A Few Days Away

Tomorrow night the hubby and kids are putting me on a plane, and they won't see me until Sunday afternoon! I'm headed out to British Columbia, to visit my grandmother. I promised her when we went out for Grandpa's funeral that I would be coming for a visit this fall. I realized, when I checked into flights to go to the funeral, that it was cheaper than I had expected - making it something attainable. I only wish I had checked before and could have visited grandad one last time.

So I'll be arriving at her house with a rented car and will be spending a few days, just Grandma and me. I'm looking forward to the time away from my family (I know it's bad), and hope I'm refreshed with a new perspective when I come home.

That means of course, that Mark will be on his own for a few days. It's amazing how much he gets done when I'm gone; last time he completely renovated the bathroom. It makes me wonder what it is that stops him from doing those things when I am at home? Ah well, I know I'm lucky to have a husband so willing to take on the kids and the house for a few days. He cooks and does the minimal cleaning and gets the kids to bed better than I do!

I'll be packing and doing laundry etc in preparations for my trip. I'll check in when I come home!

Introducing Queenie

A few days ago, Mark was getting ready to head home for lunch when a half-starved, half-friendly pretty kitty came running up to him. Now, where he works is out in the middle of nowhere. He immediately called me and asked me if I still wanted a cat for the barn and of course, I said yes. I want a cat to keep down the mice, and no barnyard is complete without cats!

Queenie was purring when I met her. I'm guessing she may have been a pet at one time, but lost her way and has been living in the bush for some time. We've set her up in the barn with an old pillow and and a roll of fleece I meant to use for some craft project. I bring her warm watered-down milk every morning, along with a big bowl of food. She mews from the corner, shyly and then dives right into the food as though it's her last meal.

We weren't if she would stay or not, so we didn't tell the kids at first. Conner's still trying to get over the loss of Titten (another story to be told). But she's still here after 3 days, so we sat them down and told them about Queenie last night. We laid down the rules and explained why - no dogs and no visits unless with Mom or Dad. I think he actually might listen.

The best part - I named her, and Conner thought it was great! He hated all my puppy names but likes the kitty name, go figure! This weekend, we're going to add another barn cat from Mom and Dad's. She's also alone and I'm hoping the two can bond and keep each other warm. *fingers crossed*

I would post a picture if I had my camera cords. *grumble*

The 5 That Are Actually 4!

Earlier this week, Stacey at Taylor Tidbits tagged me with a list of 5 things .. but it's actually 4. Conner would have a difficult time with this and would try to get "someone" to fix it - but hey, I like it and don't want a fix! Sorry guy.

So here is my list:

1- Show both hands in writing something

I *still* haven't found my camera cords.. hmm maybe I should look into some organization tips! I'm slowly unpacking and discovering new things every day! Oh well.. it's not pretty. I'm a very strong righty.

2- list 5 of your 50/50's..

#1 Spring OR Summer

#2 Sushi OR

Steak

#3 Spring OR Autumn

#4 Puppy Breath OR

Freshly fluffed bedsheets

#5 Yellow OR Lavender

3- 5 pet peeves

#1 Noisy eating - yuck

#2 Passing on the shoulder

#3 Loud talking

#4 Closed Mindedness (yes it's a word!)

#5 Birds that sing at 4am

5- 5 things that don't mix well.

#1 Pet cats and Pet birds

#2 Puppies and Carpet

#3 Public + Fountain

#4 Grandparents and Pediatricians

#5 Apple + Cheese - though I know people that SWEAR it's good

Puppy Preschool

We have over a week under our belts now with Max. We've learned that primarily, Max likes to chew.

He is especially fond of Robyn's special plush mousie, so much so that Mousie now has to stay upstairs in her room so that she does not become a Maxie victim. I don't think Robyn would ever forgive him. We have plenty of toys for Max; chew toys, rope toys, rubber rings, but the puppy has discerning taste and shows a preference towards anything that is of the children's. It's working in my favor though! Toys left on the floor are prime puppy fodder and the kids are learning quickly to keep their stuff picked up. Yay!

Max is learning some commands. He has work to do and has been trying to dominate over the kids, so Mark and I are watching him and them closely and putting him in his place - at the bottom of the pack. He's still such a baby and I think because of his size, it's tempting to expect more of him than he's actually capable.

