Today is the second anniversary of my 29th birthday...tis!! My cake even says so!! ( I think Josh was afraid of the sad look he would get when I read the truth)
Nothing special about the day except cute cards from Josh and kids, no gifts but no problem...I know what I am buying myself! (yes, when you get no gifts that is a gift itself...means you now can go buy what you want, guilt free)
What did make this birthday special and memorable...cute little words from Charlie, ''Mom you gotta come see this! it is RAINING in the kitchen!"
Darling Kathleen decided to shove tissue in the bathroom sink...let me remind you that our house is OLD...ANCIENT...the plumbing is a little ion the old side...the taps are pre-WWII and they drip...(soundlessly, thank goodness for small blessings)
When I raced upstairs I found 2 inches of water, on one side of the bathroom (the floors are sloped too...nice feature), a full sink, full potty underneath filled with water...
Many towels later, one super smart 6 year old who grabbed some popcorn buckets and shoved them under the pouring water (nasty yellow/brown water)
And then the worry...the ceiling was bowed!!!! We have had collapsing ceiling problems before (will share that story someday!) and I was panicked that history would repeat itself....but birthday wishes DO come true!!!
The ceiling held! The plugged sink was remedied with a pair of tweezers! And it was a happy birthday!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Bad Mormon
Ya, I said it...no secret here, we are bad Mormons.
In any other religion being born into a religion is enough, if you were born into a Jewish family, you are and always (unless you convert) Jewish, and the same of Catholics and Anglicans...but Latter Day Saints? You ARE or you are 'inactive'...or our pet term, 'Bad'.
We have a terrible record of inactivity, we will be faithful, going weekly, 'good' Mormons for months and months. For no apparent reason we stop. Jobs change, schedules get tight and we find excuses.
One Sunday I had every intention of attending, the kids were excited because they LOVE church and Miss Kathleen decided to get up at 4am and stay up...the kind of night where she screams and fusses and fights...by 8am I was such a zombie and so tired. I knew I wasn't safe to drive an hour on icy roads with no snow tires (we keep meaning to get them but saving $1000 for tires has not been easy with me off work!).
The last Sunday I was in the mind set that I was going no matter what...and to find out that both boys have no good church shoes, their little feet...well frankly they are not so little anymore. I could NOT take my kids to church wearing big clunk snow boots or ratty dirty sneakers...(yes, my ego and pride got in the way...sounds petty...okay it IS petty!!!)
Some Sundays, Josh needs the van for work (we share a vehicle cause we are cheap), the weather does not always cooperate, or kids sick or us sick...
But we try to keep the Spirit in out homes. We do bless our meals, have evening prayers, read scriptures, do bible stories, sing hymns (well what I call singing...never in tune but thank goodness for online church music!!!). We watch online church messages and General Conference we watch it all as a family (if you count the kids playing, fighting, wrestling...being snapped at to be reverent, answering questions....)
I am always ashamed at our inactivity. It is hard some days being an hour away from our ward, and being the only LDS family in our town. I know we have to try harder.
I really try to go DEEPER and find out why I am such a slacker? I LOVE my faith! I love how I feel when we leave! I love dressing up and seeing my kids all nicely dressed....what is my problem?
I am sure there are thousands of other LDS families in the same mindset, falling away from the church is so easy!
I will admit I hate going without my husband. Josh works shift works and has months when he works every single weekend. Trying to manage all three kids alone is never fun...it is honestly stressful and makes me grit my teeth.
My other great excuse is that all week I am so busy with work and kids, and activites and Satuday there is hockey...and Sunday there is no pressing obligation to go anywhere...(sad thinking I know!!!!)
I really should have no excuse...there is a lady in my ward with many more kiddos then me and is ALWAYS there...I can barely function when I am over tired, but I need a backup plan.
I am hoping this post will shame me enough to get my bottom moving and get myself to church.
In any other religion being born into a religion is enough, if you were born into a Jewish family, you are and always (unless you convert) Jewish, and the same of Catholics and Anglicans...but Latter Day Saints? You ARE or you are 'inactive'...or our pet term, 'Bad'.
We have a terrible record of inactivity, we will be faithful, going weekly, 'good' Mormons for months and months. For no apparent reason we stop. Jobs change, schedules get tight and we find excuses.
