Dids and didn'ts ...

for this first long weekend of the year.


1. We did all manage to be home together, but didn't get into any arguments or fights.
2. We did have two big meals - in a row, but I still did end up doing most of the dishes.
3. We did clean various parts of the house and property, but didn't have full cooperation.
4. We didn't do any laundry but did prepare for the onslaught, once the new machine arrived.
5. We didn't hide and hunt for chocolate eggs - for the first time in 20-odd years but did still have candy and chocolates, but they were just left out on the table.
6. We did have my mother's husband here for dinner - he did manage to be insulting again, but we didn't allow ourselves to be sucked into his game.
7.  We did play a game of "Settlers of Catan" and I did manage to win - for the first time!


All in all, the "did and didn'ts" add up to growth and maturity.  Not just for the boys, but for the parents as well.
The boys are all growing up and getting to be more accepting of their brothers differences.  They are seeing that the parents do need help and are willing - to a certain point. They are willing to let go of some of the younger aspects of celebrations.
The parents are beginning to let go of aspects childhood and embracing maturity and accepting the eventual adulthood of the boys.  It is not an easy transition.  I loved being a mother to young boys and do miss this part of my life.  However, I do love being a mum to young men and watching them develop their own personalities and life experiences.  Best of all, I love being a mum - doing dishes while listening to the four of them while the play a game and talk.  Just to hear them converse, whether it is family memories or politics or friends or school or their futures is so fun.  Not being involved in the conversation is even more fun.


Motherhood, although vastly both overrated and underrated at the same time, can be so rewarding.

Noah, in a rare stance of approval, gives me a "thumbs up".
Maybe it is for giving him three older brothers or just for being such a
great mum (hmm, wishful thinking). It was probably just for the candy.
Doesn't matter, I'll take it as a sign of appreciation.

Oh Wow ....

    this is finally working again.  For the past several days, whenever I came to my page there was no dashboard at the top, so I couldn't make a new post.  Whatever the problem was appears to have passed, so on I go.
    My black kitty, Blackie, has decided to expand his horizons and now is not only an indoor kitty, but an outdoor one as well.  We felt it safest for the kitties to keep them as full-time indoor cats and this has worked well for three years.  All of a sudden, Blackie got a yen for the outdoors, he began escaping as often as he could.  The dog goes in and out fairly often, so Blackie would lie in wait by one of the doors, usually hidden until the dog wanted out, then flash out he went too.  Not always a good trick as he got squished more than once as we quickly tried to close the door to stop him.  So now we open the one door to let him out and usually within 5 or 10 minutes he comes to the other door to come back in.  So far, so good, he is staying close by, in the back yard, but the big scary road waits patiently out front.  We've already lost two dogs to that road and didn't want any more pet deaths, which was why the kitties were supposed to be strictly indoor cats.

    Blackie is funny, he sometimes stays out a little longer but needs to come in quickly to use the litter box.  He has not realized that the outdoors is one big litter box.  Please be careful little cat, may the goddess of small creatures watch over you and protect you from the dangers of the outdoors.
    Tiger or Tiggie, does not like the outdoors.  She was accidentally put outdoors two summers ago and got lost for three days.  She was caught in a live release trap put out by neighbours and thus found her way back to us.  She likes to sit by the window, in her safe kitty loft and observe the wonders that exist beyond the windowpane.

Look what the kitties are so close to!!

Oh, my, this is a rather large and interesting BIRD at the feeder!!

No wonder our seed disappears so quickly!! Happy spring little creatures, no more seed for you!

I really wanted to show....

.... my photos of my purple crocuses from Saturday.  It was a fairly nice day, a little sun, a little warmth and second son Sam was home for a few hours.  We were outside as he needed to change his winter tires to summer ones, actually one of the biggest reasons he came home.  All of a sudden I noticed that a few of the earliest spring flowers had started to bloom and more were on the way. Unfortunately, I can't get the photos to upload today. 


     Here is a photo from the internet, very similar but I don't have nearly so many.  Wish I did!!

    I know this means that Spring has officially arrived, but the weather does get rather frustrating.  Yesterday evening, we had SNOW!!  Mind you it all melted by morning, but still did put a damper on my spirits.  On Saturday while the sun was still shining and my enthusiasm was high, I dug out our deck furniture, the table and chairs, all in hopes of basking in some afternoon warmth.  However, it shortly clouded over and turned a wee bit too chilly to sit and enjoy the air.  I'm not asking for much, mid-teens and sun, but today it just rained - Boo!  

    Well we all know that April showers bring May flowers, but holy cow, let's turn up the temperature!!

Here are two photos from my wee garden.

And another view.