Category: motherhood

“Who needs sleep?”

On By Anna EastlandIn Family Life, motherhood2 Comments

Tonight the lyrics of a Barenaked Ladies song come to mind:

Who needs sleep
Well you’re never gonna get it
Who needs sleep? Tell me what’s that for?
Who needs sleep…this guy’s been awake since the Second World War!

It’s 2:30 am and with my kids sick it’s been a night of musical beds, coughing, crying, and administering Tylenol and ear medicine. Bit of a long haul lately. Good thing I had that last slug of coffee around 8pm, cause I’m holding up ok with a catnap here and there. I was hoping for a cosy evening with my husband, maybe watching a funny show together and falling asleep holding hands, but that was not to be. To prove my point, my two year old just crawled out of bed and brought me a Dora sticker book. Super!

“Dora…she can say map instead of saying map, Mama. Baby can’t have a show right now.”

“True enough.”

I’ve been playing Nurse Mommy for quite some time now, as I’m sure many other moms are this January. Post-Christmas-sugar-crash-cold. My house might feel like Slime Central Station, but it’s only one stop on the Flu Train. So cheers to all you other parents who are pulling crazy night shifts with sick kids…I’m with ya!

One buddy requested a poem of the soundtrack of our house right now, so here goes:

Cough cough achoo
Whaaa, whaaa!

Cough cough achoo
Whaaa, whaa!

Muuuummmy!

Muuummmmy!

Ok, now repeat. 80 times. And intersperse with requests for vitamin C, apple juice, Kleenex, new blankies, another show, another chapter of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and new diapers. You get the picture.

It’s made reading The Hunger Games trilogy even more suspenseful, if that’s even possible:

“Oh, no Katniss and Peeta are out of luck this time for sure…wall of poisonous nerve gas approaching…starting to convulse…”
“Achoo! Mummy! I need a Kleenex! And my sister has a bare bum!”
“What?! Coming!”

Peeta leaned towards her and spoke quietly, ‘Katniss, if we don’t make it back…’

“Mummy, I’m too hot. My tummy hurts. Why do we have to get sick? I need a bucket.”
“Coming!”

And so, my kids have ensured that this rare indulgence of reading a novel for fun has been sliced up into tiny little portions, lest I get a sick tummy from overdoing it. How thoughtful! 😉

Of course, when I do need to escape from my escape, the treacherous world of Panem, with it’s ruthless Capital and sadistic gamemakers, it’s so nice to have those little lovely faces to burst into bright smiles after a few tickles, and throw their little chubby arms around my neck and hang on for dear life. Then, slime or no slime, there’s nothing better to warm my heart than a little snuggle with my wee ones.

They are our hope for the future and our joy in the present, and even though it’s demanding to care for 5 sick kids, I don’t see it as bad. If the measure of our humanity is in how we care for the weak and vulnerable, I hope that caring for them when they are sick will make me more compassionate and more human. Will help me grow…but hopefully not horns!

The other thing that’s been keeping me going in this flu marathon, is you, my wonderful readers. Just knowing you’re out there, and having other “big” people to talk to, or write to, is really great. Also, my iPad mini makes the most lovely sparkly harp sound every time someone likes a post, makes a comment, or starts to follow my blog, so these little magical noises brighten my day as I’m taking care of the kids. It’s like finding candy to see new notifications from my blogging platform, WordPress, on my home screen when I flip open my iPad.

You’re all awesome! Thanks for visiting Crazyland, and as my herd of wild monkeys has finally settled down, it’s time for me to sleep.

Christmas With Kids: Making It Meaningful

On By Anna EastlandIn Family Life, motherhood1 Comment

Here are a few ideas on how to make this Advent and Christmas season more peaceful and meaningful for your family. Another day I’ll post some links to great ideas from other sites.

1. Be Present

This is huge. Crossing off all the to-do lists in the world can’t make up for not being present to our family.

Don’t try to do everything, and make yourself crazy. Better a few things simply and cheerfully done, than so many done that we are frantic.

Our kids will likely remember our friendly chats and little snuggles more than our elaborate craft projects, especially if the latter are done with impatience and anxiety. They want you and your love, not Martha Stewart. That goes for your husband, too.

