The Simplest Things Can Make Me Cry.

nobody@vox.com(Mandy) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 21:51:05 -0700

So today Kathryn came to me and asked if I could make her some KoolAid so she could have a KoolAid sale. She got some boxes out of the recycle in the garage and stacked them up at the end of our drive way. She wanted me to write on the box "Kathryn's Cold Koolaid, 10 cents", and then she drew some additional posters coping my writing and drawing pictures of Koolaid. She got all set up and sat out there with a jug for people to put their money in, she got out the binoculars so that she could look way down the street to see if anybody was coming. She also called out up and down the street "Koolaid! Come get your Koolaid!", "Delicious Koolaid!, come get some Koolaid!", "I've got Koolaid, 10 cents a glass!" and other such things. My heart was aching for her because there really isn't a lot of people walking around during the day, and she was so excited to make a little money to buy a new piggy bank she had seen at the dollar store. I was just about to pick up the phone and call a few people in the ward and see if they would come buy some Koolaid from her when she came running through the door all excited because a lady had stopped and bought a glass of Koolaid "MOM, I just had my first customer!". I started to tear up. The excitement and pleasure on her face was so genuine. I had to hold it back because I didn't want to confuse her with my tears. I was just so proud of her for getting her first sale, she was trying so hard. After giving me a hug she went back outside and continued trying to sell her Koolaid. No one else came by, I did go out and asked her if I could be a customer, she said "do you have a dime, that is 10 cents you know", I said I did so she agreed to sell me some koolaid. She was out there for over an hour. She never gave up, and she never got discouraged. She did get hot sitting out in the sun, so she came in and put her Koolaid in the fridge and told us all we were not allowed to drink it because she was going to set up her Koolaid stand again tomorrow. I hope she has some success tomorrow.

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Forty Just For Fun

nobody@vox.com(Mandy) — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 19:46:40 -0700

Answer the following with only one word:

1. Where is your cell phone? None
2. Your significant other? Sexy
3. Your hair? Straight
4. Your mother? Amazing
5. Your father? Brilliant
6. Your favorite thing? Family
7. Your dream last night? Old pictures
8. Your favorite drink? Gingerale
9. Your dream/goal? Archeologist
10. The room you're in? Livingroom
11. Your children? Beautiful
12. Your fear? Moths
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Here
14. Where were you last night? Home
15. What you're not? Dumb
16. Muffins? Banana
17. One of your wish list items? Car
18. Where you grew up? Lethbridge
19. What you read last? BofM
20. What are you wearing? Jeans
21. Your TV? Normal
22. Your pets? Murderers
23. Your computer? Basic
24. Your life? Good
25. Your mood? Pleasant
26. Missing someone? Hubby
27. Your car? Fabulous
28. Something you're not wearing? Socks
29. Favorite Store? Dollarama
30. Your summer? Camping
31. Like someone? My Kids
32. Your favorite color? Burgundy
33. Last time you laughed? Tonight
34. Last time you cried? Sunday
35. Someone you wish to know more? Savior
36. Horrible habit? Snacking
37. Future plans? Reunion
38. If money were no object? Travel
39. Life long dream? Archeologist
40. Greatest accomplishment? Kids

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The Garden Project

nobody@vox.com(Mandy) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 15:51:38 -0700

I was so excited for spring to come. I finally was in my own house with my own yard and I would be able to plant a garden in my yard. The past two years I have planted a garden in the yard of an elderly sister in our old ward. She only lived a couple of blocks away so in theory it was convenient. But two years ago at the end of June, I had surgery to have my gall bladder taken out, and that put me out of commission for 4 weeks, the weeds got out of control because it was too much for me to walk over with the kids and weed it. Last year I was extremely pregnant and again it wasn't so easy to do the weeding. Although both years the end product was very satisfying, just not so easy.

This year we have the yard...just didn't have the garden space. Well, we had the space, it just wasn't prepared to be a garden. So began the Garden Project. First we staked out the area that we wanted to have our garden. Then we sprayed the grass with round up to kill the grass. Because of the cool rainy weather the grass took along time to die. By May 12 the grass was dead and Daniel started to dig out the grass.

Daniel's part of the digging

He got about half way done, May long weekend, we went camping instead of working on the garden...and then it rained for a week straight. I wished for the rain to stop, but that is not a popular thing in this part of the world...farmers really need the rain. Finally the rain stopped and I continued to dig out the grass and attack the massive roots that lay beneath.

My progress

Our yard is lined on one side with huge poplars, huge poplars, oddly enough, have huge roots.

