Monthly Archives: August 2013

Teachers of life

Friday night, 10 pm and I’m being served imaginary coffee and yogurt by 5 year old A1.

And that’s only the first course.

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I figured I could post something at the same time, but it’s turning out to be impossible.

I drink the “coffee” and get in trouble.

“There’s nothing in there!” She says.

She comes back with two kettles.20130830-223714.jpg

“Tea or coffee?”

I say: “Tea please.” She pours.

I drink.

“Don’t drink it yet!” she orders.

Grabs the cup from my hand. Then takes a moment.

She changes her posture, smiles and gently asks: “How many sugars?”

“Oh, two please.”

She puts two “sugars” and hands me the cup.

I’m not sure what to do anymore; I slowly bring the cup to my lips…

“MOM!”

I stop.

“You didn’t mix it!” and she hands me a spoon.

Gosh, this is going to be long. I mix it, then I drink it.20130830-223933.jpg

She points at the plate of food in front of me and says “Now sit straight, take small bites and chew with your mouth closed!”

Waaaaaaaaaa? I’ve never ever ever said that!

She walks over to her play area and says: “I still have to put the baby to bed, wash the dishes and do the laundry!”

I watch her grab a chair and place it next to her doll’s crib. “This is for when I have to stay with the baby at night” she says.

I’ve placed a chair next to A3’s crib, so that I can sit there when I tend to her at night.

A1: “I’m going to pick up the toys because I know you’re too tired” She just said…

Me: “I’ll do it, don’t worry about it”

A1: “It’s ok, I want to.”

It’s been 17 minutes since I started this post and I’ve learned so much…20130830-223941.jpg

We know that they are learning every day, and if you let them, they can teach you every day.

They truly are our teachers.

She’s still talking and I need to concentrate on her, or else I’d be missing out.

Gotta go…

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People will tend to judge less if another child is the one holding the leash

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August 27, 2013 · 12:10 pm

Hope and Gratitude

Tomorrow morning I will be heading out to the Montreal Weekend to End Breast Cancer for the 6th year in a row. The feelings have already taken me over. My heart is already feeling heavy and my eyes are already holding back tears.

6 years ago, I lost my sister to cancer.

I keep shifting from anger to acceptance, back and forth.

6 years have passed and yet it feels like it all happened yesterday. The emotions are still so fresh.

 Time heals they say…

But in my case I feel as though every year that passes my emotions get stronger. I grow older and therefore understand more and more about the impact that this reality has.

It is only after having a husband that I understood the impact of this reality on a husband.

It is only after becoming a parent that I could merely understand the impact of this reality on a mother or a father.

It is only after reaching 30 that I could imagine how it would feel to know that you will only live 31 years.

I’m still not sure of the lesson life was out to teach us but, at this price, it must be an important one.

All I can say is that we should all be grateful for having the opportunity to live this life.

I am grateful every day, and I feel like I owe it to myself and to my sister to make the most out of this life.

Tomorrow is about hope.

Let’s make that Hope and Gratitude.

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Bed time: A mind war

It’s almost 9:30 pm. 23 month old A2 is standing up wailing in her crib. 5 year old A1 who shares the bedroom is narrating what’s happening and A3 just woke up by the chaos.

Beautiful.

It’s these moments that keep me in peace.

A2 just tossed her blanket and pacifier out of her crib again. I tried explaining to her that if she tosses them again, she won’t get them back… but we both know that she won’t sleep without them. So this is another mind game.

She threw them out, again, and she’s still crying. I tried taking them for a while. She cried… I held on to them for a few minutes then gave them back. That will work, I hoped.

Well it didn’t. She tossed them out within the same second and is still crying.

I went back to my chair without picking them up. And here I am. I’ve written about the chair before. I have a chair set up outside their bedroom, where I sit until they fall asleep. It’s been a while though. They’ve been good lately and didn’t require me to sit here until they fell asleep. But A2’s getting close to the crazy two’s and so I’m back here again.

