Snaps

One of the gifts Madison received for Christmas from her Grandma was a new camera. She had tried some cheap cameras before, but nothing as fancy as this one. It's better than mine! Here are some shots she took with her new tool.

Upon seeing his sister snapping away, Kai wanted in on the action. He borrowed my camer and took loads of photos, including the following:

A lovely time had by all

My in-laws were flying into the lower mainland to spend Christmas, so we packed up the kids and headed down there to join the rest of the family. It has been years since we were all together at Christmas and we were looking forward to the kids playing together and eating some world-class turkey dinner.

First we had a day of visiting with some old friends and shopping for gifts for the children at an overcrowded and panicked mall. It was nice to catch up again with our friends, and the shopping was successful in that we came away with enough things for the kids to unwrap come Christmas morning. The kids had been playing with their cousins under the supervision of Kent’s family so we relaxed at their place before heading back out to Mission.

Christmas eve was spent shopping for groceries (Superstore was mobbed!), cooking, and making a gingerbread house with the kids. Kent and I even found time to go out for a run together, and after we cleaned up we opened presents with my Mom and Ken. The kids got lots of great gifts and were so excited to get new stuff. After dinner we piled into the truck and went to look at some lighted houses on the way to an open-house at some friends’. The kids had a blast racing through their big house and playing with the older kids. Kent and I got a tour through the manse, where we drooled over their newly built, beautiful home. The kids got to bed late that night, and I still had to make the pudding for Christmas dinner before I could turn in.

In the morning, Kent and I got up early in anticipation of the kids’ excitement to open presents and see what Santa brought. But the kids slept in until we finally had to wake them! Honestly, they never sleep in on weekends. But up they got and their little eyes shone when they saw the full stockings and presents under Grandma’s little tree. The pudding was done after steaming all night in the crock pot, so I prepared the sauce while the kids played with their new toys, and then we gathered up our wares and set out to Kent’s side for festivities. The minute we arrived we dove into a gift extravaganza with the kids pulling out toys and clothes from the Santa Sacks Bruce and Pam had prepared for them. They got lots of great stuff, including some fancy jewellery and toys from their cousins. We packed them up to go and visit Great Nana, and when we returned it was time for a delicious dinner.

Boxing Day we headed into town to visit friends on the way to my Dad’s. The kids were happy to see their uncle, and proudly showed off their gingerbread house village. Another lovely meal there, with many dessert options, and we the kids were again spoiled with gifts. Driving back to Mission that night, we were marvelling at how well the kids were holding up with all these late bedtimes and so much visiting.

Next day was spent cooking and prepping for Mom’s open house. I’d pre-made some of the food, and the rest was ready with fairly little fuss. The guests started to arrive in the late afternoon, and the kids were wildly excited to entertain them. After some living-room tumbling and recitals, we swept them away to the bedroom to watch a movie while the rest of the party unfolded. Lots of guests came, ate, and chatted into the evening, so I declare a success!

Back home with piles of toys to put away, we are exhausted and looking forward to a few days in our pyjamas before school starts again. Thanks to all our family and friends who hosted us and made time for visits, Christmas truly is about seeing and spending time with our loved ones!

More Christmassy Stuff

Madison and Kai had their Christmas concert at school last week. They had been practicing with their teachers and classmates, and were eager to show their stuff on the stage. Kent and Caylie and I attended the evening performance where the school was mobbed with excited children and bemused parents and grandparents. Madison’s number included a joke by herself, and a rap complete with “cool” poses and dancing. Kai’s number included speaking into the microphone solo, and singing along with his class to welcome everyone to the show.
Caylie’s preschool class also hosted a concert for parents and families. They had prepared several songs and poems, and Caylie decided not to be shy that day. Everything went well and she participated in all the events until Santa made a guest appearance. When it was Caylie’s turn to sit on his knee and receive her present, she balked and wanted nothing to do with him. She refused even to utter a single thank-you from the safety of my arms, but he was forgiving and assured her that she was on the good girl list.

