bear & lion

here's a peek into the highs and woes of our life

cottage..la-la-la…la.

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friday evening we packed up the van and headed north to the family cottage. we stopped about half way for some cheap mexican fast food. the kids LOVED it!

and boy-o-boy am i glad we made the trek up! the drive up is pretty long and can be painful with the kids, but upon arrival all the stress of the trip up had been forgotten as we piled out and unloaded. the cottage is nestled in the forest, amongst the hemlock and by lake shore. there are chipmunks and the odd bear, deer and lots of birds to look for. and, as usual there were a million mosquitoes and black flies there to greet us! the mosquitoes devoured on bear, while the black flies preferred lion’s sweet blood. but, once bitten the bites didn’t seem to bother the kids, which was a relief!
we went swimming at the local beach in rosseau village (as the cottage beach is just too buggy) and the guys built sandcastles. but, by early afternoon it was time to head back to the peace and quiet of the cottage.

the cottage is a wonderful place to hideaway from the noise and static of the outside world. there is no internet or cable, just a radio. but we kept that off for a change. a few years ago someone in the family brought up a tv, so the kids did watch a little bit of bob the builder for a bit of calm.

unfortunately the serenity of the cottage is slowly being destroyed by development. there are huge mansions being built and in order to build them trees and habitats have to be bull dozed down. there was a huge eye sore built next door about 10 years ago. it has had several different owners and the most recent owners have torn down the entire mansion, ready to build something bigger, i suppose. the waste is heartbreaking, but the destruction of nature is even more devastating to witness.
what is wrong with people? We might look to go to the holiday parks in the Forest of Bowland one year as I’m told it’s unbelievably serene and quiet over there.


anyhow, we have friends who live close to the cottage so they came for a visit. i wish we lived closer– we miss the splatter’s so much!

their wee miss, is about the same age as our lion, so the kids had fun playing train tracks and later investigating the lake water. what a little beauty she is!


the drive back and return to the grind is always a difficult one.
i wish i could do THIS every day! jumping off the dock is too much fun!





we’re off to celebrate my FIL birthday with the family this evening. lucky grandpa will have all of his grand-kids there to party with!


see you tomorrow!

xo, mama lola

a ballet mama.

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some mama’s are soccer mom’s, but i’m not.
i’m a ballet mom.



last week bear had an open house at his ballet school, so we went and watched. my heart was busting at the seams, bursting with pride and love for my little guy as he galloped and plied with all his little tutu:ed friends. he appeared tired, but he rallied through all the things his teacher, missM asked him to do.

lion stayed at home with our baby-sitter. he was very displeased when we left and it sounded as though the 90 minuted he was home alone with the sitter were pretty traumatic. apparently he went around pointing to various toys and clothes saying “memo”, which is what he calls his big bro. 
augh, heartbreaking!








xo, mama lola

pizza party!

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the long weekend is winding down.
it’s been a hot one and we have taken advantage of the hot temperatures and spent many, many hours outside enjoying the sun. we have done a lot of work outside in the gardens, and there is still so much to do. sigh.
last night we had a family date with friends that included a kiddy pool with lotsa wet kids, pizza, beer and lotsa laughs! The pool went to down a storm! If you’re looking at this thinking your kids would love one too, then you can find plenty of kids inflatable pools and other toys to buy online.

[ papaA got us started on a ridiculous game of trying to get a ball into the floating bucket.
it was hilarious and very competative; dear hubby scored first! ]



*****
tonight, is my first brain tumour support group meeting. i feel a bit like a fraud going, as i do/did not have a cancerous tumour, but then a part of me is looking forward to meeting people who have some understanding of what this roller coaster ride has been like for me. i am going with a friend, which will be nice, as in these kinds of new, awkward situations it’s comforting to have a familiar face to look at.
i will let you know how things go tomorrow.


and if you’re interested in donating to the cause, please go to THIS LINK, which will take you to the my spring sprint sponsorship page. even though the event is done, you can donate until july 31st.

xo, mama lola

people come and go.

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i missed posting yesterday. it was such a fun, busy day that once i got home the thought of blogging exhausted me, so instead dear hubby and i watched “midnight in paris” during which i fell asleep!


this is the kind of fun we had…
friends of ours are moving far, far away so yesterday they had a going away party. i knew they were leaving, i’d even spent many an evening with them as they looked up new construction homes in Richmond BC and different locations until they found the perfect home. but it was still sad when we knew they were definitely going. so we went, the kids frolicked, we drank ciders, danced through bubbles and made fun summer plans to visit them in the future.



