Apparently 2 months is going to be my average timing for posts unless I can get my ass into gear and on top of this thing. I literally looked at the date after I wrote that sentence and it has actually been exactly 2 months, doh...procrastination at its best. Well maybe not, I often think about it but just think, I will do it when I have nothing to do next time and that thought just keeps playing in my head.
So since my last post in July we have started to settle into our place here in Fort Saskatchewan and activities have begun. We also had the chance to travel back home for a couple weeks which was sooooo nice, too short indeed but also great to just be home. I do apologize to everyone though, I kept it pretty hush hush as I was not in the mood for much visiting and that but hope to see more people on the next trip back. That trip was a great trip for Jade though as she got to head to Disneyland, and now every time the word Disneyland comes up she immediately says, "Aunty Ashlee, Grandma and me went to Disneyland".
The past two months have been more on the difficult side but things are slowly getting better. Jade was really struggling with the change and her unfortunate inherited anxiety has been rearing its evil head to the max. Poor girl has got so many fears and became extremely attached to the point of not wanting to stay at her morning camp or leaving the house was an ordeal unless driving and wakes up in the middle of the night. Thankfully though things are getting better and she is settling in but it can be very worrisome to see such a change in a once free spirited, worry free kid. After Vancouver, she returned to swim lessons where she really excelled, well, once she got in trouble for goofing around and not listening, lol. After that, the teacher was talking about how unheard of it is to see a kid her age swim under water for as long as she does. We have two kids who love the water; sometimes I think too much because that is one area neither has any fear or limits. This past week, Jade started preschool which is only Mon/Wed for 2.5 hrs/day and really loves it. We laugh because we ask what she did at school and Jade says "oh, I don't know" then randomly will start telling us stuff, i.e. about leaves falling off or about space, and how she learned that at school. She also started gymnastics and was pretty stoked about her new leotard. Next to start is hip hop and then soccer which Ted will be helping out coaching so both are pretty excited about that. Her love of Cars continues but now a love of Lego has begun mixed in with some Princess Sophia, Peppa the Pig and fort building. Also continuing, is the endless energy and goofiness.
Charlie turned 1 on September 4th and is definitely going to be more trouble then Jade ever was. She may not be walking on her own yet but she can move those legs when she has the walker and can crawl at lightning speed. Best part is, she has learned to climb so I look over one day and there is Charlie kneeling on Jade's table, bouncing around, laughing. Cupboards have to be locked, doors shut or she'll be in the garbage, unraveling toilet paper or getting into whatever else she can all the whilst smiling and laughing away. You call her name and she just looks at you, continuously shaking her head and laughing. Thanks to Jade's constant singing of and listening to "Let it Go", Charlie's official first word was Go and now she constantly says it, often when we get in the car and haven't started moving. The little bugger has also found great joy in grinding her front teeth....oh, how I hate that sound.
For Charlie's birthday, we took the girls to the water park at West Edmonton Mall and everyone had a blast. As I said, both girls are completely fearless when it comes to the pool and think they can just go without anyone with them. Jade did water slides, not just the little kiddy ones but some bigger ones, as well as the wave pool. Charlie likes to try to get out of our arms, dunks her head on her own then comes up gasping and laughing away. Yes, I keep saying laughing because this kid laughs about everything I think. Jade continues to be a great big sister and always trying to help Charlie out and really likes trying to teach her new words. Initially Jade kept trying to teach Charlie puddle, still no idea where that came from, but it was the go to word. Now it is more common words like grandpa.
Ted is doing good with work and learning lots; getting to work on the military trucks and coming home smelling like a mechanic...ugh. I get jealous with all the sports he gets to play, being paid to workout playing soccer or hockey or going to a BBQ, lol. Not daily but wish other professions would incorporate those things into the day. He goes on his first exercise for two weeks soon so that will be a learning experience for us all.
As for me, well I am me, and I continue to be me...a worrier, a mom, a wife and a Jaime de Volder. I joined a boxing class which is an all women's class at the rec center and it is good. I have only been to one class and will miss the next few weeks but the one class was a gooder...nice ladies there and helped fill the void of hockey. I have also been doing more baking again and cooking which I enjoy and helps me to clear my head for at least an hour before I start the non stop thinking and worrying, lol. From turkey chili, to turkey burgers, homemade meatballs to authentic Jamaican jerk pork roast...I try to vary it up but sometimes have to go back to the favourites. Baking has been banana bread, cinnamon buns with cream cheese icing and fantastic fudge brownies, which Jade added her personal touch of a banana in the icing that she opened to eat and decided she didn't want so threw it in the mixer as I was making the icing. For me, everything has to be from scratch and homemade, I don't feel right doing it otherwise....I think it is more that I feel I can't because then I am going backwards and not forwards...make sense? Yep, I like putting expectations on myself.
Oh, ya, great great news...NOT! I return to work in exactly a weeks time.....ahhhH!!!. Ok, so I am looking forward to seeing people and having a bit more structure but that is about it. Pretty scared though to be going back, leaving the girls for that long in a day; not to mention the amount of new people there are at work these days. I guess you could say total mixed feelings about it all. Yes, that means, I will be back in Vancouver for a little while as will the girls. It'll be tough being away from Ted but it'll be good for me to get back into the swing and for Jade to see some familiar faces. It is super nice of my sis, she is flying out here so I can have someone to drive back with us. It'll be a long drive but good company, catching up to do and some gorgeous scenery.
On that note, I think I am going to indulge in a brownie...or two...or three....then go get some sleep while I can before Charlie wakes up at 5am.
I shall be seeing some of you in person soon and others, well, not soon enough. Hope everyone had a great summer and if I don't get back to this before Thanksgiving, have a very happy one.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Long Overdue de Volder Family Adventure Post
Whoa, didn't realize it has been almost two months since I last wrote a post. I think of doing it often and what I will say then just never sit and get down to it...doh. Like everything else, I tend to just put things off and then I don't have to deal with them but in doing so, let the worry of not doing it build up.
Anywho, enough of the preamble, I will get going. It has been an eventful couple of months for this family and some times were harder than other. We went to Edmonton at the end of May for our house hunting trip and found a brand new duplex in Fort Saskatchewan so went home accomplishing something. Nicest part of all that was also getting to spend some time with my sister while we were there. A couple days after we returned to Borden it was time for Charlie's surgery again.
So, in her and I go to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, go through the pre op stuff and again wait to talk to the anesthesiologist with fingers crossed. The resident listened then left to talk with his chief and so the debate started again whether they would go through with it or not due to the wheezing that was minimal but still there. Thankfully the chief deemed the surgery important because of the biopsy for hirschprungs and so they went forward. I patiently waited, nervous as all heck, with everything hitting me sitting in the waiting room but time passed and surgery was over. In I went to the post op room with another family and we walked out at the same time; them with their kid, me alone as Charlie was quite stable with her blood pressure and heart rate....let the nerves get even worse. Thankfully though, all settled and we left without any further issues.