• Off - four paws on the floor
• No bite - not even nibble. Max can take my whole face in his mouth already at just over 9 weeks.. this one is very important for him to learn.
• Bedtime - he doesn't like kennel time, but is doing alot better at night with Sasha's bed outside his kennel door. She's unimpressed with the bedroom move from the living room to the kitchen. She gets over the pout when they both get their bedtime treat.
• Outside, Good pee - Max HATES going outside.

We're having lots of laughs and lots of learning! Can't wait to show pictures of our new baby. Camera cords still missing!

A Rocky, Kootenay Summer Vacation!

This is most definitely been a long time coming, but better late than never! My husband and I planned a summer vacation this past year tailored towards our kids. At 5 and 2, we built in lots of stops and bypassed some sights, like museums, that we'll leave for next time.

So for the curious, here are the highlights of our family vacation in British Columbia: (in order by visit)

1. Takakkaw Falls: We drove through Banff National Park, but did not stop at the sights. Instead, we travelled straight on to Field. Our first destination was Takakkaw Falls. A warning: this drive is not for the feint of heart or for those with long trailers (tight cutbacks on the side of the mountain to maneuver),or for those that don't want to take the 30 mile (45 mins one way)drive. However, if you can do it, the trip is worth your effort! The natural trails leading to the waterfall were fun for the kids to explore; over roots, around boulders, and along the river. At the base of the falls was a rock slide area with giant boulders perfect for my little climber, Conner.

2. The Northern Lights Wolf Centre: Leaving Golden on Highway 1 headed towards Revelstoke is perhaps the best wildlife sanctuary I have toured. Specifically built and targetted towards education about wolves as part of a healthy ecosystem, this wildlife sanctuary is home to several rescued wolves. The atmosphere is casual, and not your typical touristy stop. It's not flashy and doesn't have alot of the amenities family type places often have to offer. You can purchase basic snacks and of course support the sanctuary by buying souvenirs, but the attraction is the education you receive by the small guided tour and the chance to see the wolves up close. Admittedly, the children were too young to fully appreciate this stop, but it was a great first introduction and we plan to go again. For kids that couldn't handle listening and waiting on the tour, a table with coloring is centrally placed and easily monitored.

3. Glacier and Mount Revelstoke National Parks: There are some great campgrounds, hiking trails, lakes, rivers and sights to see. We camped outside the parks at Albert Canyon Hotsprings under the Hemlocks and then made day trips to some of the hikes suited for small legs.

Skunk Cabbage Trail: This boardwalk hike was fairly short (we walked the whole trail and extended portion in about 45 minutes). The trail winds through a unique natural wetland that is home to the strange skunk cabbage plant. A stopover for migrating birds, this is a birders' paradise. The brochure lists a good chance to see Steller's Jay, Chestnut-backed Chickadee, Western Tanager, American Dippers, Magnolia Warbler, Black-headed Grosbeak, Rufous Hummingbird, Yellow Warbler, Townsend's Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Merlin, and several species of Empidonax flycatchers along the Skunk Cabbage Boardwalk Trail.

The skunk cabbage is important as it is a favorite food of bears. The habitat is very important to their health and survival. Unfortunately, with the highway being so close, many bears are killed trying to cross the road to access this important food source.

The highlight for the kids was the giant pollywogs. We're not used to tadpoles this large back in Alberta! We spent quite a bit of time on our hands and knees watching them swim about in the water and trying to spot the ones with legs. I loved the opportunity to teach the kids about amphibians like frogs, and for them to see and hear the beautiful sounds in the wetland from all the birds and local inhabitants.

Giant Cedars Trail: While a bit more challenging, both kids navigated this trail up and down several long sets of stairs with ease. The trail makes a loop up and into a rainforest, taking you under a canopy of mjastic and ancient Hemlocks. Toadstools, ferns, birds, squirrels and other wildlife were spotted along the trail. A babbling brook added to the ambience. While not as exciting as the skunk cabbage trail for the kids, Mark and I were happy to have had the chance to relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the forest.

4. The Enchanted Forest: We made this a day trip, as it's not a very far drive from where we were camping. From Revelstoke it's a beautiful drive and well worth the stop. They've recently added an adventure park there for older families: walking on ropes in the trees in Sky Trek Adventure Park. The Enchanted Forest is home to every fairy tale known. Under the canopy of the giant trees, it's a calm walk along the dirt path. There are forts and a ship for the kids to climb on, houses to explore and fish to feed. For those wanting a longer hike, there is a beaver pond complete with tiny rowboats and life jackets. It's unsupervised and about a 2mile round trip hike, but we had fun! This is a stop we plan to come back to time and time again.

