooke posts a DIY every Friday.

I'm hooked. I've subscribed to their Facebook page, their YouTube videos, and have added them as a read on my blog so I never miss another video.  

This week I've made mod podge animal canvases with Mya (which are now hanging in her room), made homemade fruit roll ups with Jasper (ok, I burnt the first batch, but both kids still loved them), and have spent hours upon hours learning more useful tips, recipes and DIY projects. I can't wait to go back to the grocery store so I can make Meg's homemade mozzarella sticks - Yum!

I'm obsessed and can't wait for the next video.  Great job What's Up Moms!! Click on my link above to check them out.

Melanie

Handmade Memory Quilts

My mom and I have taken the plunge. We've started making memory blankets from old clothes, baby clothes, t-shirts, blankets, bibs, etc. We had 5 orders to get us started and they turned out beautifully.

Please check out more of our work on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/handmadememoryquilts

And feel free to contact me to make your very own memory quilt!

Enjoy!

The Great Goofy Search

Mya is just like many other kids out there - she's obsessed with Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She has clothing, shoes, dress up accessories, toys, games, pictures and even a border that runs all around her room that features all 6 of the Mickey characters. She loves them all.

For Christmas this year we made the trip to my mother-in-law's house and we discovered some old toys of my husband's from when he was a little boy. And - Gosh - weren't we surprised when we found a little Goofy figurine.

At first Mya wasn't too keen on Goofy. She would play with her other toys while Goofy was placed in a corner somewhere else. But slowly, Goofy became a part of our lives.

Mya now takes Goofy everywhere. He's swinging next to her on the swings at the park. He eats supper on the table with us every night. Mya gives Goofy a bath when he's dirty, changes his bum and makes sure he's wrapped up snug for his naps. Goofy also comes to the store with us, but she leaves him in the car so we don't lose him in an aisle somewhere. She calls him her baby and she takes very good care of him.

This weekend found us camping at Rowan's Ravine Provincial Park and Goofy was along for the ride. We like to keep Goofy in the camper where he'll be safe, but sometimes Mya takes him out to play. He was watching a movie in Uncle Jon's tent during a rainstorm when they found him under an air mattress. He was discovered on a camp chair watching the fire in the evening. And when bedtime rolled around on our last night there, Roger looked at me and asked: "Where's Goofy"?

Thus began The Great Goofy Search.

It was dark so we searched with flashlights. We searched the field where the kids were playing. We searched all the camp chairs. We looked in the bathrooms and in everyone's tents and campers. Luckily, Mya hadn't napped that day and she fell asleep while waiting for us to find her precious baby. Roger and I searched for over an hour with no luck. Goofy was officially missing.

Goofy has been in our lives for 8 months now and he feels like a part of the family. His yellow shirt, blue coveralls and red shoes - we see them every day. And the thought of never seeing his silly grin again tore us up inside.

The next morning Goofy was the first thing Mya asked about. We tried to down play our search and distracted Mya with the thought of playing at the park while we packed up to leave, but we knew we were in for a long ride if Goofy didn't turn up. But as each family member packed up their sites, the possibility of leaving without Goofy became more and more real.

I walked all around the park and stopped everyone I met to ask if they'd seen Goofy. Maybe another kid had picked him up? I asked the park workers who were cleaning the bathrooms. But no one had seen him. I even went so far as to dump all the recycling out onto the ground and re-bag it all. No Goofy.

When Mya came back from the park, I sucked it up. I told her that Goofy was missing and we were about to leave without him.

Mya would never see Goofy again.

And that's when I heard the cheering that started in my mom's campsite. My sister's arms flew in the air as she shouted "Woo-hoo". My nephew Jacob stood up from the picnic table with a big smile on his face. I looked all around and saw my mom running over - with Goofy in her hand.

In the end Goofy was found under my mom's camper mat. Mya smiled as she took Goofy in her arms and did not let him go until we were home safe and sound. 

Welcome home Goofy. I'm so glad we found you.

Melanie

 

Things we love: Co-op's toddler shopping carts

I love grocery shopping. I never, ever make a list and thoroughly enjoy browsing through each aisle to see what I need.

But, shopping has become increasingly difficult with two kids. Enough said.

That is, until I found this:

The Co-op in our city has toddler shopping carts!!

