Gone Too Soon

Maybe it is because the first album I ever got was a cassette of "Bad."

Maybe it is because I have always liked his music, regardless of the craziness surrounding him.

Maybe it is because my life has been revolving around funerals these last few months.

But I am particularily saddened by the passing of Michael Jackson.

Especially since he was on the verge of a come back; a new album to delight us with, inspite of having so many fans turn on him and send him in seclusion for a decade.

Whether the accusations are true, I really don't know. However, I can hardly believe them when I hear about all the wonderful things Michael has done for others and for the world. And then to hear how loved he was of his friends, their testaments to his kind character . . . I grieve for the life he lost a decade ago.

One thing cannot be disputed though, and that is his talent. So many fantastic songs that spanned decades. Cool songs, fun songs, uplifting songs, and thought provoking songs. So many incredible performances that inspired the current performers of our day.

I turn on the radio, hoping to catch one of his masterpieces. And then I wonder why they can't just play one more, and then one more.

I believe I can understand how others felt at the passing of Elivs and members of the Beatles. It leaves a hole in your heart, an ache when you reflect back on your childhood.

And it is another stark reminder that we are all so very mortal and life is too short.

They say that funerals come in threes, I hope that this counts as the third, because as silly as it seems, my eyes well up with tears grieving the loss of the King of Pop.

He truly has gone too soon.

In The Works

We traveled up to our development the other day to see what (if anything) was going on.

Here is our lot. It seems pretty, or at least the view from the back of the house seems pretty! In a new subdivision we will be the only ones with a mature tree to look at!

We were very pleased to see that they have started work a little early and have begun pouring foundations for the semis. (Originally they were supposed to get done in July, so we are a few weeks ahead.)

I'm hopeful that they will have ours done and ready to be framed by mid-July. And, if the weather this summer cooperates and gives us a dry summer, we should be moved in by December. (Fingers crossed.)

One week ago our lot was a heap of dirt.

This week they had graded all the lots, including ours.


Our street. Even though the drainage grate is on our side in the back, we were fortunate enough to miss having the cable box out in front. (Thank goodness.) Same goes for the ugly green electrical boxes.

The view from the front of our house. We are lucky enough to not even have a lamp directly infront of our house!

Even though things seem to be moving well we have a bit of time to figure out colours for the interior.

Originally, we were thinking of a darker stained hardwood . . . but a few people have warned us off dark stains since they show lint and scratches and dents easily. We need to stain it, so if anyone has a good colour option, please let us know! Also, we need to think about cabinet colours, carpet colours, and other options/upgrades. If you have any suggestions from your current or present rental/houses . . . let us know!

Back to WHAT???

I know that being in Canada, school ends a little later than those who are south of the border.

And I know that since a lot of our retail stores are big American stores, our merchandise turns over in line with the US merchandise.

I also am aware that retail stores like to hurry up the seasons or holidays somewhat.

But, this? REALLY?

I went to Gap today to find some summer clothing for the kids on sale and had to tear the kids away from BACKPACKS.

Sort of odd. Maybe you could figure they were to be used for "summer time adventures" (like my kids were thinking), but then I began looking online for deals and saw that Gap already has their "Back to School" line starting.

Are you serious????

Is anyone down there even thinking of school? (Okay, maybe the few moms who have already been home a week or two with all their kids and they are beginning to go batty.)

But REALLY???

Wow. Not even I am that impatient.

Jayden up up and away

So now that it is, uhm, February, I figure it's about time to blog about Jayden's birthday party . . . last JUNE. Eeek!

This year Jayden decided to do an airplane themed party. The invitations were folded up into paper airplanes a la Jayden and distributed to his guests.

The activities included (obviously) paper airplane making and decorating . . .
followed by an airplane landing contest. Each guest lined up and tried to land their aircraft onto a runway.And we stole a cookie decorating idea from Jackson's party. I free-handed cutting out some airplane shapes . . . (though they more resemble sharks) and the kids had a blast decorating them.The party finished off with an airplane cake and lots of great food to eat!

Funerals.

You know you have been to too many when your kids play "funeral" instead of battling transformers or house with dolls.

Seriously. Yesterday in the car the boys were using their transformers to act out a funeral for another transformer . . . complete with casket and funeral services.

Sadly, we had to skip my grandfather's memorial service to attend a funeral for my young uncle, John.

It came as quite a shock to everyone.

My uncle is the type to be hardworking, fun-loving, full of life . . . and funky smells--you would laugh and understand if you knew him.

The image of him that I am left with is a well-tanned, shirtless man, flipping burgers at the grill, cracking jokes and smiling because life is good.

He was in love with his wife of 34 years and a devoted father to his three children. On top of that, he loved his nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. Everyone was a friend and therefore greeted enthusiastically.

Musically, he was gifted. He transformed a church choir from mediocre at best to one that toured North America and sounded like angels.

He worked hard, and often labour intensive jobs his whole life, trying to support his family: a wife on expensive heart medications, two children in university, and a 14 year old musical genius.

To his kids, he stressed the importance of education so that they wouldn't have to work as hard as he had. Many of his jobs included managerial positions in the auto industry, roofing, and construction. And, to ensure that his kids could go to school, he worked hard to help pay for their educations. Even if that meant working two or three jobs at a time.

And so the tragic part comes.

While working hard for those he loved, parked at a loading zone for the transport truck he was driving part time, his heart stopped.

Even though I was there for the open casket viewing, the funeral service, the burial, and the ulogies, I still have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that he, indeed, has passed on.