Caylie’s ballet class had a special lesson allowing parents to come into the studio to be the audience for the day. The teacher had prepared special tutus for all the girls to wear and feel extra festive. They did their usual class, but we parents could feel more involved in the dancing. The children have also been preparing for their first Tae Kwon Do test. This week they were honoured to have an audience of Grand Master Park visiting all the way from Edmonton to review their progress. It was a very somber occasion, and the kids were on their very best behaviour. First they performed their pattern in front of the masters, the rest of the students, and assorted parents and relatives. Madison’s pattern went off without a hitch, and Kai and Caylie completed theirs accompanied by a young black belt helper. Then it was time to demonstrate their understanding of the kicks. They showed that they had mastered the front, roundhouse, and ex-side kicks, and then they could relax a bit while the higher belts did their sparring and board breaking. Whew! They were so nervous about the test, but the waiting to find out if they passed and if they get their new belts is even worse!
I also tested later that evening for my first belt and was on pins and needles in anticipation of the results. Then on Saturday’s class each student was called up to hear their scores and receive their new belt. The kids (and I) all passed the test! We’ve all graduated to yellow-stripe belts and can begin work in the new year towards our yellow solid.

So now school is out for the winter break, and we are planning some surprises for the folks we’ll be visiting over Christmas. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone and sharing some food and fun!

How to make a perfectly hideous gingerbread house:

Step 1- Choose a complicated design - Those pre-made kits or cottage style designs are for n00bs. You’re an accomplished domestic and way beyond that! Pick something with dormer windows, covered porches, or octagonal turrets so you can show your talent and really impress everyone.

Step 2 - Who needs a pattern? - And don’t bother to measure either. You don’t need blueprints just for a gingerbread house, a quick sketch should do it. Never mind that the angles of your gables and chimneys could be tricky, this isn’t rocket science. You can always eyeball it while you’re cutting the dough.

Step 3 - Make really intricate cuts - This house is going to be so spectacular! Everyone will be so impressed with your shaped windows with panes and your fancy filigree details. Martha Stewart is going to call you and ask how to make such a fantastic house!

Step 4 - Don’t worry about perfect ion while baking - Darn, the dough keeps stretching out of shape as you transfer your cut pieces to the pan. Oh well, it’ll be fine. You’ll just cover it with icing if it doesn’t match up just so. It’s still going to be awesome. Maybe you should donate it to an orphanage after everyone has seen it so it can bring joy to more people.

Step 5 - Don’t trim the pieces while soft - Oh no! The dough puffed up unevenly and all the fancy cuts you made are puffed over. Oh well, you’ll just add lots of detail with icing later. Now to cool the gingerbread before moving it so it doesn’t break. That would really be a disaster.

Step 6 - Holding the pieces while they dry is really boring - Well, it’s too late to trim the pieces after they’ve cooled because now they’re rock hard. So just stick them together with icing anyway, and nobody will notice where the gaps are. But it’s taking so long for the icing to dry. Luckily you read somewhere that you can prop them all with pop cans and come back later when it’s dry. Easy-peasy!

Step 7 - Use lots of candy - Oops! While you were folding the laundry the pieces slipped despite the pop cans and now the icing has hardened with them off kilter. So the house is lopsided, but that won’t matter once the candies are all stuck on. The more the better, right?

Step 8 - Enjoy! -Well, you mounded as many candies onto the roof as possible and piled them up on the sides too. But the gaps between the roof and walls still show and if it were a real house it definitely wouldn’t pass any hydro-smart tests. The roof looks pretty saggy, maybe you should have used fewer candies up there. Oh well, it’s the thought that counts, right? It’s not like you were hoping for any awards; this was all for the children’s entertainment in the first place (and they’re happy just to scrape up the leftover icing).

Christmassy stuff

This week the kids had their “bake walk” at school. The tickets were $1 each and they could do the walk for some baking brought in by many of the parents in the school. All proceeds went to the South Okanagan Women in Need Society. So we sent Madison and Kai to school with a twoonie each to buy tickets, and I baked some cupcakes to donate.

I wanted to try the reindeer cupcakes with the Santa in a sleigh idea I saw in a baking book from the library. They turned out pretty well, even if it was my first time working with fondant icing!