Mya will happily follow behind me filling her cart with all the things we need.Of course, I have to check her cart at the check out. Today I had a box of cookies, an extra head of lettuce, two bottles of body spray and some chicken and onion spice. But she's a great helper and I will gladly take her along on any grocery shop to the Co-op from now on.

Thank you Co-op. You've made my shopping experience a lot brighter :)

Melanie

6 weeks

Maybe I was naive. Maybe I just didn't understand. But I didn't know what it meant to lose a baby until it happened to me.

It was a regular Saturday morning. I was playing in the yard with my kids and chatting with my husband. I was 6 weeks pregnant and could not have been happier in that moment. I want a big family. I want my kids close in age. My life was happening exactly how I wanted it to happen. I was happy. I was writing a blog in my head titled "Welcome to the Jungle." It was the phrase a friend used when we gleefully announced our 3rd baby's pending arrival.

And that's when I felt it. In that moment I knew - I was bleeding.

Some women bleed during their pregnancies. It's a sign telling them to slow down and rest their body. But I've never bled during mine and I knew it was not a good sign.

In the emergency room my doctor confirmed that the baby was alright. He helped me feel calm, but also let me know that if I lost the baby, there was nothing he could do to stop it.

I rested for three days. I cancelled plans. I laid on the couch. I read an entire book on Sunday afternoon. I felt sad as I prepared for what might happen, but as time wore on I had hope that our baby was going to be alright.

But things were not alright. The cramping started on Monday evening and I lost the baby that night. I cried in Roger's arms as I talked about what could have been and what we lost. I fell asleep feeling devastated and empty.

We had announced our pregnancy early. I'm not very good at keeping pregnancy a secret and I always believed the statement that if anything were to happen, I'd rather have the support of everyone knowing than to suffer in silence. But my body? It was built for having babies. It was built for both pregnancy and labour. I am one of the lucky ones. A miscarriage wouldn't happen to me.

Until it did.

As it turns out, 1 in 3 pregnancies end with a miscarriage.

It's the little things that hurt the most. Walking over to look at my daily calendar and seeing that I'd already marked each week of my pregnancy until the end of the year. Now every time I look at it I'm reminded of how far along I should have been. And the biggest hurt is looking at my bare fireplace. The sign I'd hung to tell Roger that we were having a baby has been taken down and although it gave me closure, it's empty look now reminds me of what should still be hanging there. 

I'm glad I'd announced the pregnancy early as the support I received was comforting and helpful. The texts, calls, emails, flowers, cards, gifts and visits - they have meant so much. It made me feel not so alone and it definitely helped to hear from others who'd experienced the same thing. Rachelle - you saved me. I hope you know that. I don't know how I would have gotten through it without you.

Having a miscarriage was absolutely terrible. It broke my heart. I honestly don't think that many people understand what it means or know how difficult it is to be pregnant one minute and not the next, unless you've been through it yourself. And now that I have, I feel sad thinking about my friends who've been there while I blissfully looked the other way. I wish I'd known...but I'm glad I didn't.

I feel blessed to have two beautiful, healthy kids and they've made this loss a little easier on me. Roger, you are my rock and although it was a terrible loss, I'm thankful you were by my side.

Melanie

Campground Review: Duck Mountain

This stop - Duck Mountain (north of Kamsack, SK)
Length of stay - 4 nights
Weather - Rainy with a chance of flood
Campers - 4 (Roger, Melanie, Mya & Jasper)