moving on…

[ moving day pot luck– welcome home! ]

well, my SIL and her family moved back to canada yesterday. and i’m not exaggerating when i say this, but this is probably one of the best highlights of the year. when they’re not with us, we miss them very much and i definitely feel like we’re missing out on valuable time as a family, but now we don’t have to worry about that anymore. they have found the most beautiful home for their little family. all of them have their own bedroom, and there is an amazing garden that can be the host of some family bbq’s and so forth. if she didn’t take the time to read some of the reviews surrounding someone like this Toronto real estate agent, i highly doubt that they would have ever come across a home like this. so i guess we have that wonderful professional to thank for encouraging them to come back to Canada, and i’ll definitely be hiring them in the future if we ever decide to move. for now, we’re just going to make the most of the time we get to spend with my SIL and her family.


they had been living in the USA for the past couple of years but she has come back to Canada for an exciting new job opportunity. apparently, the moving process has been a total breeze. my SIL told me that she managed to sell her old house in the USA really quickly using the House Buyers of America website (you can learn more about how to sell a property by checking out their website for yourself). to be honest, we have also been thinking about selling our house in the near future, so i will definitely have to take a look once the real estate market around here starts to pick up again. anyway, because my SIL is back in Canada now i got to hold my teeny, tiny niece for the first time. i actually kind of hogged her, but she was so soft and fit perfectly into my arms. her wee toes were breaking my heart and i could feel my uterus aching for a third… it’s going to be a wonderful summer, with my boys spending some quality time with their aunt, uncle and sweet cousin.


it’s another hot day for our long weekend, and we’re off to go run through other friends’ sprinklers and drink some beers!









xo, mama lola

a few good men.

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hydro workers (electricity) were here for a long time today. they showed up right after breakfast, stayed through our playdate, lunch, lion’s nap, bear’s first ever trip to the barber and left about six hours after arriving. there was a pole that needed to be replaced and it took a lot of workers and a lot of trucks to get the job well done.

unfortunately for our friends, the trucks blocked our drive way for most of the day, so they had to park round the corner and then way up the hill, because the trucks had not only taken over our street, but neighbouring ones as well. like i said there were a lot or people on the job.

the kids, even baby G and baby K, were thrilled with the live cherry picker action out front! (and us MAMA`s had fun making completely inappropriate jokes about the whole situation.. um poles, cherry picking etc etc… yes, we went there!)


dear hubby came home during lion’s nap and took bear to his first professional hair cut at the barber. bear has been fretting about going for days, saying he’s scared and almost crying about it, but the kid hates getting his hair cut by me and it was getting too long and hence, too hot. obviously, I knew the barbers would be much more professional than my unsteady hand, and that although bear was nervous, I just knew there would be wall art like the many barber shop neon signs I’ve seen before, along with the buzz of the busy barber and the jokes and laughs I’m sure the barber would crack out. this would distract him, surely! plus, it was about time he learnt he was a big boy and felt like one too! it’s always nerve-racking, especially for mommas, when kids pass these milestones. but my bear is a big brave boy and I’m sure he will do okay. as long as he likes his cut when he comes out the other side, all will be well. he was never sure about my styling when I did it, but who can blame him! plus, I was assured by dear hubby that most barbers use a hair trimmer for kids that is super safe and quiet and i passed this information onto bear. well, he ended up going and he looks all grown up with his short do. his little neck is breaking my heart! he’s feeling pretty proud of himself for going and told his dad that next time he needs a haircut he wants go back there. fine by me!! It won’t be long until he will be going to the barber shop on his own, maybe one that is like this barber shop toronto where they give their clients beer. I guess that’s one way to persuade the men in your life to get a hair cut!! I’m just so glad that he wants to go back there again as it would’ve been a lot harder trying to find him a new shop to go to. There are no doubts about it, finding a family hair salon can be tough. However, once you have found a salon that you know you can trust, you are pretty much a customer for life.


lion is a bit of a mess, yet again. he’s teething and his nose is constantly dripping snot and he has that pesky cough that disrupts his sleep. it comes deep from his lungs and sounds awful. poor kid, hope he feels better soon!

it’s a long weekend here in canada; victoria day in fact, which is named after the queen. it’s the weekend for opening cottages from their winter slumber, and a time planting flowers and veggies into the ground, as the fear of frost has officially passed. we are not heading to the cottage, but are anxiously awaiting the arrival of dear hubby’s sister and her mister, and their sweet babyM. they are moving to this side of the border for a few months and tomorrow is moving day. can’t wait to hold my new niece and catch up with my SIL and BIL.

happy friday!

xo, mama lola

full of love, but i’m pooped!