One Sunday I had every intention of attending, the kids were excited because they LOVE church and Miss Kathleen decided to get up at 4am and stay up...the kind of night where she screams and fusses and fights...by 8am I was such a zombie and so tired. I knew I wasn't safe to drive an hour on icy roads with no snow tires (we keep meaning to get them but saving $1000 for tires has not been easy with me off work!).
The last Sunday I was in the mind set that I was going no matter what...and to find out that both boys have no good church shoes, their little feet...well frankly they are not so little anymore. I could NOT take my kids to church wearing big clunk snow boots or ratty dirty sneakers...(yes, my ego and pride got in the way...sounds petty...okay it IS petty!!!)
Some Sundays, Josh needs the van for work (we share a vehicle cause we are cheap), the weather does not always cooperate, or kids sick or us sick...
But we try to keep the Spirit in out homes. We do bless our meals, have evening prayers, read scriptures, do bible stories, sing hymns (well what I call singing...never in tune but thank goodness for online church music!!!). We watch online church messages and General Conference we watch it all as a family (if you count the kids playing, fighting, wrestling...being snapped at to be reverent, answering questions....)
I am always ashamed at our inactivity. It is hard some days being an hour away from our ward, and being the only LDS family in our town. I know we have to try harder.
I really try to go DEEPER and find out why I am such a slacker? I LOVE my faith! I love how I feel when we leave! I love dressing up and seeing my kids all nicely dressed....what is my problem?
I am sure there are thousands of other LDS families in the same mindset, falling away from the church is so easy!
I will admit I hate going without my husband. Josh works shift works and has months when he works every single weekend. Trying to manage all three kids alone is never fun...it is honestly stressful and makes me grit my teeth.
My other great excuse is that all week I am so busy with work and kids, and activites and Satuday there is hockey...and Sunday there is no pressing obligation to go anywhere...(sad thinking I know!!!!)
I really should have no excuse...there is a lady in my ward with many more kiddos then me and is ALWAYS there...I can barely function when I am over tired, but I need a backup plan.
I am hoping this post will shame me enough to get my bottom moving and get myself to church.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Forget toys...get boxes!!
My dear children love their toys...they keep them entertained from minutes to a an hour or two depending on the toy.
But a simple box? Oh the fun!!!! It becomes a house, an airplane, a hideout, a shell, a car, a tank...oh ya!!! Boxes are FUN!!!
I think next year I am going to save myself a whole lotta hard earned cash by just picking up a few free boxes from the grocery store and giving those for gifts!! I think I would be voted coolest (or cheapest) Mom of the year!
But a simple box? Oh the fun!!!! It becomes a house, an airplane, a hideout, a shell, a car, a tank...oh ya!!! Boxes are FUN!!!
I think next year I am going to save myself a whole lotta hard earned cash by just picking up a few free boxes from the grocery store and giving those for gifts!! I think I would be voted coolest (or cheapest) Mom of the year!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Special
Peter has always been special. He was our first child, he was our parents first grandchild and the first nephew to our siblings.
He was born after 26 hours of labor and 5 of those lovely hours were pushing...and he was PERFECT! We stared and stared at him for hours, looking at his tiny hands, staring at his lovely eyes (when they were open). We were 23 years old, he was only a minute old and the world was right.
When he was about a week old we received an urgent call from the doctor's office to rush to the blood clinic at the hospital, something was seriously wrong and they were keeping the clinic open.
We were in a panic, Josh FLEW....and got pulled over and we begged as any terrified parent would do to ticket us later just let us get to the hospital. That blessed RCMP officer let us go but told us to go slower and then followed us.
After blood work and sad looks from the nurses who would say nothing we raced to our doctors office to learn that our son had failed his thyroid test.
We learned that with treatment who would be 'near normal'. As parents we were horrified! What the heck does a doctor mean by 'near normal'? Would he read? Ride a bike? Get a job? Talk?
We spent 3 days, surrounded by family, crying and praying and begging. Our prayers were answered on day three when his blood work showed his thyroid WAS working and at perfectly normal levels. We were thankful and felt as if we had dodged a bullet.