Madison and Kai both won something and they each chose sugar cookies (one of the only items left by that time). They were so excited when their number was called! Kai was beside himself as he raced to the library where the goodies were on display.

Next we had the Santa Claus parade in downtown Penticton today. We bundled up with lots of layers and warm woolies and joined the throngs. Everyone was sipping Tim Horton’s and stamping to keep warm in the cool afternoon. The parade had lots of local organizations and businesses marching or floating down Main Street. Kent and I were cold and done before it was over, but the kids begged to stay on and see the last float with Santa and Mrs. Claus waving merrily from the top. The Christmas Season has officially begun!

"Happy Cow" Shepherd's Pie

This is what I’m making tonight for dinner. It’s from Mom’s Ayurvedic recipe book. Feel free to substitute whatever vegetables you have in the fridge (shredding whichever ones the kids don‘t like).

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast (or veggie ground if you like that stuff)

1 onion (chopped)

2 tsp ginger (minced)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

2 stalks celery (chopped)

1 zucchini (shredded)

1 cup green beans

2 carrots (chopped)

½ head cauliflower (chopped)

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp parmesan cheese (grated)

1 cup chicken or vegetable stock

3 medium sweet potatoes (cooked and mashed)

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup cilantro (minced)

Brown meat in a skillet with 1 tbsp olive oil. Add vegetables and saute until soft. Add all ingredients and simmer until cooked (20 minutes). Pour vegetable mix into a baking dish and spoon mashed sweet potatoes over top. Spread and pat even with a fork and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Holiday Gifts

Image via Wikipedia

A friend was asking for ideas for saving money during the holidays (and the rest of the year too). Her family is feeling the crunch of moving, spending, and overspending with Christmas just around the corner. I had a few ideas, and as I was pouring them out and hogging the message board, I realized I felt strongly about the subject.

I really think that Christmas is for spending quality time with family and friends. For enjoying each other’s company and reaffirming our affection for one another. For laughing at inside jokes and welcoming newcomers into our circle. For enjoying the children and grandchildren as they learn about the magic of the season. For sharing food and stories and warmth on a cold evening.

Yet somehow a few Christmases ago I found myself full of anxiety and tension over lists. Lists I wrote down of everyone to whom I needed to send a card. Lists of everyone for whom I needed to buy a gift. And lists in my head of how much money each gift should cost, what I gave them last year, what they gave me, how much money they probably spent, etc etc etc. I shopped and shopped for the gifts so I could cross the people off the list. Each thing had to be just the right price, just the right taste for the recipient, just the right size and colour. As Christmas grew closer my anxiety grew as well. Would everyone like their gift? What if someone else bought them the same thing? What if they spent more on my gift than I spent on theirs? What if I’ve forgotten someone I should have bought a gift for? What if someone gives me a gift when I wasn’t expecting them to? So I bought extra “gifty” things just in case I needed an emergency gift. Needless to say, this all added up to quite a bit of spending every year. And quite a bit of anxious worrying. And my focus was not where it should be: on my loved ones and what I love about them.

Truthfully, we don’t need a lot of that stuff. It’s just something pretty in a box for the sake of having a box to open. Obligation dilutes the spirit of what the holidays are all about. So here are my ideas for cutting back on spending while focusing more on the important things.

Reduce - My husband and I have agreed not to give each other gifts. Instead we might buy something for the house or the family. We have asked that extended family also abstain from gift-giving with us; our gift to them is that they don’t have to buy us a gift. And I used to worry about the proper gift for service providers like my mail carrier, garbage collector, and hairdresser; I have since reduced those gifts to a simple note, or a smile and word of thanks.

Simplify - Of course we still buy and give gifts to our children on Christmas. But they don’t need piles and piles of toys. One (hopefully well chosen) toy, one activity, and one book or useful item is plenty for a child to receive. They can really appreciate their new treasures if they are fewer but more meaningful.

Homemade - For teachers, instructors, and other peripheral recipients we have often made gifts ourselves. Baking, treats the children helped with, crafts, decorations the kids made, etc. It really is the thought that counts in this case, because our budget would really not allow for a very special store-bought gift. The important thing is that with the making of each gift we really think about the recipient and what makes that person special.

