this is life

With Winslow home, everything is so much better. We mesh well, have our Duyan family vibe going on and all is well with the world. When Winslow is at work, well it's a whole different picture.  Our moods are a mix of being tired, emotional and needy, and it's not just the kids I'm talking about.
Winslow has gone back to work after being off for nine months and so far the transition has been hard for all of us. First off I must say, I did expect this to a degree, but not to this extent. I knew it would be hard on the kids and so in preparation I started to reduce my commitments for a while, made out meal plans and started to think about our daily and weekly rhythm. I did this all in anticipation that this period would be difficult but my efforts just don't seem to be making that much of a difference.
Last night was a hard night for us. I was tired and emotionally drained. I was at the point where I couldn't take the crying and constant neediness of my little ones anymore. As soon as Winslow went out the door to work, the kids started to cry right on cue and there was nothing that I could do  to help them. The dinner I had made wasn't eaten by anyone and I felt so overwhelmed and done.
The night went on, more crying, more frustration on my part...and finally at 10:30 pm (way past Noah's normal bedtime) he went to sleep.
Today is Winslow's first day off and just like that, we are back to our happy family vibe. Oh my...where do we go from here?
I know that this is going to take some time, but I wish there was something I could do to make it easier on the kids and more importantly myself, because I need to be a good mama to them. Winslow's shifts last long (12 hrs) and so I need to find ways where I can get a break in there, something that's hard, because we co-sleep and do a lot of attachment parenting practices.
Anyways, that's where we are at right now. We're transitioning and it's a bit rough. I know time will help and for now I just have to keep on trying to be understanding of the situation. Highs and lows, ups and downs, this is life and I know we will be just fine.
xox

katia at 8 months

Katia turns 9 months old in just a few days, but I still need to write 8 month update. Life is busy with two little ones and our days seem to just fly by, but still, I want to get it all down.
At 8 months, Katia is such a busy and curious little girl, partly due to the fact that she has a pretty busy brother to follow around all day. Katia spends her days playing along side her brother and discovering new things in her surroundings.
More recently I've noticed that she really interacts with her big brother, which I think is really cute. She doesn't obviously "get" everything that Noah tells her, but she loves to follow him around and see what he is doing. He does a good job at telling her what to do and what they are playing.
One of Katia's big 8 month milestones is that she can now pull herself up to stand and she can cruise around on furniture. She even stood on her own for a whole 2 seconds not too long ago. Im telling you, she'll be walking before her first birthday.
At 8 months old, Katia loves to follow her big brother, cuddle with her Daddy and be held by her mama. She is very curious about the world around her and goes "exploring" around the house. She has mastered the "pinch" and eats mostly small bits of food (hardly any pureed food). She loves to play with toys and has a baby doll that she loves to cuddle and kiss. Katia is my sweet sweet girl who is just happy to come along for the ride (sometimes... she actually hates the car). She's a happy girl because she fits right into our little family and knows that she is loved by us all.
We love you so much baby girl. You make us smile everyday... thank you.
xox

just around the bend

Fall is just around the bend here. You can feel it in the chilly evenings and crisp mornings. You can see it, the leaves are just starting to turn in some spots, the sky turns dark at 10pm. I love fall the most out of any season. It is pleasant and colourful and it gives us permission to slow things down after a busy summer.
Lately we've been taking advantage of the last days of summer. Any opportunity that comes our way means a walk on the trails behind our community, a stroll down to the neighbourhood berry patch, or a playdate at the park.
Last night we had Sarah and Abby over for an after dinner bonfire. It was just warm enough to be outside for an hour or so, but cool enough that the children wore their warm jammies. I love having bonfires in our backyard.
This past week I held my second toddler art group. It was a small group, just Noah and Abby, but it seemed to go really well I thought. We read the Hungry Caterpillar (Eric Carle) and made coffee filter butterflies as well as we blew bubbles and made prints from the bubbles. As always, I learn something each week (what worked/what didn't), and I'm looking forward to holding it again next week.
I'm looking forward to welcoming September soon. With Winslow back to work now, I feel the need to slow down, simplify and take our days easily. I'm finding my footing once again as a stay at home mama (with no hubby on his work days), and I like it. Meals have been made in the crock pot and our daily rhythm is beginning to come back.
Happy weekend friends. I think there are muffins in our Saturday plans...and maybe a parkdate....and definitely coffee.
xox

we heart juneau

Juneau, oh my I have grown in love with you. Grand glaciers, endless trails to take, sea scape views, whales seen in the distance from the shore. Many kind folks from near and far, plenty of parks and beaches. Camping at Mendenhall Glacier Lake, picking wild blueberries with the little ones. Whale watching adventures (boat breaking down in the water yikes!). Discovering abandoned villages, beaching combing, eating out and having icecream.

Our trip to Juneau was a dream come true.  Juneau is the kind of place where you go to unwind and decompress. The sea salty air will “get you”, making you stop and take it all in.  We did our best to pack it all  into 4 days and could of easily spent more time there. We explored every nook and cranny, checking out spots that the locals told us to go see.  We also found plenty of kid friendly places to go.