Over the years Peter tested every ones limits, as baby he was easy going, happy in his routine, but we soon learned that letting other people hold him would mean a very long night of him screaming.
As a toddler he was the master of tantrums! My parents would grin and giggle and say it was the universes way of balancing things...God was just giving us a taste of what i was like...and so I plundered through days peppered with 20-30 tantrums a day, head banging, and wails. Peter was very touchy as a toddler, he liked his routine to be as tight as a ship's schedule. If his granola bar broke...there was hell to pay!
When his little brother arrived there were many nights I sat up with a fussy infant and a screaming toddler.
Day cares and family members learned very quickly that Peter liked things one certain way and his temper could rival the best. When things went his way and were in order he was the happiest little guy. He played, danced, followed my father (Papa) and babbled.
At two I worried about his babbling but was assured he would form words any day, at three he used two words put together here and there, babbled and lisped the rest and then 18 month old Charlie started speaking clearer then his older brother.
Off to speech therapy we went!! Peter made great strives, threw some mighty tantrums, and some days shut down and refused to do anything. In his good moods he was a dear!! But with Peter he was night and day...
Time marched along and a new sister arrived, school started and new worries for Josh and I...school. I worried about his temper but was assured he was just 'young for his age'...the tantrums continued, odd little behaviours emerged, bathroom routines that became such elaborate rituals that this 5 year old little boy would hold his bladder till he got home. After school was a nightmare of crying jags and tantrums. He showed to be very, very bright but easy to tear, easy to agitate, and some days just terrible difficult.
Phone calls home were commonplace and he got the reputation as being 'difficult', 'bratty' and people openly pitied his teacher.
As horrified parents we spoke firmly to Peter, tried to get to the root of the crying, put him in sports to burn off some of this energy. Josh coached his hockey team and many practices ended early because Peter was crying. We kept in constant contact with his teacher, discussed each incident.
Then around March, at school his behaviour seemed to settle, he was quiet, withdrawn but at home he was moody and volatile.
April we received a phone call from a stressed out teacher,
"If you do not find out what is wrong with him, he cannot return to school."
My heart dropped, I mean expelled at 5 years old? Nice...
Part of me was sick...wondering what was wrong with him? One part prayed we found the answer but another part prayed that there was nothing wrong with him and it was just us.
Appointments with a clinical psychologist, a referral to a pediatrician who specialized in social disorders...and we had the diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Extensive testing revealed he doesn't understand facial expressions, crowded areas and large crowds can cause him to feel like he is overloading. He has OCD, high anxiety, issues with pain receptors. This year we are dealing with texture issues that we have never had trouble with before.
All in all he is just wired a little differently.
The more I learn about autism, the more my head hurts. No case is the same, it is political, it is social, for others it rules their lives, for some there is shame.
Two weeks ago, I braved the malls and took the three kids shopping alone. We were having a fairly good day and the kids all had gift cards from Christmas. We had just bought a few new books, and the boys spied the video game store.
Parents can see where this is going...big tantrum!!! But not for what you think...Peter noticed all the games had bar codes and he was reading the bar codes...after 10 mins he was frantic...and we left.
To the woman who walked by and saw me standing new two my three toddlers, one who was standing quietly (Charles), one who was in the stroller and being good (Kathleen) and the one who was on the floor screaming, 'GO BACK!!!', she commented to her partner, 'What a brat!'...
Ma'am, if I did not have the worry that my screaming little boy would not bolt and run (which he does and why we keep a firm grip on him at all times), I would have chased after you and told you he is autistic. He is high functioning, he is brilliant, he can remember conversations from 2 years ago, he is athletically gifted and is in gymnastics. I would have told you to keep your comments to yourself and instead of judging why not asking if you could help. Instead of laughing, why not walk over and offer encouragement. Instead of assuming why not ponder that maybe there is more going on then meets the eye?
I still cry for my son, I don't want him labeled, I don't want him to be set apart, I don't want him to be ridiculed. I want him to be perfect, I want him to be accepted, I wish for people to understand.
I am thankful and blessed that now that he has a diagnosis his school has stepped in to offer him every resource available. He has speech therapy, social play therapy and soon to come occupational therapy.
