Strengh though the generations

One of the greatest things about living here is building deeper connections to Ryan's family. This spring and summer we were blessed to host Ryan's grandparents several times. At 83 and 82 years old they still live in their own home in a small town about two hours away. On occasion they need to come into the city for various appointments. In someways this can be stressful. For one thing I need to keep the house clean. As you know this is not easy for me.

Having them stay also means that a lot of my attention is focused on them instead of on the kids. But these small hardships can never out weight
the vast blessing of having them. This was made clear to me in two beautiful ways recently.

Grandpa has been cleaning out his office and found a collection of pennies dating back to the 1910's. Unsure what to do with it, he brought it to us thinking if we did not want to keep it at least we could sell them. Our oldest was enthralled. So, for hours Grandpa and Great-grandson sat with piles of coins and a magnifying glass. They talked and listened, shared stories and organized the coins. My son now has a coin collection but more than that he has a deepening relationship with a man that has lived through the depression, WW2, who started teaching in a one room school house, and who has stayed active and generous through a retirement that has lasted longer than his teaching career.

During another visit, Great-grandma and Great-grandpa and our littlest sat finishing lunch. I was cleaning up, and putting away the left overs. Just like every three year old, she wanted to help so I gave her a small piece of crumpled plastic wrap to wrap up her half eaten cookie. She sat patiently straightening out the plastic wrap while Grandpa looked on. I thought nothing of it but later that week Grandma told me over the phone that Grandpa was inspired. Apparently, before their visit, every time the plastic wrap got stuck together Grandpa gave up, threw it out and got a new piece. But now, he says "If your great-granddaughter can do it, then so can I"

I have often thought how much we have to learn from these amazing people. How to grow a garden to feed you for the whole winter, how to knit, sew and make cool things out of wood. How to be married for 62 years, how to stay strong and committed through the loss of children, professional insecurity, and failing health. But I am learning that we have a lot to give to them too. The energy of youth, the simple joy of a child's smile. On their last visit, Grandma said that we here a force of healing for her. And I see it. I see how sitting and reading to the kids, seeing them run around with laughter, and sharing their stories to eager ears gives life to these venerable people.

Back to School

Well today was the first real day of school. It was nice to be returning to the same school. Of course, there was some new things, new class rooms, new teachers, but at least we know the drill now. I even get the indoor/outdoor shoe thing. If you are not from the prairies you might also find this confusing, but as soon as EVERYONE comes into the school they take off their shoes. Yes everyone, even the staff and parents. But after seeing first hand the mud, dirt, and slush that comes inside, I totally get this now.

It was of course totally crazy in the school today. 450 parents helping 450 students find their classroom, each with four bags of school supplies. But it was nice to see a few familiar friendly faces, have a few chats and a play on the playground after dropping off the big kids. All in all a very nice morning.

And we are all hopeful for a great second year!

Fiddle the Summer Away

We just got back from the most amazing week. We were at the Kenosee Lake Kitchen Party, a traditional music camp for the whole family.

I did not know how this would all shake out when I registered us back in March. At that time it was only going to be me taking any instruction and the rest were just "roadies" But the our oldest girl started fiddle lessons this summer and so I signed her up for the camp about a month ago.

So we pack up the van, and drive the 6 hours to the camp that is in a beautiful provincial park on a gorgeous lake.

As soon as we get there, which is the night before the first day of camp, our oldest son says that he really wants to take lessons too. I so wanted to say yes to him but he plays the piano and because the camp has to rent pianos they can't take any late registration for that instrument. With a hug and a "maybe next year" we go to explore the camp grounds. 

We find the mess hall, bathrooms and basketball courts and then we find the out door pool. In the pool we also find the camp director, having a last relax before the chaos descends. In our brief conversation it comes out that he wants to take lessons but did not register. "Well, wouldn't you know," says the camp director, "we have just had a cancellation and we now have an extra piano." I am adding this on to my list of little miracles because no one else at this camp got as much out of it as our eldest.

Don't get me wrong the rest of us got a lot out of it too. Our days included unknowingly having coffee with Juno award winning artists, talking classes with some of the best fiddlers in the country, swimming in the pool (with frogs)

taking crazy fun step-dancing workshops, playing at the beach, 

canoeing,

 

eating LOTS of amazing food, playing with new friends, making forts in the woods and listening to instructor's concerts, dancing, jamming around camp fires. 

We all lost a lot of sleep and the accommodations were not luxurious, so this is what we all looked like in the morning!

But it was a small price to pay for all that we got. And the greatest gift of the whole week, more then improving my playing, and getting to play for one of the dances was seeing my kids thrive, learn, laugh and find joy in music. 