The first pile of roots that I dug out

It took me about a week and a half to get the grass dug out and the tree roots removed but late yesterday after noon, despite threats of rain, I removed the last of the nasty roots(and this was no easy task, but I AM WOMAN!)

The second pile of roots that I dug out

and the garden was ready to be rototilled.

The grass all dug out by me

After supper, Daniel borrowed a rototiller from an old friend, Paul Madge, and he commenced in rototilling.

Daniel Rototilling

Wow what a beautiful patch of dirt!

The freshly rototilled garden

Once I had the kids in bed, I was back out in the garden planting my Tomato plants. Three weeks and two days after we started digging, I finally got the garden planted. It's done...it was alot of hard labour, but I know have my very own garden in my very own yard.

My planted garden

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Tough Life Lessons For a Three Year Old

nobody@vox.com(Mandy) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:16:46 -0700

Since moving to Milk River, our two cats have become outdoor cats. Skyreach has just recently started to venture outside. He loves to be outside...as long as it is sunny, warm and dry. He wont put a foot on the snow or step in a puddle, in my opinion we is a wimpy cat. Early in the spring he once came outside and jumped off the deck, over a pile of snow and onto dry grass...but then he was stuck and he whined because he couldn't get back to the house. Ranford on the other hand has been spending much of his days and some nights(recently) out side since we moved here in January. He has no problems with the snow or rain or mud, in fact I think he loves it all. The first thing he does when he goes outside is fine a pile of dirt to roll around in (he is a white cat....well kinda brownish white these days). He once chased a deer out of our yard...I think he thought he might actually catch it. So it was no surprise to me when I started finding dead little birds in our flower beds. Either Ranford was responsible for their death or the neighbor cats were placing the dead little birds in our yard to make the new guy look good. Thus far I've been able to dispose of the dead birds with out the girls seeing them.

This morning we have been working on the garden...well I was working, Kathryn and Tansley were helping by digging in the dirt with their sand toys, they said they were helping get the tree roots out. Kathryn spotted Skyreach coming around the corner with a bird in his mouth...a not so dead bird. The bird started flapping it's wings so Skyreach put it down, the girls quickly came over to inspect, the poor bird had a large wound on its back and couldn't walk, he just flapped his wings. Skyreach toyed with the bird. Somehow this both fascinated and disturbed the girls. Tansley shooed Skyreach away and then crouched down by the bird and said she was looking over it. She started to get a sad look on her face. I could see their was nothing that could be done and the poor little bird was suffering. It was best if we just let the cat finish what he started to end the poor birdies pain. So I asked the girls if they wanted a snack and we headed inside. Tansley started to cry and was mad at Skyreach and called him a mean cat for hurting the bird. I tried to explain to them using the Lion King circle of life, But Kathryn started just talking about the movie that had nothing to do with what I was trying to say. So then I switched to Dinosaurs, how some dinosaurs eat meat (or other dinosaurs), and some ate plants. Now that our cats are outside cats, sometimes they eat mice and little birds.

After awhile I went back out side to see if Skyreach was done with the bird. He had abandoned it so, I went to retrieve a plastic bag to dispose of it, but before I got back outside the girls were at my side wondering if the bird was OK. I told them the he was dead and asked them if they wanted to bury it. They said they did, so I got a Mac and Cheese box and put the bird in it, and then dug a whole in the flower garden under a tree. I explained that the bird's spirit was now in heaven and we were just putting the body in the ground. We said a little prayer thanking Heavenly Father for the beautiful bird and prayed for his family. Tansley started crying during the prayer, so then I did too. As we walked away Tansley completely broke down, she was so sad. All I could do was just hold her because I knew she didn't really understand what had just happened. Once she settled down she asked if she could go inside and watch TV. A short time later she came out again and asked if the bird was awake yet. Kathryn drew a picture of the bird and put it on a stick to mark the spot. Tansley doesn't want to go near the grave.

I'm glad we had this experience...it likely will happen again. Daniel's Grandpa Court is 95 years old. We try to visit him often. Kathryn is really close to him. He isn't going to be around forever, he's getting visibly older each time we go to visit. One day in the not to distant future, we will be attending his funeral....and maybe, just maybe this experience with the bird will help them to understand it a little better.