In so many ways he is a normal little boy, he plays with trucks, he fights with his brother, he loves intensely and in so many ways he is a little out of sync with the world.
But I would not trade him for a million 'perfect' boys, he is my son, he is autistic and he is special and I am so very blessed to be granted the chance to be his mother.
He was born after 26 hours of labor and 5 of those lovely hours were pushing...and he was PERFECT! We stared and stared at him for hours, looking at his tiny hands, staring at his lovely eyes (when they were open). We were 23 years old, he was only a minute old and the world was right.
When he was about a week old we received an urgent call from the doctor's office to rush to the blood clinic at the hospital, something was seriously wrong and they were keeping the clinic open.
We were in a panic, Josh FLEW....and got pulled over and we begged as any terrified parent would do to ticket us later just let us get to the hospital. That blessed RCMP officer let us go but told us to go slower and then followed us.
After blood work and sad looks from the nurses who would say nothing we raced to our doctors office to learn that our son had failed his thyroid test.
We learned that with treatment who would be 'near normal'. As parents we were horrified! What the heck does a doctor mean by 'near normal'? Would he read? Ride a bike? Get a job? Talk?
We spent 3 days, surrounded by family, crying and praying and begging. Our prayers were answered on day three when his blood work showed his thyroid WAS working and at perfectly normal levels. We were thankful and felt as if we had dodged a bullet.
Over the years Peter tested every ones limits, as baby he was easy going, happy in his routine, but we soon learned that letting other people hold him would mean a very long night of him screaming.
As a toddler he was the master of tantrums! My parents would grin and giggle and say it was the universes way of balancing things...God was just giving us a taste of what i was like...and so I plundered through days peppered with 20-30 tantrums a day, head banging, and wails. Peter was very touchy as a toddler, he liked his routine to be as tight as a ship's schedule. If his granola bar broke...there was hell to pay!
When his little brother arrived there were many nights I sat up with a fussy infant and a screaming toddler.
Day cares and family members learned very quickly that Peter liked things one certain way and his temper could rival the best. When things went his way and were in order he was the happiest little guy. He played, danced, followed my father (Papa) and babbled.
At two I worried about his babbling but was assured he would form words any day, at three he used two words put together here and there, babbled and lisped the rest and then 18 month old Charlie started speaking clearer then his older brother.
Off to speech therapy we went!! Peter made great strives, threw some mighty tantrums, and some days shut down and refused to do anything. In his good moods he was a dear!! But with Peter he was night and day...
Time marched along and a new sister arrived, school started and new worries for Josh and I...school. I worried about his temper but was assured he was just 'young for his age'...the tantrums continued, odd little behaviours emerged, bathroom routines that became such elaborate rituals that this 5 year old little boy would hold his bladder till he got home. After school was a nightmare of crying jags and tantrums. He showed to be very, very bright but easy to tear, easy to agitate, and some days just terrible difficult.
Phone calls home were commonplace and he got the reputation as being 'difficult', 'bratty' and people openly pitied his teacher.
As horrified parents we spoke firmly to Peter, tried to get to the root of the crying, put him in sports to burn off some of this energy. Josh coached his hockey team and many practices ended early because Peter was crying. We kept in constant contact with his teacher, discussed each incident.
Then around March, at school his behaviour seemed to settle, he was quiet, withdrawn but at home he was moody and volatile.
April we received a phone call from a stressed out teacher,
"If you do not find out what is wrong with him, he cannot return to school."
My heart dropped, I mean expelled at 5 years old? Nice...
Part of me was sick...wondering what was wrong with him? One part prayed we found the answer but another part prayed that there was nothing wrong with him and it was just us.
Appointments with a clinical psychologist, a referral to a pediatrician who specialized in social disorders...and we had the diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Extensive testing revealed he doesn't understand facial expressions, crowded areas and large crowds can cause him to feel like he is overloading. He has OCD, high anxiety, issues with pain receptors. This year we are dealing with texture issues that we have never had trouble with before.
All in all he is just wired a little differently.
The more I learn about autism, the more my head hurts. No case is the same, it is political, it is social, for others it rules their lives, for some there is shame.
Two weeks ago, I braved the malls and took the three kids shopping alone. We were having a fairly good day and the kids all had gift cards from Christmas. We had just bought a few new books, and the boys spied the video game store.