Privacy
Most campsites were well treed and provided a lot of privacy. Actually, it may have provided too much as the campground was very, very dense and that meant there were limited pathways through the trees to get to other areas. Also, our campsite was so private, we were a good 10 minute walk to the showers - and a 20 minute walk to the closest park.  It was a negative to be so secluded.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Amenities
Duck Mountain boasts lake swimming, parks, hiking trails, boat rentals, horse rides, mini golf and an interpretive centre. We were also able to take in a couple campground events including a magic show, face painting and balloon animals. Unfortunately, due to weather conditions we missed out of the Crafty Campers event that I'm sure Mya would have enjoyed. All in all, the amenities were positive, but they didn't stand out above other campgrounds we've been to before. The lake has a very tiny beach, and the road to get to the boat rentals is extremely congested. There was also only one park in the entire campground (and is not located with the showers, which is odd) and is not anywhere near the actual campsites. It's a hike just to get to the park, or you have to drive. The mini golf and horse rides are a five minute drive from the campground, but there is no biking/walking path to get there. We had to drive to avoid biking with the kids on a main highway. The hiking trails that we did get to experience were great, but due to the rain and flooding, most were washed out and we didn't get to continue. The interpretive centre was small, but a welcome treat to get our little kids to get out of the rain and the mini golf was a fun course. The park at the beach was also large and fun, but with the rain we didn't play on it much.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Campsite
We sprung for luxury camping this trip and paid for electricity, water and sewer. What we didn't realize is that we would be one of the furthest campsites in the park and were a long hike to any services. The bonus was that we didn't need any other services, but when the pipe broke near our campsite and it took an hour to fix, we were left without water in our camper and had to drive to the nearest bathroom. The campsite itself was narrow and due to all the rain, was partially flooded and the ground was very soft. The camp fire also was not moveable, so we were stuck having it in a puddle of water during the rainiest day. We stayed in a section of the campground that was newly expanded and this meant that the road was made of dirt and gravel instead of being paved. On a hot, summer day this might have been alright, but as we camped during a flood, we were constantly covered in mud. Walking our dog was a complete pain. Luckily Mya and I had our rubber boots - and I think Roger will finally cave and buy some for our next trip.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Bathroom/Showers
As we sprung for luxury camping, we didn't have to use the bathroom/shower house. However, I discovered that there was only one bathroom/shower house for all 207 campsites in the Birch section of Duck Mountain. I felt lucky to not have to wait in line for a shower. When I did use the bathroom, it felt clean and was similar to the shower houses found in most provincial campgrounds.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars


We chose Duck Mountain because Roger had gone there as a kid (although he went to the Manitoba side of Duck Mountain) and remembered really liking it. But, all-in-all, we felt there wasn't anything special about this park to bring us back in the future. And although the park can't be blamed for the amount of flooding, the rain didn't help this particular park to shine. It was a 4 hour drive for us to make it to Duck Mountain and in the future we would prefer to stick closer to home. We did make the most of our trip and were able to go on some hikes, a boat ride, bike rides and a lot of walks and we really enjoyed being stuck together in all the rain :)

Melanie

Campground Review: Nickle Lake

With many, many camping trips planned this summer with our new-to-us camper, I've decided to keep track of our favourites and not so favourites.

First stop - Nickle Lake (two minutes outside of Weyburn, SK)
Length of stay - One week
Weather - Cloudy and rain with one day of sun
Campers - 9 in two sites (5 adults, 4 kids)

Privacy
The campground was seriously lacking in privacy as there are minimal trees (if any) separating campsites. The oddest moment of the trip for me was when I opened up my blinds and found a man at the next campsite over staring at me through my window from his lawn chair. I quickly shut the blinds and kept them that way for the remainder of the week. Creepy!! It was ideal to have minimal privacy separating our campsite from the other in our group, but a little privacy is needed between neighbouring sites regardless.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Amenities
Nickle Lake boasts lake swimming, kiddie splash pool, boating, fishing, mini golf, parks and ball diamonds. They also have a cafe on the beach for a welcome treat. (Unfortunately for us, the cafe doesn't open until July and as we were camping in late-June it was not an option for us. Boy, were we disappointed!) We also picked a very rainy week to go camping and were not able to spend much time at any of these locations. The kiddie splash pool was also not open for the season yet and the park at that specific spot is in desperate need of a makeover. The fishing and boating dock as well as the sandy beach were beautiful and I wish we'd had more sunny days so we could have enjoyed them more.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Campsites
They were unexpectedly long and provided ample room for campers, tents, boats, vehicles, etc. They were also all grass. Having an all grass campsite seemed odd at first as most are gravel, but it was a pleasant surprise since the week we chose to go camping found us soaked with rain.  Gravel campsites would have left us, and especially our dog, soaked with mud, but Nickle just left us wet. At least we were able to stay clean in all the rain. An added bonus was that Jasper was still crawling and the grass did not leave his knees full of cuts and scrapes. I also appreciated that the fire pit was moveable. We were able to rearrange its location based on the wind and rain of the day.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Bathroom/Showers
We were steps away from the showers (which were free), but we found the fan inside to be extremely loud and one shower didn't work. It wasn't a factor though as it was a very quiet week and we were usually the only ones in there at one time.That being said, they were not cleaned very well.
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars


Overall we had a nice trip to Nickle Lake. It was nice to stay close to home and I appreciated being at a regional campground because they are smaller in size and you can bike or walk to every amenity. We will definitely consider camping here again - and we will hope for better weather!