As I’ve been told by someone who knows me well: K.I.S.S. “Keep it simple, sweetheart. ”

2. Give

Help your children learn to give. They can find great joy in making cards for relatives or wrapping up some of their little toys to share with friends.

Help them to think of the less fortunate. Let them help choose some toys and clothes to give away to charity. You’ll be surprised how generous they can be.

Help them to give of themselves by calling relatives to wish them a merry Christmas. Hearing their little voices will likely make the day of the person they call.

3. Enjoy

It’s easy to get so caught up in doing that we forget to enjoy. Take time to savor the memories you are making.

Relish that tight squeeze from your toddler. Laugh at those silly antics of your five year old. Listen to that long story of your seven year old. Don’t check your email in the middle of it.

This Christmas is like no other. Don’t take it for granted. It’s appreciating the present moment that gives life depth and beauty.

4. Pray

Because we need to fill up our own well of love so we can pour it out on our family. When we try to run on empty, we deprive everyone of our best.

If we take time to find peace, it will emanate from us. If we don’t, we won’t be able to help anyone else find it either.

So light that Advent wreath candle, and spend a quiet moment staring into the flickering flame. Or pick up an inspiring spiritual book. Take a walk and admire the wonder of creation.

Or even space out in front of the fish tank, watching these little slippery pieces of beauty dance about. Hey, it’s even good for your blood pressure, I’ve heard, which can be helpful in this busy season!

One Simple Craft Idea:

One thing we’ve done this year is cut up a bunch of paper hearts. When the kids do something nice like listen well right away, help a sibling, tidy up cheerfully, etc, we write it on the heart and tape in on our fireplace.

The kids are saving up hearts to buy (with Mummy and Daddy’s help) a gift for a child in Africa through the charity Chalice, which has a great record of financial accountability. We are thinking maybe a school uniform, back pack and shoes, because the kids can relate to this. We have the catalogue so they can help choose. Here’s the link so you can see what kinds of gifts they have:

http://chalice.ca/

Chalice also helps the children and families in the Philippines, so that’s another great option, after the typhoon.

You could do something similar with any charity of course. The idea for the kids to focus on is that love makes the world a better place, and it’s mean to be shared. If we want our kids to have a truly happy Christmas, and not fall into the bottomless “ME” pit, we need to help them think of others. Cause love is something that doesn’t run out when we give it away. Sharing it by doing good makes it grow.

Merry Christmas! God bless you all!

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Comfort Food

On By Anna EastlandIn Family Life, motherhood, Yummy in the TummyLeave a comment

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Sometimes in this busy complicated world full of parenting experts and conflicting theories, of ever wondering if what you’re doing is right, or if it’s enough, it’s nice to take refuge in doing something simple. My five year old left her afternoon quiet time show to make these banana muffins with me, just in time to pour in the chocolate chips. My seven year old arrived home to a hug, a tickle, and a warm homemade muffin. If nothing else at the end of the day, I’ll have this.

Late Night Waking

On By Anna EastlandIn motherhood, Poetry4 Comments

My little one wakes in the night
in search of a snuggle.

All day she runs and plays
talks and sings
dresses up and strips down
to toddle about in her diaper.

She seems like such a big girl sometimes
counting her toys:
“One, two, seven, ten, sixteen…”
and asking,
“What’s after ‘e,’ Mama?

But inside, in some ways,
she’s still a baby
only two.

And sometimes she needs to come home
find that spot in my arms where she fits just perfectly,
fuzzy warm head resting on my chest,
luscious eyelids fluttering like slow-motion butterflies…

After long enough to write this poem,
and give her many kisses,
her little comfort-tank fills up again
and she nestles into sleep.

Wild Garden, Real Me

On By Anna EastlandIn motherhood, PonderingsLeave a comment

I’ve been thinking a lot about personality this year, or character perhaps, or whatever it is that is essential and unique in each of us. How important it is to be true to that core of our being that is unlike any other. This is how we were made and who we are meant to be.

I was pondering that while sitting out in the playhouse in our back yard drinking coffee. Well, actually, it was pond water mixed with a scoop of sand, but lovingly prepared by my three year old girl, as I visited her toy kitchen.

