Life with boys

So today I signed up for bass guitar lessons, so that I can play along with the boys...this mom was feeling left out of the jam sessions!  Really, it would also do me some good to be able to read music and keep up with these guys.  It is difficult to encourage practice when I am not sure if they are doing it right.  I commited to two months and then I will see.....

Parker did great in his first wrestling meet over the weekend, winning one of his matches; the only rookie to win in his category!  He is loving the team!

Ethan and Liam spent a night at Grandma and Grandpa Tomchuk's house this past weekend while Brad and I attended Federated Co-OP's Annual Awards Banquet, and came home with Giant stuffed animals.  They have been dressing these things up all week  and dragging them out to friends' homes.  I got such a laugh out of it because they have never played dress-up with dolls or any other kind of toy before , but they were just so tickled to dress up the tiger and bear as a snowboarder and a rock star!

A bit early...but I plan on resting tonight!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Morning musings

So usually I am so busy just getting things 'done' that the mornings fly by. Well this morning we did a Matthew Ch 14 bible study, followed by me asking the boys to draw a picture of what we read...Well, these boys certainly do not have a lack of creativity!

I was thinking of a straight forward picture of the feeding of the 5000 or of John the Baptist's beheading. Actually I was sure that I would get two pictues of the beheading because it has the whole gore factor that the boys love...but what I got was two stick man comic books! One for each story, with all the story embellishments we expect from a hollywood film...King Herod's PArty, was actually his surprise birthday party, Herodias was a break-dancer who through in a "hat" dance for good measure. John's head was served up on one of those room service trolleys in one version and he was actually underneath (not decapitated)and ready to scare Herod...LOL! In the other there is a long depiction of the skeleton of death walking through the beheading process with John...Hmmm

The feeding of the 5000 is drawn gang style with 'J-man' and his 12 "homies" rounding up the bread and fishes. The last frame has The 'J-man' walking away while the others gather up the 12 baskets of leftover food and he is saying to himself, " You can't touch this!" And yes he is wearing MC hammer pants!

Now for Six months of WInter....

Well, I never did get back to my China postings, but I do have a hand written journal full of memories. Other than the usual lame excuse that life just got too busy to post when we returned, the truth is avoided posting. The last half of our trip was very difficult. LIam broke his arm, work and living conditions turned out to be very diffrent than what we had been led to believe they would be, and home sickness came inwaves through the whole camp. We still learned so much and appreciate the experience, but I just can't go beyond that for an explanation for now...

We are settled back into our home educating routine as the winter settles in , and I am looking forward to a quiet few months with Ethna and Liam at home. Mason has moved out on his own at the age of 17, and is finding himself and his path...PArker decided to try out Highschool this year, and so enrolled in Grade nine at MArion Graham Colliegiate. He is making a good transition, made some new friends and joined the wrestling team. It is good to see him choose something to get involved in again. PArker had taken a break from all things sports after quitting his competitive Gymnastics training last year...

So this year I am back down to two chidlren homeschooling, but the last time I was here there were toddlers ripping around under my feet. A very different dynamic, but we are enjoying eachother and I am enjoying the opportunity to really focus on what the boys love... art, guitar and drumming is the flavour of this year, lessons and practice. I love having music in the house. I sooo miss Mason just sitting at the piano and belting out his latest inventions...


Brad is now in his busiest time of year at work...60 hour weeks! And he will be travelling again next week. Good thing he loves his job :) Itis a good thing that I did not take on any birth clients for this month, just my prenatal classes to teach.


We have closed down all but one of the beds in our care-home. Our last residient plans tomove back out on her ownin February. I am so proud of her and all the women who have come through my home over the past 12 years. I am feeling called to finally make the shift and commitment over to the birthing field. It feels so weird to see what began as an interest, and hobby even to become a full time endeavor. It has been quite intimidating to make the jump; to embrace that yes, this is a way I can help others and feed my family! Wow, I have been able to embrace that birth support services are worthy of a good wage. I have been blessed at every step ofthe way, and look forward to continuing...


In the new year I have plans to lease an office and studio space for Birth Rhythms. I am hoping to be in the same building as the midwives. For now my energy is focused on raising up more great doulas for Saskatoon. My current class has 12 amazing women in it. I love them all and I can see how they will each bring somethng special toour birth community.


Well, off to make teas and rouse the boys. The sun is about to showitself, so we had better get on with the day.