We did make some other stops, and our vacation continued for about another week to join with family on a houseboat, and then out to my grandfather's burial plot at Tatlayoko Lake in the Chilcotin. But for the most part, these were the tourist-type highlights that I'd not hesitate to suggest to others with younger children. Or older, for that matter, as we plan to return to all of these again as we pass through in future years. I loved the chance to spend this time with the kids with no televisions or computers or anything much at all except each other's company.

Mommy, I'm in Love

Last Thursday night, a few hours after coming home, my son finally started sharing about his school day. It takes Conner some time to decompress, and normally I don't get to hear about his day until the next day or later, if at all.

He came up to me with a shy half smile and adorable flush and half whispered, "Mom, I have a girlfriend and I love her."

Me: Really? What's her name? (Inside I'm counting the years and thinking, isn't this puppy love bit coming too soon? I'm trying to keep the panic off my face)
Conner: I forget. But we play at every recess. I love her.
Me: Is she in your class?
Conner: No, she's in Grade 1 (The nerve, picking up the babies in Kindergarten!)
Me: (Getting smart) I'm glad you're making some friends at your new school Buddy! Your new friend sounds very nice.
Conner: She's my girlfriend. I love her very, very much.
Me: (in my head: You're barely out of diapers, how can you possibly love someone you've played with on the playground for 2 days! You - don't - even - know - her - name.) I think you mean your friend, that is a girl, right honey? Just like you have friends that are boys. (I then look at Daddy for help)
Mark: Mom's right buddy. You can like your friends very much and we're happy you're getting some friends, but we use words like love for our family and people we know for a long time.
Conner: Oh. See the toys I picked out to give (stumbles) My Friend That is a Girl? And see this picture? That's her and that's me. I'm giving it to her so she can think of me when she goes home at night.
Me: (coughing and choking on my words - this is hard for me to take) Conner you are too young to have a girlfriend.
Conner: (laughs) No, I'm not! (looks to Dad to share a laugh about his crazy Mom)
Me: Tell ya what, if when you are 12 (counts 7 years with him on his fingers) you still think you love her, than you can call her your girlfriend. But my rules say no girlfriends til then ok?
Conner: Ok. (matter of factly and slowly speaking as though I am the child) But I do love her and I'll just call her my girlfriend to myself (leaves room).

Now don't get me wrong. It is cute as heck. The adorable smile, blush, shy voice - everything. But I've got history with this kid. This is the kid that up until a few months ago had no friends. None. He cried about it almost daily. This is the kid that has choked kids on the playground while on the slide with misplaced understanding of what fun means. Overstimulation from noise and movement doesn't help... This is the kid that has taken beatings from bullies on the playground because it meant that he was noticed and maybe next time they would be nice. (His rationalization when we put the run on the kids and rescued our little boy)

He's had such a struggle learning to socialize that I fear one of his first experience with a potentially longer lasting friendship (small school), could be misunderstood. Conner has wanted so badly to fit in and be just like the other kids that I am worried he's placing too much faith and trust on one poor little girl's shoulders. She probably doesn't even realize the stir her friendliness and kind gestures have caused my little boy. Let's learn to walk before we run, please, little man. (sigh, this is the baby that started walking at 6months of age and running at 9months)

I'm not ready to mend broken hearts. And his is to young to even have any fissures... no breaking allowed. (this is the part that Mark starts to smile and tell me to relax)

Max Attack!

We picked up our new/replacement puppy yesterday! (See Goodbye, Buster for background) The breeder had given us the pick, with a suggestion towards one of the more unique-colored males; a patchwork with browns, greys and blacks, with bands of speckles across his face and paws. As beautiful as he was... my eye and attention kept going to the biggest boy in the litter. He was the only one with wagging tail, following Conner around the pen. He also showed his alpha tendency by growling and barking at the other dogs clamoring outside the pen. That's the personality I want; despite it meaning a tougher training period ahead due to his (presumed) strong will.

Pictures soon!! The move seemed to have swallowed the USB upload cables for the digital cameras. He's a grey with black leopard spots, with light brown/rust on his snout, tips of his ears, feet, tip of his tail and some on his belly. He has one blue (wall)eye, one brown. The first name that came to mind was Rusty. That is his sire's name though, so this puppy should have his own name. Yes, we anthropomorphize all our pets.