Melanie

Things we love: Gro Clock

I follow another blog where the lady has begun posting a "Things we Love" series and decided to follow suit.

We moved Mya to a toddler bed months ago. She was always an awesome sleeper in her crib, but the change to toddler bed took some getting used to. That is, until we stumbled upon this:

It's called a Gro Clock and it's the best purchase I've made in a very long time.

Mya has no concept of time and would get up out of bed at all hours of the night. Sometimes we'd find her wandering the house, and sometimes she'd come to find us in our bedroom. And when we put her back to bed, she would cry because she believed she was ready to get up. A few early, early mornings found one of us laying on the couch with her watching Mickey Mouse because Mya wouldn't stay in bed.

Ugh!

Enter: Gro Clock. It cost us $50 and the concept was simple: Stay in bed until you see the sun!

When Mya goes down for her nap or at bedtime, we click a button to display a blue star. As time goes by, the 12 little stars surrounding the big star fade away to tell her that it's almost time to get up. When the sun rises, she knows that it's time to get out of bed.

We set the sun rise to display at 3pm (nap time) and 7:08am (morning). The clock itself is silent. So if Mya is not awake yet, the sun shines and Mya sees it when she wakes up.

It took two nights before Mya fully caught on, and now - months later - she loves her clock. If she wakes up in the early morning and sees the star, she knows she can read a book or play with her stuffies, but she has to stay in bed. And if she wakes to the sun rise in her bedroom, I get to hear my new favourite words wake me up: "Mommy! The sun is up!"

If you have a toddler who struggles with staying in bed, trust me, a Gro Clock is the best purchase you'll ever make. 

Enjoy!

Melanie

The tooth fairy

My niece Layla came over to our house today for a visit. I commented on the tooth she recently lost and asked her to tell me about her visit with the tooth fairy. Here's what she told me:

"After your tooth falls out, you take it and put it under your pillow when you go to sleep. Then, the tooth fairy comes into your bedroom with scissors and she takes your tooth and cuts it into teeny, tiny pieces until it's like dust. Then she sprinkles the dust over you while you sleep and it will help all your dreams come true."

My mouth fell open.

What a creative, awesome story about the tooth fairy. I have decided to tell this exact story to my kids when they start losing their teeth.

I wrote my sister immediately and asked her where she came up with the story to tell Layla? But she told me that Layla came up with it herself. She has a great imagination and is a good story teller.

I smiled as I told Layla that it was a very nice story. But then she yelled:

"Yes, Auntie, but if your dreams don't come true, then you will NEVER, EVER GET THAT TOOTH BACK!!"

So there you have it kids. If you don't think your dreams will come true - please hide your teeth from the tooth fairy. Layla went on to tell me that by the time she turns 7 she will have lost all her teeth and won't have them anymore because the tooth fairy keeps turning them into dust.

I don't think she likes the tooth fairy very much...

I love you Layla. And I hope all your dreams come true.

Melanie

Happy Mother's Day

Although I believe that we should show our mom's every day why they are so special to us, it's still nice to be spoiled on Mother's Day. And that's why this year was so perfect.

This year I was able to sleep in (until 8:30am, but still - it was all I wanted). I enjoyed eggs, toast and sausages from chef Roger for brunch (who, it should be noted, makes the worst eggs I've ever tasted - but I loved them anyway).  Mya and I painted her bird house a variety of colours. I took a trip to the store with Jasper to buy a tiller to work up my vegetable garden. I took a trip for ice cream with my best gal, Mya. And I spent the afternoon enjoying the sunshine and watching my husband and kids get my garden ready for planting. Mya and I wore our summer dresses and we thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Yesterday was a fantastic day that was only made better today when my Mother's Day gift arrived - a personalized cookie jar for my counter :)

Here's a snapshot of what my Mother's Day looked like

Thank you Mya and Jasper for giving me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for - being your mom.

And to all the mom's out there - especially my own mom and mother-in-law, Happy Mother's Day.

Melanie

Ten Years - April 16, 2004

I'd been thinking about the date, knew it was coming and knew I was setting myself up for a very difficult day. Nevertheless, when I woke up this morning, the first thing I thought about was that ten years ago today, my dad died.

Ten years. Has it really been that long? Ten years since I last saw his smile. Ten years since he said my name and told me he loved me. Ten years since I said goodbye. Ten years since I last saw his face.

