Mama-luia

As I type, my father is outside mowing our lawn. After spending an hour this morning fixing the railing on our porch. And accompanying me and my tribe of small people to the Farmer's Market, just because. He lives in a different province but he still flew up here to spend just shy of a week with our family. As I continue my current feud with anxiety, he thought it would be helpful for me to have an extra set of hands with the kids during the very full summer days. It is so incredibly humbling being loved this way. Throwback photo to one year ago; grandparents + little kids + "Paw Patrol" Sometimes I wish I was more "capable" than I am; I feel embarrassed that the concrete help from my parents is something I want so dearly, and do so much better with. If only I was stronger, I think, I could manage family life without inconveniencing my mom and dad to the degree that I do. But the truth is, they enjoy being a part of their lives. They are pr...

I am a believer in true marriage. I can't say I do much of anything to "advocate" for it, besides living out my own marriage vows as faithfully as I can, and raising my kids to see what marriage is, and what it should be. I do this out of love, not hate or anger towards anyone else. This was brought home to me recently when I came across a song by American Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson, one she wrote herself. In it, she heartbreakingly chronicles her wounded childhood, having her father run out on her and her mom. The song has a note of deep hope, in that she sees her own husband loving their children in a way children deserve. But one can not get through it without crying. I defy you. As I watched it, tears running down my face -- and hers, and the judges -- I thought, this, this is why I believe in true marriage, for life. That woman deserved a stable childhood with both of her parents, and without it, she has been badly hurt and broken. Meanwhile, the thing that i...

Summer-tiiiiiiime... and the livin' is... noisy. The livin' is noisy . At 6:45pm this evening I was already curled up in the fetal position on the couch. Elijah was in bed but the other three were all frolicking around, hours of remaining daylight beckoned to us to go experience the great outdoors but all I could think of was "bed... now... please!" Patrick looked at me ruefully and said "you are welcome to do this in an hour, but for now, hang in there!" In actual fact, the kids' antics today were pretty adorable. They spent a large portion of their afternoon getting ready a ventriloquism show for us, after I showed them some spectacular videos of a kid ventriloquist earlier today. You really need to watch the video! It's amazing. Actually, this one is even better: It's pretty sweet how eager they all are now to throw their voices. I've been playing a "self-care anthem" over and over lately, and it's so upli...

I wrote this post before I read Kelly's  most recent non-7 Quick Takes post  about enrolling some of her children in school and I was so touched by her transparency. I always appreciate it when homeschooling bloggers don't just disappear under a rock if and when they choose to use a school (as though there is a reason to be ashamed of enrolling one's kids!) I feel such solidarity when I encounter such posts (in fact  Blythe's post was actually part of my epiphany; she even used that word in her own title). While our reasons for choosing to enrol our own children were different, I related to a number of things Kelly said (such as a fear of being judged for having attempted homeschooling, as well as the happy realization that that fear was unfounded. As well she mentioned how she needed a break -- yep, relatable -- and how it feels like a part-time job managing her kids' schooling outside the home -- also relatable, although again, for different reasons. {Not a we...

Baby Elijah has turned one! This beautiful baby has changed our life in so many wonderful ways. God knew we needed him so much. And forever and ever I will thank Him for His perfect plans that bypass our assumptions and expectations and take us straight to such tremendous joy . We celebrated with my mom and my sister and her family on the weekend before. Talented sister of mine made a vegan gluten-free cake that was so moist and delicious -- it's like she bakes from thin air and aspirations and yet her recipes are amazing. Then on his actual birthday his godparents and their three youngest children came over for dinner and ice cream cake. One of my favourite moments was when the three big kids gave him his presents. I suggested they all make something themselves, so Anna coloured him a picture, which he seemed pleased by. Noah worked from the moment he came home from school until dinner was served to get the meal ready -- he made the salad dressing all by hi...