Parents can see where this is going...big tantrum!!! But not for what you think...Peter noticed all the games had bar codes and he was reading the bar codes...after 10 mins he was frantic...and we left.
To the woman who walked by and saw me standing new two my three toddlers, one who was standing quietly (Charles), one who was in the stroller and being good (Kathleen) and the one who was on the floor screaming, 'GO BACK!!!', she commented to her partner, 'What a brat!'...
Ma'am, if I did not have the worry that my screaming little boy would not bolt and run (which he does and why we keep a firm grip on him at all times), I would have chased after you and told you he is autistic. He is high functioning, he is brilliant, he can remember conversations from 2 years ago, he is athletically gifted and is in gymnastics. I would have told you to keep your comments to yourself and instead of judging why not asking if you could help. Instead of laughing, why not walk over and offer encouragement. Instead of assuming why not ponder that maybe there is more going on then meets the eye?
I still cry for my son, I don't want him labeled, I don't want him to be set apart, I don't want him to be ridiculed. I want him to be perfect, I want him to be accepted, I wish for people to understand.
I am thankful and blessed that now that he has a diagnosis his school has stepped in to offer him every resource available. He has speech therapy, social play therapy and soon to come occupational therapy.
In so many ways he is a normal little boy, he plays with trucks, he fights with his brother, he loves intensely and in so many ways he is a little out of sync with the world.
But I would not trade him for a million 'perfect' boys, he is my son, he is autistic and he is special and I am so very blessed to be granted the chance to be his mother.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Homey Resolutions
I get very ambitious, especially when I lie awake at 3am, then I am at my most ambitious, lying in bed vowing vehemetly that I will eat better! Excerise more! Clean more! Oh yes!!! I can do anything I put my mind to at 3am...
8am is a totally different story...I have no ambitions at that hour except sleep (however my children's only ambition is to rouse me enough to cook them food...)
Every New Years brings out more diet books, new exericise equipment...sore legs from squats!! You would think after decades of this madness I would realize that my ambition is all spoiled by the 10th because it is my birthday and by Zeus! I am eating CAKE!!
And from the cake it is a downhill ski hill of ambition...
This year I kept joking that my New Year's resolution was to eat junk food, gain weight and clean less...
Knowing my track record I decided on some resolutions that I would actually enjoy...
#1. Doing the dishes after supper each night.
This is something I hate to do, and I honestly rarely do! Gorwing up we did dishes immediatly after supper, no matter what. When I moved out I drove roomates to distraction by my advid hatred of dishes. My husband joins me on this hatred (what apair we make). So, dishes were often only done from necessity...because there were no clean ones left.
I am turning 30 this year and it is time for a LITTLE self discipline!! Since, Jan 1st i have been very good about doing the dishes after supper. I have also been teaching the kids to help. Just little things like bringing the dirty dishes to the counter, sweeping the floor and washing the table. There 'help' is not always pefect but it is better then not being done at all!! Plus, they are helping!
#2 Be more crafty. I love to craft, I love to create and I get a weird little high from people commenting on my pretty things I make. When it comes to the house?? ugh! This house is getting mildly generic and ugly. We live in an old, drafty, 1850's farmhouse...we are slowly renovating and the house is looking better and better. People always get that stars in their eyes look when I tell them about the house and they comment on how 'romantic' it must be...well in truth the romance is long over. Somedays my house and I are not on speaking terms.
There is no storage, no closets, no shower (one dinky little bathtub)...and a whole lotta ugly!! Our furniture is mostly hand-me-downs, press board cheap, broken and mismatched...
Reading crafting and renovating blogs has inspired me to work a little harder to get some creative juices flowing...this house has POTENTIAL. So, I have been happlily wasting time online getting ideas of how I can spruce up this place and agree with people that this house is romantic and beautiful! (on a budget of course!)
Really my resolutions are about making this house a home, a nice refuge for our family.
8am is a totally different story...I have no ambitions at that hour except sleep (however my children's only ambition is to rouse me enough to cook them food...)
Every New Years brings out more diet books, new exericise equipment...sore legs from squats!! You would think after decades of this madness I would realize that my ambition is all spoiled by the 10th because it is my birthday and by Zeus! I am eating CAKE!!
