I am Not your average hockey mom. I do not get excited about getting up early to sit and chitchat and gossip with other moms. I am the Mom who actively avoids all eye contact. The Mom who finds the chair furtheredt away from any other person.
I am the hockey mom who is the only mom who didn't put their hand up when asked about participating in an out of town tournament with our six year olds (who, haven't actually even played a game against another team yet). But sure, good idea let's head to another small Alberta town and play hockey! Good idea, high five.
I am the Hockey mom who strongly disagrees with ordering 'team' sweatshirts for our six years olds. Here is how I foresee that going. We spend a fortune on a sweater (under armour no less) that our child will wear for possibly four months until the season is over or until it is too small. Then this sweater will end up on the racks of value village.
I am the hockey mom who disagrees with team Christmas parties. In what world should a Christmas party for our six year olds cost $800. The kids have enough going on at Christmas.
I am the Mom that gets looks from all the other parents, perhaps wondering why I seem so miserable. Fact is, I'm not miserable at all. I am merely remembering what hockey really is for a six year old and that is FUN! We don't need all these committees and 'jobs' and expense for six year old hockey. Let them play. All the kids really want is to look up into the stands while they play and wave at their mom or dad. They would not notice either way if they had a Christmas party or sweater. They just want to play hockey.
I get it, I am a single mom who doesn't have the same income as many or most of these parents. But get a grip people.
The hockey world is a little out of control.
Thankfully, the one joy I get in terms of hockey is the pure passion that I see from Wyatt every time he gets on the ice! Wyatt lives and breathes hockey. If he isn't on the ice he is down the street playing with the neighbours, or requesting to watch hockey on tv. There is nothing more amazing as a parent then to watch your son get to play, learn and excel at something he loves so much!
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
My Pursuit of Happiness
This past year has been one of the most challenging years of my life. It has been filled with some of the highest of highs followed by the lowest of lows. I made some huge changes in my life in the pursuit of happiness.
I've made new friends and lost old friends along the way. I had a hard time understanding how one can walk away from a friendship I had held dear. I have learned to move on, to forgive and forget. Throughout this process I had old friends check in on me and new friends who never left my side. I am forever grateful for all of their love and support.
My confidence took a huge hit. No matter how many people I had around me I felt alone. I was a hot mess. In the start I don't think a day went by that I didn't cry. Not because I doubted my decision but because I was scared. I was scared to be alone, I was scared about money, I was scared about my future, I was sad to not see my kids. I didn't want to burden anyone with my problems. Being away from my kids for a week at a time was the hardest thing for me to get used to. Having been with them 24/7 for 6 years to suddenly not see them for 7 days broke my heart every time (and it still does). I have learned to keep myself and my mind busy and to maximize every minute when I have my boys.
I learned to cope. I realized that life is one giant learning curve. One day you think you think you are sitting pretty, have it all figured out. The next day you are hit with what you think is an unfathomable problem that you will never make it through. But you do, you just keep going.
I am glad to say that I have finally reached a place of happiness. A place where I finally feel content. This is not to say I don't have breakdowns every now and then. Those closest to me have seen me breakdown crying for really no particular reason. But these are getting further and further apart.
I am excited for my fresh start. I am excited for my gym, the gym is my place of happiness. The people I have met through Perpetual and the energy of everyone in the gym brings a smile to my face everyday. I have purchased a new home for my boys and I! I can't even express how proud I am of myself. I have never done something like this, i have never been in control of my own money, my own purchases, my own life. Being able to bring my kids home to a home that is OURS, that we will create together brings me so much joy!
My greatest love is my boys. Watching them grow into the amazing little men that they are! Their hugs and 'I Love you Mom' keep me going. Their nighttime cuddles, their silly antics, their goofiness fill my heart! I look in their eyes and I can see that them just being with me is ALL that they need. And it is ALL that i need.
This entire process has shown me that people come into my life at the perfect time for the perfect reason. I am truly blessed and so grateful for everyone (family and friends) who has stepped up and supported me through this. I feel nothing but love for you all!
I've made new friends and lost old friends along the way. I had a hard time understanding how one can walk away from a friendship I had held dear. I have learned to move on, to forgive and forget. Throughout this process I had old friends check in on me and new friends who never left my side. I am forever grateful for all of their love and support.
