Jibber Jabber

While sitting at my computer blankly I ponder about what I should write. It's a lot harder than you think for me, my thoughts are scattered and I can never stay on task. I have diagnosed myself with ADD (which are my initials as well!). My mind floods of what I should be doing and what I am actually doing, and what I am doing is usually not what I should be doing.
As the other mom's I have 2 kidlettes, Jayden (5), Ethan (4) and 1 half husband (the ring is on the finger, we just haven't said "I do" yet). I am a partial stay at home mom, only working a couple nights a week. My days consist of puttering around, taking the kids to the pool and eating. I'd like to say I have the life of Riley.
I'm new at this blogging stuff (I'm pretty sure you can tell) but I might get used to it. I'm only going to write what I feel, really not caring about what other people think, because I feel I'm only telling a computer.
ta ta for now computer ;)
Ashley

My life....................

So here I am at 11:42 at night writing a blog that I should have done 4 days ago. Last night after some discussion I was informed that I don't need to overthink it and to just write whatever comes to mind. Those people obviously forgot who I am or don't know me very well because I OVERTHINK EVERYTHING. Anyway here is my blog about whatever comes to my mind.

6 years and 8 days ago my life changed forever. I gave birth to a healthy 8lbs 12oz 21inch baby girl at 8:10pm at BC Womens hospital. For those of you who don't know, this in of itself was a miracle concidering this precious baby's father from the moment I met him in 1994 always said "My bloodline stops here!" I guess he changed his mind. Thank god for that.

Cheyenne Jade as she is known was a wonderful baby. She slept well, even sleeping through the night by 6 weeks old. Who does that? My baby, thats who. She ate well. Was crawling by 4 & 1/2 months and was full on walking at 9 & 1/2 months. At this point we were in a 1 bedroom and den condo in Burnaby. It was getting awfully small concidering when a child starts to get bigger so do their toys. It was getting cramped, and we needed to start looking at bigger alternatives. This was a long drawn out process. And then at last we found a beautiful townhouse that was double the space and was still close to my mom for when we needed her. It was perfect. I always wanted to live in a townhouse complex when I had kids because when I was a teenager I lived in one and I always saw the kids playing together and the adults talking and having fun as well. It was going to be awesome. We were going to move to a bigger place and meet new people. Yay! Well that didn't happen right away. Working full time saw to that. I was never home and when I was it was the usual, get Cheyenne fed, bathed, teeth brushed , bed, then it was laundry, dishes, and all that other "Adult" stuff you need to do. Life went on like this for 2 & 1/2 years.

Then...........

2 years 15 days ago I gave birth to a healty 8lbs 6oz 21inch baby boy at 12:45pm at BC Womens Hospital. Wow another miracle! This was a very exciting and extremely exhausting time. Zackary Thomas as he is known was not as easy as Cheyenne. He slept well when he slept and ate every 2 hours. I knew a second child is never the same as your first and I had heard having a boy was a very different experience also. I was excited to have a baby longer because don't you know boys do everything sooooo much later than girls. YAH RIGHT! Zackary was crawling at 5 months and full out walking at 10. Yah WAY longer to get to that level. Those LIARS!

Anyway, now we are at 6 and 2 and I am enjoying it so much more. They are so fun to watch. For the most part they play together nicely. Zackary loves his big sister and wants to do everything she does. Its very cute to see. I wish I could keep them this age forever. This is my favorite so far.

So now I hope I didn't bore you with my mind flowing freely. I think I could write and write and write but it is now 12:32 and I must go to bed.

Till next time.

T

Perfection

Perfection

I used to relish the days on the road. Just me on my way, map in my hand, hotel rooms booked, visiting my stores. A chance to get a mini vacation yet I was still technically working. A break from picking up toys, washing and folding clothes, dishes, making meals...well you get the picture I'm sure.

Lately this has changed, the night before I am consumed with worry. What if something happens, to Me? Or God forbid to Mekaella? I can't sleep, my mind races, maybe I should not go? What if I don't listen to this voice and I should have. I know I have to work and I have to trust that we are always taken care of but sometimes that is hard...

As I stand in her room watching her sleep in the morning before I leave. She is pure perfection, that was the first thing I said when I saw her "She's Perfect", and I still think that (most days). I once could never imagine my life with children and now I could never imagine my life without her. Funny how these little beings come into your world and take over. Your world that consisted of your own "Important" wants and needs....humm what will I wear today?....hummm where are we going Friday night?...hummm should I do two cardio sessions today?