And from the cake it is a downhill ski hill of ambition...
This year I kept joking that my New Year's resolution was to eat junk food, gain weight and clean less...
Knowing my track record I decided on some resolutions that I would actually enjoy...
#1. Doing the dishes after supper each night.
This is something I hate to do, and I honestly rarely do! Gorwing up we did dishes immediatly after supper, no matter what. When I moved out I drove roomates to distraction by my advid hatred of dishes. My husband joins me on this hatred (what apair we make). So, dishes were often only done from necessity...because there were no clean ones left.
I am turning 30 this year and it is time for a LITTLE self discipline!! Since, Jan 1st i have been very good about doing the dishes after supper. I have also been teaching the kids to help. Just little things like bringing the dirty dishes to the counter, sweeping the floor and washing the table. There 'help' is not always pefect but it is better then not being done at all!! Plus, they are helping!
#2 Be more crafty. I love to craft, I love to create and I get a weird little high from people commenting on my pretty things I make. When it comes to the house?? ugh! This house is getting mildly generic and ugly. We live in an old, drafty, 1850's farmhouse...we are slowly renovating and the house is looking better and better. People always get that stars in their eyes look when I tell them about the house and they comment on how 'romantic' it must be...well in truth the romance is long over. Somedays my house and I are not on speaking terms.
There is no storage, no closets, no shower (one dinky little bathtub)...and a whole lotta ugly!! Our furniture is mostly hand-me-downs, press board cheap, broken and mismatched...
Reading crafting and renovating blogs has inspired me to work a little harder to get some creative juices flowing...this house has POTENTIAL. So, I have been happlily wasting time online getting ideas of how I can spruce up this place and agree with people that this house is romantic and beautiful! (on a budget of course!)
Really my resolutions are about making this house a home, a nice refuge for our family.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Twas the Season....
Well the holidays are now over and I can say with a full heart is was FUN!
Josh was lucky enough to be off on the morning of the 24th, so we had plenty of fun at our family's annual Christmas Eve Party.
The party is held at my parents house, next door, tons of food, family and friends and this year we decided we needed a few giggles and did an ugly sweater competition (glue guns were out in full force!) and an ugly gift competition.
Josh was lucky enough to be off on the morning of the 24th, so we had plenty of fun at our family's annual Christmas Eve Party.
The party is held at my parents house, next door, tons of food, family and friends and this year we decided we needed a few giggles and did an ugly sweater competition (glue guns were out in full force!) and an ugly gift competition.
My sister Sam had to 'plug' her sweater in!
Notice my pink sweater...and the sleeves? Nothing says festive like feathers!!
This was Sam's ugly gift....I have been staring at this for 4 years...not by choice! the store next to me is a pawn shop and this beauty has graced their front window.
Josh brought this lovely! What every home needs! A shiney horse head!
A 'BABY' and kitchen set...everytime someone asked her what Santa was bringing she would scream 'BABY!!!' for a month now.
Charlie got his beloved tool bench.
Daddy was tired....did you know that kitchen set was 1000 pieces??? Needless to say he was up late trying to put it together. Took her 2 seconds to rip the top part off.
The kids were thrilled with their spoils...
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Midlife Crisis??
Yes, I think I am in the middle of one...
I love my job! How many people can say that? But, the truth is I really do love my job! I am a dog groomer by day and mommy after hours. Dog grooming to me is making a math equation beautiful! There is art and there is math, and then of course there are soulful doggie stares. I know you are thinking puppy kisses but let's get one thing straight...puppies SUCK. And so do doggie kisses...why? Well puppies, wiggle and bite. and scream, and throw tantrums, and paw and scratch....and you are holding a sharp pair of scissors close to their eyeballs and pray you don't cut yourself or worse the dog. And kisses? I have trained the client dogs to NOT kiss...kissing scissors and clippers equals lots of blood...I know and do not care to repeat it, plus dogs have bad breath and lick unmentionables. Nuff said!