My confidence took a huge hit. No matter how many people I had around me I felt alone. I was a hot mess. In the start I don't think a day went by that I didn't cry. Not because I doubted my decision but because I was scared. I was scared to be alone, I was scared about money, I was scared about my future, I was sad to not see my kids. I didn't want to burden anyone with my problems. Being away from my kids for a week at a time was the hardest thing for me to get used to. Having been with them 24/7 for 6 years to suddenly not see them for 7 days broke my heart every time (and it still does). I have learned to keep myself and my mind busy and to maximize every minute when I have my boys.
I learned to cope. I realized that life is one giant learning curve. One day you think you think you are sitting pretty, have it all figured out. The next day you are hit with what you think is an unfathomable problem that you will never make it through. But you do, you just keep going.
I am glad to say that I have finally reached a place of happiness. A place where I finally feel content. This is not to say I don't have breakdowns every now and then. Those closest to me have seen me breakdown crying for really no particular reason. But these are getting further and further apart.
I am excited for my fresh start. I am excited for my gym, the gym is my place of happiness. The people I have met through Perpetual and the energy of everyone in the gym brings a smile to my face everyday. I have purchased a new home for my boys and I! I can't even express how proud I am of myself. I have never done something like this, i have never been in control of my own money, my own purchases, my own life. Being able to bring my kids home to a home that is OURS, that we will create together brings me so much joy!
My greatest love is my boys. Watching them grow into the amazing little men that they are! Their hugs and 'I Love you Mom' keep me going. Their nighttime cuddles, their silly antics, their goofiness fill my heart! I look in their eyes and I can see that them just being with me is ALL that they need. And it is ALL that i need.
This entire process has shown me that people come into my life at the perfect time for the perfect reason. I am truly blessed and so grateful for everyone (family and friends) who has stepped up and supported me through this. I feel nothing but love for you all!
Saturday, May 23, 2015
The fresh smell of poop
Ok so i admit it, last night, for the first time in a long time I had a few margaritas. I had friends over and actually enjoyed my night. It was hot. The house was a flapping' sauna. So by the time I went to bed I was sweating. For some reason (well actually not for some reason, because I live out of my car) all of my pyjama pants were in the car and I was MUCH too lazy to go and get them so I slept in my underwear. (I'm painting you a picture, I am actually going somewhere with this).
Exhausted and sleeping, 7 am comes. I hear this little voice from the bathroom. 'Mom, when I was peeing some poop came out'. I roll over and tell him(Wyatt) that sometimes that happens. Assuming he can deal with this issue himself I go back to sleep. 2 minutes later, 'Mom, there is poop on my foot and some on the floor'. I grumble and roll out of bed. Staggering to the bathroom in just my underwear and no glasses I come across Wyatt in the bathroom. I was hit with an overwhelming smell of poop. I look down and see Wyatt, COVERED in poop, and no word of a lie, POOP everywhere.
The only thing I can think of is going back to sleep, I feel ill (and now even more sick and dry heaving in the bathroom). I go back to my room and search for my glasses, they are nowhere to be found. The house stinks. I find my glasses. I wonder HOW on freaking earth did this happen and WHY today. Honestly, why today. To spare you from the details, I clean Wyatt up and put him in the bath. ALL i want to do is go back to sleep, but what kind of parent would I be if I put my kid in the bath and then fell asleep. I wait for Wyatt to clean up. I go do a laundry. The house STINKS. I realize that SOMEHOW poop got on the carpet. This is perfect for selling a house. Poopstained carpet. PLEASE come buy our house. I clean up the carpet. STILL can't find any pants. WHERE are ALL my pants!
Finally everything is cleaned up. Wyatt, the bathroom, the carpet, my foot (yes I stepped in poop) and i'm ready to go back to bed. Well great, in the meantime Ethan has woken up and the boys are ready to play. I try to sleep through the playing, but they are playing superheros and apparently super hero YELL!
My morning, all before 7:30 am.
Exhausted and sleeping, 7 am comes. I hear this little voice from the bathroom. 'Mom, when I was peeing some poop came out'. I roll over and tell him(Wyatt) that sometimes that happens. Assuming he can deal with this issue himself I go back to sleep. 2 minutes later, 'Mom, there is poop on my foot and some on the floor'. I grumble and roll out of bed. Staggering to the bathroom in just my underwear and no glasses I come across Wyatt in the bathroom. I was hit with an overwhelming smell of poop. I look down and see Wyatt, COVERED in poop, and no word of a lie, POOP everywhere.
