Anticipation

I've had a lot of people tell me later that this is all going to happen faster than I think. They are rejoicing with our small achievements and the baby steps which lead us closer to our referral. It's all becoming a bit more real with each passing day and anticipation builds.

A knock on the door late last week revealed a friend/co-worker/neighbor standing there with a bouquet of tulips..."in anticipation of our daughter".

A 3 year old playdate (you know, the paper-mache, good-Mama one) made the boys and I, a paper box. In the box were several paper butterflies...each one with our name. And, on her own accord she had asked her Mummy to write "Baby Keizer" on one.

I started a sweater last week...and finished this afternoon. My first ever. There was a sweet knitted vest late last year but not a full sweater.

Anticipation is building.

It rocks.

More Good Mama Stuff

Enjoying more playdates sans their Mamas...in the sun...on a warmish winter day.

(They say it's so much friendlier with two...but I say sometimes three.)(Proof I was there...)

(Ok, so not sure how swimming on the floor in a new PFD qualifies as being a better Mama...but he is having pure, childlike, unhindered fun.)

I Have A New Favourite Number (it will change again in February)

You'll remember a couple days ago I mentioned eating up the bi-monthly Imagine updates?

Seriously people.

My new favourite number: 14.

This would be the number of referrals given in the month of January alone.

Anyone up for a game of elementary math?

Another new favourite number: 37.

Our new number on the "list". (Don't forget, this is not descending necessarily in chronological order but it gives us an idea of their timeline.)

As if it isn't enough that I tear up every time I hear about a referral (and I didn't know there were nearly that many this month,) this list has again humbled me. It has reminded me (as a great friend often does when I need to be checked)...

...God has our little girl.

The rest is just details.

On Being A Better Mama

However you want to cut it, January was a slump month.

I was not a Mama you would aspire to be. I was not a Mama I would aspire to be. The boys fought. We didn't engage in too many activities compared to the term before. We hung out at home lots. There wasn't a lot of creativity going on. I was in a slump.

I didn't think it would take too long after Christmas to find old routine but I was wrong. I found some semblance but then we went away and it was lost again. I found what I though was some form of it upon our return but then lost it again.

To say I was happy to kick January in the butt and out the door on the 31st would be an understatement. It was just a long month. A birthday was a perfect way to say Adios.

All this is not to say there weren't some highlights. There were giggles, laughs, smiles, ups but there simply weren't enough. And I didn't feel "me". The house didn't have it's usual rhythm and that was evident in the behavior exhibited by little ones.

As the door to February opened on Monday, we faced it head on. Jumped right in...both feet together. And I decided it is time to be a better Mama. Katie posted perfectly on the passion of this role.

For me, one simple to way feel as though I am passionately pursuing my role as a better Mama is to keep busy. Busy can be going out, it can be staying in. It can be playing with friends or playing within our four walls alone. So earlier this week, when we planned to have one special friend come and play...sans her Mama...being a better Mama meant a little paper mache craft funtimes. And, with two 3 yr olds and a 4 yr old paper mache can be interesting. But with an attitude of passionate mothering it can be the best thing one does all week.




Welcome February. I love you already.

Strong Startin'...Again

A good...ah hem, great...and busy several days around here.

After a hoot hollerin' party Sunday, we started the week out with a bit of a bang.

(Quite excited.)

(A little unnerved.)

We headed here for a couple hours of fun...and fun it proved to be. The boys have been begging to return to Jumpin' Jiminy's for literally weeks and it seemed, that after a couple weeks of too much home time, Monday was a great day to hit the road.

The fun didn't begin however, until we'd stopped off at the Elementary school to register Noah for Kindergarten. Hullo! Full days, people. He is over the moon excited (I'm still not) and after an evening of hockey for the camp kids on Monday (yes, Monday was a full day), the janitor offered to take us down to his classroom-to-be. It is cool. He's stoked.


It seemed wrong not to do school-related things yesterday. So after a morning of self-chosen colouring, playdoughing, and card making, we headed back to school. We didn't head to our school but rather to a Strong Start school. You'll remember we attended tons last year and this fall we took a bit of a hiatus. Perhaps not a great move on my part but at times, life gets in the way of other "extracurricular" activities. Not trying to box education in to an extracurricular square of our life...but there's more to education that just classroom - especially when you live by the ocean in a climate which allows you to be outside almost any time. Plus, this is our last year not having a schedule dictated to us and we have been enjoying it.

Returning to Strong Start was a fabulous move. The boys were pumped, I enjoyed it, and the school we chose this time has a large class with a billion (yep, a billion) activities. The perk in my mind is that it is significantly quieter than our previous location. Carpet time, stories and songs were top notch and the boys literally had to be dragged out when it was over. They would have camped out had I not promised to return later this week.

The week will end on a good note, as we'll receive our bi-monthly from Imagine. I. Love. Them. I try not to focus on them too much but I eat this stuff for lunch, people. We're down in the mid-to-low-forties now. Easily.

A Birthday In Photos

My Best Guess

Due to several recent inquiries I am going to throw myself out there and take a wild guess. This is a very unprofessional shot in the dark. This is based on current observations and is subject to change at any moment. It's not set in stone and heck at this point, I wouldn't even write it in sand...

If I had to guess...and that's all it really would be...I would hover our timeline and The Call to take place around May. Could be longer. Could be shorter. Of course on a hope and a prayer I want to say sooner but I need to be realistic. And though you may call me pessimistic I am calling my timeframe pragmatic. If referrals seem to currently be averaging 20 months...


All that to say, sit tight and hold on to your hats people. It's gonna be awhile - but it'll be a wild ride when we get there.

More Love

Last night. Our pre-party, party. The first third birthday party. The cake to top all cakes - we say that each time though. An afternoon of cake decorating comparable to Gingerbread House Decorating.

It was awesome. The cake maker extraordinaire outdid herself again (I repeat, we say that each time)! The detail like non-other, we had fun, we smiled, giggled, I "let go" (well, in as much as I can), and after supper we all indulged.





















How on earth will I ever measure up for the second third birthday party?