Gymnastics Girls

 

These chicks, I tell you they are pretty special.

We kind of have a sweet deal for gymnastics this fall, both girls have class....wait.for.it....at the same time YEAH!!!! It worked out fabulous and is turning out to be pretty fun, because Stella is just two I didn't know how it would go but it is great. We were sick and then in Fort McMurray for a week so missed two classes and the ladies had a few comments from their friends.  I think it made Amelia feel special to know that she was missed.  As for Miss Stella, missing classes meant it was a bit of an adjustment even though she stays with me in the parented class. Change and new things are tough yo!  It is great to get to do this and I love when we are working on an area near Amelia so I can be sneaky and watch her. Today she did great bum drops on the trampoline and flashed me a smile, with two big thumbs up - love it!  At one point after walking sideways along a beam Stella says to me, "mom thumbs up".  Perhaps I use thumbs up a lot?!

I know I say it often but I adore them.

 

~ Momma P



Election on the Brain : Sister Suffragette

 

Local elections took place on Monday.  A group of fellow momma's gathered to work on sewing/crafting projects and we also got talking a little about the various candidates running. I had a stash of pamphlets and newspaper articles that I had looked over, if anyone else wanted to check them out.  It was great to hear the thoughts of women I respect and admire.  One friend mentioned how in university for one election some of her room mates went out to vote together and were singing this song from Mary Poppins - LOVE IT!!! Later that day I found it on YouTube and had to memorialize it here on our family blog.  Seriously Awesome!  Mind blowing to think of women not even being recognized as a 'person' and the efforts of many strong women to lay the foundation for all to have a voice. I took a Women's History Class in University and loved it, it was fun to look and remember these facts. 

 

I found a few things online that were good to be reminded of:



It was during the First World War that some women in Canada were finally allowed to vote and in 1919 all women over 21 had the right to vote in a
federal election.

 

Women's suffrage groups had existed since the 1870s, but during the war it was hard to ignore their arguments. Women were serving in the war, taking over from the men in factories and offices, holding families together while the men were overseas, and working in voluntary organizations that supported the war effort. They couldn't be kept out of political life any longer.

Women got the federal vote in three stages: the Military Voters Act of 1917 allowed nurses and women in the armed services to vote; the Wartime Election Act extended the vote to women who had husbands, sons or fathers serving overseas; and all women over 21 were allowed to vote as of January 1, 1919.

Provincially, women were given the vote in 1916 in the four western provinces, in 1917 in Ontario, in 1918 in Nova Scotia, in 1919 in New Brunswick,

 

The first province to give women the vote was Manitoba. This was where Nellie McClung had rented the Walker Theatre in Winnipeg in 1914 and staged a mock parliament, casting herself as premier and putting men in the role of having to beg her for the vote. The event was a great success, both financially and politically. McClung was also one of the five women who campaigned to have women recognized as "persons" by the Supreme Court so that they could qualify to sit on the Senate. They were finally successful with their "Persons Case" in 1929.

In the song from Mary Poppins there is a line where the mother says, "our daughters, daughters will adore us" and that totally made me smile with gratitude for those women who went on before. Our girls came with me to vote and we talked all about it (they are 4 and 2 so not sure how much they will remember) BUT it felt great to show them the process.  What a great freedom we have!  I went to the Birds for dinner after and we all commented on the feelings we each had as we sat in the voting booth.

patriotic

thankful

essential

privilege

responsibility

We have it pretty darn good.  I am also thankful for parents to taught us the importance of our political voice and responsibility.  I do kinda wish they lived in the same town so I could ask them their thoughts but it was awesome to be able to discuss ideas with my momma friends.

 ~ Mrs. P a woman proud to vote

 





Funk-a-li-cious

 

It is safe to say that this momma is working through a funk. I have been a complainer pants and tad negative, telling anyone who will listen.  Oh Jenny not cool!  But some interesting things have come about this week. Being at my parents was great but the reality of our dad working tons is just stinky.

Not to keep complaining (but kinda) Mr. P is still totally on shutdown - week 6, going on 7 - BOO!!!!!!

A change in my attitude must occur. I am in charge of myself (positive self talk).  I have come across these two great quotes and they fit perfectly with the changes I need to make. 

“Generally speaking, the most miserable people I know are those who are obsessed with themselves; the happiest people I know are those who lose themselves in the service of others...by and large, I have come to see that if we complain about life, it is because we are thinking only of ourselves.” President Gordon B. Hinckley
 

 Now I know that service helps you forget yourself, but when you are home with littles getting out and serving others can be tough BUT it is possible.  I was actually nice to someone today, yeah it was my sick little sister. It still felt good to bring her supper.  Also, I had read a message before written by a mother who said that she began to change her thinking about the things that she did for her own family and started thinking about the daily tasks she did as service to her family. LOVE IT and really want to kick it up a notch around our house. So I wrote my first post funk love note, check it out....

( oh what a $6 paint stick will do )

 

At church last Sunday, in my parents' congregation one of the speakers shared how she strived to be more joyful by having more gratitude and recording it daily at the bottom of her 'to do' list.  It was a light bulb moment for me, I have done a version of this before but haven't for awhile.  So each day since that talk on Sunday I have been thinking of 3 Things I am Grateful For, sometimes writing it, sometimes just thinking about it in the shower. Today I am thankful for #1 A great group of peers for Amelia. My heart was happy and grateful as I dropped her off at JoySchool. #2 A full fridge.  Being away for a week meant we had a pretty meager stash of food upon arriving home. What a blessing to just pull up to the grocery store, load up and have an abundance of good eats.  #3 Kiddos who played nice in the basement for 15 min so their dad and I could chat alone in his 30 min window before he had to go to work.  It has been cool because I have even caught my self rethinking about the things on my gratitude lists, pondering and saying quick little prayers of appreciation.  Thanks speaker lady, touched my heart!