Holy crapola, after the surgery, it was like a caged animal had been freed. Charlie recovered within a day and went from doing only an army crawl to full speed ahead, full on crawling; 100x happier than she had been and noticing now, she is pooping more regularly. Not to mention, car rides are so much nicer as she is no longer screaming in her car seat like she once did. Conclusion, we figure she was in some real pain with the hernia but didn't know any different so figured she would just make the best of life living in pain. So happy we go the surgery done. Although, my gosh, this girl is trouble. You leave the gate at the bottom of the stairs opened and she is off, climbing the stairs at breaking speed. We thought Jade was trouble, man were we wrong.
Anywho, a couple weeks after the surgery we hit Niagara Falls for one last Ontario adventure then we were off for a drive to Edmonton. Oh those packing days are so much fun; packers come in one day, truck is loaded the next and off our belongings go for their drive and off we go for ours. We were able to make a bit of a trip out of it which was nice. Driving through the states, we hit Chicago, Bloomington, Minnesota, Fargo then Minot, North Dakota before crossing the border to Saskatoon and finally our destination....Fort Saskatchewan. The drive was nice but we were definitely ready to live at a home again. The girls were good for the most part but of course when strapped in a car seat all day then having to eat out were not ideal. We survived though and spent three nights in the hotel in Fort Saskatchewan awaiting our belongings to arrive then to be unpacked.
Ironically, the weekend we move here was also the weekend Ashlee was moving back to Vancouver so my parents came out and we had some good visiting time mixed in with unpacking us and packing her up. Hardest part though was the morning my mom and sister left, Jade went downstairs then came back to our room bawling because they were gone; poor girl, too many changes at once. Leaving a best friend and neighbour she could play with anytime and just were so great together. Sadly, she has tried to invite the girl in the other half of the duplex out a few times but every time has been a no....guess a 10 yr old isn't into playing with a 4 yr old.
We have now been here for almost 3 weeks and are starting to settle in. Ted is back to work and finished clearing in there so doing "real" work now which has been a good experience he says. Jade has waaaaayyy too much energy for me despite being in a camp that was 3 hrs/d last week and a full day camp 3 days this week. She is struggling to settle in but hopefully with some structure and routine she will return to herself. Preschool for Jade is only 2 hours, 3 afternoons a week which will be a change from the 3 full days she was doing in Borden.
It's official, both girls are sleeping in their own beds for entire nights now, with only a couple hiccups. WOOOHHHOOOO!!! Not sure my body really knows what to do with a full night sleep though as it is not happening for me yet, lol
For me, change is always hard and this time is definitely no different unfortunately. The anxiety goes through the roof, stress leads to blah moods and things just are more difficult to deal with so procrastination and little patience set in. I hate when I get this way as I know I am a tough person to be around and nobody deserves my wrath or struggles. Every little things gets blown up to big worries in my head and I start feeling nauseous and don't know where to even begin. I want only the best for the girls so worry I won't get them into things, won't find child care and if I do, it won't be anything like what Jade has had before, picking a decent preschool, leaving Charlie with someone and now leaving Jade too as she has been having meltdowns; find a job myself (which I have time as I am still going to do some work in Vancouver) and with that, making a schedule work with the girls and Ted; keeping our house in good shape, getting an Alberta nursing license, supporting Ted, staying in contact with everyone....I could go on with all that is being tossed around in my head but no need, I think you all get the point. In short, I am not liking who I am these days and need a reboot or something. When all I do is worry, second guess things and get anxiety through the fucking roof, something needs to change and I am the only one that can make that happen.
Please don't get me wrong, I am happy with where we are living, it is a real family oriented community and our home is great. It is a brand new duplex and the back yard is fenced with a huge, opened field with no trees or developments on the other side (which is sure to change but we will enjoy it while we have it). They are building a new elementary school just a few houses down in the field so hopefully our area will stay opened with play areas.
Speaking of play areas, I just looked at the clock and we are off to a play mob where Jade can meet some friends and get some dinner.
Peaz out homie g's.
Anywho, enough of the preamble, I will get going. It has been an eventful couple of months for this family and some times were harder than other. We went to Edmonton at the end of May for our house hunting trip and found a brand new duplex in Fort Saskatchewan so went home accomplishing something. Nicest part of all that was also getting to spend some time with my sister while we were there. A couple days after we returned to Borden it was time for Charlie's surgery again.
So, in her and I go to Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, go through the pre op stuff and again wait to talk to the anesthesiologist with fingers crossed. The resident listened then left to talk with his chief and so the debate started again whether they would go through with it or not due to the wheezing that was minimal but still there. Thankfully the chief deemed the surgery important because of the biopsy for hirschprungs and so they went forward. I patiently waited, nervous as all heck, with everything hitting me sitting in the waiting room but time passed and surgery was over. In I went to the post op room with another family and we walked out at the same time; them with their kid, me alone as Charlie was quite stable with her blood pressure and heart rate....let the nerves get even worse. Thankfully though, all settled and we left without any further issues.
Holy crapola, after the surgery, it was like a caged animal had been freed. Charlie recovered within a day and went from doing only an army crawl to full speed ahead, full on crawling; 100x happier than she had been and noticing now, she is pooping more regularly. Not to mention, car rides are so much nicer as she is no longer screaming in her car seat like she once did. Conclusion, we figure she was in some real pain with the hernia but didn't know any different so figured she would just make the best of life living in pain. So happy we go the surgery done. Although, my gosh, this girl is trouble. You leave the gate at the bottom of the stairs opened and she is off, climbing the stairs at breaking speed. We thought Jade was trouble, man were we wrong.
Anywho, a couple weeks after the surgery we hit Niagara Falls for one last Ontario adventure then we were off for a drive to Edmonton. Oh those packing days are so much fun; packers come in one day, truck is loaded the next and off our belongings go for their drive and off we go for ours. We were able to make a bit of a trip out of it which was nice. Driving through the states, we hit Chicago, Bloomington, Minnesota, Fargo then Minot, North Dakota before crossing the border to Saskatoon and finally our destination....Fort Saskatchewan. The drive was nice but we were definitely ready to live at a home again. The girls were good for the most part but of course when strapped in a car seat all day then having to eat out were not ideal. We survived though and spent three nights in the hotel in Fort Saskatchewan awaiting our belongings to arrive then to be unpacked.
Ironically, the weekend we move here was also the weekend Ashlee was moving back to Vancouver so my parents came out and we had some good visiting time mixed in with unpacking us and packing her up. Hardest part though was the morning my mom and sister left, Jade went downstairs then came back to our room bawling because they were gone; poor girl, too many changes at once. Leaving a best friend and neighbour she could play with anytime and just were so great together. Sadly, she has tried to invite the girl in the other half of the duplex out a few times but every time has been a no....guess a 10 yr old isn't into playing with a 4 yr old.
We have now been here for almost 3 weeks and are starting to settle in. Ted is back to work and finished clearing in there so doing "real" work now which has been a good experience he says. Jade has waaaaayyy too much energy for me despite being in a camp that was 3 hrs/d last week and a full day camp 3 days this week. She is struggling to settle in but hopefully with some structure and routine she will return to herself. Preschool for Jade is only 2 hours, 3 afternoons a week which will be a change from the 3 full days she was doing in Borden.