The only thing I can think of is going back to sleep, I feel ill (and now even more sick and dry heaving in the bathroom). I go back to my room and search for my glasses, they are nowhere to be found. The house stinks. I find my glasses. I wonder HOW on freaking earth did this happen and WHY today. Honestly, why today. To spare you from the details, I clean Wyatt up and put him in the bath. ALL i want to do is go back to sleep, but what kind of parent would I be if I put my kid in the bath and then fell asleep. I wait for Wyatt to clean up. I go do a laundry. The house STINKS. I realize that SOMEHOW poop got on the carpet. This is perfect for selling a house. Poopstained carpet. PLEASE come buy our house. I clean up the carpet. STILL can't find any pants. WHERE are ALL my pants!
Finally everything is cleaned up. Wyatt, the bathroom, the carpet, my foot (yes I stepped in poop) and i'm ready to go back to bed. Well great, in the meantime Ethan has woken up and the boys are ready to play. I try to sleep through the playing, but they are playing superheros and apparently super hero YELL!
My morning, all before 7:30 am.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
A blog-worthy night
For those of you are new to my blog page.... first of all WELCOME. A few years ago I would write a daily blog post of the trials of semi-single motherhood (or wife of a oil-patch worker). These post were not meant to complain about my life or attempt to show you how ridiculously difficult it is being a mother at times but more to just VENT for myself with a little added humour. And hopefully help other struggling mothers know that they are not alone.
Things settled down, life got easier, the kids were growing up and my days were not so stressful. Less things to blog about. Well the stress level seems to have increased tremendously in the last few months. Perhaps due to the fact that we have brought a puppy into the mix, or maybe because the kids are exhausted from school, or perhaps that our life (as i'm sure with many is like a rat race, racing here and there all day).
I knew the dog would add to the crazy but I do not regret our decision to add a furry friend to the family. We all love Kai and to be honest he is the least of my worries. He has been absolutely wonderful teaching the kids responsibility. And by kids I mostly mean just Ethan. Ethan feeds the dog in the morning and then again at night. Kai waits by the gate for Ethan to come down the stairs. Whenever we get home Ethan immediately takes the dog outside for a pee. Wyatt's relationship with the dog is slightly different. He hasn't quite mastered the technique of being CALM and GENTLE around the dog. Anyways that is an entire different post in itself.
Anyways back to the stress level. Let me just tell you about my night last night. I went to bed late last night (and by late i mean 9:15). I was awoken from a deep sleep around 10:34 to the sound of someone peeing. At first I thought it was one of the boys peeing in the toilet, but as I listened closer I realized it was not the sound of pee on water. Got up and wandered into Wyatt's room. There he is, pants around his ankles, peeing on the floor. Saaaayyyyy whhhhhhhaaaat?? What are you doing Wyatt? "Just peeing momma". As I zombie-walk around the house looking for towels (which I usually keep in the hall closet, but Kelly prefers them under random sinks). So none in the hall closet, I keep searching. Wyatt is rooting around in his drawer for some new pajama pants. I find a towel. Do a semi-decent clean up then try to help Wyatt. He won't just put on the first pair of jammie pants he sees. No he is searching for a particular pair which may, or may-not, be in his drawer. After a small argument and me attempting to keep him from waking the dog (ohhhhh please don't bark Kai) he settles on a pair and is back in bed.
I go back to sleep. Around 1 am Ethan comes barrelling in saying he has peed his bed. He has done an entire outfit changed, towelled up his bed on his own and crawls in with me. Instead of going to check the disastrous wet bed in his room I turn over and go back to sleep. That is something I can deal with in the morning. Good, everyone has now peed and is back to sleep. I can relax.
5 am comes, i hear the whimpering start (now I shouldn't complain because he has slept straight from 9:15-5 am) which is a great stretch. I quickly go take him to pee, put him back in the crate and go back to bed. Then..... the barking starts. I just had done some research and they said to let the dog bark (much like the cry it out method with babies). Except the problem is, sleeping through a baby crying is MUCH easier than sleeping through a dog barking. After two hours I give in and wake up for the day.
I am exhasuted, the kids are full of energy, as is the dog. Kai goes in for his shots today so we can FINALLY take him for walks. I am hoping that a daily dog walk will not only tire out Kai but also the kids. I mean here is to hoping!
Wyatt isn't starting the day on a great foot yet again. His listening skills are that of a, well i don't know, something that iso terrible at listening. In the past ten minutes Wyatt has already:
-Told me he hates me
-Told me I am not his mom anymore
-Called me a buttface
I am unphased.
