I am...

A bottle feeding, public schooling, disposable diapering, immunizing mother and proud of it!!!!

I'm not sure what set off this argument in my mind, actually I do know....someone made a comment that they were having to explain to their child why they would not be homeschooling and someone else asked them if they had seriously considered the idea. That, combined with the fact that all the new first time moms I know are going all new-age on me and not immunizing and the fact that Chelsea has her 1 year shots on Friday have got me arguing in my head with these people. I mean no offence but am not ashamed to declare the following:

1. If you judge those who bottle feed you have obviously a) never had a baby or b) have been fortunate enough to have been able to breastfeed. Next time you look at a bottle feeding mommy and tsk, consider that maybe she would love to breastfeed but has chosen not to starve her child with her lack of, or insufficient supply of milk.

2. I am a mother and it breaks my heart when my little girl comes home from school and says " so and so told me they aren't my friend anymore" it makes me want to go to the playground and beat up the little booger who hurt my baby's feelings. But know what? The next day they're best friends again. Kids are resilient. Quick to make friends and quick to forgive and quicker to forget. So to home school my kids to "protect" them is pointless. Yeah peer pressure is tough. But can you imagine how much tougher it will be when they reach adulthood and they can't keep a job because you've taught them that when the going gets tough you quit and stay home? Some people might say they get enough socializing with the friends kids. Well...hate to break it to you....but that's not real life. We all wish we could live in a little bubble of people that love what we love but we are meant to live IN the world. Teach your children to pray and they will know the difference between being IN the world and being OF the world. God will watch our little ones as they set out on the journey through public school if we ask him to. Besides our little lights might be the only bible some other child reads.

3. Cloth diapers - all I have to say about this is "we all had great plans when we only had 1 child". Heehee. Actually I have no problem with this and would likely get more interested if a) I only had 1 child and thus less regular laundry to do b) we didn't have to be careful of our water consumption and c) it wasn't so expensive!! Yeah. I priced it out. I spend the same amount in 2 years of disposables as I would on a set of disposables.

4. To those who don't immunize because they are afraid of autism. Have you truely done any research??? Do you know that when the numbers of Autistic children rose that it was around the time that Autism changed to "Autistic spectrum disorder" which included a range of disorders and not just Autism?? Of course the numbers are going to go up!!! And how dare you rely on me to keep your child safe. And now we are all scratching our heads wonding why the incidents of Polio and menengitis and potentially FATAL childhood diseases are back on the rise. Sigh...

So yes. I guess I am old fashioned. I do all the "wrong" things when it comes to rearing my children. I even.....get ready for it....spank!! Yes when the children are being turds they get disciplined. There is only 1 child in this house that a time out works best for and the others could care less if I put them in a chair all day. Ya do what works with each child.

So there is my rant. I guess it's good I am done with babies. Oh my.....what kind of a grandmother will I be???!!!

So on the other side of life, Steve is doing some work for Mark and Dan so it'll be a week of evenings and weekends where I get to do bedtime. Today they were all snoring by 7:30 so I guess I did good! The evenings go fast when you run from piano to supper and by then it's already bedtime.

The other day it was nearly snowing and now I see that it is supposed to be 20 this weekend!!!! I am so thankful to have nothing to do but yard clean-up this weekend. I am hoping that the weather stays mild-nice for our long weekend. We are both sooooooo excited to get there where there are no computers or work or alarms.....the TV even has terrible reception. It will be pure relaxation. And this year the fall colors will be out for sure!!! I will post pictures.

Well I see it is time for tea and bed.

Love you all
Jen and the 5 loves of her life.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHELSEA!!!

So, my baby girl is 1. Sigh....this is a not so happy occasion for me. It means no more babies in my world. On one hand it is so nice to be moving on to the next stage. On the other hand....it stinks!!!! I have loved every minute, even the not so great ones, of babyhood. We are selling all our baby stuff at Jess's baby sale today. Have to admit to a few tears as I priced things and packed them up. Chelsea thought all these old toys in the living room were pretty great.