It's official, both girls are sleeping in their own beds for entire nights now, with only a couple hiccups. WOOOHHHOOOO!!! Not sure my body really knows what to do with a full night sleep though as it is not happening for me yet, lol
For me, change is always hard and this time is definitely no different unfortunately. The anxiety goes through the roof, stress leads to blah moods and things just are more difficult to deal with so procrastination and little patience set in. I hate when I get this way as I know I am a tough person to be around and nobody deserves my wrath or struggles. Every little things gets blown up to big worries in my head and I start feeling nauseous and don't know where to even begin. I want only the best for the girls so worry I won't get them into things, won't find child care and if I do, it won't be anything like what Jade has had before, picking a decent preschool, leaving Charlie with someone and now leaving Jade too as she has been having meltdowns; find a job myself (which I have time as I am still going to do some work in Vancouver) and with that, making a schedule work with the girls and Ted; keeping our house in good shape, getting an Alberta nursing license, supporting Ted, staying in contact with everyone....I could go on with all that is being tossed around in my head but no need, I think you all get the point. In short, I am not liking who I am these days and need a reboot or something. When all I do is worry, second guess things and get anxiety through the fucking roof, something needs to change and I am the only one that can make that happen.
Please don't get me wrong, I am happy with where we are living, it is a real family oriented community and our home is great. It is a brand new duplex and the back yard is fenced with a huge, opened field with no trees or developments on the other side (which is sure to change but we will enjoy it while we have it). They are building a new elementary school just a few houses down in the field so hopefully our area will stay opened with play areas.
Speaking of play areas, I just looked at the clock and we are off to a play mob where Jade can meet some friends and get some dinner.
Peaz out homie g's.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
A Quick Hello From Borden
Where to begin oh where to begin; this has been a pretty busy month finding out all the changes that are going to happen in addition to things with Charlie and her hernia.
Charlie was scheduled to have surgery today but an opening came up and she got bumped up to May 6. So off her and I went to Toronto to stay the night, gave her two enemas and went through the entire pre op process only to be told surgery was cancelled. The wheezing was still happening and they thought it was too high risk to go through with it so surgery has been rescheduled to June 4th. Most frustrating was the fact that she had seen the GP the day before and she said she was completely clear....think again. Thankfully we have had no recurrence of that awful night where the hernia won't go back in and she was projectile vomiting all over the place. Unfortunately though, this cold of hers just won't go away thus no swimming or anything of the such. Despite it all, Charlie is still laughing and smiling up a storm, brightening everyone's days and refusing to sleep through the night. Oh, and she is cutting her first tooth and loves running her tongue along it so looks like a lizard.
Jade is doing fairly well. Drop offs at school are real hard as she has been crying and not wanting to stay but when she coming home she is all smiles and says she has had a great day. She is a wild thing at her playball class with all the boys as well as at swimming which she looooves. Though her birthday was quiet, she still thought it was special and got to spend it with her good friend, our neighbour, Layla. Of course it was all about the Cars cake and Paw Patrol theme. Her obsession with Cars continues and everywhere we go at least two, if not more, come for the ride. For her birthday she got a new bike from grandma and grandpa which she also loves but is often terrified of. Any sort of incline and she is too scared to go but has a blast riding around the driveway and always asks to go out again.
Ted is in the home stretch of his course, today is the last day of classes, tomorrow is admin day and then Monday is graduation; crazy how quickly time has gone by. With his course coming to an end it means our move to Edmonton is drawing ever closer.
Things for me have been a roller coaster. With Charlie, I just pretend nothing is the matter so that worry is suppressed which I seem to be real good at. It has been great having my neighbour to talk to and really connect with; takes away the loneliness big time. What is frustrating for me right now is that I am so happy to be getting out of this town and moving out west but my anxiety has been through the roof like never before. This past week has been a nausea induced one with little sleep and major irritability. Ugh, as I said before, I will bide my time and know things can only get better from here. Think I am officially a pro at suppressing unwanted feelings like stress and anxiety and of course, there is only so much that can be suppressed before the bomb goes off. I have so many things to be proud of, my girls, my husband, my sister (yep, she had her graduation and only her oral exam left before residency is completed), amazing parents and 15 yrs of keeping my head above the water. What the heck eh, why do I find the need to let the other crap take control?
My birthday weekend was spent in Ottawa and I must say it is a gorgeous city. We just spent our couple days there wandering around, taking in the sights and enjoying the weather and food. For some reason, Jade keeps saying we went to Acogo (Chicago). Not to mention every mention of a hotel means that she is staying with Aunty Ashlee. Anywho, Ottawa, sorry, saw the Parliament Buildings, The Mint, the Rideau Canal and The Canadian War Museum. Oh my though, ate way too much as there was some delicious food to be had; too bad we didn't stay longer.
Well, I should really cut this short as tomorrow we are off to Sick Kids again for another test for Charlie. I shall bid you adieu until next time. This was just a short hello to let you all know what is happening out here in the east. Peaz out ya'all!
Charlie was scheduled to have surgery today but an opening came up and she got bumped up to May 6. So off her and I went to Toronto to stay the night, gave her two enemas and went through the entire pre op process only to be told surgery was cancelled. The wheezing was still happening and they thought it was too high risk to go through with it so surgery has been rescheduled to June 4th. Most frustrating was the fact that she had seen the GP the day before and she said she was completely clear....think again. Thankfully we have had no recurrence of that awful night where the hernia won't go back in and she was projectile vomiting all over the place. Unfortunately though, this cold of hers just won't go away thus no swimming or anything of the such. Despite it all, Charlie is still laughing and smiling up a storm, brightening everyone's days and refusing to sleep through the night. Oh, and she is cutting her first tooth and loves running her tongue along it so looks like a lizard.
Jade is doing fairly well. Drop offs at school are real hard as she has been crying and not wanting to stay but when she coming home she is all smiles and says she has had a great day. She is a wild thing at her playball class with all the boys as well as at swimming which she looooves. Though her birthday was quiet, she still thought it was special and got to spend it with her good friend, our neighbour, Layla. Of course it was all about the Cars cake and Paw Patrol theme. Her obsession with Cars continues and everywhere we go at least two, if not more, come for the ride. For her birthday she got a new bike from grandma and grandpa which she also loves but is often terrified of. Any sort of incline and she is too scared to go but has a blast riding around the driveway and always asks to go out again.
Ted is in the home stretch of his course, today is the last day of classes, tomorrow is admin day and then Monday is graduation; crazy how quickly time has gone by. With his course coming to an end it means our move to Edmonton is drawing ever closer.
Things for me have been a roller coaster. With Charlie, I just pretend nothing is the matter so that worry is suppressed which I seem to be real good at. It has been great having my neighbour to talk to and really connect with; takes away the loneliness big time. What is frustrating for me right now is that I am so happy to be getting out of this town and moving out west but my anxiety has been through the roof like never before. This past week has been a nausea induced one with little sleep and major irritability. Ugh, as I said before, I will bide my time and know things can only get better from here. Think I am officially a pro at suppressing unwanted feelings like stress and anxiety and of course, there is only so much that can be suppressed before the bomb goes off. I have so many things to be proud of, my girls, my husband, my sister (yep, she had her graduation and only her oral exam left before residency is completed), amazing parents and 15 yrs of keeping my head above the water. What the heck eh, why do I find the need to let the other crap take control?