Donate - Our society is one of excess and there are many in the world who live without the basic essentials. One idea is to give a yearly donation to a cause like World Vision. Help the kids choose a goat or pig, and then give cards to the people on your gift list describing the merits of “their” gift to people in need.

Ask for what you need - For the people who will still insist on buying gifts for us, sometimes we make suggestions of things we really need. Our parents like to outfit the kids with most of the new clothes they ever need in a year and that takes a lot of the burden off of us. Sometimes they pay for the kids’ activities or equipment. Christmas stockings can be filled with practical items like toiletries and underwear.

The holidays will still hold some pressures and worries. But hopefully some of the tension will be eased for our friends and family who no longer have to worry about buying us a gift. I hope they put that money towards something nice for themselves, or towards something really needed. And hopefully now we can spend more of our attention and energy on enjoying our family time together this Christmas.

Oh, and just because we have reduced our gift-giving and spending at Christmas time, doesn’t mean we never give gifts to our people. During the year if I see something that I know somebody I love would enjoy, I might buy it for them as a surprise. Often I make personalized projects for my folks as well - the time and effort involved are well worth the reward of presenting my finished work to them. And because “just because” gifts are not tied to a deadline, I have the leisure to work at it and finish it whenever life allows.

The spirit of giving at the holidays is a wonderful tradition. The gift of one’s time and attention is really a beautiful offering, no matter how much or little it costs.

Weekday Afternoon

Image via Wikipedia

It was an ordinary, hectic weekday afternoon. Madison and Kai were home from school and all the kids were in the throes of homework, snacks, and general mess-making. I was working my way through my seemingly never-ending (or never-even-shortening) Stuff I Gotta Do List. The kids were bickering with each other and squabbling over who did what to whom, nagging me about where’s my this or that, and basically getting on my nerves. After shouting at them to “stop it!” over my shoulder for the tenth time, I put down my broom. I told them to go and sit on the couch and wait for me. Not knowing what was coming, they somberly lined up on the couch expectantly. I went upstairs and retrieved my copy of Le Petit Prince and brought it downstairs to read to them.

The children were instantly engrossed in the story of The Little Prince; asking questions, making comments and observations, and snuggling in close to see the pictures. We had less than an hour before I had to round them up and take them to their evening activities, and we spent the whole time reading the book.

When Kent came home from work that night, he found the house a mess. I hadn’t finished sweeping the floor and there was a pile of dirt and debris in the middle of the dining room. There wasn’t any bread ready for dinner, there were toys and books and clothes everywhere. I took the kids to Tae Kwon Do with my hair a complete disaster and not a bit of make-up on my face. But instead of getting all of that done, I got to experience the following:

ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPÉRY: “Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is exhausting for children to have to provide explanations over and over again.”
MADISON: (Nodding her head with a very serious expression) “You know, that’s true - it is.”

When the narrator tires of drawing sheep for the Little Prince that time and time again don’t meet with his approval, he draws instead a crate and says the sheep is inside. There is an illustration of the crate, and Caylie leans close to the page to see if she can see the sheep in it through the holes.

Upon being asked if he thinks he would try to tame an animal, Kai answers, “I would tame a cobra snake. If I found one. Then it would be my friend and it would follow me around.”

If you have never read this moving, fantastical tale - or if you have but it’s been a while since you really thought about it - I recommend you pick it up and give it your attention. You will not regret spending the little time it takes to re-familiarize yourself with the simple, yet deeply profound existence of a child. It’s not just a story; it is a guide for living your life and seeing the beauty in the world around you… though the true beauty lies beneath and within that which you can see.

It is only with the heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Fire Chief for a day

This year, as every other year, the school and community do a fire safety awareness campaign in October. The Fire Department sends out a pamphlet with activities and safety reminders. Then the kids complete it and enter it in a draw for prizes. This year Kai won the first prize for his school! The prize was getting to be Fire Chief for a day and a party for himself and the whole family at the fire station! This all took place a few days before Halloween and the kids were beside themselves with excitement.

