And Now for Something Completely Different

Not only did the spring bring warmth, green grass and singing birds but this year, spring brought the Davidson family a new adventure to anticipate.

In a few short months, we are leaving our little house on the prairie and travelling to Mombasa, Kenya. Our family will be working in a guest house right on the Indian ocean for a year. Sean and I are going to home school the girls while we all learn how to live and work in a very different part of the world.

We are excited and nervous and downright scared some days. It is a big adventure with more unknowns than knowns. But we are all trusting that this chapter in our “Sea of Stories” will be a fantastic experience that leads to things we cannot even imagine right now.

In order to keep you connected with our adventures in Africa, our family will share our experiences here:

http://davidsonsinmombasa.wordpress.com/

We would love it if you would check it out and continue to dive in when you can. I imagine that your words of encouragement and humour will be even more important as we navigate the uncharted waters of life in Kenya. So please join us. Learn with us. Laugh with us. And let us all see how the story continues.

~Mandy

After School Super Heroes

The Fantastic Four are ready for anything: no villain is too terrible, no task is too dangerous as long as school is out, they’ve had a snack and their parents say it is okay. Many a crisis has been averted thanks to these friendly heroes.

~Mandy

Spring is on the way . . .

One day in March, after a very long, very cold winter, we awoke to find that the sun was shining again and radiating warmth, coaxing the green grass out from its heavy white coat of snow. It is magical every year when the spring sun begins to shine. Every year, it causes our little girls to find shorts, rubber boots and a reason for an adventure.

Sun and snow and sticks. What more do you need?

~Mandy

The Cedar Gallery

During the girls’ winter break, we took a day to explore the Moose Jaw Art Gallery and Museum. It is one of our favourite places to go when we have the time. Local artists as well as those from across Canada display their work. We just love to be inspired by art.

After our time at the gallery, we came home and decided to try our hands at creating our own art gallery. We got out our paints and paper and went to work. After painting some beautiful pictures, I began to frame and display the work on our living room wall. So, without further ado, I present The Cedar Gallery . . .

These local artists are new to the art scene in Caronport. They show a lot of promise.

Rosie actually used her paint mixing plate to create this piece. She called “Starry Night” thanks in part to Van Gogh.

Brooklyn loves all the warm colours so was inspired to create this lovely piece entitled, “Summer Swirlies”

 

The artists, seen here posing by their collection. It was a successful show with many visitors. Congratulations, Brookie and Rosie! We look forward to more of your creations.

~Mandy

Finally . . . Christmas!

I am working on the principle that waiting for something makes it even more satisfying when you finally get. Like waiting forever for me to update our blog. Then one day – a new post!

It seems ridiculous that just as spring arrives, I am posting pictures of Christmas but there you go.

Christmas this year began with the traditional Christmas eve/morning events. So fun to watch the girls enjoy every moment.

Hanging stockings with care and making sure Santa gets a good snack for the road

Opening stockings . . . my personal favourite

Then it was off to Regina for fun at the Travelodge pool and waterslide . . .

One of our new Davidson family traditions is to go to the Globe Theatre for a family production on Boxing Day. This year it was a great musical retelling of The Ugly Duckling.

All in all, it was a wonderful Christmas.

~Mandy

A Moment

Sometimes the prairie sky just will not be ignored. It glows in pinks and oranges, lighting up the bottoms of electric white clouds. God does some of his best work and simply asks that we stop and look.

The other night was one of those times. Brookie and Rosie were already in their pajamas, brushing their teeth before bed. I was trying to get stuff cleaned up and I caught I glimpse of this incredible sky. We grabbed our shoes and headed out the door, running to get to the end of the street for the best view. It was beautiful. Perfect.

Heading home, we basked in the glow of a setting sun and enjoyed just being together. These are the moments. I was so glad I hadn’t missed it.

This was taken after the real spectacle was over. Still quite pretty, though.

~Mandy

A Formal Tea Party

Recently Brooklyn and Rosie were invited next door for a very fancy tea party with their friends, Maia and Aden. The invitation read:

You are invited to a tea party tomorrow afternoon. Come dressed up and pretty to 209 Cedar Crescent. Act Polite!

They dined on the front lawn in all their finery. Talia served the table of four their tea (with as much sugar as they wanted) and cookies. After the tea and polite conversation, they even danced. Adorable doesn’t quite describe it.

~Mandy

Reigning Champion

These pictures capture just one of MANY times Rosie has beaten a member of her family at Memory. On this particular occasion, she crushed me. And I was trying.

Rosie really likes Memory. We had another version using the letters of the alphabet and pictures beginning with those letters but Rosie actually started to memorise the small nicks or water marks on the backs of the cards and so couldn’t help but cheat. Eventually we got a new game. We love this version because it is a great way to learn the names of different countries as the cards are all faces of children from around the world.