My birthday weekend was spent in Ottawa and I must say it is a gorgeous city. We just spent our couple days there wandering around, taking in the sights and enjoying the weather and food. For some reason, Jade keeps saying we went to Acogo (Chicago). Not to mention every mention of a hotel means that she is staying with Aunty Ashlee. Anywho, Ottawa, sorry, saw the Parliament Buildings, The Mint, the Rideau Canal and The Canadian War Museum. Oh my though, ate way too much as there was some delicious food to be had; too bad we didn't stay longer.
Well, I should really cut this short as tomorrow we are off to Sick Kids again for another test for Charlie. I shall bid you adieu until next time. This was just a short hello to let you all know what is happening out here in the east. Peaz out ya'all!
Thursday, April 9, 2015
A Delayed Return to Blogging: Living in Borden, Land of Boredom
Well it has been a few months since I last posted and I apologize for that but I have been doing some procrastinating as well as had my hands full. Life has been a roller coaster ride these past few months making it pretty busy. The girls and I were got to get back to Vancouver, which, for the most part, was soooo nice. We got to see friends, spend time with family and enjoy spring like weather. Seeing my parents was an ultimate high not only for me but Jade became instantly attached again. That attachment was hard to break upon our return to Ontario but thank heavens for facetime.
In early March my mother in law passed away due to that nasty nasty disease called cancer. Thankfully she was able to see the girls when we surprised her but none the less, the passing of anyone is a hard time. The silver lining was getting to see more of Ted's family and spend some quality time with them.
Upon returning to Ontario, things have been a struggle but we are surviving and biding our time here. Jade is back in school but the transition has disrupted her routine and she has yet to sleep through the night and Charlie is attached to my hip. Ted is doing well in his program and with the great support of his instructors, he was able to keep with his class and will graduate on May 22nd. After that, some real fun will begin. We will be heading out for a house hunting trip to Edmonton to look for places to rent, return to Borden then hit the road to our new home...adios Borden!
I honestly can't wait to get out of here. Home truly is where the heart is and I wake up to mine everyday; that I wouldn't trade for anything. However, Borden just hasn't been a great overall experience. I swear the girls and I have seen the doctor or been on medication more here than I have in a lifetime, lol; nothing major but just annoying. Meeting people has been super hard with so much cliquishness but thankfully we have our neighbours and that is helping keep me sane. The weather is starting to get nicer so hopefully more time can be spent outside and that will help lift spirits and burn some toddler energy.
Charlie is a growing machine and is loving her solids. She is also glued to my hip right now and screams if I put her down or leave the room. Other than that, Charlie girl is extremely happy and following in Jade's footsteps of not liking to sleep. She loves to babble away and watch Jade or daddy be goofs. Nothing like Charlie and Jade giggling away together. Jade has been so caring for Charlie lately and making sure she has her toys or trying to soothe her when she cries. Jade still looks for Charlie girl every morning and likes to tell me that Charlie girl just needs her big big sister Jade Honey Princess Reindeer (apparently that is her name) when she is crying. Of course there are times the jealousy comes out but those are minute compared to her love of Charlie. Jade started her playball class this week and is the only girl in a class of 4 & 5 yr old boys. She had the other parents laughing as some of the boys fell throughout the class and started crying while Jade falls and lets out a booming laugh...that's my girl....like mother, like daughter, a little tom boy. Jade loves going to watch Ted play hockey and cheers him on, yelling GOOOOO DADDDY!!!! Such a proud girl. She is still completely obsessed with Cars and everything revolves around them and somehow everything is associated to them. Her other current favourite is Paw Patrol and apparently Jade is going to be Marshal, the fire dog, when she grows up.
I am trying to stay upbeat and focus on the positives of everything, especially the fact we are a family under one roof. As a wife, I am very proud; as a mom, I couldn't ask for better or happier kids; but as me, I struggle to accept myself and be happy with who I am outside of a wife and a mom. Not knowing many people here, leaves a lot of time to spend in my own head with lots of debates and questioning. Why can't I just be happy with who I am; not worry about what I eat or what I do or whether I am making a fool of myself in front of others and what they think of me? I would be completely content if all that was still present but to a far lesser extent and not keep me awake or have such an impact on my life and how I live it. I remember reading an article, which I posted on Facebook, back in February. It was about a woman who talked about when she was most happiest and it wasn't when she was the fittest but rather when she let herself enjoy life without worrying about what she ate or whether she was fit; I would give almost anything to be able to reach that point. Getting myself out the door to meet people is beyond anxiety provoking for me. Going out for Easter dinner to the neighbours brought a lot of worries and envisioning scenarios in my head prior. Ted laughed at me because we were bringing dessert and I was worried about baking anything because our neighbour likes to bake too and I didn't want to make some crappy thing. Despite all the worrying and anxiety prior to, we left there, full and happy after a fun and enjoyable evening. Despite that, I continue to have a tough time going out or talking to people in person or on the phone. There are little phone calls that I have to make, and put them off for days due to my phone phobia. Let's just say, those who know me and my like of saving money, know it is bad when not even that will get me to make the call.
Charlie and I start water babies next week, well hopefully. The original class was cancelled and now we are bumped into another one but there aren't enough people registered yet so not sure it will happen. Our Fit for 2 fitness class was cancelled so there is another X for this town. Oh ya, and a huge X, went to get the new blizzard of the month, the salted caramel truffle, and they were sold out...wtf? How can you be sold out of the blizzard flavour I want. Everyone knows how I love me some DQ so this was a huge blow....okay, maybe not that bad but still. I have been doing some baking, nothing out of the norm but I still love doing it and love to cook. Who has some new recipes for me eh?
Blah blah blah eh? Could I be anymore of a complainer? Meh, bare with me on this journey as I know things will get better and new adventures will begin.
That's it, that's all....until next time I will bid you adieu. I will try to write again sooner and let you know what is happening in the ever changing army world of the de Volders.
In early March my mother in law passed away due to that nasty nasty disease called cancer. Thankfully she was able to see the girls when we surprised her but none the less, the passing of anyone is a hard time. The silver lining was getting to see more of Ted's family and spend some quality time with them.
Upon returning to Ontario, things have been a struggle but we are surviving and biding our time here. Jade is back in school but the transition has disrupted her routine and she has yet to sleep through the night and Charlie is attached to my hip. Ted is doing well in his program and with the great support of his instructors, he was able to keep with his class and will graduate on May 22nd. After that, some real fun will begin. We will be heading out for a house hunting trip to Edmonton to look for places to rent, return to Borden then hit the road to our new home...adios Borden!
I honestly can't wait to get out of here. Home truly is where the heart is and I wake up to mine everyday; that I wouldn't trade for anything. However, Borden just hasn't been a great overall experience. I swear the girls and I have seen the doctor or been on medication more here than I have in a lifetime, lol; nothing major but just annoying. Meeting people has been super hard with so much cliquishness but thankfully we have our neighbours and that is helping keep me sane. The weather is starting to get nicer so hopefully more time can be spent outside and that will help lift spirits and burn some toddler energy.