Things settled down, life got easier, the kids were growing up and my days were not so stressful. Less things to blog about. Well the stress level seems to have increased tremendously in the last few months. Perhaps due to the fact that we have brought a puppy into the mix, or maybe because the kids are exhausted from school, or perhaps that our life (as i'm sure with many is like a rat race, racing here and there all day).
I knew the dog would add to the crazy but I do not regret our decision to add a furry friend to the family. We all love Kai and to be honest he is the least of my worries. He has been absolutely wonderful teaching the kids responsibility. And by kids I mostly mean just Ethan. Ethan feeds the dog in the morning and then again at night. Kai waits by the gate for Ethan to come down the stairs. Whenever we get home Ethan immediately takes the dog outside for a pee. Wyatt's relationship with the dog is slightly different. He hasn't quite mastered the technique of being CALM and GENTLE around the dog. Anyways that is an entire different post in itself.
Anyways back to the stress level. Let me just tell you about my night last night. I went to bed late last night (and by late i mean 9:15). I was awoken from a deep sleep around 10:34 to the sound of someone peeing. At first I thought it was one of the boys peeing in the toilet, but as I listened closer I realized it was not the sound of pee on water. Got up and wandered into Wyatt's room. There he is, pants around his ankles, peeing on the floor. Saaaayyyyy whhhhhhhaaaat?? What are you doing Wyatt? "Just peeing momma". As I zombie-walk around the house looking for towels (which I usually keep in the hall closet, but Kelly prefers them under random sinks). So none in the hall closet, I keep searching. Wyatt is rooting around in his drawer for some new pajama pants. I find a towel. Do a semi-decent clean up then try to help Wyatt. He won't just put on the first pair of jammie pants he sees. No he is searching for a particular pair which may, or may-not, be in his drawer. After a small argument and me attempting to keep him from waking the dog (ohhhhh please don't bark Kai) he settles on a pair and is back in bed.
I go back to sleep. Around 1 am Ethan comes barrelling in saying he has peed his bed. He has done an entire outfit changed, towelled up his bed on his own and crawls in with me. Instead of going to check the disastrous wet bed in his room I turn over and go back to sleep. That is something I can deal with in the morning. Good, everyone has now peed and is back to sleep. I can relax.
5 am comes, i hear the whimpering start (now I shouldn't complain because he has slept straight from 9:15-5 am) which is a great stretch. I quickly go take him to pee, put him back in the crate and go back to bed. Then..... the barking starts. I just had done some research and they said to let the dog bark (much like the cry it out method with babies). Except the problem is, sleeping through a baby crying is MUCH easier than sleeping through a dog barking. After two hours I give in and wake up for the day.
I am exhasuted, the kids are full of energy, as is the dog. Kai goes in for his shots today so we can FINALLY take him for walks. I am hoping that a daily dog walk will not only tire out Kai but also the kids. I mean here is to hoping!
Wyatt isn't starting the day on a great foot yet again. His listening skills are that of a, well i don't know, something that iso terrible at listening. In the past ten minutes Wyatt has already:
-Told me he hates me
-Told me I am not his mom anymore
-Called me a buttface
I am unphased.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Barf
The flu is alive an well in the Rogers Hawaiian home. Barf is one thing I just don't deal well with. I can barely handle puke when I puke but when it is someone eles I have a major issue. I mean I can take poop all over the walls but puke is a whole new can of worms.
After the gym yesterday Kelly began complaining of a sore stomach. I of course brushed that off. My stomach has been slightly sore all week. I assumed that it was caused by the large amounts of junkier food we had been eating lately. An hour later Kelly was literally a heap on the couch asleep. I'm not going to lie I was a little bit annoyed, my tummy hurt, i'd like a nap.... Anyways so I took the kids down to the pool to let him sleep in peace. We had a big night out planned last night. Claire and Jake were taking Kelly out for dinner at the Fairmont. I was so excited about it. I had a babysitter planned and really hadn't had a drink since Claire and Jake's wedding so I was very much looking forward to getting out for some fun. I figured a nap my pull Kelly out of his sickness.
While we were at the pool I got a text from Kelly informing me of his violently ill situation and that I needed to cancel the babysitter we would not be going out for dinner. I still wasn't quite convinced that we needed to cancel the entire night. So I didn't cancel the babysitter. When we got back up to the condo Kelly was laying in bed and the kids and I just were relaxing on the couch. Next thing I know I hear Kelly barfing from the the bathroom. There were three doors between me and him, none of which he closed. He came out and said 'Did you hear that'. Yes Kelly, you have not convinced me that you are infact sick. I was NOT convinced however that he could get better in the four hours we had until dinner. So still did not cancel the babysitter. I let Kelly sleep in hopes that his stomach would pull itself together. Finally around 5 he says he is not coming. I go into my room and have a silent cry then come back out and tell him I was so excited for tonight and was very disappointed. Obviously I knew there was nothing he could do about it. Anyways he agreed to come and just sit at the table with us.
