Category: Life

It’s In You To Give!

I don’t remember why I started giving blood.

As I laid on the chair yesterday, I tried to remember when I first started giving blood and why.

It was kind of a special day yesterday….see, it was my brother’s birthday. The same brother that almost died just over a year ago and has been able to use other people’s blood to help give him life.

I joked with him that I was donating in his name (seeing as it was his birthday), but unfortunately, I wasn’t giving forward, I was just paying back what he’d already used up.

I really can’t rememeber when I made the decision to start giving blood, and I wish I could. What was my motivation? If I look on my card, the first recorded time on this card was May 2004 and that was the last time before I had all my losses that I gave blood, and it says on the top of the card that I gave 3 times before that, so I’m guessing that it was sometime in the fall/winter of 2003.

What happened then? Did I just want to give back? Did it have something to do with 9 11? Although, that was a pretty slow response on my part if it was? Ahhhhh, I just googled “Wars in 2003” and that’s when the war in Iraq was happenning….I wonder if that was part of my reasoning…Hmmmm.

Regardless of my reasoning, I’m happy that I can do this….happy that I have done this, and happy enough to continue to do it…

It takes less that an hour, once every 56 days – no side effects, aside from a bit of a sore arm (for me), AND….you get free juice and cookies. What could be better than that.

If you’ve ever thought about giving blood and you just haven’t, may I encourage you to give it a shot….ha ha ha…give it a shot….but seriously, grab a friend or even just venture out yourself, and donate.

If you’re in Canada, you can check out the Canadian Blood Services website at www.bloodservices.ca to find answers to any questions that you might have or call 1-888-2 donate.

It is a way to give back or to give forward or just to give.

But it’s something so simple and easy and requires so little effort….mostly just time – and a little blood.

Now, I now that not everyone can give blood and I’m not meaing, IN ANY WAY, to make anyone uncomfortable or guilty – just to encourage you to think about giving.

Do you give blood? Do you have a special reason as to when and why you started giving?

Holes in Everything

Jeremy was using a little medicine cup this morning for his syrup so that he could dip his pancakes.

The bottom of the little cup has a stand up rim on it, and he was using it to cut holes in his pancakes – like a cookie cutter. Then he started talking about holes….he had holes in his eyes, and holes in his nose, and holes in his pancakes, and he was a whole Jeremy and he was cutting his whole pancake into little holes…..

This went on for a few minutes until Xandra – who was at the table making her lunch right beisde where Jeremy was sitting eating – pipes up and says, “…and you have a hole in your butt.”

That’s my classy little girl, for ya.

Thanks for pointing that out, and taking the conversation to a whole ‘nuther level.

Second Chances

Siah’s sleeping and I’ve showered and I think I have a few moments to blather on and on and on.

I love the feeling of being connected through my laptop, and at the same time I hate it.

I’m trying to find balance in my life and sometimes it seems so difficult. I’m at home – by choice – and as much as I can handle being “alone” for longer periods than some others can; I still need contact, and sometimes it comes in the form of this website and sometimes it comes in the form of on-line friendships that I started 4 years ago and sometimes it comes from “in person” friendships and sometimes it comes through family. There are different ways to connect and different levels to connect on, and again, I try to find balance.

Balance, balance, balance, schmalance!

I’ve been just “playing” with Siah. Building block towers for the sole purpose of him being able to knock them over. I barely get one made and it’s demolished. I have made literally hundreds of these towers over the past little while; and while I build, I have time to think.

I didn’t do as much “playing” with the other three kids. I was younger and more naive and maybe a bit lazy and definately tired and I was just trying to survive. Once Xandra came along and I was forced to stay at home more and “do” less things, I often regretted not just enjoying the one on one time that I had with Geli. I took it for granted and I would never get that time back.

I’ve been given a second chance (of sorts). The 3 older kids are all in school and I have a full day at home to just enjoy and appreciate the time that I have with my baby. I could clean the house. I could craft. I could go shopping. I could go out with friends. I could blog. I could just waste time on the Internet. I could do so many things, and I do……BUT, I am enjoying my baby. I am just sitting with him and reading him books. I am rocking him in his room and nursing him without multi-tasking. I nap when he goes down for a nap – from time to time.

I’m trying to really enjoy this second chance. This chance to just enjoy and live without letting life pass me by so fast.

It also makes me think about the whole rest of my life and trying to enjoy and grab every last bit out of everything that I do. Really think about what things are important…..really think about what things are going to stick with me in the long run and which things just really don’t matter, short term and long term….I want to be there for my kids – right now. This is a one time deal….I don’t get this time back again. I’m trying to make the most of what’s in front of me right now.