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all of our mother’s day celebrations have come to a close, which is fine by me as i am pooped. 
today we visited the botanical gardens with my parents and it was another fun filled day of running in the sum for us. today i even gifted myself a slight sunburn on my face! 



the iris garden was my favourite. the names people have concocted the hybrid they have developed were kinda killing me, “hot spice”, “venus de milo”, “sailing away”, “boo” and so on… you get the idea. these silly names have nothing to do with irises, but what do i know!!!

i am feeling very fortunate this evening as i sit here. my kids are these incredible little dudes full of love; i have received a million extra kisses and squeezes today, just for being their äiti. it’s a really good feeling and fills me up with pure joy and pride. i am going to try to hold onto this feeling, no matter what tomorrow brings. no matter what the fight.



dear hubby bought be a beautiful locket. i’ve wanted one for a long time, but a clean, simple piece has been hard to find. but, now i have it and i love it! he also got me a huge pot of mixed plants and sweet little blue berry bush! man knows what i like! 
thanks babe!
the boys also made me a funky picture lantern type deal. it’s super creative and of course i love it! 


what did you do for mother’s day?



i will add pictures of my gifts tomorrow and i include the craft we made grandma and mummo.


time for sleep!
xo







xo, mama lola

why is every day not mother’s day?

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well, it is mother’s day weekend!
today we celebrated motherhood and grandmotherhood with dear hubby’s mama. she took the boys to the park for some quality alone time, but we caught up with them after spening over $100 at the local bookstore! (dear hubby spent the gift card he received for x-mas!) and then we ordered some yummy indian food for dinner. 

it was a glorious day filled with lots of laughter and smiles. i realize that sounds cheesy and cliche, but really, we all had a genuinely wonderful day together. sure, the kids hit their usual low blood-sugar points after playing hard for hours at the park, but they got over it once their bellies were full of aloo gobi and samosas and continued playing nicely on grandma’s floor.

fine tuning the family pictures is hard. there is always someone looking away from the camera!

grandma looking so happy with her boys!


tomorrow we’re off on an adventure with my mom.



xo, mama lola

the owls at the park.

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there is a lovely family of seven living high up in a tree at our local park. the five fuzzy babies belong to a mama and papa eastern screech owl, who have built a home high up in the maple tree.


this is not my picture, augh i wish! it`s from this blog. isn’t this family adorable?



after bear’s ballet we went to the park for a dinner picnic to see if we could get a glimpse of our new neighbours, and we sure dud. it was amazing! the owls were really high up and camouflaged by the new leaves on tree, so the kids couldn’t see them. but, i stood there with some avid bird watchers and there cameras with massive lenses, gawking away.

dinner consisted of the usual after ballet food, pinaattilettuja, some pasta salad with a yummy pesto and veggies, and fresh cut cucumber and strawberries. yum!



it was fun to eat and play at the park like that. a little bit of spontaneity and fun on a weekday evening before bedtime.



tomorrow is the start of our mother’s day celebrations!
fun! fun!

xo, mama lola

am i enough? am i doing enough?

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[ i didn’t post anything yesterday. it was a busy and when i got home after zumba and yoga at 9:45pm, i could feel my body getting sick. instead of blogging, dear hubby and i watched thirtysomething while i sipped hot tea.]


so, often i wonder if i am balanced in my mothering with the boys. it is clear that each child has experienced a very, very different first couple of years, which i think, is neither here not there. but, my concern is, have i given enough of myself to my youngest, lion. we attachment parent and try to be mindful about the choices we make as parents, not just following the norm. although, lion and i co-slept longer and he’s still nursing (only about once or twice a day) it feels as though my bond with him is not as tight as the one bear and i had at that stage. 



is it because with bear i only had one child pour myself into?
now i have two, and with my health issues i have perhaps, become more selfish?
does any of this matter? both of my little dudes is healthy and developing wonderfully.


for the first two years of bear’s life it was just the two of us during the day, with lots of extra time with dear hubby as well, since he was a student back then. the three of us would get into all sorts of adventures and fun things. now with two, i feel like the flexibility of one kid is long gone, but as the kids get older they need more predictability and consistency. spontaneous adventures are hard to figure out these days, also because dear hubby works at a regular nine to five job.  

when i am at home with just the boys, they play together and leave me out of it. they only need me when a disagreement arises (which is often) and if the other kid is away at preschool or napping and the one ho is alone does not want to be alone. they play nicely together and obviously enjoy each other’s company a lot, which is amazing to watch. my heart melts hen i see them busy with a game of sorts.


but when bear was this age, he and i would colour together, do all sorts of sticker creations and other little projects, but i worry that lion is not getting that same focused time with me. as a stay at home mama, it feels as though there is an endless river of hours to spend with ones kids, but truth be told, there really aren’t. sometimes it feels like, because i am an at home mama, i should be doing more with the kids (whatever more means), but we constrained by naps, meal times and the two outside of the home activities bear participates in.

how do i know i am enough?
how do i know that what i am doing is enough?

i would love to hear from you and how you handle loving, caring, and nurturing more than one child. 
xo, mama lola
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