It was a spectacular evening. The little fire chief and his sisters were invited to the station where they first got to try on all the real fire fighter gear. There was a weighted dummy they got to try dragging to safety, a coil of hose they could haul up with a pulley, a block they got to whack with a sledgehammer. They tried spraying a target with a real fire hose, and went for a ride in the fire truck! Kai sat in front and even sounded the siren!

After all this they had a special treat for dinner - McDonald’s had sent happy meals and nuggets for all the kids. While they were eating, Sparky the fire dog came around to give high fives and hugs to everyone. After dinner the “other” Fire Chief and the Mayor gave some speeches and presented all the little fire chiefs with an honourary certificate and a full colour - fold out page book about fire engines. Everyone left with a plastic fire fighter’s hat, McDonald’s happy meal toy, placemat, and colouring books.
I was blown away by the great lengths the department went to to make this a special evening for the kids. Lots of the folks at the fire department turned out to show their support, and they were all friendly and enthusiastic.

The kids had a blast and came home with beaming smiles. So I planned a little thank you surprise for the folks at Fire Station 2. I made cupcakes with a firefighter motif and brought them down to the station for all to enjoy. I had subtly asked how many people in the fire house at the party, and there were so many I did a double batch of cupcakes. I decorated them with little ladders and axes, hydrants, dalmations, and flames. This took me a while to do because we have been busy, and also because there was no set deadline to have them done. But finally I put it all together with a thank you card made of pictures of firefighting the kids drew, and am taking them down to the fire station tomorrow.

Halloween Fun

Well, Halloween came and went. The children had a very busy and fun filled week.

Caylie’s preschool hosted a Daddy-daughter pumpkin carving evening. Caylie proudly escorted her Daddy to the school, showed him her classroom, introduced him to her teachers, and instructed him to carve her a unicorn on her pumpkin. They came home with smiles and an expertly carved unicorn pumpkin, so all must have gone well.

Caylie’s preschool also hosted a Halloween party during class. I volunteered to help kids make a centrepiece craft, and there were loads of “stations” for kids to participate in Halloween activities. Caylie was feeling a little timid that day, but she gamely tried out all the activities. She was not a fan of the haunted house air-filled balloon tent (like a bouncy castle but not bouncy). There were creepy noises, scary decorations, and it was a dark and confusing maze. Caylie wanted to leave and go home at that point, but afterwards she was proudly telling anyone who would listen how she went in the scary haunted house and how much fun the party was.
Then Madison and Kai had costume day at school where they wore their outfits, had a parade, did a performance at the assembly, and had a special Halloween-inspired lunch provided by the school.

Our family was invited to a costume party in Kelowna with spooky snacks, crafts, music and fun. This was all outdoors, so I layered us up and we made our way north. Rob and Mel were entertaining their guests on their beautifully renovated deck/patio, and the kids had a blast! There was hot cider, pumpkin soup, finger munchies, and mini pumpkin pies. We stayed until bedtime and then rolled ourselves home with full tummies.

Madison and Kai’s pumpkins were begging to be carved and we chose some challenging designs this year. Madison’s is a unicorn head, and Kai’s is a dragon.

Next we were invited to trick or treat with the family of a little boy in Caylie’s preschool class. We met at Anthony and Kim’s and did a turn around the block. Little Rhys had had enough after some very realistic Halloween decorations at a neighbour’s house turned out to be highly spirited neighbours in disguise, so Anthony whisked him home and prepared some warm cocoa and goodies for us when we returned with the other, more stoic children. We played and visited for a while and the kids had a whale of a time with Macson’s new drum set before we took them home to sort the candy.

Each of them ate a few favourite candies and chose 10 more for later. Then we left the rest of the candy out for the Halloween fairy. The fairy was generous this year and she left each of them some presents, stickers, and fun straws.
So my favourite event/holiday is over for another year, and it was a success despite the lack of the family theme costumes. Maybe we’ll think of something clever and cute next year, but this year we had lots of fun with friends and treats!

A letter to my children

My children are growing up. I can see already the adult people they are going to be and I look forward to knowing those people while at the same time knowing I will miss the children in them someday. And I know there will be some hard times and growing pains along the way for them. There will be spats with best friends, peer pressure, bullying, academic strain, heartbreak, embarrassment, romantic woes, self-consciousness. All of these things are the normal bumps along the road to adulthood that we have all experienced and gotten past, but it wasn’t easy. And some kids have a harder time dealing with it than others.