Charlie is a growing machine and is loving her solids. She is also glued to my hip right now and screams if I put her down or leave the room. Other than that, Charlie girl is extremely happy and following in Jade's footsteps of not liking to sleep. She loves to babble away and watch Jade or daddy be goofs. Nothing like Charlie and Jade giggling away together. Jade has been so caring for Charlie lately and making sure she has her toys or trying to soothe her when she cries. Jade still looks for Charlie girl every morning and likes to tell me that Charlie girl just needs her big big sister Jade Honey Princess Reindeer (apparently that is her name) when she is crying. Of course there are times the jealousy comes out but those are minute compared to her love of Charlie. Jade started her playball class this week and is the only girl in a class of 4 & 5 yr old boys. She had the other parents laughing as some of the boys fell throughout the class and started crying while Jade falls and lets out a booming laugh...that's my girl....like mother, like daughter, a little tom boy. Jade loves going to watch Ted play hockey and cheers him on, yelling GOOOOO DADDDY!!!! Such a proud girl. She is still completely obsessed with Cars and everything revolves around them and somehow everything is associated to them. Her other current favourite is Paw Patrol and apparently Jade is going to be Marshal, the fire dog, when she grows up.
I am trying to stay upbeat and focus on the positives of everything, especially the fact we are a family under one roof. As a wife, I am very proud; as a mom, I couldn't ask for better or happier kids; but as me, I struggle to accept myself and be happy with who I am outside of a wife and a mom. Not knowing many people here, leaves a lot of time to spend in my own head with lots of debates and questioning. Why can't I just be happy with who I am; not worry about what I eat or what I do or whether I am making a fool of myself in front of others and what they think of me? I would be completely content if all that was still present but to a far lesser extent and not keep me awake or have such an impact on my life and how I live it. I remember reading an article, which I posted on Facebook, back in February. It was about a woman who talked about when she was most happiest and it wasn't when she was the fittest but rather when she let herself enjoy life without worrying about what she ate or whether she was fit; I would give almost anything to be able to reach that point. Getting myself out the door to meet people is beyond anxiety provoking for me. Going out for Easter dinner to the neighbours brought a lot of worries and envisioning scenarios in my head prior. Ted laughed at me because we were bringing dessert and I was worried about baking anything because our neighbour likes to bake too and I didn't want to make some crappy thing. Despite all the worrying and anxiety prior to, we left there, full and happy after a fun and enjoyable evening. Despite that, I continue to have a tough time going out or talking to people in person or on the phone. There are little phone calls that I have to make, and put them off for days due to my phone phobia. Let's just say, those who know me and my like of saving money, know it is bad when not even that will get me to make the call.
Charlie and I start water babies next week, well hopefully. The original class was cancelled and now we are bumped into another one but there aren't enough people registered yet so not sure it will happen. Our Fit for 2 fitness class was cancelled so there is another X for this town. Oh ya, and a huge X, went to get the new blizzard of the month, the salted caramel truffle, and they were sold out...wtf? How can you be sold out of the blizzard flavour I want. Everyone knows how I love me some DQ so this was a huge blow....okay, maybe not that bad but still. I have been doing some baking, nothing out of the norm but I still love doing it and love to cook. Who has some new recipes for me eh?
Blah blah blah eh? Could I be anymore of a complainer? Meh, bare with me on this journey as I know things will get better and new adventures will begin.
That's it, that's all....until next time I will bid you adieu. I will try to write again sooner and let you know what is happening in the ever changing army world of the de Volders.
Monday, January 26, 2015
Trucking Along in Borden
Ya, it is still frickin' cold here....tomorrow is supposed to be -10 but feel like -27 with the windchill. As if I didn't feel the cabin fever already, now going outside in the sunshine isn't really an option. Oh well, the girls and I always seem to find something to do when I least expect it. With the cold comes more cooking indoors then on the BBQ. Took to making some turkey chili with homemade cornbread the other night. Couldn't resist making my meatloaf another night which takes me back home, knowing how much everyone loved it. It is also time to bring out the slow cooker and figure out some recipes to there. The baking me has returned and this new stand mixer I got is fabulocious. I have to keep my eyes on the dough though because my little helper, Jade, likes to eat it rather than let it make its way to the oven.
Life has been pretty status quo as of late. Ted and I were finally able to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary (it was October 10th) when we went to meet Ashlee in Toronto for the weekend. It was so hard to get her to look after the girls for an evening, not....It is pretty weird going out childless for more than a half hour. The next day we all went to the aquarium which was pretty neat. I would recommend it to anyone with kids coming out this way, much different than the Vancouver one. Overall that was one very nice weekend; between enjoying a night with Ted, seeing my sister and just being a family away, can't get much better.
Jade continues with her three days a week at "school" which she couldn't be happier at. I had to laugh the other day when I was picking her up and one of the little boys was a little sad it wasn't his mom. The teacher said, some kids get upset when their parents aren't the ones walking through the door to which I said, I bet that is not Jade. Nope, not at all, Jade could give two hoots who walks through the door if she has friends to play with. She has been learning her letters, every week is a new one and she has to bring an item to share that starts with the specific letter. Last week was "R" so Jade took her racers, Ramone and Raul. Her Cars collection only continues to grow and we have now had to take to ordering online as several aren't available in store. To be honest, I don't know who gets more excited about it, Jade or Ted. Jade is also in swimming and gymnastics which again, she loves, of course, because there are friends. Oh, and her name has gotten longer again. If you ask her what her name is, you will usually get "Big Big Sister Jade" but now it is "Big Big Sister Jade Honey". Do not forget the Big Big Sister part, that is like referring to an elder without the Mrs or Mr.
I am getting quite worried that Charlie is a mini Jade...full of energy and a talking machine. Okay, so that isn't that bad but quietness in this house is going to be seldom. Maybe I can blame that one on my social butterfly mom and the trait just skips a generation. Some nights we try to watch a show and it is a little difficult as we can't hear due to Charlie murming constantly. If she isn't talking, then there is something, whatever she can get her hands on, going into her mouth. The kid doesn't stop moving; either, rolling around, flailing the arms all the while smiling and watching the world around her. Like I said before, it is amazing how in love these two sisters are. If Jade is doing something, Charlie is intensely watching with a smile and if Charlie does something, Jade gets excited and is sure to let us all know the play by play.
Okay, so I am one of those moms I guess who likes to brag and talk about their kids....hey, I am pretty quiet so just be thankful I find something to talk about without hesitation, lol.
Ted is doing wickedly awesome in his course, just dying to be done and moving away from Borden. That end date of May 25th draws nearer every week. It is pretty neat seeing him have a passion in what he is doing. Before starting he knew nothing about cars and now he gets excited to go out and tinker with his, find out what is wrong with it and how to fix it. I also am becoming much more knowledgeable with how much he talks about it. I have learned how much of a rip off air-care was and exactly why.
As for me, well there isn't a whole lot to say. I have accepted the fact that I am not likely to meet many people here so I will just bide my time until we move to wherever we end up and make the best of it for the girls. I find myself spending way way too much time in my head thinking about things, so many many things. When I say my own head, I don't mean I am only thinking about me, me, me but rather all those around me and our future. Eeek, I think I am starting to repeat what I wrote last time. I finally sent off my CV to apply for my masters; what the heck, why not add another thing to my list to worry about. At least it will distract me from some of my unnecessary worries :). Man, sounds pretty blah eh? It isn't always that way, I have a great family both here and in North Van who keep me going and brighten my spirits. I mean how could you not laugh with a kid like Jade...sorry, Big Big Sister Jade Honey.