Kelly hardly said a word on the way to the restaurant and had his hands wrapped around his waist. I even made him ginger tea before we left. They gave him gingerale and ginger candy at the restaurant but he just wasn't feeling good. So he took the car and headed home. Claire, Jake and I stayed and had a fantastic meal. Very sad Kelly couldn't be there with us.
After dinner we met friends at Moose's for drinks. I was like the 3rd 4th and 5th wheel all night but I still had fun and definitely had my fair share of drinks.
When i got home everyone was asleep, the boys are on the mattress in our room when we have guests. At about three 3 am I hear the distinct sound of projectile vomit. I sprang up and sure enough there was puke everywhere all over Wyatt and all the blankets. Thankfully I was able to hold in my dry heaves and get things cleaned up. Kelly and I were zombies, kelly dealt with Ethan and I put all the sheets in the wash. We put some secondary blankets down and got Ethan a bowl. The next two pukes he was able to go directly into the bowl which kept things clean. Kelly and I have given the boys our blankets from the bed so we were sleeping with dirty sandy beach towels on us. We finally made it through the night. Everyone was exhausted this morning but I had enough energy to head to the gym.
After lunch Kelly slept from 12-4 (it was like he hadn't come back from work yet). Claire, Jake and I took the boys to the pool and they had a ton of energy there. After the pool Wyatt crashed hard. He has been asleep since 2:30 this afternoon and it is 7 now and he is out cold. He has a terrible fever and we have the puke bowl ready for tonight. All I can hope is that I can somehow make it through this barf without catching it!
After lunch Kelly slept from 12-4 (it was like he hadn't come back from work yet). Claire, Jake and I took the boys to the pool and they had a ton of energy there. After the pool Wyatt crashed hard. He has been asleep since 2:30 this afternoon and it is 7 now and he is out cold. He has a terrible fever and we have the puke bowl ready for tonight. All I can hope is that I can somehow make it through this barf without catching it!
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Some Days you Gotta Dance
Well today was an adventure.....
This morning we got up as usual and headed to the gym. The lady from the daycare was 'sick'. The guy at the front desk said he would watch the kids and work the desk. I was ok with this because I really wanted to workout but I still had to rush my workout because I felt bad leaving my kids for that long with him. Anyways he had come up with some sort of payment game and the kids ended up leaving with a dollar worth of change each. So I guess we are ahead of the game.
The boys wanted to go to the pool today. I had bought them some new rings to dive for and they were very excited to try them out. So we got to the pool and we were the only ones there. PERFECT! We had the place to ourselves for a good half an hour. I kept checking the gate thinking I heard the HAG coming. Then .... there she was. She breezed in, walked an inch away from me with a big sneer on her face and walked right by me. I quickly texted mom to tell her the hag had arrived. She quickly texted me back to remind me to take the high road. I was going to take the high road, but I was also going to defend my kids. I was ready, ready for some confrontation. Then I heard the gate open again. A very friendly man walked through. He stopped and chatted with me about the boys then proceeded to go and lay down next to HAG. She was still giving me the evil eye but her husband was very wonderful! I was a little shocked! Anyways I kind of had a sense of relief knowing that she had a sensible side (her husband). I took the kids home after that to give them some peace and quiet.
After a quick lunch the kids and I headed to get groceries in Paia. Our favourite store in the world is MANA foods, we go there every Saturday to load up on the healthy stuff. Paia is about 30 minutes away from us and it is always VERY busy. There is always a line up getting into town and it is a lot of stop and go. So we were in the line to town and the air conditioner stopped working. So I opened the windows. I recently bought the kids the CARS soundtrack and no word of a lie we have been listening to the CD on repeat for two weeks. So we had it blasting with all the windows open. Boys were singing and dancing in the back seat. We finally got to the Mana parking lots and were doing circles until we found a spot. The windows were still open and Ethan says 'Mom it smells like farts'. I naturally (lol) took a big whiff. It didn't smell farts it smelt like someones engine burning. I thought nothing of it and kept circling. On the next round Ethan says 'Mom the car is smoking'. I look at the hood.... CRAP... our car is smoking. It was just a little, but our temperature gage was at top temperature. Here I am freaking out just a little but kept circling because there was nowhere to stop. Then the smoke started coming... more, then more, then it was BILLOWING out of the hood. People were flagging me over and waving at me to stop (because I guess they thought I couldn't see the smoke in front of my face). I had no where to go but with some crazy luck someone pulled out of a spot right in front of me and I pulled in. We all jumped out and a huge amount of liquid spilled under the car.
