I didn't get it...

T.V is my saviour, please disregard the second to last post.
Thank You
Amy

A weekend really????

So the weekend is over. Actually it's been over for a day and a half, and I am still recovering! We did so much! This weekend my sister came down from T.O and so it was a family weekend for sure! We spent Friday with her and hung out at my grandparents. Had a lovley homemade lunch, went for a walk around the lake, dropped Jessie off and I, with a passed out lad in the back parked the car at a nearby park and read. Such bliss the life of a parent with only one child! Then we picked up daddy from work, and headed to the park. I walked over to my vocal coaches house for a quick lesson to prep for my big concert on Sunday. Then we headed home and had a picnic in our courtyard. Jer and I watched the reader which was miles more depressing than I anticipated, and was glad for the amaretto and coke in my hand. Saturday morning was a rush of excitment getting ready for our "weekend ride." Jer and Cole go Biking every week night, as I am either at Tap class, or Choir, or teaching Encore Kids. It's there special time together and they love it. But weekends, if I'm not doing a show or concert, we gear up for big rides. ( I for one am trying my darndest to get into shape, I've got 25 - 30 pounds I could really do without, but Have no time for a gym. And frankly I hate gyms. I would much rather be out in this gorgeous weather with my family. And that we were. My sister and dad and Dave came over at 10am and we all biked from our place all the way to Country Farms market ( the tunnel) We loaded up with fresh veg and fruit, then had some chicken for lunch. And then Jer and I found a vacumn in our price range and half off! Ours broke last weekend. On top of that we got to use our CT money so in the end got a lovley dirt devil that has hella suction regularly priced at 200 for 70 bucks! And we loaded it up in our trailer on the bikes and biked home, first stopping at the park in Steveston for a 2 hour runaround and frozen coffees for mom and dad! Then we headed over to our good friends home, where we signed up for family camp for May long! Then home to bed for COle and Marco and Janet came over and we watched The transporter 2 which was "Lacking" to say the least, neverthless wine was poured and we had delicous nachos and lovley company. Sunday we headed to my moms for a lovley brunch with my grandparents and jess and dave. The I went back with my grandma to take in my "amy wants to learn to sew class" I cut out my first pattern and pinned it, and it's all set for my next class where we will actually sew! YAY! Then Jer and Cole showed up we had a lovley dinner and then took an evening stroll around their lake. Then home, and I worked on my pieces for Sunday, and Jer read his book. It was a lovley weekend. But it brings me one day closer to this upcoming Sunday. I am excited and nervous at the same time. This is a dream I've had for a while about to come true, but of course the nerves get in there and well, as excited as I am, I am also excited for it to be over and all these nerves to be gone. I've been asked to be a guest soloist for a Vancouver City Lights Chorus concert. I am singing 6 solo's in all, 3 with the choir and 3 on my own. It's a wonderful oppurtunity, and a great way to pay down our trip to Hawaii, I'm just nervous! Anyways enjoy the pics and will be back soon!

Thrifty Thursday

Yes I know two posts in one day, oh lordy the sleep she must be getting! I'm a huge Thriftstore junkie, I LOVE thrifting, garage saleing, or finding new purposes for old things. So I've decided to start Thrifty Thursdays. This week has been especially kind to me. I found oodles of goodies including vintage sheets,fabric,a plate,and my topic for today's post.But I will post on those next week when I can share what I have done with them. This week I bring you Thrifting Thursday: Partylite edition! Yes my friends we scored parylite candle holders! Actually there were still partylite candles in them and I burned them out making the whole house smell divine! Three holders a dollar each! Sure beats the 30+ I spent on the matching set I bought 3 years ago now! So here are the pics, the ones with white tea lights are the newbies, the green lights are the oldies! Can you spot the difference? I don't think so!

I got it....