After my dad died, I added the date to my calendar. What a strange feeling - seeing the day recorded amongst holidays, birthdays and anniversaries. The days that people celebrate and plan for. Instead, today is the day my dad died and I can only remember...

I remember how his laugh could light up a room. It was infectious. It was loud. It was just like mine.

I remember the t-shirts he wore with sayings like: Friends don't let friends drive Fords (which is ironic as my husband now owns a Ford truck). And Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad (and yes - he was incredibly special).

I remember asking him about the scar on his cheek when I was a little girl. He'd fallen on an piece of glass when he was three years old and the scar was permanent. (My Aunt Thelma confirmed that it was her who dropped him after he was too squirmy during a piggy-back ride).

I remember how loud he snored and how ridiculously loud he blew his nose.

I remember how confused my dad was when I asked if I could start shaving my legs. He didn't have a clue what to say and wanted to call my Grandma for advice. My sister, Jacquie stopped him in his tracks and said that he wasn't allowed to call her as she grew up in a different time and hadn't shaved her legs a day in her life - he needed to ask someone else. The conversation ended with my dad handing over his razor. 

I remember telling ghost stories at night with my friends and scaring ourselves so badly that we came screaming upstairs. My dad did not scare easily, but being woken up at 1am by a slumber party full of pre-teen girls screaming up the stairs?  It was enough to make him carry a bat with him as he searched the house.

I remember how much he read, how he was scared of mice and rats, and how mad he would get when my friends and I got to Blockbuster first and stole his free movie rental (thanks Kelly!!).

I remember jumping on our trampoline in the backyard when I got up to change the song from Steppenwolf's Magic Carpet Ride. My dad came out and complained that it was the first good song he'd heard all day and I turned it off. He made me turn it back on.

I remember that he bought Jacquie and I a car for our 16th birthday. It was an old Mustang (Jac's wish) and he was so excited when he led us into the garage that morning. He taught us both to drive a standard and it's a skill I'm happy to know.

And then I remember bursting with laughter after my dad took my keys one day. I'd been complaining about driving a standard because needing to have one hand on the wheel and the other on the stick meant that I couldn't drive with my arm out the window. So, he took my keys to prove me wrong and I watched as he kept one hand on the stick, the other out the window and drove the wheel with his knees.

I remember politely kicking him out the day he moved me into my dorm room at University. I was so excited to be starting my new life and didn't notice my dad's sadness at losing his little girl. He told me later that he'd find himself stopping in front of my bedroom door at home and feeling sad that I was all grown up and didn't live there anymore. He said he was looking forward to the summer when I would be home again.

I remember surprising my dad at work on my way through town. I walked in the side of the elevator and as I turned the corner I watched in horror as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up. I was his anti-smoking daughter and was so genuinely proud of him for quitting. It was his first smoke in over a year and I happened to walk in the door at the exact moment that he finally gave into his weakness. And boy, did I let him have it.

I remember when my sisters and I recovered his kitchen chairs and simply left a note on the table that read: We hope you like your present. He said he was on the phone with my Grandma, telling her how his daughters left a note, but forgot to leave the present when he suddenly shouted, "Holy S***, they did my chairs!" His chairs were torn and coming apart at the seams and we made them look brand new again. It was thoughtful and one of my favourite gifts we ever gave him.

And I remember the day my world changed.

I remember eating at McDonald's before we moved Jacquie to Nanaimo for a work term when my dad started choking on his burger. He'd been having trouble swallowing and I was shaking as I ran up to ask the girl for a glass of water. We mentioned the doctor and he said he'd make an appointment when he got home.

I remember that on Sunday, February 15, 2004, my dad called. He was in the hospital having a shunt put in his throat to help his swallowing issues and asked my sister and I to meet him there. It was the first day we heard the frightening words: Esophagus Cancer. I remember meeting a doctor at the Pasqua Hospital in Regina soon after who told us he was in stage 4, the Cancer was terminal, it had spread and he had only an estimated 6 months to live.

6 months?

I remember the confusion.
I remember the pain.
I remember the anger.
I remember the sadness.
But most of all - I remember him.
His confusion.
His pain.
His anger.
His sadness.

And I remember sobbing on his hospital bed only two months later, on Friday, April 16, 2004, surrounded by our family, as I watched him take his last breath.

It was a life changing experience to sit by my dad's side and although those were devastating days, they were days like all the others - ones I want to remember.