We are already planing next year's trip!

Happy Anniversary

So it has been one year (basically). Like most anniversaries I am a day late but I didn't forget I was just busy. (I wish that excuse would work on my husband!)

We arrived in Saskatchewan a year ago. I said it would take me a year to really know what it was like here. Well it is awesome here.

But I have learned a few things in the last 365 days.

1: Don't leave pop cans in the garage at temperatures lower then -20. They explode. Really!
2: People ware watermelons on their heads. Yes, they really do. It is a football thing, but still people, you don't think that is a little weird.
3: Football is king. If you don't watch the Riders play they take away your health card. It is that important.
4: Mosquitoes are not pets. They are demons sent to torment us until we say bad words in front of our kids.
5: Don't worry if you forget to put out your recycling, your neighbour will do it for you. They are really that nice here.
6: The weather can kill you. So respect it. And don't worry everyone, looks just as dorky in a parka but they are warm.
7: Again the weather can kill you. So bring sun screen, bug spay, a hat, sunglasses, and water every where you go. If you can, stay close to an air conditioner. They are a gift from heaven.
8: Even from far away, the people you love will still love you and you them. Praise God for phones, face book and email.

Here's looking forward to another great year on the prairie.

Three days in Mosquito Jaw

We just got back from three days in Mosquito Jaw, oh sorry, Moose Jaw. Despite the bugs, we had a lot of fun. Well I had fun, most of the time. We did not plan on Moose Jaw as our holiday destination, as I am sure many do not. But Ryan had a work thing to do there and they payed for us all to go down. I am not inclined to say no to a free vacation no matter where it is, so off we went.
Now it is only about a two and a half hour drive but somehow I forgot some road trip basics, like bring snacks and travel at nap time. So we started the vacation with hungry, bored and tired children.

Things started to get a lot more fun when we arrived. We went straight to the museum, where we learned about the history of transportation. And began our training as steam train engineers.

  Really the trip went as you would imagine a trip with four kids would go. We had a lot of laughs and fun. Played in the hotel pool, eat a lot of french fires, and found as many interesting tourist things to do that we could. But we had a few bumps in the road. Like realizing that one of the kids only packed PJs, socks and a swim suit. Yes that is it, no other cloths! Then mom getting lost THREE times trying to find the Walmart to fix the first problem. Walmart is Walmart every where and it was as frustrating an experience as I should have expected. But we did eventually find all we needed plus a few things we did not.

Other highlights included the littlest one peeing her pants at the Burring Owl Interpretive Centre, being eaten alive at the park by bugs, explaining organized crime and the mob to the kids before the Al Capone tour, missed naps, and late nights. 

Don't get me wrong, we really did have fun but travailing with kids is an extreme sport and like all extreme sports most of the world think it looks scary and the people involved are nuts.

Married to Super Mensch

Many years ago a Jewish friend of mine described my husband as a mensch. I had never hear this tern before but my lovely man is truly the personification of the word. It is a Yiddish word for "a person of integrity and honour". And this last week I think he stepped it up to super-mensch.

For the last few months I have been very tried and not at all my usual fun loving self. Consequently the house work that I am an never really on top of has literally got on top of me. There have been many days were no one has clean underpants nor can I find a clean blow of the morning cereal. Has my mensch complained, pouted, or made me to feel bad about the situation? No, he has done double duty and cooked dinner many nights after working all day, asked really nicely if there is anything that I could use his help with in the house and done almost all the shopping, focusing on foods that I love.

All this alone should have pushed him into super-mensch qualifications. But just as I was starting to come back to myself I got two bad colds back to back. And not a little runny noise kind but the kind where your head feels like it will fall off and you can't breath or sleep or do anything but moan and grumble. And what does this amazing man do? He puts more time into the house and kids. Takes his first week of summer holidays and cooks me food, lets me nap AND build the kids a play house/swing set! They are out there right now having a blast.

So when he woke up this morning with a swore throat and a head ache I sent him back to bed, took the kids to church and then out to Timmy's for breakfast. OK that does not at all compare to what he has done in the last few weeks and months but hey, for a normal weak and selfish person I had to start somewhere.

I'm Back

For many reasons I have been away from my blog. To tell you the truth I have had lots to say, so much that all the ideas have got stuck all jumbled up together. So instead of trying to get it all stored and tell you everything that has been on my mind for that last two months I am starting again.

Happy summer! This is my house today. By 7 am we were already deep into crafts and fights. Oh what a summer it will be! But just so you don't think that it is always my boys who are the crazy one:

So wish me luck because I am launching into two months of chaos punctuated by "I'm bored "