Twins In Tow

Motherhood In a Mountain Town

May 19, 2012
by KpS
1 Comment

I Miss My Kids

I miss my kids. I love my job, but I miss my kids. No point in whitewashing it. I wonder most of the day, what they are doing and how much fun they are having at the park, colouring on the carpet or running around on the deck pointing at birds and planes and other new and varied things. I wonder how many times one brother pokes the other and who is getting the short end of the stick. There’s no point wondering whose hair is getting pulled…

But I know I can’t and I know I won’t change it. I will not go back to being a stay at home mom and there are lots of good reasons why. The biggest reason is that by me continuing to work and move along in my career, I am staying in the loop of employment. This way I don’t have to try some miraculous re-entry in my 50’s and potentially burn up in the outer stratosphere while trying. It was hard enough envisioning never working again while I was off being pregnant and having twins. I got scared. Now is just not the time to not have a job to fall back on.

I just hope my kids are OK because of it. They seem fine, but who really knows?! Our Nanny is awesome and the boys are having fun with her, I know it. They are peaceful and happy, well fed and don’t seem to be acting out in any unusual way. The only differences I see when I get home are pants that are too short and more words in the verbal repertoire. I was brought ‘shoes’ yesterday because they wanted to go out on the deck! These are nothing short of miracles to me when I am not with them every waking minute of the day. Mr. A has a fixation with doors and needs to repeat the word three times with three emphatic hand pats for effect ’dor, dor, dor’. And we can now add ‘bubbles, shirt and cool’ to the list!

So here I am taking part in a bigger picture. I’m doing my part to shape the future (hopefully for the better) for the region I work for and although I’ll agree that local government is no glamour show (I’ve had flashier jobs for sure), I don’t take the stress home with me and I can sleep at night knowing what I am doing is not completely insignificant.

Maybe the boys will appreciate the fact that I had a hand in how and why things are the way they are around us one day.

The latest fun thing is that we have graduated to sharing the bathtub and not using the baby tub! I grappled with the baby bath photos on the internet but this will be the one and only time. Love
KpS

May 17, 2012
by KpS
0 comments

Mother’s Day 2012

There was a time when I feared mother’s day. Well maybe fear is too strong a sentiment because I certainly didn’t begrudge my mother or grandmother their due on that day but for the time when I was trying so hard to start a family, I dreaded the day, simply put it made me sad.

Now it makes me ecstatic! It’s fun and kind of hectic but that makes it interesting. This past one was just beautiful as well, which a gift in itself. Remember a few weeks ago, all I really wanted to do (just for myself) was get on my bike? Well, I managed a short mountain bike ride on Sunday and that was after a wonderful breakfast at Edgewater Lodge that set the stage for our wedding, now almost 7 years behind us. It felt like a homecoming for me. I remembered Nico protesting on the grass after the ceremony and yes I still miss her! It’s nice to be able to go back there again and again for dinners and brunches and remember that special day.

Once again we were having so much fun that we didn’t take the time to get any photos but take my word for it, it was a gorgeous day, the food was great and the company was silly. The icing was that the Mother’s Day Breakfast was also a fundraiser for my favorite local animal shelter, WAG.

Boy, do I have to be careful. It is evidently evident that I am a dog person so keep me away from puppies. The absolute last thing we need at this point is a puppy but I have a penchant for collecting strays! Can you imagine? Two toddlers, a bear dog and a puppy? Nuts. Not in the cards.

OK let’s move on…

So to make up for the lack of Mother’s Day photos I have a few really cute and funny videos of the boys with these little ride’em toys.


Love KpS

 

May 9, 2012
by KpS
1 Comment

Down One Organ

I could easily fall into the depths of despair, but I won’t. Not yet. In this past week I underwent minor surgery to have my gallbladder removed. That pesky organ was causing me so much pain and consternation that I literally begged at times, when I was hooked up to IV’s and morphine drips for someone to just cut me open already and get that thing out of me! I meant it.

And then of course when the whole thing subsided and I was able to go home and resume a semi-normal life I forgot about it, even got a little smug about it and convinced myself that it was A) not full of stones and B) not causing me all that much difficulty and most naively C) I would beat it with apple cider vinegar and herbal supplements.  Continue Reading →

May 1, 2012
by KpS
4 Comments

Wake Up and Pinch Myself

Some days I wake up and pinch myself that I have kids. There are times I can hardly believe my luck which may sound strange but for so many years luck was against us and having a family was perilously out of reach. We almost gave up. I could get all mushy about it but I’ll just say that I thank myself daily that we didn’t.

I recently read a blog post that I am not going to share because although it would probably be entertaining for you and most definitely funny; because of where I am and how I got here… not so much. I guess for those whose families came easy it feels OK to complain bitterly about whiny needy kids being kids but for me it just feels like bad Karma.

I know I’m not really at the ‘being peppered with the Mommy questions yet’ stage and maybe I will be singing a different tune when I get there but for now I am going to revel in the marvel that is my two boys. I don’t find them annoying or difficult and I don’t mind saying so.

Looking after them can be exhausting and now that I am working outside the home, the responsibilities beyond me are endless but what else would I be doing?! Getting my nails done? Reading a novel? Taking a pottery class? OK I’d love to get out on my bike one of these days and I am sure I will sooner or later but other than a bit of fresh air and exercise, what am I really missing? I remember those days when I thought the most important thing was achieving some level of personal enlightenment while sitting on a Left Bank bench by the River Seine. Everything was meant to be romantic, meaningful and fulfilling in my life. I was going to be cool forever and definitely marry a rock star. Hello Reality.  Admittedly it sucks not being so cool anymore but believe me once these boys get old enough to tell me, I will be officially decreed ‘un cool’ by the two ultimate authorities. That’s a given, so why sweat it.