It’s hard to pick just one favourite memory but if I had to, I think it would have to be when the kids were most happy rolling around on the grass at the Shrine of Saint Therese. It was this beautiful little preserved place owned by the Catholic diocese. They have cabins to rent and a hall for meetings, but most beautiful are the grounds. Right on the coast, this little pocket of rain forrest has a trail that leads to a little island. On the island is the shrine of Saint Therese and a beautiful little stone chapel. From there, we took in the sea scape views and saw in the distance 5 humpback whales. We knew it was them because we could see them blow their blow holes for about 30 minutes. It was quite beautiful to see. Really we had many moments that stick out in my memory, and the best part of the trip for me was just to have family time together.

Winslow retuned to work this week and Juneau was just what we needed to do as a family before he went back. It was slow and easygoing there, and the vibe spoke to us. We want to and plan on going back there again someday. 

xox

my 3 year old boy

Little boy, you remind me of how so much depends on days made of now.
My Noah is 3 years old today and I'm feeling a mix of so many emotions. Of course I am proud of how far my sweet boy has come, but I also have a selfish tinge of sadness, because with the time that goes by, I know he is no longer my baby  boy.
From day one, Noah and I had such a strong intense bond. As I made my way through the first few weeks of mamahood, I slowly gave way to what I thought I knew about babies and began to learn who Noah was as an individual and what he needed. I have learned so much about myself from Noah and feel that we have a special bond because of this.
Noah is my special boy and always will be. He is a kind, gentle little boy, who loves the comforts of his home and family. He is sweet and innocent (for the most part), and I really am doing everything I can to help him stay a little boy and not feel rushed into being older.
Somethings never change for my boy, like the way he needs his baba (blanket) and soosoo (soother) to go to bed (yes I know we need to kick this habit), or the way he needs to cuddle at night to fall asleep (this I don't mind continuing). Other things that Noah continues to love to do are: reading (we go to the library every week to take out new books), help out in the kitchen with cooking, being outside in nature, and giving lots of love and attention to his sister.
Some new things/skills/interests that Noah has picked up recently are: his love for swimming (he used to be pretty scared of the swimming pool), an interest in arts and crafts (yay!!!!), and his ability to go on long walks (he used to get tired quickly and not want to walk).
Noah is a polite little boy with a sneaky silly sense of humour. It's hard to take him seriously sometimes.
He loves to break out into the craziest dances ever, and makes us laugh when he does this.
Noah, my wish for you as you make your way into your 3rd year is that you continue to grow and learn new things. That you do your best to try out new activities, even if you might find them challenging.
More than anything though, I want you to know just how much you are loved by so many people (your friends, your family, your Northern family). We all care so much about you, and are proud of you.
As your mama, I am reminded daily, that you are a gift from God. I love you so much my boy.
Happy birthday.
xox

sailing away

We just returned from a four day trip to Juneau Alaska. I’m sitting on the ferry as I write this, I’ll post it later as there is no interenet on board.

There is something so civilized about riding the ferry. It’s slow and relaxing, nothing is rushed or stressful about it. You are asked to arrive 2 hrs brefore your trip, so you even start off on a good note, not feeling like you will miss your trip.

The ferry from Skagway to Juneau is a 7 hrs ride. There are shorter ferries that you could take, but on this trip we borrowed our neighbours 1970’s Boler camper and so we took the big ferry. On the way to Juneau we traveled in the day, so there was plenty to see. Whales, eagles, breathing taking scenery, and lighthouses were just a few of the things we saw. We sat out on the deck for a good few hours just taking it all in. Letting our stresses go as the big ship made her way up channels lined by coves and thick mountains.

We also chatted with other passengers. Some travelling from far away places (Germany), and some locals. I always try to eye up a local and then ask them where they suggest we eat, sight see ect. Everytime I’ve ever done this, we always get an "in" to where the locals go. The best breaskfast joints are never on those tourist guides, so ask away!

The ride back from Juneau was a little different. We didn’t leave the port until 9:45 pm, and it was dark. We learned from the first time that people bring their sleeping bags and pillows onto the ferry with them and set up a little bed in the darkened recliner room. They had berths available but we didn’t want to shell out the money when we could’ve used it for something else (say whale watching, which we did!).

The night ride was much different. We got Noah settled with a movie on his mini DVD player, made sure the kids were well fed and in their jammies, and then I took a walk around the ship with Katia so that she could fall asleep.

As I walked around I peered into the windows of the rooms we passed by. The lounge room had a bunch of teenage boys sitting around a round table playing a game. The cocktail lounge had people sitting in booths, sipping their drinks, talking, flirting. The restaurant had families and groups of friends, some where playing cards, some were reading books, some just talking. Folks were eating pie and drinking tea in real porcelain cups ( no paper cups, thank you). It struck me as I walked along the outer deck that this was such a civilized and enjoyable way to travel. No rushing about, no crazy security and mean clerks at the desk. The staff were all so helpful, so courteous.

Our trip to Juneau was amazing for so many reasons, but I think a good portion of that, was due to the trip “to and from”. It was such a wonderful way to start and end our trip and I highly recommend taking the Alaska ferry if you are ever considering it.

More later on Juneau.

xox