More….

The second child has been found.  Searchers located her body this afternoon.  In this report, they mention that the man appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, but they do not mention any tests confirming this.  I mention tests because there are many conditions which mimick drunkeness, hypothermia being one.  So still, I can not tell if it is part of the story or sensationalism.  I cannot believe that anybody, no matter how drunk they are, would take two small children outside in such weather with such inadequate clothing.  Then again, some people do horrendous things to children and I will never understand that either.    I  just want to believe that the children managed to get outside on their own and that he was searching for them.    No matter how you view this, it is a devastating event, but it would help keep my faith in human decency intact.   

**Update: The above story I linked to has been changed.  The previous story did not have as many details as this one does, and my above post is now completely wrong.  According to this new story, while the father apparently feels terrible about what happened, it does seem likely that his incompetence caused the death of these two little girls.  One more case of parental ineptitude for the books and two more innocent victims.  I wish it wasn’t so. 

    

Tragedy in Saskatchewan

This news story is such a tragedy, and with the forty below weather we had at the beginning of the week, it strikes a little close to home. 

A three year old in Saskatchewan died in the cold, found frozen between her house and the neighbours.  Her one year old sister is still missing and presumed dead as well.  The father was found, hypothermic and disoriented, and is being treated for frostbite to his hands and feet.  I can’t imagine the grief he is feeling in the face of such a loss.  The presumption is that he was looking for the children, but that has not been stated in any of the news reports.  They say that charges have not been laid, but does that mean they are being considered?  If so, why?  There was a blizzard through much of Saskatchewan on Monday, and I wonder what role that had to play in all this.  There is still so much that I wish to know about this story, because at this moment, I can’t see what could possibly lead to charges.  Instead, my heart and my prayers go to that family.

This cold weather is so dangerous, but with the advances we have made in housing, insulation, and technology, people seem to forget.  Too bad these reminders need to be so tragic.  

Forty Below Zero

Once upon a time it was the time of winter that people died, frozen in their own beds when the fire went out or they didn’t have enough wood cut.  Survival of the fittest meant best prepared.  In modern days it is still dangerous,  but it is mostly an inconvenience and a day home for rural bus students.   Even the slightest hint of a breeze sends the wind chill factor spiraling down.  

These cold days are so beautiful, the bright blue skies and sunlight twinkling on the snow giving the illusion of warmth.  The ice and frost on the inside of our well insulated windows show the truth.    Our outdoor animals are finding places to curl up and stay warm, and MIL’s small indoor dog is refusing to go outside, preferring instead to cross her legs than brave the frigid temperatures for even two minutes.   We are all watching the forecast, looking for the break to come later in the week.   Lows of -30C, temperatures that made us shiver just a week ago, now seem an improvement.

Meanwhile, I get to enjoy the slave laobor company of my children, Superbabe is well entertained, and I get to hear jokes like the one my son told me this morning:

 Q: Why are only people who have never eaten cereal truly innocent?

 A: The rest are cereal killers.

 Life, while cold, is never boring.

 

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread…

I let my fist sink deep, enjoying that first punch into the freshly risen dough.  I’m always so enchanted by the warmth of bread dough.  Intellectually I know it is the reaction of the yeast working, releasing heat, but I prefer to think of it as one the pleasurable and magical things of making bread.  I pull my fist out of the bowl and punch again and again.  Fold, punch, fold, punch, although my punches are becoming more like pushes against the firm body of the dough.

Sprinkling flour on the table, I turn the bread out onto its surface and continue my work.  I enjoy making bread, although my rheumatic hands will be angry tomorrow.  It’s ok, I’ll just cut another slice and enjoy it, the fresh bread will be worth a day or two of stiff and painful joints.  I feel close to my roots when I make bread.  I think about my ancestors, providing for their families.  Back then, making bread wasn’t a luxury of time, it was necessity.  It was a hard up family that didn’t have bread, and without freezers, bread had to be made every day or so.  Life was so different then, and I wonder how women managed to juggle all the hard work they had to do and the many children as well.  Of course, I remind myself, they had neighbour girls to help sometimes, and often the grandparents lived with them and could help with the childcare.  I hate to think of life trying to live with my parents, or even with MIL in the same house as us all the time.  Somedays are hard enough to bear with us all living in the same yard.  It would also be a much smaller house and we wouldn’t be able to get away from each other either.  Yes, life certainly would have been difficult.  I smile as baby flops suddenly against my back, lulled to sleep by the snug sling and the rhythmic motion of my body swaying in time to the work of kneeding the bread.  I feel strong, empowered, and capable of providing for my family in a healthy and wholesome way.