Balance…it all comes back to balance.

I’m so grateful for second chances.

and just because… here’s a video of Siah laughing hysterically.

A Bit Better of A Day

That’s what y’all want to hear, isn’t it?

Well, it’s true…it was a bit better of a day, and for no particular reason either.

I played with ‘Siah quite a bit today….met for coffee with a friend of mine first thing and then basically just bummed around the rest of the day, and it’s not because I am SOOOO organized that I have nothing left to do, – no, it’s just because it’s really tough to get stuff done with a 20+ pound weight attached to your side.

So, I’m going with the flow.  Which I have to say is a bit strange for me…I’m not your typical easy going, take life as it comes type of person, but I must be becoming that person as I’m doing more and more of that kind of “stuff”.

I’m finding this whole having a baby more than 10 years after having my first, to be a TOTALLY different experience. I’m WAY more relaxed and I’m really “enjoying” things this time around.  It feels like I was in survival mode with the first 3, and there were all sorts of little things that I totally took for granted.  It was so easy to get busy and to try to make them fit into my life and I just let so much precious time slip by. 

There were the things that I rushed them through to do, like standing and walking and talking and drinking out of a cup..not that any of these things are bad, but I really pushed them on my kids ’cause it was so cute and it helped them to grow up and I was tired and so it was easier for me, and I  wanted them to hurry up and grow up so that they would move onto the “next stage”, the “easier stage”……so many moments rushed and wasted.  Moments that I can never get back.

I’m so thankful to be able to experience this whole baby thing this time around…I wouldn’t wish to go through the past 3 years ever again, but were it not for all of that…..I wouldn’t have had Josiah and he is so precious, and I’m so thankful to have him….even at 4am when he won’t settle down until after 5am….that is fun, and I AM SO THANKFUL for that…..;P

So, today was a much better day, and I just want to say thanks for letting me know that you were listening and that you care.

And I Had Such High Hopes…..

Man,  It’s been a few days, and I had totally hoped to post every day this month.  Looks like that ain’t happening, but I’m still planning on posting a whole lot more than I have in recent months…..okay, since ‘Siah was born….:hangsheadandsighs:

I looked back, and I’ve averaged about 10 posts per month….WOW, that’s not many, is it?  And some months it was even less….:shockedlook:

I wish I had some great emoticons on here, but I guess that would be the lazy way out because I’d end up using them and not trying to explain my emotions and feelings with words, and that’s a part of what “this” is all about.

I’m sitting here wihle waiting for the rice to boil.  Yup, it’s dinner time and I’m late.

I’ve been tired since Friday..well, I guess more accurately Saturday when we had SO MUCH FUN with our friends and then equally but a totally different SO MUCH FUN with ‘Siah.

So, today I slept.

Lemme back up a little.  Jon’s is working with a guy who is TOTALLY interested in the graphics side of web design, and seeing as Jon “figures” that it’s not his(Jon’s) forte(which is totally not true, but he stresses and so the stress of it ain’t worth it), he totally wants to work with this guy to help him along so that they oculd work together.

So, that screws up my Mondays…see, this guy is Amercian, from just across the border and he drives up to work with and learn from Jon,  on Mondays, and while that’s AWESOME….it would be even AWESOMER if I didn’t have someone in my house that I needed to feed and be all pleasant for (read get up and get dressed and put make up on and all that “stuff”).  I like to just keep it all low-key on Monday’s, but for now…..NO SUCH LUCK!

So, today I did get up and……….side conversation here…..

I took a shower today ’cause you all needed to know that and I washed my hair…haven’t done so since last Friday….and well. it really needed it, but so more so than it usually does for my regularly scheduled Tuesday washing….so I’ve used the baking soda again and once again, my hair feels fabulous…..so I think I’ll give this a shot for a while and once we run out of the high priced natural stuff, I’ll get the kids to try the baking soda as well….only thing is….if it gets in your mouth, it tastes gross……blech.

Okay, I just re-read that last paragraph, and I wash or bathe DAILY, but only take a shower twice a week…..just so you don’t think that I’m sitting over here stewing in my own filth.  I can’t go to bed dirty……and now that I’ve shared WAY MORE information than you really wanted to know about me….we’ll move right back into whatever it was that we were talking about before I veered off topic….

