farewell
Dear House,
We have been together for over five years now. Our relationship first started as a bit of a love afair over the internet. I saw you on MLS and I HAD to have you. I just knew that if you and I were together that we would be so happy. I would be the prettiest girl in the neighbourhood with you as my back drop. The first time I saw you, I was sure. You know what they say, when it’s right, you just know. Not everyone was as sure as I was so I had to traipse through countless other homes that just didn’t live up to you until everyone finally agreed with me: you were perfect!
I’m so glad we found each other. That is why saying goodbye is so hard. I will miss you. I’ll miss the way the sun shines in your front windows each morning. I’ll miss sitting in the warm pool of light on my couch. I’ll miss clapping for our children’s concerts on the landing. I will miss watching the kids play from the porch. The sound of their laughter is forever etched in my heart. I will even miss the triple ring of the doorbell each time the neighbourhood kids come calling. I will miss the gardens we have carefully built up to make you look your best, the new light in the foyer, gorgeous hood fan and knobs in the kitchen and dark stained fence in the backyard. I’ll laugh when I remember the ridiculously oversized gate to the driveway that the inept landscapers created. You and I, we knew it was more of a quirk than a flaw! I could go on all day because that is how it is when you are in love.
As much as I love you, we were only meant to be together for a time. I will never forget you. You were our first home. Our first mortgage. My children spent their first days under your roof. They learned to crawl and walk and talk within your walls. We have loved, cried, fought and laughed here. T and I have fallen more deeply in love as a couple while living here. We have struggled to figure out parenting and to model family and faith to our children.
So thank you, dear house for your warmth, security and comfort. Thank you for being our safe place to hide, for enduring my continual desire to change your colours, update your fixtures and change your flooring. Thank you for not minding when your walls were covered in sticky finger prints and when your doors got slammed. You were loved and I hope that the new people will love you and treat you well. If they don’t, you have my permission to burst a water pipe or something.
With love,
Rachel
Filed under On moving | Comment (0)cooler than we thought
We just got home from our going away party. It was great! A bunch of people who said no or maybe showed up. So I guess we aren’t total loosers afterall! It was wonderful to have so many of our friends in one place at the same time. I can’t help but marvel at the number of children we have all produced over the last 7 years! It felt good to know that our lives have made some sort of a mark here and that we will be missed. It would have seriously sucked to have left and had no one break down in a weepy puddle at our feet begging us to stay!
Filed under On moving | Comment (0)luh-h-hoosers
One of my girlfriends called me a few weeks ago to tell me she’d like to host a goodbye party for our family. I was super touched and excited about it. The party is tomorrow evening and it looks like almost no one is coming! Turns out we had a really big impact on our friends lives! So much so that very few of the people we hold dear are coming. Wow! There is nothing like the feeling of people being that over you before you even leave. Or knowing that you just aren’t worth the effort! Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out…
In brighter news, two of my awesome neighbours are having a goodbye party for our kids this afternoon. There’s going to be lots of ice cream, juice and water guns so it should be a blast! N and G and really excited. I’m so please that they are getting such a nice send off. Living on this street has been such a blessing. We are going to miss it.
N just informed me that he might like to take a trip into outspace afterall, as long as someone comes with him. Guess I better get going!
Filed under Kiddies, On moving | Comment (0)remember
Some funny tidbits from the kids:
G:
How time it is Mommy?
Youz and mez and all demz gonna go?
Clabs and Lobsters! Dey’s crustcean’s cause dey’s got dem’s bones on da outside!
I like corn buts it did makes mine bum owie (this from the girl who ate 4 entire cobs in a 24 hour period!).
Sometimes, it’s hard to be dis many (holding up three chubby fingers).
Oh, Mommy. I like our baby dat is growing inside yous tummy.
N:
What does Gerry come from again? (What do you mean, Gerry?) You know milk and stuff.
Excuse me, Mom but is corn an animal?
Actually Mom…
Dude, your boobs are pretty big! And your tummy, it’s like, huge!
I’ll keep adding as they come…
Filed under Kiddies | Comment (0)pregnancy is challenging
Because when you get into the tub the water level rises by 12 inches and if you move too quickly there is a tidal wave.
Because you have do contort your body into strange positions in order to shave your legs or file your heels but then you throw your back out if you actually manage to contort that way.
Because your boobs take over the focal point of all pictures… not to mention your belly and butt!
Because when you were already needing to lose a “couple” of pounds when you got knocked up, you get your own area code at 7 months pregnant. I’d imagine I’ll be declared a new province by my 9th month. Hopefully I’ll be able to set my own tax rates.