I own my very own store in another town, it is tiny about 300 square feet but it is on the main street, it is cute and it is MINE! I have been open now for 4 years, by appointment only. At my grooming shop I am queen and I like it that way. Somedays are yucky, like when you are drying a dog with a high force dryer and the dog poops and it hits the air wave and then you look and you have splashed poop all over the wall, the floor, the dog, the table...yup those days are poopy. Majority of the days are great, the time FLIES by and I am always shocked that the day is over.
It also pays really well. When I leave work I can easily talk 'dog' with other people for hours, most of my friends are dog groomers, I can research hair cuts and techniques for hours and never lose focus.
I like it so much that I went in a grooming competition in Toronto and placed second in my division...2nd in my division for Canada is purty awesome...so not only do I love my job but I am also really GOOD.
The downside? My kids. Well, they are not a downside but I adore/love/worship...you get it, the mornings are nuts here. We are always rushing, some mornings with Peter are rough, he does not do good in rushed situations. The commute is an hour and then an hour back. Kids have to go to a sitter...now I LOVE my sitter! She is truly awesome and I appreciate everything she does but flat out she is not ME.
Evenings are rushed for supper, errands, activities, homework, laundry, bathtime, bedtime...
My job is very, very physical. I am sore and physically tired at the end of the day. Housework is not high on the agenda...so by the end of the week the house looks like a bomb went off. Everyone is short tempered because we cannot find items, clothes, homework, shoes...
Josh has a great job now but it is contract work and ends shortly...my nerves are on edge because right now there is no work at the end of the yellow brick road. He is confident that something will come up in his field soon.
So obviously you can see my 'midlife crisis'...work vs kids. I want to stay home, I did when the boys are were VERY small for a short time and I admit I was so excited to go back to school and then off to work. It was exciting to have a career! Most importantly it was exciting to be making MONEY!!! (we were horribly poor!)
Now, three kiddies later and dreams of more babies, I am tired!!! I am older (I hit thirty in a few days) and more patient.
In some ways it seems stupid to leave my career, I am at the top of my skill level, my business is BOOMING, I get paid awesome money and to top it off I really do LOVE it!
But I miss my kids.
I had been struggling with this little personal battle for a few months and I kept thinking about how I had a career and how awesome business was and how I loved the money and could buy my kids things. One day, I left work a bit early (due to someone not showing up for their appointment) and hit the grocery store and was waiting at the check out line (funny how so many events happen at the checkout line?) and saw a woman struggling with her two naughty kids that were about the age of my boys. The kids were cranky and showing it and she was tired....and suddenly I was WICKEDLY homesick for my kids!!!! I missed my three little monkeys sooooo bad!!
I had hated taking my kids to the grocery store, alone, before that moment. But I envied that woman so much!!
This little epiphany happened about two months ago and since then I have ventured shopping more and more with my kids and weirdly enough I am SOOO patient with them and all their rotten behaviour. I still hate grocery shopping but I have learned I would rather go with them then alone.
I have been on vacation since the 22nd of December and I do not go back till Jan 11th and I am NOT looking forward to it at all! I am really enjoying staying home with the kids! I am enjoying getting my house clean for the first time in 4 years! I love being able to laugh at their little antics, hold a sick toddler cause the cold is a rotten thing, nurse boo-boo's, listen to the tails of a 4 year old, and get caught up on the mountain of dirty clothes that threatened to take over the upstairs hallway.
Once upon a time I never thought I could walk away from my shop and my grooming clients but a clever little six year old is pleading his case.
Peter: 'Mommy, how bout you take some more time off from work.'
Me: 'Is two weeks not enough? How much more time?'
Peter: 'You could stay off till I grow up and I am big enough to go to work with you but if I have to stay home then you can too.'
Peter, buddy, I am struggling with that decision more then you will ever realize! It isn't about love or ego anymore, it comes down to finances and placing my trust and my faith in Josh to provide for our family.
We will see what the future brings!
I love my job! How many people can say that? But, the truth is I really do love my job! I am a dog groomer by day and mommy after hours. Dog grooming to me is making a math equation beautiful! There is art and there is math, and then of course there are soulful doggie stares. I know you are thinking puppy kisses but let's get one thing straight...puppies SUCK. And so do doggie kisses...why? Well puppies, wiggle and bite. and scream, and throw tantrums, and paw and scratch....and you are holding a sharp pair of scissors close to their eyeballs and pray you don't cut yourself or worse the dog. And kisses? I have trained the client dogs to NOT kiss...kissing scissors and clippers equals lots of blood...I know and do not care to repeat it, plus dogs have bad breath and lick unmentionables. Nuff said!