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Why do I?

nobody@vox.com(Mandy) — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 19:57:30 -0700

I woke up this morning, without provocation, at 7:30am. The sun was shining through the clouds and the birds were singing sweetly. There was a scent in the air that let you know it was thinking about raining. All three girls were still sleeping, which I was glad for. We had arrived home late the night before from our two day stay in Lethbridge. The girls were all played out and exhausted. It was quiet and peaceful....it was a bit of Heaven. I got up and did a few things and had a shower, because how can you resist the peacefulness of such a beautiful spring morning. By 8:00am the girls were awake, I fed them breakfast and then put them in the tub, Daniel took over the bathing supervision while I finished feeding Kymberly, and then he bathed her too. I helped Tansley pick out her Sunday clothes and get them on, and then helped Kathryn. She was excited to where a "new" dress that Aunt Chrystal had given to us. I got it out of the closet and helped her do up the buttons. then she just stood there and pouted. "What" I asked, she said nothing. "Is something the matter?", still nothing. "OK, well, I can't just sit here and watch you pout, I need to go get Kymberly dressed and finish getting myself ready, when you are ready to tell me whats wrong you can come find me, for now brush your hair." So I went up stairs to dress Kymberly. And then I hear it, Kathryn is wailing. What in the world is going on? She's wearing the dress that she wanted to wear, what is the matter? I ignore it, if I give her attention it only gets worse. I get dressed and do my makeup, Kathryn is still crying down stairs. Dad tells her to get her shoes on and go to the van, she comes upstairs, without her hair brushed and still crying. I try to be patient and kind, "Kathryn, what is wrong?", still nothing. "Are you hurt? Are you sick? Is something wrong with the dress? Why are you sad?", still, she wont say a word. "Fine, brush your hair and go to the van please." In the mean time Tansley has gone out to the van but can't open the side door because it is locked and she is screaming and crying that she can't open the door. Daniel goes out and helps her out, but she is so upset that she wont stop screaming. Kathryn gets in the van still crying, Kymberly is sitting in her seat wondering what all the fuss is about.

By the time we get to church everyone has calmed down, that ten minute highway drive sometimes can be a fabulous thing. We go and sit down, Daniel goes to the organ to play the prelude music. Kathryn pouts on the pew. Kymberly refuses to let me put her down. Tansley happily sits with her "friend" in the pew in front of us. By the time the sacrament song is being sung, Kathryn is scratching and wiggling all over and whining in a not so quiet voice, "I'm itching, I hate being itchy" repeatedly. I keep telling her to be quiet, and she says "but I'm itchy". She continues this behavior the entire time the sacrament is being passed. I'd take her out, but I don't have anybody to pawn Kymberly off on with out her screaming, because Daniel is still sitting up on the stand. So I wait and try again and again to be quiet. When the sacrament has been passed, Daniel comes and sits with Kathryn and tries to cuddle with her. It seemed to be working, until Kymberly started fussing, she is tired after all, nap time is at 10:00am, church starts and 10:00am...but will she sleep anywhere but in a bed? nope, not unless its dad that is trying to put her to sleep. So Daniel takes Kymberly out to try to get her to go to sleep.

Tansley is laying down with her head on my lap, she's tired, it was a long weekend. Kathryn comes over and tries to sit infront of Tansley and cuddle up to me too, but Tansley doesn't like that and pushes at Kathryn which starts Kathryn crying again. So I leave Tansley in the capable hands of her "friend", and I take Kathryn out. Again, I ask her what is wrong, again she will not say anything. I'm frustrated, annoyed, angry and mad. She says she wants me to give her a hug, but at that moment I don't feel like giving her a hug....bad mom, I know. She cries even louder, I take her into a class room so that she isn't disturbing the whole congregation. After I had cooled down a bit, I softened myself and gave her a hug and then we went back into the chapel because it was almost time for the closing song and Daniel would have to give Kymberly to somebody, I had better be that somebody to avoid more screaming and crying.

During the closing song I think to myself "I can't wait to go to Sunday School and Relief Society to be uplifted and enriched and spiritually fed, because I sure didn't get that out of Fast and Testimony meeting." As I am walking out of the chapel to take my kids to blessed Primary, a sister stops me and asks if I will teach nursery because the nursery leader is sick and asked if she would do it, but her kids are just not doing well today and she needs to be with them so could I do it for her. In my mind I am saying no, but I smile a fake smile and say "sure". I want to cry. I drop Kathryn off at her class, as I walk away I hear her crying again. I ignore her, if I give her attention it only makes it worse. I head to the nursery room with Tansley, at least she has been pleasant since arriving at church. A friend of mine, who has daughters that same age as mine (and who had also been in the hall with crying children today) asked how I was doing, I teared up and said that I was just asked to teach the nursery. She said "you said no right?", "No, why would I do that?" I say half laughing half crying, that would be like saying that I wasn't strong enough to do it, that I couldn't handle everything. She asked if I wanted her to stay with me, this time I spoke what was in my mind and not what was on the tip of my tongue "yes, please!" So Nursery ended up to be not so bad, but I still missed the spiritual uplift that I was longing for.