Now we all have our favourite faces. Rosie ranks hers every time we play, leaving the best for the top of the pile. And she will try to trade with her opponent if he or she gets her favourite face. India and Hawaii are two she really likes because they are girls and they are fancy.

When we are feeling like it, we put both the memory games together for an ultimate challenge. It is not for everyone. I like that it gives me more time with my sweet Rosie. I think Rosie likes the gigantic tower of matches she ends up with when she wins.

~Mandy

First Days of School

Brookie began grade 2 this year. She is in another split class with the same kids she has known since Kindergarten.

Here she is posing for the classic First Day of School Picture to humour her mother

When I asked Brookie if I could take some pictures of her at the school that first day, she replied, “That might be a little awkward. First days are hard enough.” So . . . no pictures at the school.

Rosie is now in Kindergarten. She has a tiny class of 12 but they have their own room, complete with little desks, little cubbies, a little bathroom and many little play stations.

Rosie posing for the classic shot

It was a rainy first day

Rosie let me take some pictures inside her classroom

When Rosie came home after her first day, I asked her how it went and she said, “Good. Mr. Mitchell didn’t teach me anything, though.” Of course I explained that the first day is a bit more about meeting each other and settling in. But I think Mr. Mitchell is going to have to work very hard to impress Rosie.

My favourite part about school this year is watching the girls leave together in the morning, come home together at lunch and hearing about their time together at recess. They walk side by side, chatting together about stuff. Brookie is being a fantastic big sister. She has even pushed Rosie on the swing a few times. The two of them really like each other. And while I miss them, I am just so proud of the beautiful little ladies they are becoming.

~Mandy

. . . and we're back

Yes, it has been a while since my last post. An embarassingly long while, actually. But sometimes the living needs to take priority over the writing about the living. So we have been doing some living and it has been fantastic. Lots of loving and laughing and exploring and learning and playing and growing and working. There is no way for me to catch you up completely so I am not even going to try. You will just have to trust me.

Enough about that. Let's get on with it, shall we?

Grid Road Adventures

Monday evening was a perfect time for a bike ride. Brookie and I set out to tour Caronport and stop by the school playground. Sean took Rosie with him in the car out on the grid roads so he could measure out his next run. Later that night, after the girls had been in bed for some time, Sean and I heard crying coming from their room. Sean went in and found Rosie crying and wide awake. After some probing, Rosie shared that she was sad because she had enjoyed her drive out on the grid roads with her dad so much and hadn’t wanted it to end. Sean asked her what it was she liked about it so much and she said, “the wind in my hair.” Sean comforted her by explaining that they would be able to do it again very soon and Rosie drifted off to sleep,most likely dreaming about open roads and the wind in her hair.

Tuesday morning, Sean woke Rosie up early and took her out again for another drive.

That evening after our dinner, we decided to all go for a drive. We left the dishes behind and all piled into the car. (As a side note: I always feel like I am doing the right thing when that thing requires me to leave the dishes behind.) The girls sat in the hatch back with pillows and blankets. I brought along some peanut butter cookies and we headed out. After a few wrong turns, we made out way up to Signal Hill. It is the only real hill for miles and it got its name from the signal tower that stands out on the horizon.

When we arrived at the summit, we all sat in the hatch together, listening to music and eating our cookies. We could see forever in all directions. The wind played in the long grass. It was so silent – the only sounds were the wind, our breathing, our heartbeats. We listened and laughed together. It was just us. No hurry or rush to something else. We were the main event. It was absolutely beautiful. The kind of beautiful that catches in your throat and makes you ache a little because you know it can’t last.

We stayed as long as we could,watching the shadows stretch out before us, the evening creeping up the hill to meet us. Then we packed up and drove home.

~Mandy

Final Performances

March was a month of endings. Rosie’s highland dancing lessons came to an end with a little dance recital. It was in our friends’ home on a Saturday morning. All the families came to watch the girls show their honed skills. And then after the dancing, we shared a delicious brunch together. It was another one of those positive small-town moments here in Caronport.

This is by far my favourite picture because it captures Rosie’s personality so well. She is there, dressed properly for the occasion and everything but still has her own casual approach, leaning on the kitchen stool, waiting for the photo shoot to be over.

This month also brought the end of the girls’ figure skating lessons. Of course the end of skating means another big performance. The girls were in the same group and performed a Caribbean number, complete with appropriately floral costumes.  They were the hit of the night. Both of them managed to stay on their skates while turning, jumping and skating backwards. They have learned so much in such a short time. My favourite moment of the night was during their number when Brookie fell and Rosie stopped to help her up. We were very proud of them.

 

Who knows whether the girls will continue with either of these activities but they had a great time. Next up, swimming lessons!

~Mandy

Surprised by Sadness

The other night, as the girls were still recovering from their crazy colds, we rented Where the Wild Things Are to watch together. Sean and I were a little unsure about how scary it would be but thought that as with all family movies we view, the constant conversation and explanation we encourage would compensate for any tense parts. and we had heard good things about it. So we settled in to enjoy the show.