Chelsea's accomplishments in a year:

She can walk, babbles on the phone all the time, screams when she is mad at her sisters, loves food (but then again who doesn't), loves her mom lots (a little too much sometimes) and is overall a pretty precious little princess.

Here's some pictures of her with a few of her birthday gifts. Will post some pictures of the party later. We're doing cake at grandma's on Sunday and then a party with other 1 year old friends Kiera and Tahlia on the 28th.

So here's the next great stage of toddler, preschoolers and schoolers

Love Jen

So much to say about nothing!

Today was a beautiful day! Fall is in the air and I love love love love love it!!! I don't know if I could live in a world without fall. The trees are gorgeous as they change color and die. There is a little spiritual thought for you. The beauty in dying. I just love to stand outside when all is peaceful calm and still and look at the beautiful colors and breath in the crisp night air....ahhhh....

Hey we are not going to Fort Mac! Not right now anyhow. I have to admit I am slightly disappointed. I was looking forward to the debt relief, but alas it was not to be so we just go on about our lives. I need to get applying for more work. Maybe stop being so picky or something.

So last night Steve came home from work sick!!! EEEKS!!! of all the days of course it was the day we have meeting at our place so that left me cleaning the garage too as people come in the back door and Steve usually does that. I was totally worn out last night from our holiday sick and then getting the house ready for meeting and then looking after sick people for the last 3 days. My poor man threw up all meeting and still today went in to work late and isn't feeling good. He never throws up so he must be feeling terrible. Kylie had a relapse tonight now has a fever as well. Sigh....this thing seems to be mutating and getting worse as it goes. It terrifies me, as there is noone left to look after "mom" when she gets sick and I am the only one who hasn't had it. I guess if I get it it's either suck it up or let the kids have free reign.

Today one of the young kids, Kandis, took Ashley and Abby to Chuckie cheese! She is so brave. She is not in very good health and in fact has a broken foot with torn ligaments and yet she's just always smiling. Abby had a great time. So since it was special mom and Kylie day (and our little Chelsea of course) I asked Kylie what she wanted to do. I suggested we go to Chapters and read books. She said "no. go to a mall." I said "I can't buy anything. You still want to go to the mall?" and she said "yah. Walk a mall." So walk a mall we did! I think that is what wore her out and back into sickness. Anyhow, I did find a cute winter snowsuit for Chelsea finally. Had no hand me downs that fit her. Then Kylie got a cheap but super cute outfit. Hence the reason I never go shopping anymore. I always spend money! We watched the sea lions and the people swimming at the waterpark. It was fun hanging out with just 2 kids!!!

Hayley started piano on Tuesday and she thinks it is the greatest thing ever. She has homework 5 days a week which I think is rotten and will be worse if she gets school homework on top of that, but as long as she likes it I guess I should encourage it. It is a program called "Music for young children" and it is 1 hour group lessons once a week. I really like the program layout and think she'll learn lots. They start with learning the black keys which I find super interesting.

Well here is our shopping purchases. Time for bed. Steve is inside now. Had to clean out his van since the project manager is coming to Camrose with him tomorrow and I don't think he'd cleaned in out in the 6 years he'd had it. :) Busy weekend ahead. I babysit 4 extras on Saturday.

Love you all so much. Happy happy fall days to you.

Holidays with kids....always an interesting experience!!

This past long weekend we went to high river so Dan and Steve could help Jim get some new windows in his place and Carrie and I went along with the kids for fun! It was full of adventure with never a dull moment. So Steve and Dan took Abby and Ashley and Carrie and I waited for the big girls to get off of school and we went together a bit later with the 5 other kids. Mom had bought these neat whiteboard things for the kids and so we brought them along for something to do in the car. We look back and Kylie had decided her face made a better whiteboard, so she made herself into a bunny. Sigh......Kylie you are something special.