My mind wanders back to the conversation I had with my son this morning.  He doesn’t think we are a typical family.  I wondered what he thought we did so different, so atypical.  Computers, no video games, quads, was his response.  So because we limit computer time, have no video games and don’t  like quads, we are different?  His sister agrees, but unlike her brother, she doesn’t think she is terribly hard done by because of these differences.  She doesn’t think life is better either, just ….  different.  I wonder, if I could be a fly on the wall, would these other families really be as different as my son thinks?  I also wonder how involved they are in the lives of their kids.  Are we too involved?  Can’t be too involved.  Can we?

I pat my round ball of dough and set it back into the bowl, covering it to rise once more.  Walking carefully so as to not disturb the little sleeper on my back, I place the bowl on the counter and proceed to clean my fingers.  I smile as I turn the sling around to hug my baby, and lay him for his nap.  Surely by continuing to follow our hearts, we will do what is best for our family.  We try to be wholesome, loving and caring.  Things, gadgets and materials are not going to fix anything.  We could give the kids free reign over the computer and let them fight it out I suppose.  We could buy a video game and quads and dirt bikes for everyone.  There will always be something more that their friends have that they want, I muse.  I think about my ancestors, long since gone, who had so little, but always managed to give so much.  I decide that we must continue to raise our children with love, compassion and wisdom.  Surely someday they will see how much we do give, and with any luck, they will pass the gift of less on to their own children.  All I can do is hope.

Dear Nobody,

The time has come for us to have a little heart to heart.  I try to be patient and understanding, Lord knows I do, but this just isn’t working out very well.  There are some things which you do that simply drive me around the bend!

First of all, what is it with you and messes?  Every time I turn around, there’s another mess!  Last night it was potato chips all over the living room rug.  I asked all the kids, and they all swear that they didn’t do it.  That leaves you ~ Nobody.  And when I try to get you to clean up after yourself, you hardly ever do a decent job!  Actually, it seems to me that you never ever clean anything at all.

Second, would you please get a grip on this small-toys-in-the-toilet thing.  Three toilet seals in as many weeks ~ Mr. Man is going to be the next one blowing a gasket if this continues!  All of the kids say it wasn’t them, so I know it must be you ~ Nobody.  Lord help you if you ever get caught.  I’ll be throwing you in the toilet next!  And just to be clear, toys down the sink drains is just as bad.  Next time you get to clean the sink traps!

Finally, I can understand when things are accidentally broken.  Usually I’m not even angry, but I do want to know what happened to my possessions.  Take my expensive, favorite stoneware baker that I can no longer replace for instance.  When you broke that (and I know it was you because I asked all the kids….) I was upset, yes, but I wasn’t angry.  There was no need to hide!  All I wanted was to be sure you understood how to avoid something similar in the future, and to hear an apology.  Would that have been so hard?

Nobody, it is high time you took responsibility for your actions.  Mistakes happen and we just want to know that you learn from them!  You need to stand up and say “It was me.”  Stand up, and be Somebody.

 

 

(Dedicated to my children, Pickles, Bouncy, Bulldog, Shrimp and Superbabe)

‘Tis the Season….

 

Well the good news is that Superbabe seems to be feeling a bit better.  His days are easier at least and I’m hoping that the nights start to follow soon.  We saw the Dr. again yesterday for a follow-up and he said his lungs sound ‘wet’, but nothing else seems wrong.   We’ll just have to keep a close eye on him I guess.  Anything else shows up or he starts sounding worse, we’ll be heading back in.