These are a sample of the stories I remember. The good and the bad. The stories I now share with my husband about the father-in-law that he never had the chance to meet. And they are the stories I will share with my kids as I talk about the grandpa they will never know.

But they will know him - because I remember.

How long will I count the years?

Always.

Ten years. Has it really been that long?


*Update - my sisters and I hosted a memorial pot luck with our extended family from my dad's side last Saturday. It was a way to share his memory with those who love us and miss him as much as we do. We had on display a scrapbook I made for Jacquie after he passed away containing cards and letters and pictures that would help us remember, our dad's old cowboy boots and sandals, the quilt from his bed, his UGG cooler and Blue curling bag, a bottle of his cologne, his pin collection, and (to lighten the mood) his old rundown hair brush. This blog was also printed for everyone to read. There were tears and there was laughter and we were surrounded by love. A big thank you to everyone who was able to make it. You all made a difficult day just a little bit better.

Here we are (Melanie, Celina & Jacquie) - 10 years later - and still missing him every day. Today he would have been 58 years old, he would have 3 son-in-laws, and 6 wonderful grandchildren. We love you dad!

 

Melanie

Camping reservations

I love to camp. I love setting up the tent (although this year we sprang for a new-to-us camper and we are very excited to take it out). I love being outside all day with absolutely nothing to do. I love cooking over a fire. I love the rustling of the trees as I sleep. And I really love sitting in a lawn chair by a crackling fire at night and just watching it burn.

Some of my fondest memories from my youth involve camping and I'm so happy to share the same experiences with my kids. We've camped with each of them as babies (crazy, I know), and now the excitement on Mya's face (and I assume on Jasper's when he's old enough to understand) when she hears about our camping plans for the upcoming season is priceless.

This week was opening week for Saskatchewan Provincial Parks and I was geared up and ready. We have a lot of trips planned this year that will see us to Battleford, Moose Mountain, Duck Mountain, and (fingers crossed) Rowan's Ravine. We also plan to hit up Nickle Lake as it's only a few minutes away from where we live.

Saying that reservations at Sask Parks happen fast is an understatement. And those of you who were lucky enough to get campsites without encountering any problems were exactly that: Lucky. I was among the 1500 people who were mistakenly charged twice for my campsite on Monday morning. And I was also one of the 3400 people who had logged in on Wednesday morning in an attempt to book a campsite at Douglas Provincial Park. I say 'attempt' because that day I needed 6 sites for a family camping trip and by the time the system worked itself out of the massive overwhelm there were only single bookings left (and not very many at that).

Monday morning at least found me with two campsites at Battleford for the week prior to my family's Beaton Festivus. We will be camping with Jacquie's family like we do every year and I'm most excited for our annual trek to the lighthouse in Cochin. But Wednesday was a bust. I was awake at 6:45am and by 8:00am with still no campsite, I was one cranky momma!

Sask Parks wrote numerous emails of apology and have fixed their system by extending Friday's launch into 3 more days. The positive of this change is that I still need to book at Moose Mountain, Duck Mountain and Rowan's Ravine - so there's a better chance that I can get the sites I want on the days I want when they are divided up. Unfortunately for me it means another 3 days of waking up at  6:45am in order to make sure I get reservations. They launch reservations at 7am sharp.

Friday found me with a full service site at Duck Mountain. Saturday found me with an electrical site at Moose Mountain. And Tuesday morning (fingers crossed) will find me with 6 sites all together for our Haug family camping trip in July. I've enlisted Jacquie's help for Tuesday's launch as I don't want to miss out again like I did for Douglas.

As tiring as this week has been with all the 6:45am wake ups, I'm really looking forward to a summer of camping. Our new parks this year: Battleford - a park I haven't been to since I was a kid, Duck Mountain - Roger's suggestion as he remembers loving it there and Rowan's Ravine - the backup park since we didn't find sites at Douglas, but have heard from friends that it's a beautiful park. And, of course, our token park: Moose Mountain - will find us there for our third year in a row.

As much as I love the white stuff outside, I'm ready for a little fun in the sun!

Melanie

Broken Heart

When I think about losing my dad all those years ago - what I remember are my friends.

I left the hospital and went straight to my friend Sam's house. I walked in, started crying, and just remember her holding me. She cried with me and told me that she didn't know what to say. What she didn't know is that I didn't need her to say anything. In that moment, all I wanted and needed was a hug from my friend. And she gave that to me.

