I want to go back to school.
There I said it. I said it, I typed it. Soon I will publish it and I cannot take it back.
It has been on my mind for awhile. For a variety of reasons I feel as though I have closed the chapter of my life as an Early Childhood Educator. I loved being an ECE. I love continuing to be an ECE with my friend's kids but other than that, done. I am one practicum shy of my certificates in Community Support Work and Special Education. Both fields that I am really, really interested in and would be honoured to call either a career.
But that is not what I mean. I want more. I want more education. My only true regret is not taking my education more seriously during the time that it should have been my priority. That said, I don't regret a single moment I spent with the minds of our most amazing. Some would say this was the journey I was meant to take.
I want to be a Speech and Language Pathologist.
Or a Developmental Psychologist.
Those are my secrets. I fascinate about either and have truly believed that those are dreams long gone to seed. Until the other day. I was explaining to my dear son some touchy feely lesson and it came to me. If I want him to truly believe it is never to late to follow a dream then I should show him. I owe it to both of us.
I have no idea how to go about his. I have started looking at online schooling and so on and so forth. There are no time limits, no expectations.
Just the acknowledgement of a dream and the commitment to go there.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Without Inspiration
I am completely without inspiration. I have written and erased many ideas and the kid needs to do her homework so hows about this.....
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!!! On a Tuesday! But, let's hope that something interesting happens before tomorrow night or I'm in trouble;)
Seems appropriate since we seem to be having an extended Winter. It's chilly tonight!
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY!!! On a Tuesday! But, let's hope that something interesting happens before tomorrow night or I'm in trouble;)
Saturday, 21 May 2011
Beer Cocktail
It seems as though we have our long weekend! Not only did we all make it unscathed past 6pm, we get an extra day off to boot! Yippee. So......Cheers to you! And to me. In honour of the first long, lazy weekend of camping season I have a beer cocktail recipe for you.
When I was in Nanaimo in March my friend Brenda made this fan-freaking-tastic Guiness and Blackberry Chicken dish that was to die for. Seriously. Marinated in Guiness and Blackberry then basted with a similar sauce. Crazy good. This left a bottle of Blackberry Liquer on the table. I kept sipping it. And sipping. And sipping. Sweet, berry,luscious headache in a bottle. I found myself imagining a drink that could capitalize on the berry without being like a syrup. Then it came to me.....I had just tried a delicate beer from a little company called "Mnt Begbie" and it was still on my mind. It was so light and delish that I imagined a little fruit flavour would just take it over the top. So here it is.....
A beer cocktail. I must have heard about these subconsciously as my friend Mike of Rossland's "Boomtown Brewing Company" told me they were all the rage when I shared my seemingly original idea. The idea is simple. One shot of liqeur. Top with beer. For the record, my bestie Lea really liked a shot in her Spy Porter as well. Enjoy!
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PS: Don't forget to hand over your keys before you start downing this delish concoction!
PPS: The first drink pic is a real live drink I tried on my birthday. A Lime Margarita with a Corona emptying into it. The "Matador." I highly recommend it.....or anything that involves lime, salt and a liberal hand with the Tequila bottle.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Tempus Fugit
As I sat down to write toady's thought provoking blog I began to wonder if this was the premise of an episode of a certain serial-medical-drama on ABC. Maybe , maybe not.....can't remember.
One hour. Sixty minutes. Tiny and minute in the span of our life yet I can guarantee that most of the events in your life happened in less than one of them. I'm a Mom. So I think like a Mother. It is always the first place I go when thinking about major life changing events. While my sweet boy took a long sixty hours to make his way in the world it only took a minute for me to become his Mom.
That moment came long before those sixty hours. It took a moment for two lines to appear and from that day on, I was River's Mom. And on a frosty, clear January morning with a bright sun rising it took only another moment for me to meet the love of my life.
In a moment I met my husband and while it was not love at first sight, it took only a few minutes for him to make me laugh my ass off and realize what a gem he was (is.) And of course it was in a fleeting moment that I realized I had fallen completely in love with him. Our marriage Ceremony was another one of those significant, life changing moments. Appointments with a Marriage Counsellor were an hour long. Those sixty minutes filled with painful realizations and tentative reconciliations. Without those hours, where would we be?
Those are some big ones but there are hours everyday that mean something. Themselves the reason for being. Dinner time is an awesome hour in the McKay household. When you get the five personalities in this house sitting down together it becomes a riot that often sets the tone for the entire evening. It sticks out in my mind as one of the happiest of every day. Having my family sitting together, happily communicating over a plate of something I have created for them brings me great joy. It is exactly how I imagined my life as a Mom.
One hour. It takes less than that to sit down with one of kids and make them feel understood. A few moments that could easily be used to clean the kitchen or watch a TV show. However when I give them to one of the girls or Riv, I am gifted back. I am gifted back knowing that I am investing in their happiness and confidence.....on hour at a time. And those hours compound.