Meanwhile, the short nights are starting to wear on me, and I think I’m coming down with the same cold.   I had a scratchy throat a couple of days ago, and now my nose is running so much I think it has started training for a marathon.  My daughter is starting to feel a little under the weather too, but Mr. Man is taking some of the kids wall climbing today, so she says she won’t “be sick” until Sunday.  I’m not sure I can hold off as long as her, but as soon as the sun comes up, Mr. man is getting kicked out of bed and being handed Superbabe for a few hours.  4 am is a terrible time to get up and I need a few more hours sleep. 

 

 

Sleep Deprived

I envy this cat!  Wouldn’t life be so great if we could all just lay down wherever we are and sleep?  Wherever and whenever.  My brain is so tired right now that sleep is just about all I can think of.

I think it is how deeply this animal is sleeping that I envy so much.  Superbabe has come down with a cold the past two days, and sleeping has been very difficult for him.  You all know how it feels, when your nose is stuffed, your chest hurts, and all you want to do is sleep.  Except you can’t because every time you lay your head down breathing becomes difficult.  His night, and thus mine as well, was very disturbed last night.  Although Mr. Man running and yelling at the top of his voice in his sleep didn’t help me either, but that is a post for another day!  Sometimes we just can’t win for losing…..

So Superbabe is feeling rotten enough that I am no longer allowed to let go of him.  I have found that he sleeps well when he is held upright against my shoulder.  Guess who will likely be sleeping in the rocking chair tonight?  But that’s ok.  This to shall pass, and when he is feeling better, I’m getting myself a Do Not Disturb sign, finding a nice soft comfy corner away from traffic, and going to sleep……

Good nite folks!

 

Hibernation

Symbolically speaking, winter is the time to become introspective. To go within and examine, sort, and prepare for the coming spring and renewal.  When I think of winter in this way, I envision a type of hibernation.  A feeling of peacefulness steals over me and I start to think of meditation, yoga, and good herbal teas. 

In reality, my hibernation time has been nothing like this.  My days are a blur of kids, laundry, cooking, cleaning, refereeing, and diapers.  Tea?  Forget about it, unless it is a caffeinated replacement for my lunch, just to keep me going.  Time for myself just does not exist, never mind meditation, introspection, or creative thinking. 

As a result, the only thing taking a winter hiatus around here seems to be my brain.  My sluggish thinking simply cannot do even basic tasks, such as patience, wit or math.  January seems to be the month of automatic pilot for me, and I’m afraid it is my blogs and you readers who will suffer the most. 

Before I fry any more of my circuits by trying to put coherent sentences together, I leave you with this, an eerily accurate rendition of a typical day in my life.

 

 

 

OMG

What the F*** happened to my formatting on that last post?  I finally got it to work it out right, and now look at it!  ACK  ~ I quit!  Nite peoples…..

Why is it?

I had a crappy day today folks.  I was a little like King Midas, but instead of everything I touched turning to gold, it all went wrong instead.  I mean everything!   (You wouldn’t believe how long this little post took and how many times it needed to be redone.  ARGH! )  By the time 2 pm rolled around I was wishing I had just stayed in bed and waited for tomorrow.  Instead, I was driving all over hell’s creation looking for where Mr. Man had dropped our cow off to be butchered a month ago.  This business was way out in the boonies and I had never been there before.  I got the directions all confuddled and the result was that I spent two hours driving through the back roads looking for the place.  While I was driving and looking at all the houses and wondering if it was the right place or not, I had lots of time to think about a few things, mostly about how it should have been the man that dropped said cow off that got to go and pick the damn thing up!  

The following list may give you an idea about how the rest of my day went: 

 Why is it the baby never sleeps in until the day we have to leave early?     

Why is it that I’m the only one in the family who can change the toilet paper roll? 

 Did you know that a grocery list only helps if you actually take it with you?  

 Why is the baby will fall asleep when you drive for 5 min from one ridiculously busy store to another, but if you drive for an hour he won’t fall asleep until you are 5 min from home? 

 Why is it food takes forever to cook until you turn your back, then it is burnt in about 30 seconds?  

 Why is it the rule, “whoever is holding the baby changes the baby” only applies to me?    

 And how is it that I am the only person here that the kids can come to for every insane little thing?  Really, no one needs to come to me and ask if they can have a drink of water, but they do!