His, Hers and Ours, with 2 Working Parents,

Well today was the big day.  Our second year in a row participating in the CIBC Run for the Cure.  This year we decided as a family to add a little spice to the fundraising efforts.  I really wanted the kids to see how easy it is to motivate people to give.  So we figured that as a family if we could raise $500.00 this year, then I would let them shave my head.  NOw, that might sound drastic, but I happen to know that I have a very nice head, and rather suit being bald (I have lost my hair more than once in the last ten years, at least this time it would be my choice, and for a good cause!!).  I also wanted the kids to know that hair can grow back, so if losing mine means that more money gets donated so that one day a woman won’t have to lose her breasts (which don’t grow back!), then it’s really a small sacrifice to make.  I knew that the message hit home when the day to shave my head arrived, and after all was said and done, my stepdaughter put her arm around me and genuinely told me how really great she thought it was that I would do that for other people.   I couldn’t have felt better than I did right then!   I am always kind of guessing when it comes to her feelings, so to hear that much love and pride in her voice meant the world to me.  So we ended up raising about 1150.00 total, which shocked the kids, lol!!  The weather was beautiful for the walk/run.  It was cloudy all weekend and the sun peeked out all morning.  Greer, Gavin and Mike ran ahead while I pushed the stroller with Logan (who ran and sat on and off), walking beside Emily (who grumbled when we first got out of the car about how she didn’t want to walk because she wanted to play Barbie’s, but ended up walking 3.5 kms without even knowing it!).   It’s amazing what a difference it makes going from hair that is partly down your back to none…I had to dig the toques out.  Even sitting here, with the temperature dropping in the evening, my head is starting to get chilly!!  We all decided a soak in the hot tub was in order upon arriving home (well except Emily who went straight to the Barbie’s again), and even made ourselves some tropical drinks to enjoy!  Dinner was an adventure too…Logan is starting to show an interest in reading.  Mike is always wanting to encourage word recognition so he was quizzing him on the place cards that I had set out on the place mats.  First reading Daddy by sounding it out, then Mummy, etc.  (and yes I spell it with a “u” because my family is from the U.K.)  Mike tried asking the wee man what this writing on his glass said, to which Logan replied with his mouth stuffed with pork chop, “Daddy, that’s in Chinese and I can’t read Chinese…it’s too hard”  Of course it wasn’t in Chinese (it was simply handwriting), it was funny none the less.   I had a bit of a hard time with Gavin before bed…have been having lots of headbutting with him lately, and a little bit of attitude from both him and Greer these days (preparing us for the teen years??!?)…he does not want to get the Hep A/B shot this week, which they need for us to travel.  Sigh…I had to tell him that if he didn’t he would be missing a holiday next year with Daddy too (which I didn’t want to so that Matty could, but he put up such a fuss!!).  The kid is not bothered by the dentist at all, but HATES needles.  Sigh.  Greer got a bit more of her Halloween costume done before she went to bed.  She is sewing it this year.  I have only been providing guidance and instruction.  For her first time sewing, she is doing very well.  I think it will be something that she will get very good at if she stays with it.  Speaking of new experiences, there were lots in the house this week - Greer won a gold medal in the Kung Fu tournament while Gavin won a silver, Emily started her piano/vocal class, Gavin and Mike started guitar lessons, and Logan had his first session of hockey on Saturday morning!!  I can’t believe that they make equipment that small!  It is such an expense to get a child started in hockey but he really wanted to play.  I was worried that we would have spent all that money and then he would hate it, but he came off the ice excited and looking forward to next time, which is fantastic.  I enjoy seeing Mike connect with his son like that…he talked with Logan about when he was little playing, and he took great care to get him ready very early in the morning.  It was sweet. 

Well my back is aching and I’m still under the weather so my bed is calling me.  It’s been a strange week for me, and I am hoping that this overwhelmed feeling I seem to be carrying in my chest will lessen as the month goes on.  I am going back to school this week to learn how to train adults for work.  I am actually nervous about the class!   We’ll see how it goes….

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