I finally get it. It's taken me a while but I think I get it. T.V is sucking the imagination out of my son. Don't get me wrong my kid does not watch a lot of television. Jer and I havn't paid for cable in what I think is going on 4 or mabye 5 years now? When we moved here thecable hadn't been disconnected, and still isn't, so we have free cable. For a while there when Cole was killing me with sleep deprivation, I turned to the tube for salvation. It was survive or not, and I chose to survive. The tube would be on from about 5:30am until 9 when I was able to drag my exauhsted butt of the couch, floor, or wherever I had crashed for a bit of sleep, and hit power off , start up the coffee and begin our day. It became a kinda habit. Now however Cole is sleeping pretty much through every night from 8:45 until 6:30am and we are getting a better nights sleep. That being said he does still get up sometime's twice a night for some water or "tent" (wanting his covers over his head??) I know. So now that I am sleeping better, I have had enough brains working to deduce that T.V is the devil. It is addictive, it steals all focus, it takes focus from you the parent and diciplinary, it's annoying as hell, there are truly only 2 shows I think worthy of being shown to my kid, and it sucks all the imagination, creative play, and plain old just being okay with me-ness out of our children. It does it for me, and it's doing it to him. I got really hooked on tlc, hgtv and slice. I love home renovations, I love decorating, I love all that stuff. But in me sitting there watching all of it, I wasn't activley participating. I refuse to let Cole become the same way. I love how imaginative and creative he is when we are out on our morning stroll and play. He knows what he wants to do and goes and does it. He never was one to get fully sucked into the tv, normally he'd have his shows on and just continue playing. But latley I have noticed that him initiating play has become less and less. He wants to watch tv and if I try to get him to play, I need to help him get into it. So where is this ranting and raving going you ask, let me tell you. I decided to conduct a wee survey of my own. I set up tv rules, Mrs. Nannery you'd be so proud! The first week, Cole was only aloud his 2 favorite kids programs in the morning. Super Why and The doodlebops. After that no T.V until after he woke up from his nap. Then he could watch while I got dinner going and until daddy got home. The second week T.V was eliminated from the morning. I would set out an art project or craft on the dinning table and he would head to that and be creative until breakfast, when we would eat and then head out for our morning walk. He would have a nap and when he awoke, we would read books instead of watching t.v. Then he would play and while I make dinner he could watch one program.
And he has turned into a whole new child! He loves cuddling up now, and reading books. He will go and take books out and bring them to me. He is starting to initiate play again. He begs to be outside every day, thank goodness for our location! And although it is a bit more work for me, I see the results in both him and my outlook on life. There are so many creative juices that just get going the more you immerse yourself into the world. I'm not saying he never watches T.V, we all have our days when we as parents do whatever we can to get by, but through the beauty of spring and these absolutley gorgeous spring days, I am getting back into the simple life I love so much. And I get it now. I really really get it.

Literature

I'm on a bit of a book kick these days. Sadly, time is not in my near future, as I am a wee bit swamped with music and teaching, and memorizing. But come June 2nd all that is over and a summer filled with books by the beach is in order.
Right now I am currently almost finished World Without End. It is fabulous, it's the continuation of The Pillars of the Earth (Equally fabulous)So I am starting my lineup.
So far I've got:borrowed from friends:
The Other Queen
The First of the Twilight Series
A Thousand splendid suns
A collection by Steve Barry

so I'm wondering which to start with????
To top it all off I really want to read the Birth House, and Daughter of Fortune...
but which to start with...

ps- anyone got any good spring poems, Cole and I are discovering them and loving them latley!
Happy Reads to you!

I had to post this. I read a few blogs in my not so spare time. Actually I read up on people's blogs who have lives I want, and then I realize I could very much have those lives if i wasn't so busy reading about them!
Anyways This is one of my favorite blogs (very newly found) Soule mamma is a remarkable mother of 4 who handmakes everything and does it with such beautiful ease. Anyways I am in complete awe of her, and often times her husband posts on her blog, well today I was in awe of him! And had to post his post.... how lucky I feel to have a man as seemingly wonderful as he!
Enjoy...