Brookie and Rosie both engaged early on with Max and his sad little life. They are so thoughtful and observant. When Max travels to where the wild things are, Brookie made a wonderful connection between one of the girl “wild things” and Max’s older sister, explaining that the creature is what Max wishes his sister was like. Sean and I hadn’t even made that connection. And both girls gave lots of commentary as the story went along.

They were never really scared but were emotionally invested. They laughed out loud at some parts, quietly listened in other parts and got quite sad when Max was leaving for home, afraid that his good “wild thing” friend, Carol, wouldn’t make it back to say good-bye. It was even more sad when Carol doesn’t make it back in time to really say good bye but only to howl from the shore while watching Max’s boat sail away. This part was especially difficult for Rosie and without knowing why, she began to really cry  - not just a subtle tear drop or two but the full deal, complete with sobs. She cried from that point on until the movie ended, with a further crescendo to the crying at around the time Max’s mother gives him a big hug when he returns home.

She continued to cry right through the credits, with Sean and Brookie and I trying to offer her comfort in the form of understanding. We were all a little teary-eyed. But Rosie got quite defensive, claiming that she wasn’t crying because the movie made her cry. She explained through sobs that she was having this emotional meltdown because the movie was so boring. And I quote, “I am crying because I didn’t find this movie interesting. It was boring. That is why I am crying!”

After many failed attempts on my part to explain (without laughing) that the kind of emotional energy she was expending was not on par with feelings of boredom or lack of interest (the last attempt I made at such an explanation ended with a tiny smile breaking on my face, Rosie taking GREAT offense at said smile and marching down to the last stair in our basement, sitting there with her head in her hands, continuing to cry), Sean managed to break through to Rosie. He got her to stop crying for a time and they were able to process these surprising emotions that had apparently “snuck up to her”, unannounced and unwelcomed.

As part of Sean’s strategy, he shared a story about a time when he found himself crying over a movie and being surprised himself. As he retold the plot of this sad movie, Rosie interrupted and said, “Daddy, please stop telling me this. It is making me want to cry.”

Needless to say, Rosie slept really well that night. We all did. And I couldn’t help smile to myself as I thought of that little girl, sobbing with such genuine grief at the losing and the finding of friendship and love. Such empathy. It is a beautiful thing.

~Mandy

You know spring has sprung when . . .

• Brookie and Rosie begin their day looking out the window and reporting on the ratio of grass to snow.
• the yard that we have had for almost 5 years is yet again a new and wondrous place to explore
• the bikes are strewn all over the drive way
• our walkway and porch are covered with sidewalk chalk -original artwork, messages and tic tac toe games
• we have a rousing game of family soccer out on the front lawn at 7 pm and it is still light enough out to see the ball
• rubber boots are a permanent fixture on little feet
• rosy cheeks and runny noses are permanent fixtures on little faces
• people are smiling more
• you see your neighbours again
• You open the windows again, even if it means you need to put an extra sweater on
• it smells like mud and grass and promises of new life

~Mandy

The Sweetest Thing

Recently, Brookie came down with a more-serious-than-normal cold, complete with a fever and a very sore throat. She was home from school for two days, just laying on the couch, snuggling Piggy, watching lots of movies, looking very sick.

Being the good mom that I am, I continually forced liquids down her throat, checked her temperature more often than necessary and made sure she had anything she needed. These things included but were not limited to various stuffies, popsicles (not grape), extra ice for juice, extra ice for water, books, the remote, clean jammies, socks, slippers, lip balm . . . well, you get the idea. And as all good mothers, I began to anticipate her needs before she even voiced them. A certain look, an extra strong cough, a sigh and I could guess what request was sure to follow. It was exhausting.

On one trip to refill her water bottle and fluff her pillow, I leaned over and gave her a kiss on her hot little head. She looked up at me with her fevery eyes and said, “Mommy, I would give up Piggy for you.”

(Piggy is Brookie’s favourite stuffy in the whole world. She has had him since she was a teeny baby and he is the only toy Brookie cannot sleep without. Piggy has been with her through lots of good days and bad days, always ready to hug, to wipe tears, to listen. Whatever. Piggy is worn. He is barely pink anymore. His once-curly tail hangs embarrassingly straight from years of worrying it like a stone. So the fact that Brookie would give him up for me, well, that is quite something.)

I gave her a big hug and wiped the tears from my eyes on my way back to the kitchen. Being a mom is the hardest thing – just when you think you can’t do more, you are required to do ten times more. And then, one day your daughter offers to give up her favourite stuffed pig because she loves you that much. And then you can do anything.

~Mandy

An Early Spring Walk

   

Rosie and I had a lovely afternoon welcoming spring to Caronport. We brought our cameras and wandered the puddle-speckled streets, enjoying the warm sun. The spring day was such a treat but the time with Rosie was even sweeter. Welcome, Spring. Welcome.

~Mandy