Then you meet your baby and all that changes forever, PJ's to Walmart are new fashion choice, hair thrown in the bun (lucky to be washed) is the new look, mascara IF you are lucky becomes all your make up, exercise is taken over by no sleep and breast feeding and don't even get me started on getting your hair highlighted cause that becomes a thing in the past at least for awhile.

These were all things I never considered losing when I had Mekaella, but one that has remained is the terrifying thought of losing this little person that means the world to me. I don't think that will ever go away, I guess that is the patch I wear on my heart "Mom". I just have to have faith and trust that we will be taken care of.

Thank you Universe for blessing me with her...Please keep us safe while we are apart...

Aeryon xoxo

A little about me, maybe a little too much about me...

I am a wife to 1, but have 3 part-time"hubby's" (my legal one prefers it that way, he figures all the help he can get is a good thing. No not in "that" way, I just am a bit of a princess).  I have 2 beautiful children but my house is normally filled with 4 or more. My oldest is my daughter Maaren who is 4, and my youngest is Leif who is turning 3 very soon. Yes I am "that mom" the one that went back to work 3 months pregnant after her first maternity leave.

This is the my family, (charity photo shoot in  2008)

We share our living quarters with Charlie (Sweet Charlotte) the pink tailed Havanese. (Why she has a pink tail is a whole other story and will be saved for another blog) and "Tiger the greatest cat to ever live" Johnson.

Charlie our Girl Dog (you can tell by the pink tail)

Tiger the Fiercest feline in town (with newbie Maaren)

I am a corporate world run-away and now much prefer my life of raising children and running my empire of designing and making jewellery, I am a true "Mompreneur".  I started my company, Aly Dahl Designs last year and have only ever regretted my decision to leave my well paid, high-heeled, suit wearing life twice.  Once when I started getting my monthly BC Med bills in the mail (free health care my a**), and the other  when I got really sick and couldn't take a day off.. I miss paid sick days.  So all in all, I have no "real" regrets of leaving corporate world behind.

Since I was little I knew I wanted to be a mom and own my own business. I am currently living my dream,  my business is still in the start up stages and way more money has gone out than has come in, but I have never been happier, ever.   If I described to you 15 years ago what my perfect life would look like, I would have described it as "Having a loving husband, a couple of kids, owning my own business, having great friends, doing something creative, travelling the world shopping for beautiful things, and not having to worry about money". 

So far I have a wonderful husband who is not only loving but helpful, courteous, funny, handsome,but he is also my best friend.  I have 2 beautiful children who are a constant source of entertainment and joy (with a side of hair-pulling frustration and heart break). I am lucky enough to have a full roster of amazing friends most of which I am able to stumble home from.  I create pieces of jewellery with my hands, run and own my own business, I get to shop for amazing stones and metals, and although I have only travelled to Las Vegas this year the plans are in the works to travel more for the business.   The only thing I am missing is the not having to worry about money.
Late last year my husband was laid off along with a hundred other elevator mechanic's in training.  So not only am I a stay at home mompreneur, our family is a stay at home household with pre-school aged kids.  We spend  A LOT of time together.  Sometimes, too much.. but to be totally honest,  I will really be sad when he goes back to work.  He is a really good stay at home dad and I am not sure I can go back to doing it all... he has WAY more patience than I do!

Well that's a bit about me and mine.... Until next time,  Aly
My business:
www.alydahl.com

Mother

A mother is a biological and/or social female parent of an offspring. Because of the complexity and differences of a mothers' social, cultural, and religious definitions and roles, it is challenging to define a mother to suit a universally accepted definition.

It was this new definition of myself that brought me into this group. As a woman who always was focused on career and not creating a family, I had become a “Mother” and a “Step Mother”. I had so many questions about my new baby and upon joining Moms group I now had an endless supply of advice. We are all different mothers with different mothering techniques however the goal is the same, to raise happy, healthy, socially conscious, kind, wonderful children. Hopefully with our wits still in tack at the end.

Every person has a different relationship with their Mother, some good some bad, some indifferent. I am blessed to have a wonderful relationship with mine. Although I did cause her a fair share of heartache and despair she loved me all the same. Watching me fumble through my mistakes and bad choices yet never giving up on me.  She is the person who has always been there and never turned me away. EVER…that would be my definition of a mom….Dale Rudd my mom.

Grandma and Mekaella

So when I look at what kind of mom I want to be to my children I don’t have to look far. I have 7 sources of inspiration that live heartbeats away and 1 that is off in Australia.

Aeryon Ashlie

Small gifts keep the liver guessing

I am sitting outside in my colourful backyard alone. My house is quiet.  I can count the number of times my house has been quiet on one hand since my oldest child was born back in 2006. 