So, today I did get up and took a shower and then put on clean clothes, because that’s just the right thing to do, BUT……I did dig out a pair of comfy clothes (sweats) and today has been my lazy day.  I did NOTHING, and when ‘Siah went down for his morning nap I laid down with him and he slept for an hour and I did had hideous asleep/not asleep thing where you get up feeling WAY worse than you did beofre you laid down, because you were just teased with sleeping but didn’t actually really get to fall asleep….that was NOT FUN!

So then we wasted away a few more hours and about 1:30, he started showing signs that he might be ready to sleep again…..and so we went and laid down and slept.

AND IT WAS GLORIOUS.

We woke up at 4:15, and I actually feel like I’m able to function.  So, I’ve got dinner on and I’m posting while I’m waiting for the rice – it’s brown and wild rice and so takes 45 minutes to steam, and so I got a few minutes….

So, i think that post was about a WHOLE. LOTTA. NOTHING, but I’ll look through my pics that I’ve taken recently and see if I can come up with something WAY MORE EXCITING for tomorrow.

I also need to get back to “my list of important things”  I’v got a few things to comment on about that, and well……I’ve always got lots to blather on about….it’s just time and energy, eh?

trying somthing out…….

So, in an effort to, once again, simplify things…I’ve been reading…..about “no ‘poo” and I’ve decided that is the STUPIDEST name or title EVER!

But, I am going to try it out….

You can read for yourself here and here all about it – if you so choose.

I am not sure if I read it somewhere or if I just “brain-ed” it all by myself, but for a lot of things, I am trying to stick with 3 ingredients or less.  This doesn’t mean that I won’t make a dinner if it has 4 or 5 ingredients or that I’ll limit what goes into our food to 3 ingredients, but for things that come pre-made, I am trying to stick to items that have 3 ingredients or less….so Shampoo….we’ve already bought stuff that has no SLS and now I’ve been reading about going the No Shampoo route….basically you use baking soda and then you can rinse with apple cider vinegar or somthing else….

Today was the first time that I used the baking soda and while it was a little strange to be rubbing watery baking soda into my scalp and hair…I gamely continued on.  Hey, it won’t hurt anything and what’s the harm in trying it out….it would be a FREAKLOAD cheaper than buying our non-SLS shampoo.

I never did use the apple cider vinegar rinse, mostly because we don’t have any at home right now.

I was a little nervous to blowdry and do my hair, but I am quite surprised at how soft it feels AND it has volume and I’ve not put ANY product in it…yet.

I also found, in the bottom of that second link, a recipe for hairspray….and I need to go shopping this weekend, and I think I’ll be picking up some lemons, just to give it a try.

From what I’ve read,I might experience a bit of a nasty stage where my hair might be overly greasy and you can be sure that I’ll kep you posted on how all this goes, BUT if it does all work out gloriously, then I’ll be THRILLED because it means more “stuff” that we can cut down on buying and it’s cheaper…..LOTS CHEAPER….and I like lots cheaper.

Have any of you tried this, and if so did/does it work for you?

…and the NO TV week continues….

I didn’t mention it, but we started a week of NO TV on Sunday and here we are on day 5 of our NO TV week, and it’s gone amazingly well.  I believe that there was a big official thing last week or maybe even the week before, but we’re a bit behind the times, and I don’t think that it matters that I’m a week or so off.

I’m surprised at how often the kids turn to the TV just as a default….it’s unreal. At first, I’d go in and have to remind them it seemed like every few seconds.  We’d just get it turned off and then another child would come it and turn it on again…. It was almost robotic……come home from schoool and turn the TV on….get a snack and turn the TV on…..got to the washroom and turn the TV on…..come in from playing outside and turn the TV on…you get the picture.

I’m not sure what to do going forward.  The kids have always had a pretty good imagination, and so it’s not like they were freaking out and had no idea what to do with themselves, but more that right now, they are having to come up with ideas and plans of “stuff” to do to entertain themselves.   I think that it’s the planning – actually thinking about having to do something that was just getting them…..

I am not sure if I should continue on with limited TV or even with NO TV for another week….but maybe let them watch a DVD once or twice…I don’t know…..I like the idea of it not being “the thing” they turn to because they don’t know what to do with themselves.  Think child…..THINK!  Think of somthing fun to do, something creative, something that requires that you expend energy….

I think the thing that has been most surprising to me has been ME.  I figured that I’d probably watch TV in the evenings during our NO TV week because that’s what I do.

‘Siah nurses to sleep at 8pm and I usually sit down and watch something and then once he’s alseep and in his bed, I’ll knit or crochet or do some digital scrapbooking or something like that with the TV on in the background.  It’s just down time for me, and I don’t watch daytime television so that’s not an issue.

