My Kid's Babysitters

Reserve judgment for the parenting you will witness herein...

We have two babysitters who regularly take care of our kids while we are at home.  IPad takes care of Knox, and Laptop makes sure Rogue stays safe.  Now, these pairs can spend hours together - the house is SILENT.  Now, in the past week, the parental unit decided that the babysitters should switch kids once in a while.  Tonight was Knox's turn on Laptop.  Just to be clear, here, Rogue generally plays Minecraft on Laptop, and can also play it on his iPod (a secondary babysitter, called on in times of transition) but It's Not The Same.  Knox does not play Minecraft.

Within MINUTES of our arrival home, I see Rogue offer to spell what Knox wants on to look up on Laptop (spinning Laptop to face him).  Seems brotherly upon first glance.  I exit the room.  I should also mention that iPad is cast aside, cold and forgotten, this whole time.

I call the boys down to supper a time later, and Rogue says this: Knox let's watch something on the iPad, but just leave the computer alone since I'm still on it.   I say "Rogue, why are you on the computer?...Were you playing Minecraft????"  This is what I suspect happened once I left the room earlier:  "Knox, wanna see the new thing I built on Minecraft?  You'll think it's really cool!!!"  Knox is so gullible and easy going, and Rogue is shamelessly manipulative of him.  So, five minutes into Knox's time on Laptop, Rogue is playing Minecraft.  This speculation is based on years of observation.

Back to supper...Rogue hits the first stage of our confrontation:  Denial.  No Mommy, I mean, yes, but Knox wanted me to, he liked watching me and didn't mind.  I ramp him up quickly to stage two: Tearful Regret and Guilt.  He can watch it the rest of tonight, I won't do it anymore, I'm done!  Not enough, so I move him to stage three, Crying and Self-Pity, by grounding him off technology for the remainder of the night, 2.5 hours.

After he's done crying quietly into his Sloppy Joes, then my punishment begins.  He wants Knox to play with him, Knox doesn't want to and I support him in this decision (after all, he still has technology for a couple of hours).  Then he sulks over to me and wants to watch tv with me.  I say no, that if he still had the computer, he would be ignoring both of us completely (this momma's no second fiddle).  I tell him to go play with his thousands of dollars worth of Lego, or read a book, or...anything!!!

I have no doubt that Rogue will put these skills to good use someday, as a lawyer, politician, or middle manager.  Knox will start as a private in the army, great at doing what he is told, then eventually rise up to be a general, so he can finally, FINALLY, tell other people what to do.

Devastation

This past June there was a terrible flood in Calgary, affecting many families.  For Dan's family, they lost the cabin.  We've celebrated birthdays there, even one Christmas that was so nice we played horseshoes on Boxing Day (no snow, warmest day on record).   When we first started going, all family members could go at the same time; there were enough beds for all adults.  All our children grew up there, knowing it to be a retreat, and a place where we go to regroup and reconnect with each other. The cabin was an investment for his parents, a retirement plan.  However, because it was not their primary residence, they received no insurance money, and literally had to walk away.  The water levels were so high inside, for such a long period of time, that nothing was recoverable.

Shoe hanging on a wind chime.  The glass was broken from the inside due to the pressure of the water.

This used to all be grass, with a full deck attached to the right side of the cabin.

The couch was lifted by the water to get over the 3 foot railing in the foreground, moving it from the living room into the kitchen (as with all the other furniture in the kitchen). You can see the waterline just below the cedar shingles at the top of the photo.

This is to the left of the photo above.  The fridge had to go over that same railing and cross the whole room to end up in this spot.

Mud on the carpet.  It was tested and contained fecal matter, but because it didn't contain E. Coli, they could receive no insurance money or government support.

More mud.

Be thankful people.  Be thankful and grateful.

My Kids Are Remarkable

I know.  All parents think their kids are the smartest, funniest ones in the whole world.  That's our job as parents.  I am just finding that lately my boys are just cracking me up.  Last week, Rogue waxes nostalgic..."You know, when I was younger, I used to think that when you and Daddy talked about him firing people, that he started them on fire.  I know now that's not what you meant."  Let's discuss this for a minute.  How many years, exactly, did our young son think that his father was a homicidal pyromaniac?  Dan and I have laughingly talked about how the number of people he has let go is in the 50s, at least.  And all the while, our boy is envisioning Dan running a wooden match along his shoe, tossing it at a person, and WHOOSH.  This kid is literal and concrete in his thinking, let me tell ya.

Last night, Knox drew my smile on his rice with soya sauce.  That's right.  My smile.  I recognized it immediately.  He is an artist who uses highly unconventional mediums.  He does portraits.  I mean, we live in a society that immortalized a man who made large prints of tomato soup cans.  That Knox went on to eat the portrait only adds to the originality of his work.

Rogue has been playing indoor (thank God) soccer for the last month or so.  He's getting the hang of it, and seems to be less afraid of being hit with the ball.  Jenn, he reminds me a bit of you viewing volleyball to be like dodgeball.  Sadly, I don't think it's very parental to just have him sitting stationary and me kicking a ball at him over and over.  Ok, not parental, but psychologically that's desensitization.  Clinical, scientific and evidence based!   But my young fellow scored his second goal of the season on Sunday, and was named player of the game by his coach and last week's POTG.  And was I there to witness this pinnacle in his career?  Of course not, I was out with his grandmother and aunts, shopping and carrying on.  I'm proud of his growth and the expansion of his skills.  He really is growing up.