Well, I think I am going to go put Charlie Girl to bed and think about doing the same myself.
Adios amigos.
Life has been pretty status quo as of late. Ted and I were finally able to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary (it was October 10th) when we went to meet Ashlee in Toronto for the weekend. It was so hard to get her to look after the girls for an evening, not....It is pretty weird going out childless for more than a half hour. The next day we all went to the aquarium which was pretty neat. I would recommend it to anyone with kids coming out this way, much different than the Vancouver one. Overall that was one very nice weekend; between enjoying a night with Ted, seeing my sister and just being a family away, can't get much better.
Jade continues with her three days a week at "school" which she couldn't be happier at. I had to laugh the other day when I was picking her up and one of the little boys was a little sad it wasn't his mom. The teacher said, some kids get upset when their parents aren't the ones walking through the door to which I said, I bet that is not Jade. Nope, not at all, Jade could give two hoots who walks through the door if she has friends to play with. She has been learning her letters, every week is a new one and she has to bring an item to share that starts with the specific letter. Last week was "R" so Jade took her racers, Ramone and Raul. Her Cars collection only continues to grow and we have now had to take to ordering online as several aren't available in store. To be honest, I don't know who gets more excited about it, Jade or Ted. Jade is also in swimming and gymnastics which again, she loves, of course, because there are friends. Oh, and her name has gotten longer again. If you ask her what her name is, you will usually get "Big Big Sister Jade" but now it is "Big Big Sister Jade Honey". Do not forget the Big Big Sister part, that is like referring to an elder without the Mrs or Mr.
I am getting quite worried that Charlie is a mini Jade...full of energy and a talking machine. Okay, so that isn't that bad but quietness in this house is going to be seldom. Maybe I can blame that one on my social butterfly mom and the trait just skips a generation. Some nights we try to watch a show and it is a little difficult as we can't hear due to Charlie murming constantly. If she isn't talking, then there is something, whatever she can get her hands on, going into her mouth. The kid doesn't stop moving; either, rolling around, flailing the arms all the while smiling and watching the world around her. Like I said before, it is amazing how in love these two sisters are. If Jade is doing something, Charlie is intensely watching with a smile and if Charlie does something, Jade gets excited and is sure to let us all know the play by play.
Okay, so I am one of those moms I guess who likes to brag and talk about their kids....hey, I am pretty quiet so just be thankful I find something to talk about without hesitation, lol.
Ted is doing wickedly awesome in his course, just dying to be done and moving away from Borden. That end date of May 25th draws nearer every week. It is pretty neat seeing him have a passion in what he is doing. Before starting he knew nothing about cars and now he gets excited to go out and tinker with his, find out what is wrong with it and how to fix it. I also am becoming much more knowledgeable with how much he talks about it. I have learned how much of a rip off air-care was and exactly why.
As for me, well there isn't a whole lot to say. I have accepted the fact that I am not likely to meet many people here so I will just bide my time until we move to wherever we end up and make the best of it for the girls. I find myself spending way way too much time in my head thinking about things, so many many things. When I say my own head, I don't mean I am only thinking about me, me, me but rather all those around me and our future. Eeek, I think I am starting to repeat what I wrote last time. I finally sent off my CV to apply for my masters; what the heck, why not add another thing to my list to worry about. At least it will distract me from some of my unnecessary worries :). Man, sounds pretty blah eh? It isn't always that way, I have a great family both here and in North Van who keep me going and brighten my spirits. I mean how could you not laugh with a kid like Jade...sorry, Big Big Sister Jade Honey.
Well, I think I am going to go put Charlie Girl to bed and think about doing the same myself.
Adios amigos.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
"Let It Go"
Ok, it is flipping cold here lately so going outside is not often on the agenda and cabin fever is building up. Those who know me know sitting for extended periods of time without activity kills me so going days on end has been torture; however, going out in -23 weather would be probably worse. It did manage to warm up a bit today to -10, -19 with the wind chill so Ted and I took the girls out on their sled and went for a little walk. It was short, but very nice to get out.
Being stuck inside leaves me far too much time with my own mind and lots of thoughts and worries start to arise. Sometimes I wish I could just have a new brain and not have to deal with my own thoughts and worries. I think sometimes I find things to worry about if I have nothing as it just doesn't feel right. I sure hope these two girls of mine don't follow in my footsteps and can be a little more free than I. I swear my brain never shuts off, running 24/7 without hesitation. Every decision, every action, every reaction, I need to think about and analyze....don't want to make the wrong move or the analyzing is 100x worse. If someone questions me, no harm intended, maybe because they are curious of why I did what I did, I automatically start regretting my words/actions.
I have no doubt everyone has heard of Frozen, if not seen it several times. Of course with a 3.5 yr old we listen to the soundtrack daily and honestly, I am not complaining as I quite like it. I think part of me liking it is, as cliche as it sounds, because I can really identify with the theme song as I am sure several others can as well.
"Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, put on a show
Make one wrong move and everyone will know"
I spend so much of my time not letting anyone in to seeing the real me. I have always been the good girl, never doing anything wrong and if I did do something wrong I was absolutely terrified of being caught. For me, this had nothing to do with being scared of my parents or what they would do if they caught me as my parents were pretty laid back. They instilled great values and morals with Ashlee and I but were never harsh or fear inducing. Wearing a mask is what I do best; very few people can see past that mask and know when I am trying to hide. I always worry if I do say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing everyone will know and I would be soooo embarrassed. To me, if I am embarrassed it means I fear showing my face because I feel like such an idiot. That being said, when it comes to work related things or involving others, I can admit I am wrong or that I made a mistake. The embarrassment more comes from things that I had a choice of doing, if that makes any sense.
Being in a town where I barely know anyone means my mask is rarely taken off. Sure at home I can be me but even then it is sometimes hard and being the perceived me is just better for all. This journey will be full of roller coaster as living in the military often equates to moving to new towns and thus having to meet new people and find new jobs quite frequently.
I am only four months into my maternity leave and here I am worrying about going back to work; worrying about when the time comes that I have to seek out a new position in a new town....so many thoughts run through my head and I just worry, worry, worry. WTF, can't I just focus on my life now and not down the road; does everything have to be preplanned and set up months in advance? I can only seem to dream of being able to "let it go".
With all that said and how I feel, I do strive to hide it all from Jade and Charlie. They don't need to know the struggles I have nor do they need to see them. These two amazing girls deserve a mom who is not scared to do anything and says what is needed without question. I guess Jade has been good for me in terms of that as I have had to force myself to drop the mask sometimes and just go; however, that isn't to say that when I come home and it is quiet, I don't rehash things in my own head. Now that there is Jade and Charlie, I am no doubt going to be forced out of my hole much more often than I have ever been or ever wanted to be. Not to mention Ted pushes me to talk a lot more and stop trying to do everything on my own. It's weird though, because, like I said, I have no reason to fear what others think of me and I also have no reason to do everything on my own. Not once growing up was I ever chastised or humiliated by parents; rather they were always encouraging and very positive...hmmmmm. In fact, I got the nickname "Kirby" in high school after my mom bought me a book of encouragement written by Kirby Puckett. That was one of many positive, encouraging trinkets she has given me over the years.
