Photo Stream

Having a phone with a great camera is 

such a great tool. It's also kind of a curse.

It is always in my back pocket but I have to make sure 

I am intentional about taking out my nice camera too! 

Here are some photos of some Smid adventures from the past couple of months. 

One of my favourite things of all time is watching these two play together. 

Ssssh, don't wake the baby. She loves to cuddle, so do I! This is our favourite way to do that and still play with big sis and get stuff done. 

Claire at AWANA 

I can't tell you how many times 'Buddy' has absolutely scared the pants off me!

We love our time with Isla Isabelle Cutie Patootie 

Charlotte Diamond concert with her bestie for M's birthday 

Love our morning cuddles so much. 

Headed to Moms and Babes sing-a-long. 

Don't worry, Buddy is in her backpack. 

Uncle Ty gets to read the girls their bedtime stories.

Our girls only 'Super Bowl Party' (no TV on)

Ice skating and lunch with grandma, great grandparents, auntie and cousin. 

Jane behind the wheel

Swim lessons! Little Salamander. 

Valentine's Day date to see Ben Howard

Friends learning a servants heart. Helping clean up after a church shower. 

Claire's favourite past time, eating at a restaurant. At Sophie's Cosmic Cafe on West 4th in Vancouver.

The start of our Portland vacation! 

New discoveries. The Vancouver Aquarium. 

Picnic at Prospect Point, Stanley Park

Sitting up all on her own!

Fun with sidewalk chalk! Love the imagination at this age! 

Finally printed off some family photos for my frames.

Jameson isn't exactly sure what Jane is for, but he likes her crinkly toys!

There you have it! A condensed version of the 1100+ photos on my phone! 

We spend great time with friends and one cute kids! We microwave coffee too many times, we cuddle, read and play. We had some amazing weather, a couple of vacations and even three dates since the new year.

This is going to sound silly, but often I am asked what the three of us girls get up to and I honestly can't think of how to answer that. Do I state the mundane things that take up the majority of my time like practicing counting and letter sounds? Practicing patience while letting my three year old spread her own peanut butter on toast? Changing dirty diaper, sometimes taking no shower and other says taking more than one bath? Swim lessons, Cubbies and play dates? 

Or do I speak of this highlight reel. That is so fun, holds great memories but is not a fair representation of our day to day life? Being home with these girls means so much to me. I love the mundane just as much, if not more, than the times we get to go to the aquarium. But yet when I say it, I feel self-conscious. Like somehow being their care taker, teacher, helper and play mate isn't quite enough. 

Can anyone else relate?

Motherhood

Happy Friday!

It is a long weekend here in B.C. Canada

and my wonderful husband took today off work to make it a 4 day weekend.

We are off on a little get-away to spend some 

time together as a family.

Really looking forward to lounging in my yoga

pants and sharing diaper duty! 

There have been many articles the past 

while floating around the internet.

Moms pouring their hearts into words

about the reality of motherhood.

You are familiar with it I am sure,

even if it was many moons ago.

The reality of a blissful,

sleep deprived, emotional rollercoaster,

cheerios mushed into the  carpet,

spilled milk,

sticky kisses and big squishy hugs 

motherhood.

Dear friends,

I write to you from the trenches of this reality.

And oh my gosh I love every single bit of it!

These are the days I longed for and already they are too quickly passing.

We aren't even done our family yet and 

already I feel is slipping from my fingertips.

When I was in grade 3 I distinctly

remember my teacher asking the age old

"What do you want to be when you grow up" question.

To which I confidently replied,

"A mom."

I wanted it to be my full time job.

I didn't yearn for a career,

anything before or after would just be a job to me.

What I wanted was to have babies,

mother them, play with them, be creative with them

and love so hard on them. 

Over time I began to feel that 

this response was inadequate.

Why, in a world that we worked so hard

to get to a place where women can thrive and excel in the workplace,

would I choose the life of June Cleaver?

This iconic version of a 1950's housewife seemed so silly.

Not that it is exactly what I wanted.

But, yes, I did want to stay at home with my kids.

Take them to and from school,

be a chaperone on field trips and volunteer in their classrooms.

I did want to be at home to bake and cook

and make meals for not only my children but my husband, too.

I wanted him to be taken care of because he goes to work

so that I can stay at home and do what I wanted to do too.

My husband chose his career not only because of his passion

but because I could stay at home.

Before everyone gets their knickers in a knot,

please do not thinking I am pointing out 

those who must go to work

or want to go to work.

I am not talking about that.

(That is a whole other area of Judgey Mom syndrome I really don't want to get into.)

I am talking about what I wanted growing up,

and how now I am so blessed to be able to live out that dream.

Anyway, back to what I was saying.

Soon I began to realize that choosing to be a stay at home mom 

was an inadequate response to that particular question.

I got giggles and snickers and so I changed my answer.

I said I wanted to be a teacher.

Not realising at the time that teaching is indeed a gift.

After a few months of volunteering and many tears later

I realized I do not possess that gift.

I guess what I am trying to say is that 

yes, like any other job,

motherhood is very hard and at times very isolating.

Other moms blog about the realities of motherhood

because it makes other moms feel understood.

That there is so much beauty in that sticky job,

in the simplicity of our days and long nights.

That when we put our hearts into these words

it gives other moms a little bit of encouragement to keep on keepin' on.

Here are two other blogs I have read recently 

that have greatly encouraged me. 

The Most Powerful Thing You Can Say to Another Mom

by Denise Stirk on PopSugar

Motherhood is Underrated

but Elissa Joy Watts

on Professional Amateur

I hope you enjoy them as much as I did

and even mutter a few 

"mmhmm" and "Amen, sister" phrases like I did.

Happy Weekend everyone!

If it is Family Day Monday like it is here,

I hope you enjoy some fun activities together!

xo,

Michelle

Motherhood

This made me laugh out loud.

Especially because currently I am in my pajamas 

(in my defense it is still morning)

and C is trying to put a diaper cover on my head as a hat.

Ah motherhood,

and our relationship with the daddies.