A real woman always has her house clean and organized, and the laundry basket is always empty. 

She is always well dressed, hair in place and make up perfect.

Her children are always well presented and never a spot on them. 

She never swears and behaves gracefully in al situations and circumstances.

A real woman has more than enough patience to care for all of her family, always has a smile on her lips and a kind word for everyone.

If you’re a real woman, I regret to inform you, you may just be a man!

It’s times like these I really hate being a parent of children who have large personalities.  Over the past few weeks, BOTH Wee Blonde Child AND Healthy Weighty Wee Man have been testing the waters for BOTH Nana and me.  I parent very much the same way I was parented … that is after all how we learn right?  I was raised that anything more than the necessities are luxuries.  If there is food on the table, a roof over your head, running water, electricity and proper clothes on your back, then be happy.  There are a lot more people in the city where we live that don’t have even that. 

Anyhow, I’m digressing.  As BOTH WBC and HWWM have been testing the waters, they have been told that BOTH Nana and Mummy know the Easter BUnny’s phone number and one, if not both, WILL call him and tell him that he is not to bring anything to them.  The Easter BUnny only brings treats to well behaved children.  Now as we are not HUGE chocolate and candy eaters, the Easter Bunny brings baskets filled with …. things.  Each appropriate for the child receiving the baskets.  And of course a small handful of chocolate eggs and one large Easter egg.  Well …. they kept pushing those buttons.  The Easter Bunny did not bring anything for Wee Blonde Child or Healthy Weighty Wee Man.  And both of them did not believe THAT was going to happen!

Now to ease my guilt of having to be the disciplinarian, I DID get them something, and let them think it was given to them by Winsome01 when he came to go for a bike ride and have Easter dinner with us.  HOWEVER!  All three got a wee gift bag from W01 so still WBC and HWWM did not get anything to over compensate for not getting anything from the Easter Bunny.

It breaks my heart that I have to even threaten, never mind have to go as far as follow through with any threats because my children misbehave.  And by misbehave I mean be down right rotten children.  BUt what do I do?  I see children of all ages whose parents gave and still give in to their children.  I have sisters who do just that and I see the results!  I will not let my children treat me, or behave like I see those children behave.  And what example am I setting for my children if they see that I will let them away with anything?  We all are going to be having so many changes ahead of us and some of them are not going to be so easy.  I am going to need the children on board with me and I am going to need them to behave with a modicum of acceptable behaviour.  Thay are after all children and life itself is a learning experience right now.  Situations and rules of the game we call life change and sometimes, the rule book gets left out.  But the one thing I can do, is treat them evenly, lovingly and respectfully.  Even when it breaks my heart to have to teach them those tough lessons.

You know what?  Sometimes, parenting SUCKS!

I will admit, I love that my children have such exhuberance and love to get their pictures taken.  And I really appreciate that I have a good professional photographer friend who gives me a deal on those pictures!  See for your self!

About 3am this morning I was woken by the sound of rain.  While not all THAT unusual, it was the sound of rain IN SIDE THE HOUSE! not outside.  Since my mother moved in with us a few weeks ago, I have been sleeping in the spare room in the basement.  So this sound of rain was really, REALLY loud.  Did I say it was really loud? 

Once I sorted out that the water was indeed inside and in the basement at that, I went in search of its source, starting at the top of the house, and checking outside to make sure it wasn’t raining and there was some type of leak from the outside.  Twice.  No toilets or taps were running and it was not raining outside.  I just could not figure out where this water was coming from!  But it was coming in the basement none the less.  So my next thought, email the landlord … but stopping short of actually rining their house and waking the world, what were they going to do at 3:15 in the morning?  That’s when the brilliant idea struck me square in the head, right between the eyes …. turn off the water!  WAIT!  Where is the water intake for the hosue again?  Out side?  No.  WAIT! It’s BEHIND the tumble dryer.  Great.  There is not a whole hack of a lot of space in the laundry area to begin with, but add to that the fact that I have moved in to the spare room, taking up MORE space … well needless to say, the tumble dryer vent pipe needed to be replaced too once I was done gettign the tumble dryer out of the way.

Okay, water turned off and the raining in the basement has stopped.  But what is that new noise!?!?!  The hot water tank is freaking out!  Like getting ready to explode freaking out!  Great.  NOW WHAT DO I DO?!?!?  Uhm.  (Insane Mother of Three)? TURN IT OFF!  So I did.  Well that was at 3:30 …. BEFORE DAWN.  Fun.  Not so much.

It’s all fixed now … at least to the satifaction of the landlord, who was the one to fix it.  Sigh …. at least we have water AND hot stuff at that!

Soccer evaluations have begun … indoors!  The outdoor season is on the cusp of starting and there is still a good four inches of snow on the fields …. oh JOY!  I think I shall have to invest in a snuggie for my onslaught of evenings at the soccer fields!

Oldest Large Child wants to move up to a Tier B team … she’s gonna have to work really hard for it!  OLC is a really talented player, but she still has LOTS to learn.  I am torn about my wish for her soccer playing … I don’t like to see my children struggling, but they also need to learn that not all things in life come so easy and that they need to work for somethings in life.  This last season, OLC did the required amount of training and no more, even when the extra clinics were offered.  I did not force her to go, but I did offer to pay for the extra training, which she refused.  Once the evaluations are over, we’ll see what happens.

Until then …

LET’S GO FOOTHILLS! LET’S GO!

I have had some questions about my last post.  Paul was sentenced to nine months with three months time served for the incident that happened over Christmas.  Because Paul was here on a work visa while waiting for his Permanent Resident status, he will be deported once the sentence is complete whether that happens in the max allowed time or if he is released early for time served.

My last words on that post were “and after that, a life time” because Paul won’t be able to see the children in person for a very long time.  And if they choose as young adults to live their lives in Canada, Paul will only ever see them in pictures.  I know many think that I am celebrating this, but I’m not.  I actually have to stop myself from thinking about what Paul is missing in our children’s lives because if I do think about it, I don’t revel in the joy of the moment.  I slip in to the sorrow of what can’t be. 

All over an addiction to alcohol.  I will not pretend to know personally what it is like not to be able to have a drink for fear of what I might do or say.  I do know personally the havoc it can wreak on one person and those that love him or her.  I can only see what will be missed and I mourn for that.