Because looking at food can cause you to suddenly gain 2 pounds and if you have been craving that food, probably more.
Because your 5 year old tells you that you are looking kind of huge, sort of like the Beluga whale at the Vancouver Aquarium.
Because unless you sit down and cross your legs while laughing, coughing, sneezing, crying or blowing your nose (and well, let’s be honest, pretty much any other activity), you will pee your pants. If you haven’t been to the bathroom in over 10 minutes then you just might anyway.
Because it takes 15 minutes to arrange the at least 6 pillows you need to support your various sagging parts in bed and by the time you are comfortable you are so hot that you have to get up and stand in front of a fan and then start the process all over again.
Because sex, well, let’s just say, “the grey old mare, she ain’t what she used to be”!
Because complete strangers ask you inappropriate questions about your vagina and how much you weigh and then rub your belly as if it will grant them a wish.
Lovin’ it so far!
Filed under And baby makes 5 | Comment (0)the 7th day
Ahhhhhh, Sunday morning. What a blessed event. The children rise early and go downstairs to fight and tear the house apart. The parents are exhausted from a busy Saturday and staying up too late so they stubbornly remain in bed until one of them caves and rises for the day. As soon as the kids see the sucker who got up (usually their dedicated Mother), they break into a chorus of whining and crying: better than a brisk shower for waking oneself up. The kids throw themselves at their Mom, screaming for chicken nuggets and pancakes. When they are told that chicken nuggets are a treat for lunch and that pancakes are for well behaved children, they ever so nimbly turn up the volume on their shrieking and demanding. Now the neighbourhood dogs can join in and the condescending, single, childless neighbour can chalk another notch on his bad parenting chart. Mom smiles and quietly calculates how many years until the kids are out of the house while dragging each one to their appointed bedroom (hoping all the while that the noise has woken their father). There is much timing out, yelling, crying and taking away of cherished bicycles and a very sacred purple elephant pool. Once the din dies down and the little brats put some food in their bodies they sit, blank faced in front of the tv for 12.2 seconds until the eldest child decides at 8:45 am that it’s “lunch time” and they should all drive to McDonalds for a special treat. Lather, rinse, repeat until 11 am when the happy family (Daddy now part of the merry making) leaves the house all spit and polish to worship at their local church. What a perfect example of the post-modern Christian family. Can’t you just hear the angels singing?
And how was your morning?
Filed under Family, Kiddies | Comment (0)Yum
Know what’s really good on a hot night? My Mom’s homemade pudding (for the record, it’s also really good after you have 4 impacted wisdom teeth removed and can’t eat for say, 2 weeks). Tonight I had a major craving so I whipped up a bowl while T put the kids to bed. Instead of cooling it in the fridge I put it in a metal 9×13 pan and threw it in the deep freeze. I left it a little too long so the edges were frozen. So good! Judging from all the bouncing, the baby likes it too…
3 cups milk (whatever you like best works)
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
3/4 cup sugar
5 TBSP corn starch
1/2 tsp salt
3 egg yolks (freeze the whites in a ziplock bag for angel food cake)
1 TBSP butter
1 tsp vanilla
Pour milk into a microwave safe bowl (preferably glass). Chop the chocolate and add to the milk. Heat on high until the milk is scalded (whisk every 2 minutes). In the mean time, mix sugar, corn starch and salt together in a heat proof bowl. Once milk is scalded, slowly whisk it into the sugar mixture. Next beat the egg yolks and then slowly whisk in the milk/egg mixture. Return the mixture to the microwave safe bowl and place in microwave. Heat on high power in one minute intervals (whisking after each minute) until the mixture reaches desired thickness (usually about 5-6 minutes). As the pudding cools, it will continue to thicken some. When the pudding is finished cooking, whisk in the butter and vanilla and then pour it into a serving dish. Press waxed paper onto the surface to prevent your pudding from forming a “skin” and then refrigerate until cool.
FYI: you could cook this on the stove too but I’m not sure how it would be easier!
Variations:
Chocolate: you can experiment with various kinds of chocolate but make sure to adjust the sugar accordingly.
Vanilla: leave out the chocolate all together… duh!
Mock custard: use whole milk, 4 egg yolks and reduce the sugar to 1/2 cup. This is super yummy when served cold with still warm, homemade applesauce.
Pies: pour your favourite pudding version into a baked pie crust and top with meringue or whipped cream. Every time I make chocolate pie, people go nuts! For coconut just add 1/2 cup shredded coconut with the butter and vanilla and top with toasted coconut. That’s one of our fav’s.
Filed under Recipes | Comment (0)