Continue Reading →

April 20, 2012
by KpS
4 Comments

One More Ski

Spring is springing in most parts of the world but here in our little mountain valley we still have a thick blanket of snow to melt through. At this time of year when most of us are downright sick of the white stuff (in our backyards at least), that snow is only good for one thing:  Another opportunity to get our 15 month old boys on skis!

So last weekend we packed up the boys and their Spiderman skis and headed out to the Whistler Kids learning hill on Blackcomb and let them goof around a bit. Continue Reading →

April 18, 2012
by KpS
6 Comments

Hi Ho Hi Ho It’s Off to Work We Go…

It would appear that working and blogging are not compatible, at least not quite yet. I am in my third week back at work and although the ‘getting back to work’ part has been great, the leaving the boys and losing my dog and commuting part have been a little much!

To top that we also decided to finally take back our house and re-arrange the boys so that they are in their own room (no longer sharing their nursery with our office). This moves us back to the master bedroom, way up in our loft so the separation anxiety continues for me. Yes, I have a baby monitor and Yes, I can hear them even without the baby monitor because the house is tiny but I am no longer sleeping literally next door. I can’t hear ever sniffle and sneeze quite the same way I could before and that makes my sleep just a little more restless.

Hi Ho Hi Ho – It’s off to work we go! Continue Reading →

April 2, 2012
by KpS
3 Comments

She Did it Again

She did it again. Somehow even in passing, Nico saved me again.

Today has come and almost gone without the waves of sadness and guilt I expected to feel and this, once more is all thanks to her. You see; today was my first day back at work. After over two years of pregnancy and nurturing babies I have made the leap back into the workforce and am no longer a ‘stay at home’ mom. Needless to say, I was tortured by the transition. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited to jump back into the rat race (I know that’s crazy but I really was!) but I couldn’t imagine leaving the boys for 8 hours a day. What if they cry non-stop? Don’t nap? Don’t eat? Get a fat lip or a really bad diaper rash? Feel abandoned and are scared for life? The irrational list goes on!

What happened this weekend took the focus completely away from leaving the boys and starting my new job. The truth is, my mind and my heart is full of Nico. I have her here with me in my new Pemberton office. Her photo and her spirit. What could potentially have been the most difficult transition of my life was actually easy compared to Saturday! I know those boys are in good hands with our wonderful nanny and I know I can be home in twenty minutes. They probably don’t even know I’m gone…

Love

KpS

March 31, 2012
by KpS
11 Comments

The Passing of Neeks

It is with a heavy heart and a shining spirit that I write about the passing of my big eared, huge hearted hugga bear Nico. In my arms, she took her last breath today and it wasn’t until the stillness of that moment that I realized just how much she really had been suffering these past weeks.

There is some trickery involved in saying good bye to your pal of fourteen years. I was waiting for a sign and missing the point. Finally, yesterday I realized the light in her eyes was out and that lovely bushy tail had not wagged in so long I couldn’t even remember. It was her time and not only had she tried to tell me, but now Pika was telling me too. I just refused to listen because I couldn’t bear it.

I suppose I wasn’t prepared for the struggle with the ultimate pet responsibility even though we knew it was coming. Her stubborn spirit would have kept on but thankfully I didn’t make her.

Baby Nico

There is much to say about Nico’s long and auspicious life. She was funny, vibrant and full of tricks. She was an expert mountain biker and chipmunk chaser. Her life started out rather precariously but once she was rescued from that snowy ditch as a puppy she grew to positively thrive. She loved her boyfriend Bosco and even her new little sister Pika. She was kind and gentle with all children, especially our boys. Continue Reading →

March 18, 2012
by KpS
6 Comments

Talking and Tumbling

The word ‘Knee’ and Fat Lip #3 reminded me it is time to say hello again! Yes, the K-Man has managed to get his third bloody lip and all his brother has managed to do is stick a bungee chord hook through his cheek. Seriously though, is this normal? 3 bloody lips already?

Well the other momentous thing besides the walking is word #2 – Knee. So here is how it is stacking up: Yes The A Man has word #1 and word  #2, a pretty adventurous walk/run plus a hole in his cheek under his belt but his brother has three fat lips, no real discernible words but he waved first…I’d say they are both caught up when it comes to walking. I am trying and trying and trying to get video of this but honestly every time I pull out the camera, the fun stops and the whining begins. So be it. You are just going to have to trust me, they are learning to walk and they are like pin balls in a machine. Sometimes their heads collide, sometimes their lips get bloody and almost always it is downright hilarious.

As for other upadates around here: The sun came out and I got some skiing in. Yay for me! My betrothed got more fantastic ski shots and we got out on the toboggan again.

Oh and by the way, this mamma is going back to work so I am going to lose the Stay at Home part of the ‘Mom’ moniker but I will elaborate more on that one in a later post.

Love

KpS

 

 

February 23, 2012
by KpS
2 Comments

Photo Catch Up

I’ll admit I haven’t been very good with the camera lately. I am blaming everything on the bungee chord incident but really it has changed my perspective. I feel like I was pretty relaxed about stuff before that and now it seems that taking my eye off the boys for the time it takes to take a photo is just too dangerous!

OK I’m exaggerating somewhat but Continue Reading →