The girl is 13 and still enjoys trick or treating with her friend. They got quitte the haul and are laughing and watching scary movies.
It’s a good night in our world 
Tag Archives: kids
Family day in the mountains
We had a meeting of the kids today in Canmore. There’s never a for sure good time to do that – but the time was right and the day was perfect.
On the way home the kids expressed what an amazing family day it was. We certainly are our own complete family unit, but there is room for more love and for our family to expand as well. I’m feeling very grateful.
When trust is broken
I have been living an exercise in broken trust. I was always of the belief that if my trust was broken – severely broken – that I would not be able to recover that relationship. It certainly proved to be true in the case of Mr. X, although he breaks trust and his word at any opportunity he is given so I figured maybe I was being too rigid in my thinking when applying this rule to other aspects of my life.
I realized this summer that my heart horse and I were in a serious breach of trust – he didn’t trust me, and I didn’t trust him. I enlisted some help and have spent the last few months working to rebuild our fractured relationship.
I realized today that even when I really, truly love someone or something, if my trust is broken – the relationship can’t be repaired. The added lesson was that just because I decided to be reliable and dependable doesn’t mean that my partner (horse/person – whatever) will also decide to be the same. And sometime the best thing that can be done for all involved is to just lovingly part ways.
I believe we either live with love or we live with fear. But there are certain relationships that just seem to organically evoke fear – to me that is my intuition telling me that the relationship isn’t the right one for me.
I used to believe love will fix everything. I still believe that -but I add to it
Love will fix everything, but the results may not be the ones we envisioned. Faith lets us know that it’s things are all happening for a greater good.
Friday smiles
We went to our happy place this afternoon – we have decided to get back into the ritual of the Italian Centre on Friday.
I commented as we looked around the place, at how happy customers look when they are there. There’s just a happy feeling being around good food and smiling faces.
Registration process
Today began the registration process for the boy’s post secondary. It seems like last year I was leaving him at preschool, and now he’s almost an adult.
How that’s possible when I’m still not sure I’m an adult, I’ll never know.
He was so excited. This is a big moment in his life. He’s beginning to make all his own life decisions and my role is moving more to love and support instead of guidance (or just plain telling).
But he’s an awesome human, he always has been – but as he gets older I see what an amazing man he’s becoming.
Graduation day
After 6 weeks of hard work and dedication, the girl and her dog graduated from obedience school. This dog has been the best thing my girl could have in her life these last few months.
Working through it
I wrote an exam for my health coaching coure this morning – got 91% thank you very much! – and am so close to being done.
This course has been the epitome of working through it. I started last summer when my life was relatively quiet, but the next year saw my life completely shift and in many ways shatter. It makes me feel like I’m working through the change to be able to finish this course and begin building my new life. It’s time.
Remembering and being thankful
We celebrated thanksgiving with good friends of my parents today. These people reflect back to me (and the world) the same kind of love that my parents shone out.
This weekend has been full of contrasting emotions. Final internment for my parents, Banff and supper with my aunt, thanksgiving meal with family friends, and my kids and I have some trauma memories attached to thanksgiving from our old life. Highs and lows.
It’s a good reminder that life goes on and we keep making new memories every moment of our lives. We get to choose what kind of new memories we will make. I watched my kids be happier than I’ve seen them in ages spending time with him. I hadn’t realized how much they needed a man around to do things with, to laugh with, to experience things with. It brings a different kind of balance to our family and I’m grateful for that.
I am so full – in my belly and my soul. The feeling of contentment is a good one.
Moments in Banff
We took my aunt to Banff for the afternoon and a thanksgiving supper at Melissa’s. I love that town and it was awesome to share it with her.
After an emotional day it was so nice to spend some family time recharging and enjoying each other’s company. Sharing memories from my dad was also much needed.
My kids laughed and relaxed like I haven’t seen them do in ages
The 9 pm curfew
Last night I shared with the kids the tweets about what life would be like for women if men had a 9pm curfew. Some of the responses were even a surprise for me – not that women would feel safer, could walk around at night, or walk in general without needing to always let someone know where they were etc. – those kinds of things have become such a normal part of my life that I don’t think much of it (sad as that is). What surprised me was that the men who were responding had no idea that this is how so many women feel.
How did they not know this? We are their mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, friends… I just assumed everyone knew this is how we felt.
The boy listened to it, didn’t seem that interested, I didn’t want to lecture – just have him hear it- and I thought that was the end of it.
He said today he talked with a group of his friends about what it would be like for women if men had a 9pm curfew. He said he was surprised at how many of his (male) friends immediately said how much safer the women would likely feel. It amazed him that these high school guys were as tuned into the feelings of women as they were – impressed me as well.
I don’t know that a 9pm curfew would change what needs to be changed – for us the male who was the scariest of all lived with us so having him off the street wouldn’t really have helped us – but I love that we are talking about these things. I know my boy – he’s got a good heart and he’s sensitive and kind to women, men, animals, all of God’s creatures – but I think it’s so good that he’s listening and learning. This will hopefully be an entirely new generation of men and women who start learning to value and honour each other in more loving ways.