Last night was the first time that I sat down and watched something, and it was the last half of a movie, on my computer, in bed….and then I went to sleep.  I’ve been alone in the evenings  this week and have managed to keep myself fairly busy, but last night I was just tired.

Jon’s been working looooong hours 9-5 during the daytime and then from 8-11 or 12 in the evening….He’s just trying to get caught up.  It seems like a bunch of work has come in all at once, and he was feeling a bit overwhelmed, and so we decided to just do what we could to plow through a pile of it, BUT….that makes for very, VERY long days….hopefully by the end of this week, he’ll be caught up enough that we can go back to normal hours….or even just one or two night a week where he works in the evening.

So, this week has been a success (pretty much) and I can see us doing regular NO TV Weeks, or maybe even just picking set times for the kids to watch a show or movie….it’s actually been more peaceful in the house with the TV off…..go figure.

Working Out My List

It’s funny, (or maybe it’s not, but it is to me) that as I keep thinking about the “Important” things, that the list keeps getting longer and longer.

I’ve not actually written anything down, as of yet, and some of these are much more inclusive than just the word, but I’m just going to start with some of the things that I’ve been thinking about.

Family

This means both my immediate family of 6 and my larger family as well.  I want to be available for my kids.  I will only ever have this time with them once.  And I want to make it count.  I want to be present, here and now.  not just at home when they come home from school, but off the computer, and actually paying attention to them.  I want to be able to help out with their homework and to teach them how to cook and bake and to do crafts with them.  I want to not be so tired from half assed doing other things that all I want to do is foist them off on the TV so that I can sit and veg. on the computer.  I want to grow in friendship and trust with them and to teach them how to communicate their feelings and wnats and desires and how to effectively communicate even the negative emotions. I want to have time to spend with my extended family.  I want my kids to grow up knowing their grandparents, and aunts and Uncles and Cousins and even their great grandparents and great aunts and uncles and second cousins.  Family is so important and I really want to have a sense of closeness in what is rapidly becoming such an “Island” world….I want to cultivate (as much as I can) the sense of “Village”.

Health

This is a huge one including Food, cleaning, Exercise, and a buch of other stuff as well.  I want to be able to cook good healthy food for my kids and I want to train them to love to put healthy stuff into their bodies.  I don’t want it to be a fad…I want it to be a lifestyle.  Not so stringent that they feel the need to stuff their faces every time Mom or Dad isn’t looking, but I want them to be able to make good choices for the long haul.  I also want to make the healthiest choices regarding cleaning supplies.  At this point, the decision that slightly been taking out of our hands just because ‘Siah seems to have a reaction to SLS and so that means that we have to find alternatives, but now, I use things like vinegar for all my windows and mirrors and I think it works WAAAAAAY better than Windex ever did.  And I like the fact that my floor cleaner residue won’t get all over ‘Siah as he’s crawling around.  i could go on and on about this, but I’ll spare you.  Also, included in this section is exercise.  I HAVE to make time to exercise.  I WANT to make time to exercise and so it will be done.  It just hasn’t been done, yet….soon, though…soon!

Jon

I want to clearly set aside time and effort to put into Jon and I’s relationship.  I want it to be deliberate.  I don’t want to find out 20 years down the road that we wished that we had put the time it…..I want to continue to build on this GREAT friendship that we have and to be an example to our kids for years to come.

Me

I want to have time planned for me to do things like the different crafts that I like to do.  Already since just trying to slow my life down, but not being entirely purposeful about it, I’ve crochetted or knitted two kimono style sweaters, three vests, a hat and I’ve started a few other pieces.  I made a bead necklace.  I’d like to paint some more and to do some more paper crafts as well.  I also want to set aside more time to find and make more healthy baking for my family.  I enjoy baking and to find stuff that we can all eat and that tastes delicious, that makes me happy and brings a sense of satisfaction.

None of this is in any particular order of importance and there are still more that I’m thinking about and even more to flesh out in each particular category, but it’s a start.  To know what I want helps me to see what I shouldn’t be doing. 

I think that I’ll be taking stock regularly of where I’m at and what’s important to me and why?  See, life changes and things move up and down the importance scale, and I’ve lived enough to know and recognize that just because this is where I’m at and these are the things that are important to me right now, that doesn’t mean that I get to go on autopilot like this for the rest of my life…..NO!  What was important to me in the months and years before I had Josiah changed when he came and when he turns 1 or 2 or 5 – it stands a good chance of changing again…in September it might all change or over the summer months or when Geli goes to middle school.  I think that any big life shift or change necessitates a peek inside as to what’s important to me “NOW”!  and how can I accomplish that and what needs to be re-evaluated and possibly let go of…for a time or forever…..