Jade and Charlie are happy little girls, constantly laughing and giggling....and....farting...the little girly girls that they are. Jade has her obsession with Cars and Charlie with putting whatever she can in her mouth, in her mouth. When the two of them are together, they may not be able to converse in everyday English but the sounds they make and the smiles that light up the room are heart warming. I am one very proud mama.
I saw this meme on someone's Facebook wall the other day how those who have left us sometimes open the door to say hi. My gosh has this ever been true these past few nights. With the anniversary of my grandma's death on coming up, I have had dreams about her that leave me waking up not sure what the heck just happened. She always makes her presence known though through Jade and the way Jade looooves butter with a little bread. Exactly as my grandma would do, leave a piece of butter near them and it will be gone instantly without needing anything to go with it.
I am sitting here on Jade's Thomas board with race tracks on the other side of my computer and Charlie bouncing in her jolly jumper blowing bubbles and slobbering like crazy. Ah the life of a mom, lol....the days of having a clean house for more than a day are gone for quite sometime.
Alrighty, on that note I shall bid you adieu and go get Jade ready for bed. Again, thank you for all the positive words and encouragement. I am still pretty hesitant to put any of this out there but once I force myself to press send, there is no turning back.
"To believe you can is everything"
Being stuck inside leaves me far too much time with my own mind and lots of thoughts and worries start to arise. Sometimes I wish I could just have a new brain and not have to deal with my own thoughts and worries. I think sometimes I find things to worry about if I have nothing as it just doesn't feel right. I sure hope these two girls of mine don't follow in my footsteps and can be a little more free than I. I swear my brain never shuts off, running 24/7 without hesitation. Every decision, every action, every reaction, I need to think about and analyze....don't want to make the wrong move or the analyzing is 100x worse. If someone questions me, no harm intended, maybe because they are curious of why I did what I did, I automatically start regretting my words/actions.
I have no doubt everyone has heard of Frozen, if not seen it several times. Of course with a 3.5 yr old we listen to the soundtrack daily and honestly, I am not complaining as I quite like it. I think part of me liking it is, as cliche as it sounds, because I can really identify with the theme song as I am sure several others can as well.
"Don't let them in, don't let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don't feel, put on a show
Make one wrong move and everyone will know"
I spend so much of my time not letting anyone in to seeing the real me. I have always been the good girl, never doing anything wrong and if I did do something wrong I was absolutely terrified of being caught. For me, this had nothing to do with being scared of my parents or what they would do if they caught me as my parents were pretty laid back. They instilled great values and morals with Ashlee and I but were never harsh or fear inducing. Wearing a mask is what I do best; very few people can see past that mask and know when I am trying to hide. I always worry if I do say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing everyone will know and I would be soooo embarrassed. To me, if I am embarrassed it means I fear showing my face because I feel like such an idiot. That being said, when it comes to work related things or involving others, I can admit I am wrong or that I made a mistake. The embarrassment more comes from things that I had a choice of doing, if that makes any sense.
Being in a town where I barely know anyone means my mask is rarely taken off. Sure at home I can be me but even then it is sometimes hard and being the perceived me is just better for all. This journey will be full of roller coaster as living in the military often equates to moving to new towns and thus having to meet new people and find new jobs quite frequently.
I am only four months into my maternity leave and here I am worrying about going back to work; worrying about when the time comes that I have to seek out a new position in a new town....so many thoughts run through my head and I just worry, worry, worry. WTF, can't I just focus on my life now and not down the road; does everything have to be preplanned and set up months in advance? I can only seem to dream of being able to "let it go".
With all that said and how I feel, I do strive to hide it all from Jade and Charlie. They don't need to know the struggles I have nor do they need to see them. These two amazing girls deserve a mom who is not scared to do anything and says what is needed without question. I guess Jade has been good for me in terms of that as I have had to force myself to drop the mask sometimes and just go; however, that isn't to say that when I come home and it is quiet, I don't rehash things in my own head. Now that there is Jade and Charlie, I am no doubt going to be forced out of my hole much more often than I have ever been or ever wanted to be. Not to mention Ted pushes me to talk a lot more and stop trying to do everything on my own. It's weird though, because, like I said, I have no reason to fear what others think of me and I also have no reason to do everything on my own. Not once growing up was I ever chastised or humiliated by parents; rather they were always encouraging and very positive...hmmmmm. In fact, I got the nickname "Kirby" in high school after my mom bought me a book of encouragement written by Kirby Puckett. That was one of many positive, encouraging trinkets she has given me over the years.
Jade and Charlie are happy little girls, constantly laughing and giggling....and....farting...the little girly girls that they are. Jade has her obsession with Cars and Charlie with putting whatever she can in her mouth, in her mouth. When the two of them are together, they may not be able to converse in everyday English but the sounds they make and the smiles that light up the room are heart warming. I am one very proud mama.
I saw this meme on someone's Facebook wall the other day how those who have left us sometimes open the door to say hi. My gosh has this ever been true these past few nights. With the anniversary of my grandma's death on coming up, I have had dreams about her that leave me waking up not sure what the heck just happened. She always makes her presence known though through Jade and the way Jade looooves butter with a little bread. Exactly as my grandma would do, leave a piece of butter near them and it will be gone instantly without needing anything to go with it.
I am sitting here on Jade's Thomas board with race tracks on the other side of my computer and Charlie bouncing in her jolly jumper blowing bubbles and slobbering like crazy. Ah the life of a mom, lol....the days of having a clean house for more than a day are gone for quite sometime.
Alrighty, on that note I shall bid you adieu and go get Jade ready for bed. Again, thank you for all the positive words and encouragement. I am still pretty hesitant to put any of this out there but once I force myself to press send, there is no turning back.
"To believe you can is everything"
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Goodbye 2014, Hello 2015!
2014 was quite a year; as Ted put it, "it was a polarizing one". Every year starts off hard as January 15th marks the anniversary of my grandma's passing. No matter how much time passes, it still feels like she is just away until those moments I know she would be around hit. Another sad event to begin the year was the passing of my kind hearted and gentle father in law. He was a man who lived life to the fullest and had the sense of humour that we all loved. I adored the man and no matter how far away he was, we always knew the love he had for his entire family; oh and of course the proudness he had that Jade's nose was like his. The last conversation we had over facetime was one of the greatest as the news that I was pregnant was shared.
2014 also was a year of separation for Jade, Ted and I. With Ted living in Borden and us in North Van, times were tough but fortunately the saying "distance makes the heart grow fonder" rang true for all of us. The farther we were physically apart the closer we became emotionally and our marriage only blossomed. It was hard times being apart, but we did it and are better for it. During that time, Jade and I spent a lot of time with my parents who were amazing and supported us every step of the way. If it weren't for them, I doubt we would have survived, lol. The love they have for Jade and vice versa is absolutely heart warming.