So I will be repeating my motherly advice to them throughout their lives, hoping they will at least glean some of the key words with the retelling. In a nutshell, here are the important things to carry with you that I hope will be relevant to most of the challenges yet to come:

Find someone you trust and follow their advice. This is important when you are struggling with something difficult, no matter what your stage of life. The trusted person need not necessarily be a professional, but they should at least know what they are talking about. I would like to think that my children can always come to me for guidance, but if you choose another adult then I will at least be happy you have someone in whom to confide.

Put your problems in perspective. Juggling your life and all your problems can be stressful. Sometimes a mistake you have made, an unfortunate hiccup in your plans, or an embarrassing experience can make it seem like it will change everything for the worse. But experienced people know that these little blunders happen along the way and that we always get past them and move on. Sometimes they turn into a funny anecdote to tell later, other times they are best forgotten; but they will be forgotten someday and that day is not far off.

Remember that you have people who care about you. No matter what happens to you or what you do, you are loved. Your family loves you and wants you to be happy and healthy. Your friends want the same for you. Popularity is fleeting, but your core support system remains constant. I would do anything to keep your life easy and pain-free but unfortunately that is not in my power. All I can promise you is that I will love you no matter what. There is nothing you could ever do that would make me stop caring and wanting what is best for you.

Stick to your beliefs. No on can make you do something you don’t want to do. Including feel bad about yourself. There is always an alternative. So when you are faced with pressures that make you uncomfortable, look inside and remind yourself of what you already know to be true: you are a good person who does good things. If you honestly strive to make choices you can be proud of, you will not regret them.

Protect yourself. You have to look out for number one in this life. Surround yourself with people who you respect and who treat you with decency. Do not allow others to take control of your choices away from you. The more self-control you can exercise, the less advantage others can take at your expense.

Be joyful. Some things will be hard. But there will be many things to enjoy in your life. Focus on the positive. Spend time doing the things that make you happy, and that make you feel good about yourself. Enjoy your friends, your family, your hobbies, your fun times. Develop your talents and share your gifts with the world. Be a positive force for good things, and let the bad things roll off your back.

Someone posted a link to another mom’s blog where she wrote a letter to her daughter in the wake of recent tragedies, and it really got me thinking. People have said about these deaths, “If only they had known it gets better, if only I could have told them how life got better for me”. It is too late for those children who have ended their lives because of teenaged cruelty. But it is not too late for all the other young people out there who feel alone and unhappy and scared. It is not too late for the children who haven’t yet begun the trials of puberty. Tell them. Tell the young people in your life that you care about them and that they can talk to you.

http://vicky-bell.blogspot.com/2010/10/letter-to-my-daughter-in-wake-of.html?spref=fb

Halloween

Image by Lunchbox Photography via Flickr

Halloween is approaching, and the kids are all ready with their costumes. Unfortunately, I was overruled this year on the family theme issue. Usually I like all our costumes to follow a theme (like Peter Pan characters, or The Wizard of Oz) We have done theme costumes since Madison’s first year dressing up. But this year Madison chose to be a witch, Kai found a snake costume, Caylie picked Minnie Mouse, and Kent decided to go with the surgical scrubs in the back of our closet. Sigh.

I suppose the family theme had it’s years numbered. It’s not like I thought they’d still be dressing up and hanging out with me in their teen years. But still, I thought it would last a little longer. It was so much fun to go trick-or-treating together, or to go to the costume parade at school or the mall and show our Halloween spirit.

This year we have been invited to a family costume party. It should be fun and the kids will get to play with their little friends. This would have been a perfect place to wear theme costumes, but oh well. I’ll just have to dig around in the dress-up clothes and put a costume together for myself. Don’t think I can fit into the kids’ bumble bee outfit, so my other options are: pirate or princess. I think we need some new items in the dress-up box.

No matter, I’m sure the kids will have a blast showing off their costume picks at school and trick-or-treating a truckload of candy. The whole point of Halloween is for the kids to have fun after all, right?