Shutdowns are hard.  Mr. P amazes me with his attitude!  It is hard for us all but totally doable, we are doing it and I want to continue to do it just with a better attitude. Being funk-a-li-cious is on the way out. ( Perhaps we've been reading 'Pink-a-li-cious' books lately)

~ Mrs. P

This is a post that I am sure I'll need to reflect on again because shutdowns are just part of our lives.

leaves are falling, leaves are falling

 Leaves are falling,

leaves are falling,

landing on my nose.

 

Leaves are falling,

leaves are falling,

landing on my toes.

 

Leaves are falling,

leaves are falling,

landing on my head.

 

Leaves are falling,

leaves are falling,

yellow,

orange and

red.

 

(a little song we learned at Parent & Child Mother Goose)

 

 

Fall can be so fun, seriously so fun!!!!!  While up visiting our family we made a stop at an old family friend's home and her front yard was covered with leaves as she has beautiful, mature trees.  The ladies got out of the car and as the leaves beside the vehicle crunched under their feet, their eyes lite up and they made a run for the yard.  A good 20 minutes was spend dancing, throwing and investigating...I loved watching it, encouraging them!  These are moments where I am so grateful to have my camera on hand, I always have it tucked in my purse.  The air was quite crisp, we all had rosy cheeks and cold hands as we ran in to use her potty after.  The girls just had such a blast!! Moments to be treasured for sure.



 

 

~ Mrs. P



the next generation

 

So these five are the joy of our lives!

Each of them in all their adorableness, uniqueness and challenge - WE ARE BLESSED!!!!

 

They adore one another, they seriously get so excited to be together.   Amelia and Stella eagerly anticipated the Birds arriving and then eagerly anticipated the arrival of Prince Kingston (for real this is what we MUST call him).  It is a special bond between cousins. 

 

Today I even ran into my cousin Jordan at McDonalds and it was so wonderful to chat about our families, house selling and life.  Cousins, great friends! Family is such a good organization.

 

~ Mrs. P

 

 



Thankful

 

Thanksgiving weekend has been a blast!  I am feeling pretty much normal, still finishing off my prescription but enjoying the festivities.  We miss our dad but have had a fun times up with our extended family.  In my classic style...copied a few ideas from pinterest and added to the holiday festiveness.  We created a Gratitude tree and some Turkeys for the table. It was fun reading on the leaves what people were thankful for and tracing little hands (Uncle Jon and I ended up doing a lot of colouring). Honestly, nerdy but I just love when we are all together, work together, cook together, create together and just have fun together!

 



 

Mid afternoon wiggles called for a walk in the beautiful fall weather so off down the street to the Love Rock we went with the littles.  I love that my parents still live on the same street and in the same house that hold so many memories.  We let the kids climb up onto the Love Rock and take turns jumping off.  My SIL Jenn said that when she was a kid the rock seemed so big and now it is really only the height of our waists....well Alyson's shoulders hahahhahaha! Her statement was so true I remember the rock seeming so big.

 

 I am no photographer but the lighting was extraordinary this afternoon and if my subjects weren't such movers and shakers I would have requested more pictures. Nonetheless I am in love with our Love Rock pictures and those people with smiling faces.

 

The backyard at Gramma and Grandpa's is also super huge and seems like such a luxury for us no-yard-yet Polischuks!  They all had a blast playing with a ball and trying, yes trying to play 'Red Light, Green Light'.  What a joy I tell you!!!!!! No matter the trial or the struggle (while driving up today poor Leslie had debris from a truck/trailer fly off and hit her sunroof smashing it, BUT it could have been worse) we all have much to be THANKFUL for. We are each so blessed!

 



 

 

And how thankful am I?

A LOT!!!!!

Hardest thing,

Best thing,

EVER

right here.

(well maybe if I could photoshop in Graham)

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

 

~ Mrs. P a pretty thankful lady

Visiting, Playing and More Visiting

The weather up at Gramma and Grandpa's is lovely! We made the trip north for Thanksgiving a little early because this momma was way sick and with our dad still working a shutdown.  I always breathe a sigh of relief as we drive onto my parents street...the street I grew up on.  Anyway, it was very great to be able to come up and just have the kindness of my parents.  As an added sweet kindness this week my Great-Gramma Hudkins traveled up with me to just be with me as I drove up, so so nice.

 

Upon arriving of course the visiting and playing began. 

 

I am IN LOVE with this picture of Grandpa and the girls. Adorable!

Also a fan of Amelia 'helping' Grandpa put up the blinds.  My parents recently bought some bunk beds to put in one of the spare rooms, ironic because when we were young we had some bunk beds.  Oh how things come full circle.

LOVE that Gramma has musical instruments at her house, very fun.  They loved it!!!  Only had to be reminded a few times that we gently strike the mallets and not hammer them down.

This dude has many little fans, pretty much all of the kiddos dig uncle Mikel.

 

Also really liked having lunch with this lady, oh Auntie Jenn you are so loved!

 

Just getting ready and pumped for Thanksgiving.

~ Mrs. P