Why do I do it to myself? I could have said no, there are others that could have taken over. I suppose it goes along with why I don't usually ask others to do things for me. I could be 5 months pregnant, sick with a nasty flew and trying to get my apartment cleaned so that we can move out in 5 days, and my husband will say before heading out to work, "phone someone to come help you today" and I say "OK, I will", but I don't, I just do it myself, and then that night a sister in the ward calls because she is in a real bind and doesn't have anyone to watch her 5 kids the next day while she works and is wondering if I could watch them, she realizes that I am trying to move, but she is really stuck. I say yes, of course. So I take my not so well self and my 2 year old over to her place at 6am the next day and watch her kids, all the time thinking about all the things that I still need to get done to move. Why do I do it?....I don't want to talk about it...it might make me look weak.

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Peek-A-Boo

nobody@vox.com(Mandy) — Mon, 26 May 2008 16:45:09 -0700

Kymberly makes me laugh. She loves to play peek-a-boo. She plays it when you change her diaper, when you put her to bed, with her bib when she is eating, or by herself when she's playing on the floor. Last night I was going through a box of clothes that my sister had given me for the girls, Kymberly was just playing on the floor when I heard her giggling, I looked up and saw that she had her blanket over her face, she was kicking and giggling uncontrollably. It was so cute, I couldn't help but play along. She is just too cute...take a look yourself.

PeekabooKymberly

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I have nothing to write...

nobody@vox.com(Mandy) — Fri, 23 May 2008 21:41:51 -0700

...I wish I did. I envy those of my fellow bloggers that seem to often have inspirational or thought provoking posts. I've been sitting here wishing that I could come up with something of that sort, because I really feel like writing something. But nothing has come to my mind. So I sit here thinking...wasting time...just sitting...with no real thoughts of any kind...so I guess I'll go to bed. Better luck next time.

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Traditions

nobody@vox.com(Mandy) — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:46:18 -0700

When I was a kid, one of our summer family traditions was to go camping at Wasa Lake in BC for ten days or so. As a family we loved this area, we would spend countless hours on the beach, creating sand creatures and playing in the water during the day and in the evenings we would go to the amphitheater and watch a presentation about the wildlife or plants or just stuff about the area and then we would sit around the campfire until Mom and Dad made us go to bed. We would spend a day at Fort Steele enjoying the historical street plays and learning about how Fort Steele died because of a decision to send the rail way to Cranbrook instead of through Fort Steele. Now Cranbrook is a live and well and Fort Steele is a tourist attraction that I love. We would often take a day to go to Kimberley and enjoy walking around the Bavarian Village. And often a trip to Fairmont Hotsprings would be included on a cold and rainy (sometimes even snowy) day. We almost always took our bikes and we would ride down to the convenience store and buy candy...and wonder now where I got my money from, because I am sure I sent a lot of money at that convenience store. Sometimes we would have other family join us, Aunts, Uncles and Cousins from the Paxman side of the family. I loved these numerous vacations, I loved the area.

So when we moved back to Lethbridge in 2005, we decided that summer that we were going to start taking real summer vacations and go camping. Our first camping trip was Labour Day weekend, we didn't even have any of our own camping gear so we had to borrow everything from my brother Jace and my sister Chrystal (mom and dad were already camping). Kathryn was 3yrs old and Tansley was 4 months old. We headed up to Kikomen lake, but it was full, and the ranger suggested that we try Norbury lake. So that is where we headed. We loved it. It Looked just like Wasa Lake and was only about 20 minutes away, and just 10 minutes from Fort Steele. We set up camp and enjoyed every moment. We have been back 4 times since and every time we have taken someone else with us. In 2006 we went for the long weekend in August and took my Mother in Law, we had a blast. In 2007 we acquired most of our own camping gear. We made two trips, one on the May long weekend and took Breanne Sheilds (a family friend who was 15yrs at the time), It rained most of the time, but we still had fun. We went again for Labour Day Weekend and took Craig Sellars, a friend from High School, Daniel's Best Man and and adoptive uncle for the girls (he likes to spoil them at Christmas), that trip may have been my favorite, the weather was perfect and we had so much fun with Craig. This year we again took Breanne with us, and we enjoyed perfect weather.