SO the kids and I were just sitting in the middle of the parking lot and I just couldn't help but laugh. Seriously? Did this just happen to me? It is almost like Maui was trying to tell us to GET OFF THE ISLAND. Well sorry Maui I see your signs, but we are STAYING. So I had a little laugh with the kids and got on the phone to budget. Of course I don't have a phone plan and was on hold for over 30 minutes with budget (that is gonna be pricy). I took the kids over to a little cafe and bought them a snack and the worlds best smoothie and talked to the budget lady.
We were told it would take 2 hours for them to deliver us a new car. I really wasn't looking forward to attempting to entertain the kids in a shopping town for two hours. But the kids and I wandered around for awhile then we went and got our groceries from Mana. I decided that due to stress I needed a Mana cookie (Best cookie in the world). It was delicious... didn't even share with the kids I ate it so fast. The new car only ended up taking about an hour. We went to the car and took everything out. The back seat and the trunk were left with a 2 inch thick sludge of sand and crackers. The tow truck pulled up with a brand new car. We had a versa and now have a flashy little fully loaded Sentra. We jumped in and it is BRAND new. Only 4 miles on the car.... I wonder how long it will take the sand and crackers to consume the back seat.
On the way home the kids insisted we put the cars CD into the new car, we cranked up the tunes and danced the whole way home. Surprisingly happy considering the very long day that had just taken place! What was meant to be a quick trip to Mana foods turned into a full day adventure but we came out ahead with a brand new car! Now we are rushing to clean the house because Aunty Claire and Uncle Jake come TONIGHT!!!
This morning we got up as usual and headed to the gym. The lady from the daycare was 'sick'. The guy at the front desk said he would watch the kids and work the desk. I was ok with this because I really wanted to workout but I still had to rush my workout because I felt bad leaving my kids for that long with him. Anyways he had come up with some sort of payment game and the kids ended up leaving with a dollar worth of change each. So I guess we are ahead of the game.
The boys wanted to go to the pool today. I had bought them some new rings to dive for and they were very excited to try them out. So we got to the pool and we were the only ones there. PERFECT! We had the place to ourselves for a good half an hour. I kept checking the gate thinking I heard the HAG coming. Then .... there she was. She breezed in, walked an inch away from me with a big sneer on her face and walked right by me. I quickly texted mom to tell her the hag had arrived. She quickly texted me back to remind me to take the high road. I was going to take the high road, but I was also going to defend my kids. I was ready, ready for some confrontation. Then I heard the gate open again. A very friendly man walked through. He stopped and chatted with me about the boys then proceeded to go and lay down next to HAG. She was still giving me the evil eye but her husband was very wonderful! I was a little shocked! Anyways I kind of had a sense of relief knowing that she had a sensible side (her husband). I took the kids home after that to give them some peace and quiet.
After a quick lunch the kids and I headed to get groceries in Paia. Our favourite store in the world is MANA foods, we go there every Saturday to load up on the healthy stuff. Paia is about 30 minutes away from us and it is always VERY busy. There is always a line up getting into town and it is a lot of stop and go. So we were in the line to town and the air conditioner stopped working. So I opened the windows. I recently bought the kids the CARS soundtrack and no word of a lie we have been listening to the CD on repeat for two weeks. So we had it blasting with all the windows open. Boys were singing and dancing in the back seat. We finally got to the Mana parking lots and were doing circles until we found a spot. The windows were still open and Ethan says 'Mom it smells like farts'. I naturally (lol) took a big whiff. It didn't smell farts it smelt like someones engine burning. I thought nothing of it and kept circling. On the next round Ethan says 'Mom the car is smoking'. I look at the hood.... CRAP... our car is smoking. It was just a little, but our temperature gage was at top temperature. Here I am freaking out just a little but kept circling because there was nowhere to stop. Then the smoke started coming... more, then more, then it was BILLOWING out of the hood. People were flagging me over and waving at me to stop (because I guess they thought I couldn't see the smoke in front of my face). I had no where to go but with some crazy luck someone pulled out of a spot right in front of me and I pulled in. We all jumped out and a huge amount of liquid spilled under the car.