It’s been a few minutes, I’m wondering if I should get up and hand her the pacifier and blanket just yet. Her cries are sounding more and more tiresome, with yawning intervals.

I got up and handed them to her, came back to my seat. I talked to her…I shouldn’t have talked to her.

She just threw them out again!

She wins this round, again.

Why don’t I just yell at her?

Because then I would teach her that yelling is a mean of communication that I use.

Because then she will fall asleep with fear having been her last emotion of the day.

Because then I would have put my child to bed in anger.

I’m hoping there’s a better solution.

I’ll figure it out…eventually.

This isn’t working.

A1 just suggested “call dad.”

Ya, call Jack and have him do the dirty work…

Ok one more try…

I tried the utter most tenderness. I went in, didn’t say a word picked her up, held her tight, kissed her, cleaned her face from tears, leaned down with her, she reached for her blanket and pacifier. I stood up, still not saying a word, I pointed to my cheek, she reached in and gave me a kiss. Then I pointed to her crib, placed her in. Sung her a lullaby and walked out.

Went back to my chair.

By the time my butt touched the seat …

She was already up and bawling again.

That was a complete fail.

Jack just came up. He gave it a go…

He tried tenderness, some discipline, yelled a little, played a little, danced a little…

Still a no go.

He leaves.

We should make them pay for tickets at this point, because we’ve become a show!

Ok I’m desperate; it’s been over 40 minutes. I know she’s tired.

I take out my phone and go online. Search for an Armenian Lullaby. I play it and go back to my seat.

She stopped.

This song is really beautiful.

She’s sleeping.

Unbelievable!

The power of music…

They’re sleeping in peace, no one got mad at another, no anger, no fear, no guilt.

Just love and music.

Ah… now that this is done, I should start with my chores… I’ll rest when I’m old.

Goodnight.

P.S Listen to this song, it will make any man, woman or child give in to slumber.

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Seeing them hold hands somehow makes it all worth it.

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August 22, 2013 · 5:27 pm

Tomato crime scene

Today, A2 came home from day care with two really large tomatoes. She had picked them herself from the daycare’s teacher’s garden. I can just imagine the fit she threw in order for them to let her pick them. She comes home and orders me “open !”.

I just had time to wash them when she grabbed one of them and sunk her teeth in them. She has my teeth… That means she can do a lot of damage.
Her face was covered in that tomatoes juices, it was dripping down to her chin and into her shirt. That’s how food ends up in our children’s diapers. You open up their diapers and find out what they’ve eaten that day. I’m not talking about the poop, I’m talking about the food you find, as is. It’s like a buffet it there .
After she was done with that identity challenged fruit or vegetable , the house was covered in tomato juice and seeds. Me and my mom were walking around the house with rags in our hands looking for tomato crime scenes.
Sometimes there was even a blood trail leading up to the scene.
Once we got her face, the stairs, the carpet and the couches all cleaned up me and my mom were sitting and laughing at it all, when my mom said to me” wipe you nose, you have something.”
I must admit I didn’t go for a tissue and went straight for it.
It.
It, was a tomato seed.

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Potty training in the middle of the family room .

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August 19, 2013 · 4:56 pm

Saturday morning breakfast. Yes, there’s a flip flop on the table.

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August 17, 2013 · 11:08 am

Listen to the rain.

Make sure to take some time to listen to the rain . Teach your children to do the same. Take a moment , stop what you are doing and just listen.
In that moment , you will be in the moment . You will be present and more alive than ever.
If you don’t have time…
If we don’t have time to do nothing, how can we ever do anything?

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My “is that so?” Moment.

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I’ve just decided. I am my own resource .

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Daily Forecast: 50% rain

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August 13, 2013 · 9:42 pm

Ok fine, only one!

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August 12, 2013 · 8:26 pm

And now the forbidden pretzel jar …

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August 12, 2013 · 8:25 pm

Utensils? Why?

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August 12, 2013 · 7:10 pm

Why is the forbidden so wanted.

Doing all they can do to get to that forbidden chocolate.

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It’s chocolate! I swear!

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Post Prune Explosion….

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