Conner's suggestions were Starwars or Steroid (??what??) and shot down everything I had to suggest. Funny how that works. I called Mark on the cell and asked for strong names, historically. His mother is 90lbs, and his father is at least the same or larger. This 8 week old puppy is going to be a brute, and I thought should have a fitting name. He suggested Maximus, from General Maximus, Gladiator. Conner, in true form, agreed with his father and thus our new puppy is known as Max. I actually think of Mad Max, not for the dog as it's a Blue Heeler, and I really have no reason except who can resist Mel? It's only been about 12 hours and he's starting to respond, at least to our voices if not the name.

Night one was kind of rough, Max cried for about 10 minutes before falling asleep. (Yay, that went well) A few hours later he woke up and I took him outside to pee. We had unplanned playtime, and then I put him back to bed. This time it didn't go so smoothly.... I ended up sleeping on the couch with my hand beside the crate for the rest of the night. I know he's a bit young to crate train for long term periods, but this is our best option at night right now. Considering he and his littermates are farm/barn raised I don't think we're being too horrible.

So Max is home. I have a new baby and a new schedule. He's already reminded me in the short time we've had him why I hand babies back to their Moms and go home to my potty trained, sleep through the night children. Thankfully, and sadly, this particular puppy stage won't last very long.

Choosing the road less travelled...

I've always been a bad sheep. I don't follow very well, and if I must (as there are times we all must be followers), I try to do so in a way that I'm still different even if it's only in my own little mind. (A scary place to wander indeed)

Some big decisions and changes in my own and my family's life again is proof of my unconscious choices to be different:

1. Stay At Home Mom

Ok, ok, I'm not inventing something new here obviously! But how many of you know Moms who work when the babies are babies.. then transition to home full-time when the children start school?

Backwards? Not in CeeCee land!!

We have reasons, but it is humorous to see the reactions from people trying to figure out why we have made this move now. I don't even try to explain that it took me 6 years of marriage and two children now out of diapers to decide I like being domestic and want to do it full-time...

2. New family dog

So we move to the acreage and decide we want a guard dog. Nothing out of the ordinary there... so I complicate it and pick a breed that has few breeders in this area. Why? Just look at him! Now that's different.

Ok, ok.. again, there are other very good reasons we(I) chose this breed, but it does help that he's so different. (Poor, poor Buster - we're going this weekend to pick up his replacement).

3. Cattle

So with our new acreage I can finally have a few cattle once again. Grass fed, natural (hormone free) beef to put in the freezer is something that interests me greatly. I could walk, literally, down my driveway and buy cheap cows or heifers to realize this goal. But nooooooo... I want Highland Cattle! If you need to know why click the pic, there's more adorable pictures and breed history. (They are healthier beef in addition to being so cute).

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It's me and my family showing our personality and way of life. We're different, and I like it. Do you purposely make yourself different? I'd love to hear it! (I won't feel so alone, ha!) If you post it on your blog, send me an email or comment your address so I can link it here for everyone to see. Perhaps we can find some common ground in our differences, eh?

Goodbye, Buster

We picked up our puppy on Wednesday, after what had seemed to be a very long time but was actually only 30 days! He rode home on Conner's lap the entire way, sleeping and snuggling our boy who made sure to let us know how happy he was with this happy change. (We've been putting words to changes in his life and encouraging him tell us the happy and unhappy changes as he sees them).

Sadly, all hasn't continued on that happy plane. Upon arriving home we realized quickly that something was wrong - Buster couldn't see. It took us 2 days of watching and monitoring, and then testing to finally admit that our long awaited and already beloved puppy is indeed blind. We booked an appointment for yesterday, and they confirmed our worst fears; while Buster could have a productive life in a controlled environment, an acreage life is not the best option for this pup. One of the veterinarians that assessed him offered him a special needs home. It's up to the breeder though, so we've passed the information on in dire hopes he isn't destroyed.

The breeders are extremely apologetic and have given us pick of the litter for the next litter available (very soon), and we've arranged to take Buster back tonight. It's too hard to have him here any longer than needed. It's been heartbreaking for Mark and I to make the decision, and Conner hasn't really accepted that Buster has to leave us. I don't blame him!

sigh

So, hopefully soon we'll have a new puppy. Buster will never be replaced, he's too special a dog, even for the short time that we've gotten to love him. What's important is that we don't act selfishly and make Buster suffer for it, a lesson I'm hoping to impart on our children as responsible pet owners in the making.

Goodbye Buster, you'll be missed.