I was looking out the playhouse door at our wild garden, with all it’s colourful rotting leaves and plants in various stages of fall transition, and thinking how lucky I am to have such interesting things to look at, ever changing. How much better like it than a perfectly manicured lawn, that looks exactly the same all year.

It’s a beautiful thing to be able to embrace our wild garden, and not feel the need to crop it and mow it and trim it until it matches surrounding lawns with golf-course-like precision.

How many of us feel the pressure to conform our personalities to this manicured model? How often are we willing to betray our selves for the sake of appearances, for the sake of fitting in?

How much more alive would we be if we didn’t? If we could really accept and embrace who we are, and know that to be true to ourselves is the best way to be beautiful?

It is a good thing to be comfortable in our own skin, even of it means other people might think we’re a little (or totally) crazy. Life’s more interesting when you’re weird!

I think when we can stand firmly where we are, confident in being ourselves, that we can begin to move forward to grow even better.

We all want to improve ourselves, and struggle with feeling inadequate at times, especially as mothers. But before we can improve effectively, we need to accept where we are, and be ok with it.

Being imperfect is really ok. We all are; no matter how much we think others have it more together than we do, everyone struggles.

So whatever kind of garden you like, whether wild or orderly, colourful or clean looking, live in it and enjoy it, no matter what the neighbour’s lawn looks like. Being you is best for you, and what’s best for them doesn’t really matter.

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Adventures in Shopping

On By Anna EastlandIn Family Life, motherhood2 Comments

Life’s better when you’re prepared, so I tend to try to have the cupboards stocked up. When I don’t we end up eating interesting things like chocolate beet muffins (actually not bad!) or quinoa salad with whichever random veggies are left in the fridge…makes you creative! However, especially on these chilly fall days, it’s nice and comforting to know you have many nice things to feed your sweeties, and that you can stay safe and sound at home in your hobbit hole.

Keeping the cupboards stocked for a family of seven isn’t as expensive as you might think, especially when they are so little, but without a car it is a bit of a logistical adventure. Such shopping adventures have some benefits: you meet interesting people and you keep fit.

A few weeks ago I hauled a massive amount of groceries home in the double stroller. My baby rode on top of a blanket-covered mountain of groceries, and my bigger girls took turns holding my three year old’s hands while crossing roads. My toddler was napping at home with my helpful neighbour. Happily we live only about four blocks from the store.

It was a big shop, so about half way through passing up and down each isle in the store my exasperated 5 year old exclaimed, “Are we going to live here?!”

In the last isle, milk and frozen goods, a friendly older gent asked how many days a week I’d trade my kids for his red 78 Chevey pickup… I told him it sounded like a pretty good deal. I could use a truck to get our groceries home! He got my daughter to approve his purchase of a frozen chocolate cake: Christie’s I think.

“My favorite when I was little!” I said.
“I’m becoming little again,” he replied.
“Good idea.”

Near the checkout we were blocking the top of an isle with the double stroller. A lady pushing her little kid in a buggy turned to back up but I maneuvered the stroller out of the way and moved two of my girls with their mini shopping buggies. The lady turned the corner only to have my three year old pop out from behind the bread and step in her way.

“You’re ambushed!” I joked.
“A good ambush,” she said.

I could have hugged her. It’s nice to hear something other than, “Gosh, are they all
yours? Or are you running a daycare?”

We get do fun comments, too, by some familiar staff. “Brought out the whole army today?” a friendly grocer asked once as we paraded about the store with three mini shopping carts and the double stroller. “In full force,” I smiled, “Now let’s hope we don’t run over any little old ladies…”

You can see why we try to do a big shop, so that this Olympic expedition isn’t too frequent….this is my toddler after another shopping trip:

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Pretty much sums it up!

Baby Boy

On By Anna EastlandIn motherhood2 Comments

What a mystery life is…

this little ruddy-skinned bundle

asleep in my arms, phantom nursing

eyelids fluttering as dream sighs escape

and sleepy smiles flash across his face.

Whose heart will you one day hold

in your hands when you

let go of mine?