This is Maaren arriving into the world

That was the moment my life changed. 

Since then I have accomplished the following:

Peed by myself: 17 times

Woken up to my body saying "that's enough sleep, time to get up": 12 times

Taken a face plant tripping over toys: 68 times

Gone out to grab a coffee by myself: 2 times

read 1/2 a book.. no wait...: 1 1/2 books 

(combining the chapters I have started must count for at least 1 book)

Sat in my backyard during daylight hours and my house was quiet: 1 time.. 

This is it right now.. My house is quiet.  How come I am so lucky you ask?  Well, friends of ours got married yesterday and my sister was kind enough to not only take my kids for a couple hours but she has had them for the past 2 days. At this moment my husband is driving the newlyweds to the airport and here I sit.. in peace.. Blogging about it seemed the best way to celebrate this treat.

This is Darren and I at the wedding yesterday

 

As for last night.. you may ask, "what does a mom of 2 young kids do when she has no responsibility the next day?"

I'll tell you,  I drank a little too much, change that.. a lot too much.. I mean we had the house to ourselves, just me and my Darren. So we celebrated last night, small gifts are often over looked in life, and a house to ourselves, no wiping bums, no middle of the night cries, no getting up and feeding munchkins was a great gift.. We were 25 again, staying up late, having cocktails, making love and not worrying about waking anybody up but the neighbours.  It was so fun... until this morning.  Although I felt 25 last night, I felt everyone of my 33 years this morning.. Apparently my liver is aging faster than I am and it is not impressed with my behaviour last night.

  

"Dear Liver, please accept my deepest sympathy for your luck in getting stuck in me"

Although the thought of rolling up in balls and hiding under our covers all day seemed like a great option, we felt by not doing something, anything we would be wasting a rare opportunity to be adults.  So instead we went for lunch on a lovely patio and did our best to keep lunch down and then wandered around the mall and looked at items we wanted to look at.... and where did we end up?  That's right, the toy isle, I mean Leif's 3rd birthday is in October... we should start planning now... 

So in the end.. we missed the kids,  but if someone offered to take the kids for a couple days again... I would jump at the opportunity,  I may just not drink quite as much next time.   Well.. I would try not to drink as much next time!

- Aly

Welcome To "R" Town - How we began

September 2008 Rossmoor Mom's Group was started.  A good friend of ours Alicia posted a sign at the Rossmoor billboards calling for all stay at home moms to come for a coffee and a play.
2 weeks later 10 Mom's of all shapes and sizes, some strangers, some acquaintances showed up on Alicia's front door bearing sweets and savories to share.  We were all nervous of this first encounter, who are these "Moms" and what if their kids are brat's?

2 years later Mom's Group has continued,  women and children have come and gone from the group but the spirit is still alive.  Every Thursday morning we continue to meet at one of our homes for a good laugh and sometimes a cry.

Last summer Mom's Group transformed by adding a much needed Mom's night.. The ladies started to gather every Friday night for a cocktail or 6. This is when the bonds started to strengthen, the ability for us all to let loose.  Not be mom, not to be wife, but to be Ashley, Aeryon, Alicia, Angela, Aly, Dana, Laura, Nickie and Tracy.  We had the odd non-mom's come join us but they never seemed to return.  Perhaps we are not as hilarious as we thought, or our chapped nipple stories and boobs after surgery/nursing show and tell were a bit much.  Regardless there was a core group of ladies that started to yearn for Friday night.   Friday night ladies night has since dwindled with busy lives and jealous husbands.. instead we chose any night of the week for a few drinks and a lot of laughs and sometimes it is more like 3 or 4 nights a week... and often it involves the entire family for a potluck or BBQ.  We are no longer a Mom's Group, or ladies group, we are a community that is held together by Moms.

It has been months now that I have had this idea of writing a book with these women, each writing a chapter on life in "R-Town", their experiences being a mother, friend, spouse, employee, business owner, momprenuer... Since our lives all inter-twine the characters were sure to stay the same and the book I felt would have an incredible flow.   So instead of a book, I have decided on the more immediate (and free).. A blog.   I have asked each of the women to pick a day of the week to blog.  It can be on anything, about themselves, their kids, our drunken escapades, funny picture, dreams, love, anything.. there are no rules, we can switch days, blog on different days, more than once a week, when ever as long as we do our best to keep our once a week commitment to keeping this blog alive. It is a virtual scrapbook of our lives together living in ..  "R-town".  Perhaps one day we will publish our wisdom (or stupidity on some accounts). 

- Aly