With the birth of Charlie came a whole new beginning to our lives. Apparently we like to do all the big things at one; we got married and bought our first place within a week; when Jade was born we put a down payment down on a new place the same day and this time, with Charlie, we were in the midst of moving again. Only this time it was a move far bigger than ever before. Thankfully Ted was able to be home for the birth and spend a few weeks with us before having to return to do the long drive back to Borden. Of course, this birth didn't go as planned and Charlie graced us with her presence a week before the scheduled c-section. Throughout the pregnancy, Jade always referred to the baby as Charlie, well initially it was Mater but with my mom's help that changed to Charlie, and we always told everyone that was not going to be the name. Trust me, that was the truth, the truth until I had her in my arms for the first time and Ted and I looked at each other and said, Charlie. So, on September 4th, 2014, Charlie Cynthia de Volder became the fourth member of our family. At the end of the month, Ted hit the road to Borden in our new Santa Fe, Fe Santa Fe as Jade calls it, to make it back in time to meet the moving truck at our new home.
At the end of October, the girls and I packed up what was left and we headed out east to be with Ted at our new home on the base. Saying good bye to my parents was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. For those of you who know me, I do not show my emotions when it comes to crying, but this time there was no hope of holding back and I broke down. Mette, Mike and Kjell joined us at the airport which was soooo nice and great for Jade. This was the first time I would not be living within a short drive of my parents or see them every few days. My parents mean the world to me and moving away was absolutely heart breaking; however, Ted, the girls and I need to be together and they are the priority. North Vancouver will always be my home, my parents will always only be a phone call away, always be there for us and friends and family will always be there. Being a family again, Ted, the girls and I, has been wonderful and done wonders to bring us closer.
The transition has been tough, I will not lie or sugar coat things. I am absolutely terrible with any sort of change be it a change in plan of the day or what someone says so this has been a test. It is tough not knowing anyone, living in a small town and not having much to do. At times I get sad missing what is in BC but, as I said, being a family under one roof is all worth it. I have some great friends and of course family who keep in contact with me and help me stay positive. I also have a great husband who acknowledges the hard transition and has been amazingly supportive.
I already talked about Christmas previously but will pick up and say we ended the year off on a very good note with a trip to Chicago. It was our first family road trip as a foursome and went swimmingly well. At times it got pretty chilly which caused one camper to be a little unhappy but overall it was a fabulous trip to a city we fell in love with. Of course I wouldn't want tot move there, but to be a tourist in, awesome!!!
Now it is back to life again, one more week off for Ted which is really nice and gives me a lot of help. It is also the beginning of school for Jade, yep she starts preschool this week. It could not happen any sooner, lol. Those who know Jade, know how social and active she is, so being cooped up with shy me and baby Charlie girl for over two months was not fair. Despite going to a some drop ins and what not, there just was never enough socialization opportunities. This gal has been talking about school since, well, a long time so to finally get to go, is very exciting. Thus the beginning of 2015 has been a positive start. Hopefully it will cure her of her utter fondness of the word "what"; she told me she is pretty funny because she says it. Now it is mostly to push Ted's buttons as a joke but she does love it. Of course though, nothing will come close to her love for her Cars.
Sorry for the blahness of these blogs and lack of me to this one but I promise, the next one will be back to me and not just the mundane day by day report. I could start that here but that would just make this way too much reading in one sitting so will leave you knowing that next up, I will bring a little me into it and a little talk about Frozen.
2014 also was a year of separation for Jade, Ted and I. With Ted living in Borden and us in North Van, times were tough but fortunately the saying "distance makes the heart grow fonder" rang true for all of us. The farther we were physically apart the closer we became emotionally and our marriage only blossomed. It was hard times being apart, but we did it and are better for it. During that time, Jade and I spent a lot of time with my parents who were amazing and supported us every step of the way. If it weren't for them, I doubt we would have survived, lol. The love they have for Jade and vice versa is absolutely heart warming.
With the birth of Charlie came a whole new beginning to our lives. Apparently we like to do all the big things at one; we got married and bought our first place within a week; when Jade was born we put a down payment down on a new place the same day and this time, with Charlie, we were in the midst of moving again. Only this time it was a move far bigger than ever before. Thankfully Ted was able to be home for the birth and spend a few weeks with us before having to return to do the long drive back to Borden. Of course, this birth didn't go as planned and Charlie graced us with her presence a week before the scheduled c-section. Throughout the pregnancy, Jade always referred to the baby as Charlie, well initially it was Mater but with my mom's help that changed to Charlie, and we always told everyone that was not going to be the name. Trust me, that was the truth, the truth until I had her in my arms for the first time and Ted and I looked at each other and said, Charlie. So, on September 4th, 2014, Charlie Cynthia de Volder became the fourth member of our family. At the end of the month, Ted hit the road to Borden in our new Santa Fe, Fe Santa Fe as Jade calls it, to make it back in time to meet the moving truck at our new home.
At the end of October, the girls and I packed up what was left and we headed out east to be with Ted at our new home on the base. Saying good bye to my parents was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. For those of you who know me, I do not show my emotions when it comes to crying, but this time there was no hope of holding back and I broke down. Mette, Mike and Kjell joined us at the airport which was soooo nice and great for Jade. This was the first time I would not be living within a short drive of my parents or see them every few days. My parents mean the world to me and moving away was absolutely heart breaking; however, Ted, the girls and I need to be together and they are the priority. North Vancouver will always be my home, my parents will always only be a phone call away, always be there for us and friends and family will always be there. Being a family again, Ted, the girls and I, has been wonderful and done wonders to bring us closer.
The transition has been tough, I will not lie or sugar coat things. I am absolutely terrible with any sort of change be it a change in plan of the day or what someone says so this has been a test. It is tough not knowing anyone, living in a small town and not having much to do. At times I get sad missing what is in BC but, as I said, being a family under one roof is all worth it. I have some great friends and of course family who keep in contact with me and help me stay positive. I also have a great husband who acknowledges the hard transition and has been amazingly supportive.
I already talked about Christmas previously but will pick up and say we ended the year off on a very good note with a trip to Chicago. It was our first family road trip as a foursome and went swimmingly well. At times it got pretty chilly which caused one camper to be a little unhappy but overall it was a fabulous trip to a city we fell in love with. Of course I wouldn't want tot move there, but to be a tourist in, awesome!!!
Now it is back to life again, one more week off for Ted which is really nice and gives me a lot of help. It is also the beginning of school for Jade, yep she starts preschool this week. It could not happen any sooner, lol. Those who know Jade, know how social and active she is, so being cooped up with shy me and baby Charlie girl for over two months was not fair. Despite going to a some drop ins and what not, there just was never enough socialization opportunities. This gal has been talking about school since, well, a long time so to finally get to go, is very exciting. Thus the beginning of 2015 has been a positive start. Hopefully it will cure her of her utter fondness of the word "what"; she told me she is pretty funny because she says it. Now it is mostly to push Ted's buttons as a joke but she does love it. Of course though, nothing will come close to her love for her Cars.
Sorry for the blahness of these blogs and lack of me to this one but I promise, the next one will be back to me and not just the mundane day by day report. I could start that here but that would just make this way too much reading in one sitting so will leave you knowing that next up, I will bring a little me into it and a little talk about Frozen.
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