Then we thought we'd stop at the new mall this side of Calgary for supper and have a look around. We didn't realize what time it was until they announced the shops were closing. So we left at 9pm. I was kinda wishing I'd brought a stroller. Carrying a 25 pound infant for 3 hours was a bit of a workout! But I found Hayley a pair of boots and the most adorable ones for Chelsea! Here they are:

Aren't they sweet? So then we got to the hotel and it was pretty much time for bed. Saturday we did lots of swimming, Sunday we all had meeting together (aunty and uncle Howden, Dan and Carrie, Jim and Janine, and us) and then went out for lunch. There was another family from Edmonton in the meeting with 4 girls and a single mom with a daughter so between 19 people there were only 3 males!!!! Chelsea started running a fever and was really subdued all day. Went to Ryan and Marci's for supper, and then back to the hotel. Sinned and took the kids swimming again.


Not much for a baby to do in the hotel but pull all the kleenex out of the holder.




On Monday at about 4 in the morning Hayley started throwing up. Then Abby joined in at about 7!! This was not good as we had to go home Monday. Anyhow, Janine and Jan came into Calgary and we all went shopping for a bit. Had to pull over halfway there as Abby puked all over herself and the carseat. Hayley and Abby were looking yucky and didn't survive shopping long so Jan and I took the little ones back to the van and read magazines while the others shopped.

So we headed home and it was sooooo funny Carrie and I could do nothing but laugh. The older 3 stayed with their dads and we took the 4 youngest. Kylie started crying right when we left the mall and we had no idea what was wrong.....she later said her dad had died. Not sure what that was all about. Finally she fell asleep and then Abby started crying. She cried all the way to Red deer. We decided we had to stop and get out for supper and as soon as Abby stood up she threw up again all over the floor!! Good grief! What a show! So I had to take this picture of the 10 minutes of peace we had on the trip home. We got home about 10. The guys didn't get home until 2 in the morning. Steve is pretty wiped out this week but they are glad they got the work done and Jim and Janine are very happy with the windows so that's good.



Now it is Wednesday and we have meeting here so I need to go clean the house. Kylie has been throwing up all night so I'm a little tired today but that's life. She's sleeping now so I suppose I should get something done. Here's Kylie today on her turn with the flu!! Sure hope Steve and I avoid this!

Happy rest of the week everyone.

Love Jen and the rest

Another year begins!!

Today was the first day of grade 1 for Hayley. She was so excited!!! She found her friends and ran up to them leaving mom in the dust, picked out a seat at table for 4 making sure she was sitting with those friends. I'm pretty sure she didn't notice when I left. She will have 2 teachers who job share. Both seem nice. Mrs. Kemp and Mrs. Harlton. They also have this really cool interactive whiteboard in the classroom. Won't be long and Hayley will be more high tech than her mom! I should have taken pictures but this one blurry one is all I took. I can't believe how much Hayley has changed since this time last year. Not only that, but last year we were going to school in the dark and this year it was light out! Interesting!! Supposed to be a really cold fall this year. The kids keep asking when it is going to be winter so I guess they don't mind. I like the cooler weather too.

So Steve still doesn't know about Fort Mac and so I am not worrying about it until it happens. All I know is I will for sure be staying here until June as I am NOT moving the kids with only 3 months left of school. Then we'll have the summer together and will decide then.....if it even happens.

I just realized this morning that is has been 6 months since any of us has been sick!!! I'm sure I've just jinxed myself, but I thought that was amazing being that there are 6 of us in the house. Of course that will change now that school is back in and mom is getting a lot less sleep and no afternoon nap. I think my husband has decided that stay-at-home moms have the easiest job ever since a few times of getting up early I've snuck in an afternoon nap.

Speaking of being tired, Abby's preschool time and day changed 3 times yesterday!!!! The dumb thing is I was told she would be going Tues/Thurs mornings so I agreed to a Monday afternoon playgroup time and mon/wed morning swimming lessons for November. Then it all got changed so I changed swimming lessons, and then it got changed again, and now......ARGHHHHH....I will be at the pool every day in November (no snow please!!!!) plus Abby will be at school 3 half days a week and I will have to miss playgroup (this was my special time with adults so I'm a little ticked about that.) Oh well.....it is only for a year. Between School, swimming, piano, and soccer I don't think I am going to have the time to even breathe this year.

Well I don't know anything else. I am glad that we are getting back into a routine. It is important for us all!!

Love you all

Jen