SO the kids and I were just sitting in the middle of the parking lot and I just couldn't help but laugh. Seriously? Did this just happen to me? It is almost like Maui was trying to tell us to GET OFF THE ISLAND. Well sorry Maui I see your signs, but we are STAYING. So I had a little laugh with the kids and got on the phone to budget. Of course I don't have a phone plan and was on hold for over 30 minutes with budget (that is gonna be pricy). I took the kids over to a little cafe and bought them a snack and the worlds best smoothie and talked to the budget lady.
We were told it would take 2 hours for them to deliver us a new car. I really wasn't looking forward to attempting to entertain the kids in a shopping town for two hours. But the kids and I wandered around for awhile then we went and got our groceries from Mana. I decided that due to stress I needed a Mana cookie (Best cookie in the world). It was delicious... didn't even share with the kids I ate it so fast. The new car only ended up taking about an hour. We went to the car and took everything out. The back seat and the trunk were left with a 2 inch thick sludge of sand and crackers. The tow truck pulled up with a brand new car. We had a versa and now have a flashy little fully loaded Sentra. We jumped in and it is BRAND new. Only 4 miles on the car.... I wonder how long it will take the sand and crackers to consume the back seat.
On the way home the kids insisted we put the cars CD into the new car, we cranked up the tunes and danced the whole way home. Surprisingly happy considering the very long day that had just taken place! What was meant to be a quick trip to Mana foods turned into a full day adventure but we came out ahead with a brand new car! Now we are rushing to clean the house because Aunty Claire and Uncle Jake come TONIGHT!!!
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Close Call
I am going to chalk today up as the scariest day of my life so far.
Today I decided to take the boys up to the Lavender field in Kula. Kula is in upcountry on the side of Haleakala Mountain. The mountain is very rarely clear and today it was clear as a bell. After a quick swim we loaded into the Versa and headed out.
The Lavender field is situated on the side of the mountain, it is an incredibly steep climb to get there and the entire farm is very steep even to just walk on. They have a wonderful little treasure hunt for the kids. The kids follow a map and collect stamps along the way. When they are done they take their stamp cards to the gift shop for a 'prize'. We had just finished our stamp cards and were on our way to the gift shop. I was humming along to the 'HAPPY' song and thinking about what peaceful day it had been. Ethan was singing the 'Jake and the Neverland pirate song' and dancing away. We stopped at the bathroom on our way to the gift shops. The bathrooms are three outhouses in amongst some beautiful gardens and beside the garage. The whole lavender field is for walking only (no cars). Both the boys peed and I got the boys to sit on the grass just outside the the outhouse (two feet away from the outhouse not really thinking anything unsafe could happen two feet away from the outhouse while I was in there). Boy was I mistaken.
I finished peeing and was just stepping out of the outhouse when I happened to look up, there was a black SUV BARRELLING towards us. I mean it was going SO fast. I didn't have time to think and the only thing I could come up with in my brain was 'WHAT THE HECK IS THAT CAR DOING'. THEN I realized that they had lost their breaks and were out of control. It all happened so fast, they were coming right at us and next thing you know they smashed HARD into the side of the garage ONE foot away from my boys sitting nicely in the grass. I was in shock, i mean I was in SHOCK. This car literally crashed into the side of the garage ONE FOOT away from my boys. ONE FOOT, that is like ONE ruler!! I burst into tears and started shaking uncontrollably. My kids had escaped being hit head on by a fast moving car by one foot. The front of the car was literally torn right off, a complete right off. People came rushing over, the lady in the car jumped out and immediately came and hugged me (oh man just tearing up just typing this). I was sobbing. I couldn't stop shaking. She said she saw me (while out of control) and was swerving away (In my opinion she could have swerved a little harder). I looked at my boys grabbed their hands and we began walking away from the situation. I had to sit on the grass as I could hardly walk, my legs were weak. The boys were fine, hardly even phased. Ethan says 'oh mom they are going to have to plant some new plants' (the car also hit a large planter), and Wyatt goes 'Mom that car just CRASHDED' (that is how he said it). Then they both asked me why I was crying.
I quickly picked myself up and wiped away my tears. I grabbed my boys and we headed into get our prize as we were planning to before. When we got into the gift shop the owners gave me a tea, some bottled water and cookies for the boys. We sat on the deck and had a major CHILL out session. I was weeping and still weak in the knees. I just couldn't believe how my whole world just flashed before my eyes at the so-called peaceful lavender gardens.