It’s about what’s important to you……..asking yourself “What is important to me?” and “How do I accomplish that?” 

If you want something enough, you will figure out a way to make it happen.

I want a slower, more simple life.

Green Smoothies, Poop and Blood….that just about covers it all

So, here is part of my breakfast this morning…

Green Smoothie
Yummy looking ain’t it?  Actually it was delicious.  It’s Peaches, Banana, and Spinach and just for fun, I threw in some Calcium powder. 

It really is quite green……see…..

Green
And, can you see my baby standing at the gate in the background….YUP…standing.  Can you believe it?  He pulled himself up there all by himself…he’s growing up too fast.  it happens doesn’t it.

Anyway, I read about smoothies, especially green smoothies over here, and she got it from over here. 

I’d also like to show you our latest treat/cookie/yummy goodness also via here from here…

May I present you with what we lovingly refer to as Gorilla Poop.

Gorilla Poop
It’s soooooo delicious.  Tastes like chocolate….like beautiful yummy dark chocolate.  MMMMmmmmm Good!

You can get the recipe at either of the links up there, but just to note, that I added the sesame seeds and flax seeds all by myself….’cause I’m all creative like that.  Adds extra crunch (and fiber).

Also,

Today I will be giving blood for the first time in WAY TOO LONG.  It must be since before I got pregnant with Nathaniel back in July 2004, and then with the almost constant getting pregnant and then getting un-pregnant and just not wanting to “give” anything but only reveling in my misery, I didn’t give blood once, even though I’m sure there was at least one opportunity to do so in there some where.

So, When Canadian Blood Services called to book my appt I said, “Sign me up, Baby!”

So, today at 2:05pm, I’m headed in to see if they’ll let me do my part to give back.  I really don’t think I’m anemic, and I’m healthy, so it should just be business as usual. 

I did an excellent job of doing nothing yesterday and I’m proud of myself for it.  Things get a little bit busier for this week, starting with today, but hopefully nothing that I can’t handle.

See, I’m wanting to pare back and just “do life” at a slower pace.  I don’t want to be so busy that I’m too tired for the things that are important to me.

So, I’ve already been thinking of the things that are important, but I’m going to be writing down some of the things that are really important to me and working towards those things.  I know that it means letting go of some of the things that are “cluttering” up my life…not even in a bad way.  Lots of the things I’m doing are good things, but they are not helping me to accomplish the things that I find “MOST IMPORTANT”, and at the end of it all I don’t want to look back and think, “Man, I did sort of a little bit of a lot of good things, but I was so tired and I never really did a “great” job of the things that I really wanted to” and so I’m re-prioritizing.

I’ll keep you updated on that list.

How about you?  What things are really important to you?  Do you have “stuff” cluttering up your life?  Unnecessary stuff that you could let slide in order to really and truly focus on the things that you want to focus on????  Want to do a list – your list – with me?

I’ll leave you with one of my most important things…..Jeremy.

Here he is talking to Jon about the airport and going on the plane and can you hear the inflection in his voice?….too cute.  Does he has a future in Television????  I obviously don’t have a future in video recording….it’s a little dark, but it’s just so darn cute….

Catching Up…

So, It’s been a few days, and I almost feel human again.  I’ve discovered that me being tired = not much witty banter…or just not much banter at all.

In fact, I’ve rarely taked to Jon the past few days…I’ve been SOOOOOO tired.  I’ve pretty much gone to bed at 9pm every night and even slept during the day when ‘Siah went down, and finally…….FINALLY, on Sunday morning I woke up and didn’t feel like I had a 10 ton gorilla sitting on my head and forcing my eyelids down.  Mind you, I stayed up until midnight (stupid, stupid me) and this morning I was a little bit less than chipper, but it’s 8:22am, and the kids are ready for school and have been for the last half hour and they are just sitting around waiting to leave and Geli is holding the baby and so I have a few minutes to blather on and on about not too much.

I do have some pictures up here and here, and if I get a chance – I’ll actually comment about some of them, but even if I don’t, you can still look at the one of LaLa and I and wonder why I would let some kid take a picture of me with no make up on after a full day of travelling.  It’s amazing how a one hour plane ride can wind up being a WHOLE FREAKING DAY’S TRIP, and throw in two little boys and it’s a major party.

So, I have a busy week of trying to do nothing…I’ll explain that in a bit….it’s harder than it seems.

So, what have you been up to?