Dig Deep

Thanksgiving Sunday I ran my first half-marathon race. Racing is hard. The first part usually goes pretty smoothly because of the adrenaline and excitement of racing, but that gets old by the half way mark. Running as fast as you can for as long as you can hurts. Your muscles scream at you to stop. Your lungs cry out for a rest. And it’s all up to your mind to make it happen.

My racing strategy is to run my goal pace for as long as I physically can. If I can no longer keep up, then I must slow down, but I will not until there is no other option. And when I’m in the throes of racing purgatory, I ask myself: Can I still go on? And although I may be in pain, the answer is yes, -for now- I can. And so I do.

Then, sometimes there comes a point at which I feel like I can’t possibly go any more. I’m barely holding on, and I’m reaching the bottom of the barrel. I need to slow down or I won’t make it. But when I see the finish line ahead, or a competitor edges up beside me, I find a burst of speed to beat it out to the end. And I have learned something about myself; when I feel this devoid of resources, when feel like I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel, it wasn’t really the bottom at all. I had more energy left in the tank but I didn’t know that until I powered it out at the end.

The human being is capable of amazing feats and I am only attempting one miniscule portion of what is possible. People have endured much more pain and much greater expenditures than whatever I am faced with today, so yes, the barrel is deeper than you think. Much, much deeper.

My lesson for today: Don’t give up. You can do it, even if you think you can’t.

Among many other things I am thankful for my health and strength, that I may strive to reach my goals, achieve success, and set myself new challenges. Happy Thanksgiving!

Who's Terry Fox?

Today my children and I joined schoolchildren across Canada in the annual Terry Fox Run. We bring money to the school that will be donated to the cause of finding a cure for cancer, and we run a short jog in honour of our favourite hero. I logged this run on Daily Mile, where I share most of my workouts with other runner friends. Usually my friends make encouraging comments about each other’s running, and this time someone added “Who’s Terry Fox?”

I forgive this friend for not knowing the awe inspiring story of Terry and his Marathon of Hope because said friend is American and hasn’t grown up learning about Terry’s heroics. But I do hope someday Terry Fox will be a household name throughout the world, not just in Canada.

Terry Fox, a young man who battled cancer and lost his leg in the 70’s, was inspired to run a marathon on his artificial limb. While training for the race, he secretly devised a plan to run across the country raising money and awareness for cancer.

“I'm not a dreamer, and I'm not saying this will initiate any kind of definitive answer or cure to cancer, but I believe in miracles. I have to.” - Terry Fox

At first his goal was to raise a million dollars for the cure. But soon Terry hoped to raise one dollar for each of Canada's 24 million people. He was saddened and frustrated by how little money there was being put towards research and medical help for victims of cancer in the era. He began what he called the Marathon of Hope by running one marathon per day continuously across Canada.

“If you’ve given a dollar, you are part of the Marathon of Hope .” -Terry Fox

Terry ran rain or shine, with cheering crowds or completely alone for 143 days, completing 5,373 km before he finally had to stop due to health complications. Because of his amputation, Terry suffered constant pain in his stump while running. Abrasions, cysts, shin splints, ankle tendonitis, he took them all in stride and refused to stop or to seek medical attention, stating that he’d seen people in “real pain” and that they could not turn it off to rest. Except for the media appearances and public speeches, Terry spent his time running, eating and sleeping in a van along the route. Hardly glamorous, yet he had set high goals and worked toward them until he literally could not take another step.

After collapsing with chest pains and shortness of breath during his run one day, it was found that Terry’s cancer had spread to his lungs. He could not finish his marathon across our continent because he died a year after he began his journey. And every year Canadians gather to honour Terry’s memory and to help him finish his goal. Across Canada we run together, we raise money for the cure, and we remember his unbreakable spirit.

I just wish people would realize that anything’s possible if you try; dreams are made possible if you try. - Terry Fox

My Lesson for Today: Do the work; reap the benefit.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - From the quote by Chinese Guru Laozi

I’ve been running for almost a year. I started out just doing two minute intervals with walking, then tried a full mile (which knocked me on my butt). Now I’m up to 14 miles and I’m training to race a half-marathon (13.1 miles/21.1km). I have been following professional plans and advice by Coach Kent including long runs, fast runs, slow runs, etc. I’ll let you in on a little secret, though: I still don’t like running.