This morning I left the house to go "up" town to run some errands with the one man wrecking crew. Within the hour I came home to find both of my girls. Apparently Chrissy Hynde (as I have lovingly nicknamed her) had an asthma attack in gym class. They were unable to reach me at home so they called upon my German lass to rescue her "sister." Apparently it was a bad one. I was gone for ONE HOUR! How annoyed was I that they didn't even call my cell phone? But, that is a post for another day. It just made me think about how quickly things can change. I went uptown with the idea that C.H. was happily making her way through a typical ninth grade day. Then I discover her laying, pale on the couch in the middle of the morning. It could have been worse, not major emergency but a thought provoking one.
The kind that leaves me wondering whether I should spend my time perched on the phone when my chickens are out and about in the world. Or, if I could really have my wish, perhaps one of those Weasley Family clocks. The one where a pendulum moves to share the whereabouts of every family member at all times. That would be a real life saver.
But for today I will appreciate my hours as they come. The hour I spent writing this while the Tornado napped was a delightful one. Thoughts, ideas, writing (a great love of mine,) music of my choosing and a fresh breeze. In my life there are very few hours like this one so I will take it like a thief because I think I have earned a moment for myself!
One hour. Sixty minutes. Tiny and minute in the span of our life yet I can guarantee that most of the events in your life happened in less than one of them. I'm a Mom. So I think like a Mother. It is always the first place I go when thinking about major life changing events. While my sweet boy took a long sixty hours to make his way in the world it only took a minute for me to become his Mom.
That moment came long before those sixty hours. It took a moment for two lines to appear and from that day on, I was River's Mom. And on a frosty, clear January morning with a bright sun rising it took only another moment for me to meet the love of my life.
In a moment I met my husband and while it was not love at first sight, it took only a few minutes for him to make me laugh my ass off and realize what a gem he was (is.) And of course it was in a fleeting moment that I realized I had fallen completely in love with him. Our marriage Ceremony was another one of those significant, life changing moments. Appointments with a Marriage Counsellor were an hour long. Those sixty minutes filled with painful realizations and tentative reconciliations. Without those hours, where would we be?
Those are some big ones but there are hours everyday that mean something. Themselves the reason for being. Dinner time is an awesome hour in the McKay household. When you get the five personalities in this house sitting down together it becomes a riot that often sets the tone for the entire evening. It sticks out in my mind as one of the happiest of every day. Having my family sitting together, happily communicating over a plate of something I have created for them brings me great joy. It is exactly how I imagined my life as a Mom.
One hour. It takes less than that to sit down with one of kids and make them feel understood. A few moments that could easily be used to clean the kitchen or watch a TV show. However when I give them to one of the girls or Riv, I am gifted back. I am gifted back knowing that I am investing in their happiness and confidence.....on hour at a time. And those hours compound.
This morning I left the house to go "up" town to run some errands with the one man wrecking crew. Within the hour I came home to find both of my girls. Apparently Chrissy Hynde (as I have lovingly nicknamed her) had an asthma attack in gym class. They were unable to reach me at home so they called upon my German lass to rescue her "sister." Apparently it was a bad one. I was gone for ONE HOUR! How annoyed was I that they didn't even call my cell phone? But, that is a post for another day. It just made me think about how quickly things can change. I went uptown with the idea that C.H. was happily making her way through a typical ninth grade day. Then I discover her laying, pale on the couch in the middle of the morning. It could have been worse, not major emergency but a thought provoking one.
The kind that leaves me wondering whether I should spend my time perched on the phone when my chickens are out and about in the world. Or, if I could really have my wish, perhaps one of those Weasley Family clocks. The one where a pendulum moves to share the whereabouts of every family member at all times. That would be a real life saver.
But for today I will appreciate my hours as they come. The hour I spent writing this while the Tornado napped was a delightful one. Thoughts, ideas, writing (a great love of mine,) music of my choosing and a fresh breeze. In my life there are very few hours like this one so I will take it like a thief because I think I have earned a moment for myself!
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Here we go again.
As many of you know.....this is not my first time at the rodeo. I started a blog in 2010. I had the best of intentions and a bad memory. Honestly the thing that stood between me and success was my inability to remember my google or my blogger user names and passwords. I was way smarter this time so let's see how it goes.
I guess any good blog could start with a view at the people behind the blogger. The picture is not great and it is likely that I will recieve a ton of flack for posting it. But with two teens and a toddler it's a challenge to get them SMILING at the same time never mind SITTING! Our current family structure includes my husband and myself. Our two year old son, my fourteen year old cousin and for a couple more weeks a seventeen year old gal on loan from Germany. This is a lot of personalities in one mid sized house and likely the source of most things worth blogging;)
I guess any good blog could start with a view at the people behind the blogger. The picture is not great and it is likely that I will recieve a ton of flack for posting it. But with two teens and a toddler it's a challenge to get them SMILING at the same time never mind SITTING! Our current family structure includes my husband and myself. Our two year old son, my fourteen year old cousin and for a couple more weeks a seventeen year old gal on loan from Germany. This is a lot of personalities in one mid sized house and likely the source of most things worth blogging;)
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