I'm going to add a couple of non-relevant photos, just to jazz up the post.

 This is from Knox's 7th birthday.  The girls, from left to right, 

are their cousins Ayden, Hadley and Tatumn.

This is, left to right, Alyssia, Knox, Kaitlyn and Rogue.  Alyssia and Knox are both seven, and Rogue and Kaitlyn are both nine.  These are Monica's two girls, who make me wish arranged marriages were acceptable in Canada.

Let's start off with a couple of recent Knoxy quotes, just to get warmed up.

One the way back from Kitscoty after Thanksgiving - "Are we in Calgary yet, and is water the fastest liquid?"

"Earth is not an island...totally."

Yep, you never quite know what's gonna come out of his mouth, and what it's going to require of you to answer.

While in Kitscoty, my bestie Trace and I played in an alumni volleyball tournament.  We dug out the old jerseys (pure cotton, a non wicking fabric let me tell ya), with our names emblazened across our shoulders, and proudly wore them with our vintage knee pads.  Apparently the knee pad has gone the way of the dinosaur, as us old gals were the only two wearing them.  I did need them a couple of times as I flung my aged body across the court.  She and I were matched up with the Lord boys, four brothers   from high school to university aged.  Now, Trace and I did 1993 proud, setting and passing the ball like we've done it every day since we graduated.  It came back a little easier than I expected, but the body did protest.  I maintained a steady blood level of Advil for three days following the tourney, for without that I would have been bedridden, with even my finger muscles screaming in agony. We ended up winning the whole thing, only losing one game in the day.  Of course, the one time this happens, there were no medals, or trophies, or photos in the local paper (The Meridian Booster, if you should wonder).  But there were witnesses!  It was a really great time, and I would do it again in a 38 year old heartbeat.

Last Friday night was a full moon.  My cousin and friend Wanda and I share many interests, with one being photography.  We decided to venture out an capture this event.  Let me explain a bit about the difference between Wanda and I.  She is a science minded person, meticulous and methodical.  Patient, curious, and a teacher by trade.  I am none of these things.  Wanda will change her settings one f-stop at a time, inherently learning about her camera and her style.  She brings handy tools like a tripod, which is ESSENTIAL so the photos don't look like streamers falling at a party.

Here's me.  I take one photo.  It's less than perfect.  I wanna quit.  The moon is a tiny dot in a sea of grey (I can't even make it black, which is the actual colour!!!!)

So I learn.  She is the perfect person to do this with.  However, I'm sure I am a less than the perfect person for HER to do this with.  That's okay.  I'm willing to totally ride this horse until it bucks me off!!

I plan on posting some of the photos soon!!!

The Elusive 5 km

Yes!  I finally reached the 5 km mark tonight!  That last 1000 meters has eluded me, seeming annoyingly difficult.  I'll let you in some of my inner dialogue during the run:

Treena:  This is getting hard.  I wanna quit.
Treena:  If you slow down, I'm gonna kick your ass.  Keep that pace up soldier!
Treena:  (whiny voice)  But it's taking forever...hey is that wild rhubarb?
Treena:  FOCUS!!  Stop getting distracted by the fauna.  Pay attention to what you are doing!  We're trying for a personal best here!
Treena:  There are tiny bugs all over my face (uugmmph) I think I swallowed one!!!  I'm stopping at that tree, and there's nothing you can do about it.
Treena:  I'll trip you and make you sorry...

And so it goes.  But, that devil voice won, and as a result I ran 5. 07 km in 31 minutes, with a pace of 6.17 minutes/km.  This is very good, for me.  And its crazy how pleased how I was by having the techno voice captured inside my iPod tell me that this was my longest work out so far.  I love that Siri!

I treated myself to a juice from Booster Juice after, which seems to be the Thighmaster of the 2010's.  All my staff who were born in the 90's guarantee me this is the road to eternity.  Meanwhile, I think of what my grandparents would have thought if I had told them this crazy idea of making a celery/carrot/spinach milkshake.  If I'm not mistaken, a similar concept was central to the plot of Popeye, and we all thought that was FUNNY.

Catching up on photos

This post is important for a few reasons.  Each of these photos were chosen for a particular reason, listed below.  And, for all of you who know how technically un-savvy I am, I'll have you know I imported these photos from the camera all by myself, for the first time EVER!  Dan isn't even home right now!  Yes, I'm getting braver!

All these pictures are from our trip to Kelowna in July.

Rogue is always willing to to pose for me.

This is me swimming in deep water, without a floating device or wetsuit, for the first time in my life.  I've historically been afraid of water, but having the boys has made me have to face my fears.

Knoxy jumping off the dock in BC - also for the first time.

What I've always longed to do... run off the dock and jump in.  I've always admired the people who could do this.  Sometime, I will actually DIVE.  Every summer I up the ante some.

My mop-haired model.  How I love this picture.

My little boy.

There have been many comments made about how Dan and I have one kid each, in our image.  How Knox is Dan in looks and personality, but with my hair, skin and eye colour.  Rogue is a do over of me, with Dan's hair, skin and eye colour.  But when you look at these photos, there's no denying that they are brothers.  Check out those smiles.

School - Week One

Knoxy:  "There's only one person taller than me in grade 2...Mrs. Cooper."

Knoxy:  "But Mommy, I was just so HOT." (After baking in a sunbeam on the bus on a record setting 32 degree day in September.  He got in trouble for moving seats while the bus was travelling.)

Rogue: " I don't have to share my new soccer ball with other kids, do I?"