When I got home, I was greeted by my extended family and an overwhelming amount of friends who had all heard the news and rushed to be by my and my sisters' sides. They gave me what I needed and they stayed for hours. They were wonderful and they helped me get through an extremely difficult time in my life.

Thankfully not many of my friends knew what it felt like to lose a parent. But they knew what to do anyway. They knew my heart was broken and they all knew how to be there.

A year after he passed I received a card in the mail from Sheena. She wrote a sweet note and ended by saying: "I am still sad when I think about losing 'my' dad". She wrote 'my' and it made me cry. Sheena was family and my dad always thought of her as a fourth daughter.

Five years after he passed away, my friend Kelly surprised us all by submitting a memorial in the city newspaper. She signed it from Celina, Jacquie, Melanie and all your other 'daughters'. It was sweet and thoughtful and helped me feel not so alone.

And to this day, on the anniversary of my dad's death, I still receive countless text messages and emails from friends and family. Some say they are thinking of me. Others tell me they love me. And some will simply send me a heart symbol.

My friends were there for me. And they still are. I felt loved during a time when my world was falling apart and I am still so thankful for them.

Today I am writing this blog because I am sad. I am sad because, in the last two weeks, my friends Sheena and Trevor (Becky) have both lost their dads. And I know their hearts are breaking.

I no longer live in the same city as my friends and I'm at a loss as to what I can do for them. I want to be there. I want to walk over to their houses and stay for hours. I want to give them the hugs I know they desperately need. I want to cry with them. I want to listen, to help and to share in their pain. Because losing a parent (or anyone for that matter) means losing a piece of your heart. I want to be there to help them grieve and then to heal. And I want to give them what they gave me all those years ago - a friend.

To my friends - I wish I could catch your tears in the palm of my hand and mingle them with my own. You are not alone. My heart is broken too and I understand your pain. I am so sorry.

xoxo

Melanie

The Kitchen Remodel

My home was built in 1977. I love it and together with my family we have made some great memories over the past two years. But if there's one thing we could change, it would be the kitchen:

It's old. It's outdated. The fridge seems like an afterthought and it isn't a good use of space. And my biggest pet peeve - we do not even have a dishwasher!  Ugh. What a pain it's been to wash all my dishes in the sink.

My husband and I decided it was time. We had to renovate.

Our list of wants:

- A dishwasher (stainless steel inside and out. A thing of beauty)

- Glass backsplash (we like greys and blues and wanted a little splash of colour)

- Undermount sink (I refused to listen when the Home Depot said it couldn't be done with a laminate countertop)

Jacquie designed our new kitchen layout. We set a budget. I price matched on Black Friday to get some great deals on new appliances. We did the research and got cabinet quotes from six different cabinet makers (and yes - custom cabinets really are cheaper than stock cabinets) before choosing Elite Kitchens in Weyburn. We got quotes from an electrician and a plumber. We looked at handles, backsplashes, countertops and paint. And then my talented husband did all the work.

Bippity Boppity Boo!

It's not finished yet. Roger still needs to do the crown molding, light rail, toe kick, change out the light, finish the trim, put up curtains, and add the glass backsplash. But it's an amazing transformation and I couldn't be more excited. Probably should have cleaned off my fridge for the photo, but it works anyway.

Did I mention I have the best husband?

Welcome to my dream kitchen. You are welcome anytime!

Melanie

The bracelet

Shortly after Mya was born, Roger mentioned that he couldn't wait for the day when Mya would make him a friendship bracelet. It's one of the perks to having a little girl. He is a proud dad and said he'd love to wear it.

Today was that day.

Yesterday I took Mya shopping for some much needed craft supplies and we stocked up on buttons, sparkles, stickers, paper, glue, paint, and more. Mya was eager and excited and she exclaimed, "Oh mommy, I NEED that!" at almost everything in the craft aisle. She was most excited for a new, special item that we added to our shopping cart: a gigantic box of beads and some bracelet strings.

This morning we sat in her craft room and she choose the colour of her dad's bracelet (red) and all the beads. I watched as she patiently added each bead to the bracelet and carefully pulled it all the way to the bottom.

I knew Roger wouldn't believe that she made the bracelet herself, so I took this little video:
 

As of lunch time today, Roger is sporting a beaded bracelet on his wrist (it's tied on so he can't take it off). When he got home for supper Mya went running, "Daddy, you wearing your bracelet?"