We went up and sat at the upper picnic tables and had our picnic as planned. The staff at the lavender field took my information and the police came to do an investigation. They took my number for my statement.
It is unbelievable how fragile life is. I am so thankful that this was only a 'close call'. I am so thankful that my boys are ok. I am so thankful that my boys jumped right up and asked me if I was ok. They are such thoughtful little boys, words cannot even express how much i love them.
I gave both my boys (who thought I was completely crazy) an extra big hug and we packed back into the car. The whole event kept replaying in my head the entire drive home. I take this as my reminder that I need to live my life to the fullest. I need to love my boys harder. I need to be more understanding to their needs and be there for them as much as I can. They are my little guys and my entire world. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in life that you forget that the only thing that matters are the ones you love.
Today I decided to take the boys up to the Lavender field in Kula. Kula is in upcountry on the side of Haleakala Mountain. The mountain is very rarely clear and today it was clear as a bell. After a quick swim we loaded into the Versa and headed out.
The Lavender field is situated on the side of the mountain, it is an incredibly steep climb to get there and the entire farm is very steep even to just walk on. They have a wonderful little treasure hunt for the kids. The kids follow a map and collect stamps along the way. When they are done they take their stamp cards to the gift shop for a 'prize'. We had just finished our stamp cards and were on our way to the gift shop. I was humming along to the 'HAPPY' song and thinking about what peaceful day it had been. Ethan was singing the 'Jake and the Neverland pirate song' and dancing away. We stopped at the bathroom on our way to the gift shops. The bathrooms are three outhouses in amongst some beautiful gardens and beside the garage. The whole lavender field is for walking only (no cars). Both the boys peed and I got the boys to sit on the grass just outside the the outhouse (two feet away from the outhouse not really thinking anything unsafe could happen two feet away from the outhouse while I was in there). Boy was I mistaken.
I finished peeing and was just stepping out of the outhouse when I happened to look up, there was a black SUV BARRELLING towards us. I mean it was going SO fast. I didn't have time to think and the only thing I could come up with in my brain was 'WHAT THE HECK IS THAT CAR DOING'. THEN I realized that they had lost their breaks and were out of control. It all happened so fast, they were coming right at us and next thing you know they smashed HARD into the side of the garage ONE foot away from my boys sitting nicely in the grass. I was in shock, i mean I was in SHOCK. This car literally crashed into the side of the garage ONE FOOT away from my boys. ONE FOOT, that is like ONE ruler!! I burst into tears and started shaking uncontrollably. My kids had escaped being hit head on by a fast moving car by one foot. The front of the car was literally torn right off, a complete right off. People came rushing over, the lady in the car jumped out and immediately came and hugged me (oh man just tearing up just typing this). I was sobbing. I couldn't stop shaking. She said she saw me (while out of control) and was swerving away (In my opinion she could have swerved a little harder). I looked at my boys grabbed their hands and we began walking away from the situation. I had to sit on the grass as I could hardly walk, my legs were weak. The boys were fine, hardly even phased. Ethan says 'oh mom they are going to have to plant some new plants' (the car also hit a large planter), and Wyatt goes 'Mom that car just CRASHDED' (that is how he said it). Then they both asked me why I was crying.
I quickly picked myself up and wiped away my tears. I grabbed my boys and we headed into get our prize as we were planning to before. When we got into the gift shop the owners gave me a tea, some bottled water and cookies for the boys. We sat on the deck and had a major CHILL out session. I was weeping and still weak in the knees. I just couldn't believe how my whole world just flashed before my eyes at the so-called peaceful lavender gardens.
We went up and sat at the upper picnic tables and had our picnic as planned. The staff at the lavender field took my information and the police came to do an investigation. They took my number for my statement.
It is unbelievable how fragile life is. I am so thankful that this was only a 'close call'. I am so thankful that my boys are ok. I am so thankful that my boys jumped right up and asked me if I was ok. They are such thoughtful little boys, words cannot even express how much i love them.
I gave both my boys (who thought I was completely crazy) an extra big hug and we packed back into the car. The whole event kept replaying in my head the entire drive home. I take this as my reminder that I need to live my life to the fullest. I need to love my boys harder. I need to be more understanding to their needs and be there for them as much as I can. They are my little guys and my entire world. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in life that you forget that the only thing that matters are the ones you love.
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