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Tuesday, September 22, 2015

finding the balance














The past few weeks have been a busy time for all of us. With so many new activities, transitions, school schedules and changes, it's been clear to see through our emotions and moods, that it has been a bit overwhelming. We are still adjusting to the changes of living somewhere that is more busy and that has more to offer us, and I am working on finding the balance between a busy family life and a more slow and simple life. 
In the last few weeks, we have added a lot to our days. School, preschool, Beavers, church, visits with new friends, a few school functions. I'm feeling happy about all that we have going on, but also know that we all need to have down time too, so yesterday was about slowing down. 
Noah had a PD Day and I took this opportunity to spend some good one or one time with my boy in the morning. Katia went off to preschool and we decided NOT to let her know that Noah didn't have school (we were certain that she would protest going to preschool if she knew big brother would be home), so we made it look like Noah was off to school by packing his school bag. I felt a tad guilty for sneaking behind her back, but I wanted our morning to go as smoothly as possible, and we've been having so many issues with getting Katia to go to school willingly. 
Noah's one and only request for our morning together, was to make real icky gooky slime, and so that is what we did! I found a recipe online and we went off to pick up the ingredients for it. 
When we cam e home, we made up our slime and played with it for a bit. Noah was beyond thrilled with the results and really enjoyed it. After that, we went up to his room to do some Lego. 
Let me tell you, this kid is in LOVE with Lego, and I am happy to watch him create all kinds of neat creations with it. He gave me some pointers, but unfortunately I just can't think past a box or a simple house. A Master-Builder I am not ... yet at least. 
After our morning together, we went to pick up Katia from her preschool and went off for a picnic (Katia's request) and a walk in the woods. 
Our walk in the woods was just what the Dr. ordered. A good dose of pine needled paths, a beautiful gentle stream, lots of room to run and climb, more fairy homes than we could count, without sounding too cheesy, it felt healing to me to be there. 
So many times while we lived in the North, our daily walks on the trails, were our escape. When we felt house bound, or upset, restless or bored, grumpy ... you name it, a walk was often our only option, but it also became our favourite option. 
Yesterday, upon realizing that we were all feeling maxed out, I turned to our old standby, and it did not disappoint. We spent almost 2 hrs in the forest, and when we emerged, I could see a positive change in our moods. We will definitely be going back, for more adventures and exploring amongst those beautiful old growth trees. 
And to top off our day, we ended it with a nice campfire, out at a 100 year old Scout's Canada Camp. It was the first official campfire of the season, complete with a entering ceremony, chants and cheers, stories and songs. We decided to stay with Noah for the campfire, because it was a ways out, and it made me feel so happy and content seeing our boy, settle happily into his new group. I'm so glad that good organized clubs, like Scouts, still exist. A place where children are taught the value of friendship and being a good citizen. A place where values and morals are modeled and expected. A place where old fashioned games, songs and traditions are carried on. This is a good fit for us.
And now we move on in our week. Still, there is a lot going on, but we are making sure to carve in family time and down time. We are seeking balance, and slowly, it is coming to us. 
xox 





1 comment:

  1. Beautiful post. I miss walking through Canada's nature trails.

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