In the midst of crying for the family he left behind and the challenges that lay ahead, I can't help but think of the lessons he left for us to learn.

1. You never know when it will be your last day. Likewise, you never know when someone you love will be taken. Life life full, and love as best you can.

2. Live your life the way you want to be remembered. As evidenced by the 400 attendees at his funeral, he touched the lives of many. All of whom had a deep love and connection with him.

3. Be sure you take out a whole lot of insurance on family members so that those who are left can worry more about healing than how they will pay their bills.

4. Take lots of pictures of the ones you love. They don't have to be masterpieces or of special events. They just need to show those you love interacting with each other.

5. Maintain a happy and loving relationship with those who are alive and in your life and make room for a spiritual relationship with those who have passed on before.

Good bye for now, Uncle John. We will meet again.

For everyone else: please, NO MORE FUNERALS. For a decade, okay??

Rise of the New Golden Age

After a string of weeks where Jackson's teachers had nothing but the worst to say, something happened.

I am not sure exactly what made the difference. I have always been encouraging Jackson to do better, be better, and behave.

One day he just turned over a new leaf.

He began doing nice things for his sister and became helpful around the house and then asked, "Would Jesus be happy that I'm helping?"

And about that same day, he turned to his teacher and asked, "What are you going to tell my mom about me today?"

From that day forward he began being the prized student: attentive, creative, obedient. And after every class he would remind his teacher to tell his mom how good he was.

No, I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I am so glad that it did. I could really use the household peace, cleaner bedrooms, and general help.

Deep Thoughts . . . From an Exasperated Parent

One day, I sat in quiet contemplation in the middle of chaos.

All right, that happens almost hourly in every day, but this particular day was following a rather tough week filled with a mulitude of Jackson's antics. These naturally include: jumping off furniture and practicing his triple tucks, sticking his fingers in drawers or doors while they were closing, practicing dead lifts with your sibling as weight, and running with no abandon into walls, stairs, and furniture.

It is not because I allow these things to occur in my house. In fact, almost minutely you can hear me say, "No, don't jump on the furniture." "Stop rough-housing." "Enough! You're going to hurt yourself if you keep jumping off furniture."

As I sat listening (painfully) to a child who was screaming as though their innerds were being plucked out (because they tried to do a double pike twist off the baby grand and missed landing on the couch) I began wondering.

Why has he not figured out that these actions cause him harm?? I understand that sometimes children think their parents don't know any better.

Like in my crazy universe I have made up my mind that running in a house without looking where I was going could find me smashed into a wall and badly hurt. I get it.

But you would think that trial and error might have brought a little bit of wisdom to my dear little boy. Perhaps not the first or third time, but certainly the fact that on all of the hundreds of occassions that he break rules he finds himself hurt. Maybe just maybe, he'd realize that it wasn't a good thing to do.

I'm not even asking him to say, "You were right, Mom."

And there I sat, a prisoner having to listen to torcherous screaming, wondering if there was a thick metal wall I could hit my head against . . . or a 16 wheeler close by to run in front of . . . A thought hit me.

Perhaps I annoy Jackson the same magnitude that he can annoy me on occassion.

Perhaps his "antics" are similar to my thoughts of the metal wall or 16 wheeler . . . only he actually acts on them??

I sincerely hope not. And I sincerely hope that things get better from here on.

Cookie King

If you know anything about Jackson, it would be no surprise to learn that the theme he chose for his fourth birthday party was . . . cookies!

Recipes (invitations) were sent out two weeks prior to wet his guests' appitite for the sugar that was to come. Naturally, what is a cookie party without . . . unlimited amounts of cookies! (I think Cookie Monster himself would be proud!)

But, just in case more cookies were needed, we baked and decorated some ourselves. Each guest had their hand cut out of dough and got to decorate it.

Or, at least eat the toppings.

While the cookies were baking, we played "Pin the Cookie on Cookie Monster."

Fortunately, Cookie Monster didn't fill up too much on cookies. ;)

And lastly, the party had to end with a cookie cake.

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Amidst the craziness of negotiations, dizzying calculations, and plain figuring out what it was that we wanted in a house, we found this place of tranquility.

Although this park is at the cul-de-sac at the end of the street of a house we previously looked at, but sadly didn't realize it's great worth before someone else did, it has become our favourite place in our new town.

Since we made several, maybe even twenty, trips to the builder's sales office and had to take the kids with us, we would often stop here to let them play while we cleared our heads and went over our newest negotiations.

The peacefulness was the first thing that caught my attention.

Hearing the leaves in the wind, and the birds singing in the background, reminded me of the wonderful memories I had growing up on our farm. Many lazy days were spent listening to the same sounds while I lay sprawled out on our hammock.

And though we will not have the 25 acres I grew up on, (or even grass in our backyard for the first year), it is comforting to know that we can come to this place anytime and let the kids enjoy the country setting.

Our new dare devil . . . "mountain biking."

Visions of picnics on this hill in summers and exhillerating sledding runs in the winter float in my head.

I might need to send out an apology to all the neighbours who gather with their kids at the park. Sorry, I know we are strangers and appear to be stalking you, but it's only because your town is just gorgeous and we want to be a part of it.

Jayden's "new" bike.


Avery's face right before she swan dives off the curb, expecting you to catch her.

In comparison to the "city" parks, I am just so thrilled for more than three lame trees and for stones on the playground instead of sand!!

And instead of viewing the sea of new development, there is a rustic country fence enclosing a field.

Heaven.