He pretended to look surprised as he picked her up. "Oh? I don't know. Let's check" he laughed.

Yup. Still there. And he loves it.

Melanie

 

Good Cop vs Bad Cop

When it comes to parenting, is it always Good Cop vs Bad Cop?

Me? I'm the bad cop. Especially when it comes to discipline at bedtime. And I'm torn about whether that's actually a bad thing.
 
Mya is 2 years old, so we are at the beginning stages of learning to discipline her. We give her warnings, but she tests her limits (A LOT!) and eventually we have to follow through with a punishment. Her punishment usually means laying her down in her bed and explaining what she did wrong. Easy. She understands the message and that's what matters.

I complain and say that I don't like being the bad cop, but that's not always true. Being the bad cop doesn't make me a mean parent. I love my kids. But I want them to grow up knowing right from wrong. I want them to know they have boundaries and when they cross the line, there's a punishment.

Lately I've been the bad cop when it comes to bedtime. Mya has always been an excellent sleeper, but since we moved her to her big girl bed and she discovered that she can climb out of her bed on her own, she thinks it's fun to continuously come out to say hello.

"But I no wanna go to sleep" has become a nightly phrase in our house.

If we are home, her nightly routine is always the same: supper, playtime, bath, watch an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, brush teeth, potty break, read at least 3 stories, kisses and hugs and good night. Ideally she's in bed by 8:30pm, but sometimes as late as 9:00pm.

We've had to set some rules to prevent her from getting out of bed. After all, bedtime is bedtime. And if she gets up more than once (for anything other than to use the potty) then we close her door. She has this new fear of the dark and prefers to sleep with her door open. It's not a problem so long as she stays in bed. But, if Mya climbs out of bed after bedtime, I close her door. Most nights she goes right to sleep after that.

I felt bad the first few nights as we've been pretty lenient in the past. But bedtime has started to drag on for hours and if we don't enforce the rules, she won't learn. So I took on the role of bad cop and I'm happy to report that Mya has had a nap every day since Thursday and for the past few nights bedtime has went off without a hitch. She doesn't necessarily fall asleep right away, but she lays quietly in bed and plays her music bear until sleep overtakes her.

All that being said - I'm always the good cop when it comes to daily treats. Today I gave Mya a kid-sized glass of chocolate milk, the arm of a gingerbread cookie and three chocolate chips. Little treats throughout the day are offered so long as she doesn't tell her daddy on me!

Maybe it's not all bad.

Melanie

2013 Christmas card letter

My 2013 Christmas card letter:

Twas the year 2013 at the Pilloud family home
Jasper was born, while Mya obsessed over a gnome.
Roger began a new career with the WIT,
and Melanie enjoys her mat leave benefit.

Born premature, Jasper was hospitalized longer than expected,
From infections to jaundice the nurses made sure he was never neglected.
He finally came home to stay and made our family so happy,
And it was time as Melanie was getting so sappy.
He’s seven months now and is growing so fast,
the size of a one year old, but he’s having a blast.
Rolling and laughing and beginning to sit on his own,
He loves his big sister, you can tell by his tone.

Mya is potty trained, it started soon after she turned two,
And though there’s been accidents, there’s been very few.
She sings and she plays, but loves to dance the best,
So we enrolled her in dance class to put her skills to the test.
Our little chatterbox, she repeats every word,
Her speech is easy to understand even when she’s quite slurred.
She’s learning her shapes and colours and can count 1, 2, 3,
Her favourite is the alphabet and asks: “Won’t you sing with me?”

Roger is almost a year in his new position,
as a Grain Marketing Rep, he enjoys the competition.
At the end of the day is his favourite part,
As Mya runs into his arms – she truly holds his heart.
He frequently tackles our home renovations,
Including a front deck of his and his brother’s creation.
Next to come is a kitchen remodel,
With any luck it will go smoothly and leave us free of a squabble.
He spends his free time working out and watching sports on tv,
He’s recovering well from his knee surgery.

Although each day brings a new set of drama,
Melanie longs to be a stay-at-home momma.
She sews lots of blankets and cooks family grub,
And has recently joined another book club.
Writing is a passion as she started a new blog,
http://livelaughgiggle.blogspot.ca if you want to follow along.

We hope this Christmas finds you all cheery and bright,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!"

xoxoxoxoxo
Melanie