I own my very own store in another town, it is tiny about 300 square feet but it is on the main street, it is cute and it is MINE! I have been open now for 4 years, by appointment only. At my grooming shop I am queen and I like it that way. Somedays are yucky, like when you are drying a dog with a high force dryer and the dog poops and it hits the air wave and then you look and you have splashed poop all over the wall, the floor, the dog, the table...yup those days are poopy. Majority of the days are great, the time FLIES by and I am always shocked that the day is over.
It also pays really well. When I leave work I can easily talk 'dog' with other people for hours, most of my friends are dog groomers, I can research hair cuts and techniques for hours and never lose focus.
I like it so much that I went in a grooming competition in Toronto and placed second in my division...2nd in my division for Canada is purty awesome...so not only do I love my job but I am also really GOOD.
The downside? My kids. Well, they are not a downside but I adore/love/worship...you get it, the mornings are nuts here. We are always rushing, some mornings with Peter are rough, he does not do good in rushed situations. The commute is an hour and then an hour back. Kids have to go to a sitter...now I LOVE my sitter! She is truly awesome and I appreciate everything she does but flat out she is not ME.
Evenings are rushed for supper, errands, activities, homework, laundry, bathtime, bedtime...
My job is very, very physical. I am sore and physically tired at the end of the day. Housework is not high on the agenda...so by the end of the week the house looks like a bomb went off. Everyone is short tempered because we cannot find items, clothes, homework, shoes...
Josh has a great job now but it is contract work and ends shortly...my nerves are on edge because right now there is no work at the end of the yellow brick road. He is confident that something will come up in his field soon.
So obviously you can see my 'midlife crisis'...work vs kids. I want to stay home, I did when the boys are were VERY small for a short time and I admit I was so excited to go back to school and then off to work. It was exciting to have a career! Most importantly it was exciting to be making MONEY!!! (we were horribly poor!)
Now, three kiddies later and dreams of more babies, I am tired!!! I am older (I hit thirty in a few days) and more patient.
In some ways it seems stupid to leave my career, I am at the top of my skill level, my business is BOOMING, I get paid awesome money and to top it off I really do LOVE it!
But I miss my kids.
I had been struggling with this little personal battle for a few months and I kept thinking about how I had a career and how awesome business was and how I loved the money and could buy my kids things. One day, I left work a bit early (due to someone not showing up for their appointment) and hit the grocery store and was waiting at the check out line (funny how so many events happen at the checkout line?) and saw a woman struggling with her two naughty kids that were about the age of my boys. The kids were cranky and showing it and she was tired....and suddenly I was WICKEDLY homesick for my kids!!!! I missed my three little monkeys sooooo bad!!
I had hated taking my kids to the grocery store, alone, before that moment. But I envied that woman so much!!
This little epiphany happened about two months ago and since then I have ventured shopping more and more with my kids and weirdly enough I am SOOO patient with them and all their rotten behaviour. I still hate grocery shopping but I have learned I would rather go with them then alone.
I have been on vacation since the 22nd of December and I do not go back till Jan 11th and I am NOT looking forward to it at all! I am really enjoying staying home with the kids! I am enjoying getting my house clean for the first time in 4 years! I love being able to laugh at their little antics, hold a sick toddler cause the cold is a rotten thing, nurse boo-boo's, listen to the tails of a 4 year old, and get caught up on the mountain of dirty clothes that threatened to take over the upstairs hallway.
Once upon a time I never thought I could walk away from my shop and my grooming clients but a clever little six year old is pleading his case.
Peter: 'Mommy, how bout you take some more time off from work.'
Me: 'Is two weeks not enough? How much more time?'
Peter: 'You could stay off till I grow up and I am big enough to go to work with you but if I have to stay home then you can too.'
Peter, buddy, I am struggling with that decision more then you will ever realize! It isn't about love or ego anymore, it comes down to finances and placing my trust and my faith in Josh to provide for our family.
We will see what the future brings!
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