SoulePapa Blogs :: Upon Arrival

Doors open, the air and the children move freely between inside and out. Unconscious, or unwilling to be bound by consciousness, their feet turned without slowing, powered by great motors of heart. All manner of objects were strewn about the yard in a post apocalyptic grid of childhood frenzy. Everything. From wheelbarrows to hula hoops, bicycles to rain boots, rakes and a hammer, some rope... a disposable camera.

I stepped, cautiously, from the car. Home from a day in which I'd left long before the little beings had stirred their first thought from outside the reins of slumber. I was noticed only with sideways smiles and glances amidst their flurry, not the attention to which I've become accustomed to receiving after a long day away. Hmmm. Now I approached the house with care, having an idea that the mommy on the other end of this type of activity could be severely not well. A casualty of this riotous scene, in miniature. How would I find the Mama Soule? Could she have possibly lived through a day at home with these three, plus one, and have a remaining shred of...herself?

My stomach sinks into slightly uneasy as I recall how I feel at the end of a particularly long day flying solo with this band of marauders. I circle around the car and approach the front porch like I'm the first person upon a crime scene. For a moment, I am distracted as they circle around me two, three times and then off again with audible enthusiasm. When was the last time I spoke with Amanda? I think it was before lunch. I carry on, climbing the steps now. Craning my head around the railing I catch my first glimpse of the her. Sitting outside, sunglasses on, smiling baby on her lap. Before I have a chance to actually speak the kids surround us in an instant. Attempting to fill me in on the ten hours of their life I just missed with a boiled down thirty second assault, I catch some key words...fort. whittle. Ezra. awesome. bandaid. I finally receive the love as little arms wrap around me from all directions. Now they're off again, down the stairs and away.

In the remaining silence I turn and look at my wife. We exchange an understanding look.

"I made popcorn for dinner....want some?!"





I love this woman.

Easter Weekend some pics...

We had a beautiful Easter weekend. Singing was beautiful, the weather turned gorgeous, family and chocolates,and movies and love was had by all. But now it's time to get down to buisness and learn some songs for my first rehearsal tonight, so I'll hope to write more tommorow!
Hope your Easter's were happy and hoppy!

Living it

I have come to realize a few things this past week:

And they are in no specific order:

Sunshine is life's happy medicine
Friends and coffee are Needs not wants
All a cranky terrible twoer really needs to calm down is a bike ride
Our just shy of a 1000sf abode houses, two adults, said terrible twoer, on any given week day 3 or more of the terrible twoer variety, and more sheet music than i think it was ever intended to hold
I love bangs (again)
I never want to move outta steveston
I type a lot on the toilet
Having a clean home, makes life flow soooooo much easier
There are not enough piano players in my neck of the woods who are free to plunk notes out for me
I think I have bit off more work than I can chew this month but if I make it through, I will have accomplished more than I have ever dreamed I could being a mommy, a musician, actor, teacher, entertainer, and choralist.
I like cake
a lot
I missed slinging babies (until today when I got to wear Toby to the park)
I want another one now, and am thinking november would be a lovley time to start mabye in maui? but am freaked at the possibility of being 9 months pregnant in the summer when I lounged in underwear and a bra in january because i was too hot!
I love having a clean house
I need to have a clean house more often
I can't have a clean house when i scheduale too many work things
I love Easter
I love Spring - minus these freakin allergies
I think I want new clothes, in bright colours
I secretly am more excited to go to Tofino in June than I am to go to Maui in November
I Can't believe Cole and Jakob actually played hockey today with branches and goose poo DISGUSTING!
I love tapping
I love the smell of fresh cut grass (Especially when i didn't have to cut it!)
I love making home made playdough
I love wrapping gifts for friends in paintings by cole
I love recieving presents!
I love the sun shinning into my bedroom in the morning
I love the park and all the kids running around screaming
I love sharing and the goodness you feel for doing it
I love wine
I love date nights and wine, and being a bit tipsy at our rehearsals
I love nap time
I love bike riding along the dyke
I love mom and tot walks
I love the smell of library books
I hate something about facebook but can't put my finger on it
I can't wait to tackle all my projects but I can't wait to see them through and DONE with more!
I hope I can do it!