A tour of our campsite

It looks like we have started our own summer family tradition. And although we only spend 4 days camping, we tend to pack in a lot of fun. There will come a day when we will go for longer stretches of time. Many people think I am crazy as it is, taking three little girls camping. But they love it and look forward to it. I love it, Daniel loves it. It's just great fun all around. And although camping presents some interesting adventures, like Tansley peeing all over the floor of the outhouse because she waited to long or Kathryn pooping on the floor of that same outhouse a day later because she's holding the door shut so that Tansley won't come in because she wants her privacy (that particular out house ended up being cleaner than any other in the park), it also presents some advantages, like Kymberly started sleeping through the night while we were away camping....that is the best side effect ever!

We love Norbury Lake, it is generally less crowded and not as big as Wasa, but it is still close enough that we can enjoy the beach at Wasa Lake. This trip we didn't make it to Fort Steele, it isn't completely up and running until July 1st. Kathryn was some what dissappointed about that, but we told her that we would be coming again later in the summer and we would go then. Instead we went to the underground mining railway in Kimberley. That was kinda cool, you rode on an mining rail train and it took you underground to see what the old Sullivan mine would have looked like. Underground you stopped and a miner that had worked at that mine for 36 years gave you a tour and told you all about what goes on, and then you get back on the train and head out of the mountain and up to the Kimberley Ski resort and see some amazing sites. It was worth it's money. We enjoyed the day in Kimberley although the girls were disappointed that the singing clock was not working, well, we were told it was still working on the hour, but somebody had crazy glued a quarter in the money slot and you couldn't make it sing on demand.

Clock dance2 from last year

I love going to the mountains. I love camping in out big huge tent. I love cooking out side. I love the smell of the food cooking mingled with the smell of the trees. I love the cool nights, and cozy sleeping bags and blankets. I love early morning walks with my girls. I love sleeping in and not having to be anywhere in particular. I love the fresh air in the morning and sitting by the fire at night. I love watching my kids play in the dirt and collect pine cones and rocks. I love to watch Kathryn take pictures, I'm sure she'll be a photographer when she grows up, at least make it a hobby like her Grandpa Forsyth. I love watching Tansley be brave and ride on the train, even though she is terrified of trains. I love remembering the things I did as a kid. But most of all I love that I am helping to create those kind of memories for my own kids, that I'm helping to create in them a love for camping like my own. I want my kids to look back at their own childhood and remember our summer family tradition and that we always had fun when we went to Norbury Lake.

Big truck in Sparwood

Daddy with his Girls

Cutey Kymberly

Down in the mine

Kathryn at Lucier Hotsprings

Tansley at Lucier Hotsprings

Kymberly not enjoying the hotsprings

Kathryn and Tansley

Tansley in the cold Norbury Lake

Kathryn tossing rocks...or posing

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Oh So Much Fun!!

nobody@vox.com(Mandy) — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:01:26 -0700

Tonight we had a Mother/Daughter Enrichment activity with a Beach Party theme (I am the Enrichment Leader in our ward). Mothers and Daughters of all ages joined in the fun of Hula Hooping and Surfboarding and Hula Dancing and Beachball Volleyball and just hanging out on beach towels. It was so much fun, a riot really. Most likely one of the funnest Enrichment activities I have ever been too. Pictures speak louder than words, so here, you can see for yourself.

Hula Hooping

More Hula Hooping

Hula Dancing...of sorts

Hanging out in the Sun

Surfing

Happy Family

Kathryn that Hula Queen

Tansley playing in the ocean

Watching the Crazy Kids

more Beach Ball Volleyball

Beach Ball Volleyball

and More Beach Ball Volley ball

still more Beach Ball Volleyball

Sun Bathing

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Mother's Day Spectacular

nobody@vox.com(Mandy) — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:23:28 -0700

My darling daughters spoiled me rotten for Mother's Day. Kathryn has been excited about Mother's Day for two weeks and has been creating and wrapping presents for just as long. I was looking forward to Sunday to see just what kind of things she and Tansley had been creating. Sunday came, and brought with it a sick baby and a sick 3 year old, so the three of us stayed home from church and slept all morning. That was nice for me because I had been up numerous times in the night with one child or the other. When Kathryn and Daddy returned from church. Kathryn couldn't wait to give me all her presents, so I dutifully sat in the chair and was brought fabulous present after fabulous present. Here are pictures of their fabulous creations. Each one of them I will treasure, because I know that they were made with tremendous love and excitement. If I remember correctly, Kathryn's poem goes as follows, "Roses are red, Violets are blue, You are as sweet as blueberries because they are blue too." Kathryn made my key chain burgundy because she knew that it was my favorite colour.

Kathryn's poem and Picture Frame

Key chain made at Kindergarten

Kindergarten Card and Key Chain

Butterfly created at Kindergarten

Kathryn's(left) and Tansley's(right) tissue paper flowers

Inside of card

Card made at primary

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