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I Want a Power Ranger Suit

On By Anna EastlandIn Family Life, motherhoodLeave a comment

The other night, literally as we were eating our Halloween candy, after having dressed up, done a candy hunt in the living room, danced to spooky kids music and painted our faces,
my seven year old daughter asked me, “When is the next holiday?”

Aaaaaaaahhhhh!!!

That was the sound in my head.
Deep breath.

“Could we please just try to enjoy this moment before thinking about the next one? When I tell you you’ll start asking every day how many more days till…”

“I know, but is it Christmas? How long?”

Since then we have discussed at least three times what she wants for Christmas, as well as spent extensive time planning what to be next Halloween. So far a white cat, a ‘Spy Fairy,’ a princess with a sparkly but not hoopy dress, and a Power Ranger of unspecified colour. She told me with a sly smile on the bus, “Mommy, I want a Power Ranger suit.”

Sometimes I wonder if this it a bit what God feels like, being asked for stuff all the time, with little time for thank you’s in between the demands. Can you imagine the clamor of all our requests throughout the world:

Dear God, please gimme, gimme, gimme, and also why, why, why did you let this happen and not that….

One would imagine, if God were more like us, that it would be the source of an (al) mighty headache. Thank goodness for the infinite patience, mercy and generosity of God. Thank goodness that he loves each one of us, demanding as we are, having had us in his mind and heart from all eternity…as unique creations, singular expressions of his infinite beauty and diversity.

May he open my eyes to see my children with his loving eyes, especially on the days when they want so many things, and object to so many others. I guess it’s important to remember that they ask about the holidays a million times not to drive me crazy (-er) but because for them, the anticipation is half the fun.

There are other times when a sudden sweetness bursts through their busy little selves and makes me smile. The other day after mass I asked my five year old if she wanted to say a prayer together. “Let’s say the one we wrote for Great-Grandma.” It’s a song we wrote for her, to make her feel better in the hospital. We sent it to her with some lollipops. Cause that’s the part about going to the doctor that’s fun.
Here it is:

Love is love, and we love you.
Don’t you know it’s always true.
Don’t give up,
There’s always hope,
And we’ll love you forever.

Then she smiled at me with her big blue eyes and said, “Mommy, a heart is the shape of love.”

Today we stood at the bus stop in the chilly November air, munching some cheese and crackers as we waited. My daughter asked me for a cracker. It was the last one. I gave it to her, and after a brief moment she broke it and held it up, “Want half?” I couldn’t have been happier if she brought me roses. The little things…

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Giving Birth: Better Than You Think

On By Anna EastlandIn motherhood5 Comments

This post is on honor of my friend who’s first baby is due today. “If pregnancy is this hard, what can labour be like?” she asked recently. Well, here’s a few reasons it’s better than you think.

Because, after all the waiting, the getting bigger, the feeling awkward, the heart burn and poor sleeps, labour sets you free. It is like an awesome thunderstorm relieving the pressure of dense dark clouds…and making way for the sunshine of your child’s first smile.

Because even if you’re nervous, you’re much stronger than you think. Your body is an amazing participant in the creation of new life, and you’ll discover your autopilot knows what to do.

And because weakness is ok. A delicate flower can open and reveal new life, and gentleness is one of a mother’s greatest gifts.

Because patience, which is love extended over time, will carry you through. Try to offer up each moment for a special intention; it will help the time pass. But ask for whatever help you need, whether it’s to hold hands, drink lemonade, be held tight or be given space. Embrace your labour for what it is, and don’t worry too much about how you planned it. Being at peace with how it actually is is even better.

Giving birth is wonderful because, in a way like never before, you’re husband is going to be completely awed by you, revering your ability to lovingly bring forth a miracle: your baby, the incarnation of your love. You will fall in love again, with your baby yes, but also with each other.

Because after all the tense waiting and preparation, as before the grand opening of an art show or piano concert, it ends in the revelation of your masterpiece. Applause! You will never see something more beautiful than that tiny newborn face, those little dark eyes looking at you for the first time.

So to all women who are due to give birth soon, many blessings of peace and strength be with you!
You can do it! And it’ll be more worth it than you can imagine.