Running is hard. It makes me sweat. It makes my legs feel tired. It takes time out of my day that could be spent doing other things. And no matter how many runs I do, how many miles I log, running continues to be hard. It never gets easy.

So why do I continue to do it day after day? Well, even though I don’t particularly like running, I love what it does for me. It relieves stress. It releases endorphins. It keeps me healthy. It makes me feel good about myself. It lets me justify the occasional treats. It clearly displays my improvements in no uncertain terms.

I was knocked flat by one slow mile almost a year ago and now I’m racing a half marathon. I ran one mile as fast as I could (9 minutes) last winter and now my fastest mile is 6:30 minutes. I used to dread “long” runs of 5.5 miles, and now I’m feeling pretty confident about 14. My effort has stayed the same (hence the feeling that running is still always hard) but my gains have increased so much! My fastest mile is still just as hard now as it was a year ago, but now my speed is much better. My longest mile still takes just as much out of me as it used to, but now it’s so much farther.

What running has taught me - and is continuing to teach me - is that if I do the work, I will reap the benefit. I know this sounds simple and common-sensical, almost to the point of ridiculous. Of course we all know this. But I guess sometimes I forget. When it feels hard (and this could be anything; from running, to dieting, to working, to parenting) it’s easy to just keep in mind how hard it is. But when I do it anyway, suck it up and put in the effort needed, I gain a little bit. I don’t know it yet, but the next time will be easier and better, and the next after that. Little by little I make gains and reap the rewards of hard work.

Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven’t planted - David Bly

Activities

Now that school is underway and the bus and class schedule has solidified, it was time to turn to the extra-curricular pursuits.

Madison and Caylie were both in dance classes in Lethbridge, so it was logical that they continue this year. Madison opted for hip-hop this time instead of tap or ballet. She loves all types of dancing that she’s tried, but loves the look of hip-hop whenever she sees older kids do it. There are a couple of older boys who break dance at the farmer’s market as a form of busking, and all three kids are fascinated by them. So her first class went well and there were some choreographed parts as well as some time at the end of class for them to “show their stuff” individually.

Caylie is in ballet class again, and dressed up in her pink suit with two little buns in her hair. She was a little shy at first but warmed up quickly and got into the floaty butterfly dance and the stretching. Her teacher is an older, and very patient woman who handled the class full of four year olds like a pro.

Kai has been wanting to try martial arts for a while - since the girls’ dance studio last year was next to a karate club. So we found him a Tae Kwon Do school and he had a “trial” lesson. He was so excited to be in the training room, to see all the interesting training equipment, and to have a go at the dummy. He is also eager to get his own white uniform and look like a “real” martial artist. During this trial lesson, Madison was so taken with the whole evening that she was begging to be let into Tae Kwon Do as well. After discussing it with Kent, we’ve decided to let her try it out. What the heck, eh?

The second trial lesson at Tae Kwon Do went well. Madison took one look at the demonstration of a new kick, and executed it perfectly every time. Kai took a little more instruction, but he was really happy to be in with the boys doing the kicks. And little Caylie tried her hand at kicking (so to speak) as well, and did pretty well! When we got home we practiced the new kicks while we waited for dinner to cook so they would be set in our minds for tomorrow’s lesson. The kids just can’t wait to get their uniforms and learn some more moves!

In the next lesson, they got to wear their new uniforms. Kai was so taken with himself in the mirror it was hard for him to focus on the actual activity… I suppose the novelty will wear off. Madison looked very serious in her get-up, and she is so focused! She says she wants to earn a black belt.

So that’s enough for now, I think. When spring comes along we’ll think about maybe swimming and soccer like last year, but right now we’re busy enough - and tired enough. The kids fall into bed every night and are pretty much comatose within minutes. Kent and I feel like zombies most of the evenings too. But we are enjoying benefits of regular paycheques and a permanent address, so life is good.