Yippee! School's Out!

My "babies" completed grade 9 today. The last exam was written this morning, and we celebrated with a trip to the mall to purchase a few needs, and a couple of wants as the icing on the cake. Outfitted with a several new goodies from their favourite stores, the girls happily headed home to begin their much anticipated summer holidays. It was a busy year, one that flew by impossibly fast. It has been a year of change for the twins, but one that they were more than ready to face. They navigated their first year of high school, juggled two sets of exams, and made countless new friends along the way. My husband and I are so proud of them! Along with all the academic accomplishments, there are also many other changes. Independence is a huge one. My husband and I often find ourselves sitting alone over dinner or on a Friday evening. And it's quiet - imagine that! The chaos that surrounds a life with small children has abated, much to our surprise. And, while we revel in this new found time to spend together, the edges of this new reality are bittersweet. That is one of the many oddities of raising multiples - all stages go by in blur, as though you have been on perpetual fast forward for the past 15 years. My husband and I play the game of "Remember When" all the time. Remember when the girls climbed the baby gate and met you at the front door? Remember when they learned to climb out of their cribs and we would find them sleeping curled up together on the floor? Remember when they said dog and it came out like "gog" ? We could go on for hours with this game,  and it comforts the transition for us as our girls make their way into young adulthood. They are great girls, and it is such fun to watch their personalities take hold.

Today, one of the best things about being a stay-at-home/work-at-home mom happened. After our return from the mall, I lay down to read my book for a little bit (anyone else obsessed with Diana Gabaldon's new book?? Ummmm, I can't get anything done...too busy reading). My youngest (by 30 seconds!) curled up beside me and began to fill me in on all the goings-on in her life of late. We talked friends, makeup, clothing, books and her desire to learn photography from her Grampy, for at least half an hour.  It is in these rare times that harken back to their baby days, when ironically I catch a glimpse of the adults they will become. Cuddled up next to me, this girl shares a bit about her dreams and aspirations with me. I see in her a depth of maturity,  a sense humour, and a desire to pursue nascent interests. The stress and demands of exams catch up to her and she falls asleep, still snuggled up like a bug in a rug. I should be getting dinner, but I don't. We stay right where we were, and I soak up the extraordinary that was presenting itself on this ordinary day.

So, all that to say my kids are getting BIG! They don't really want to take gifts to their teachers at the end of the year any longer. That doesn't mean that the culmination of the school year has been quiet around here though! I have been churning out tote bags as teacher gifts like a mad sewing woman. Recently, I found a beautiful piece of bright red fabric. It was large enough to make a couple of bags so I set right to work after I got the fabric into my sewing room. I am so thrilled with the results! What do you think? This tote is sturdy and durable, and really, how can you not smile when you see all those polka dots and flowers? I'll have another red tote to share soon.  I hope your kids had a great year at school too! Happy summer to us all!!!

When Is Laundry More Than Laundry?

 Truer words have never been spoken:

Over here at our house, we certainly agree with this quote! Our twin arrivals came as quite the little surprises fourteen years ago, and they created no small number of challenges/adventures for us to navigate. Some of these issues are ongoing. One in particular leads me to amend this quote to say, "There are two things in life for which we are never truly prepared: Twins. And the laundry they create." 

It lives!!! Run and hide!

The laundry at our house is never ending. We have moved along the continuum from tiny preemie sleepers to piles of jeans with legs so long they give me pause.  In fact, it has become almost like another member of the family. Soon I am going to set it a place at the dinner table, and I am considering buying "Laundry" a Christmas present. The washer and dryer are on permanent full time shifts, and I don't even want to think about the electricity and energy involved in the whole affair. Let's just say it probably equals a luxury trip around the world (in clean clothes!).  My machines have a lovely little song to let me know when a cycle is complete, like they are trying to fool me with lyrical trickery. Doesn't matter if it is a loud buzzer, or a sweet song. It's still my call to action, and the end result is the same. I am no laundry novice, and I won't be fooled.

In order to cope, I have had to change my attitude with regards to the ongoing struggle. I am trying to be glad that my girls want to change outfits so many times because it means they are establishing a firm sense of their own individual styles. I have decided that my untold trips up and down the stairs carrying baskets of clothing is a perfectly good form of exercise. Having sports uniforms to launder is a sign that my kids are engaged, healthy, and involved, albeit a bit smelly : ).  Lastly, I feel that having laundry to fold is a reasonable excuse to catch up on some TV shows that I have been missing. All this work is a sign that life is good, and I know that like all stages, the "Laundry Overload" will morph into some other form eventually. I might even miss it, and all it entails. Because it is about so much more than soap, bubbles and folding. So, you see? So many positives come from the piles that emerge from all bedrooms in this house. If I'm really lucky, I even get a little "help" from a friend!

Rosie the wonder dog always at the ready!

Happy Friday! Wishing you all a great weekend, full of good things. Like laundry.

September Fuel

September is always very busy at our house. Of course, there is the fact that school starts once again, but our girls also celebrate their birthday at the beginning of the month. For these reasons, September always feels like the beginning of the year to me, even more so than January. All things seem fresh and new. Things like sheets of crisp lined paper, unsharpened pencils just waiting to unleash their potential across blank pages, and pristine lunch bags still untouched by the ravages of their daily commute. Even shoes look clean and scuff free, if only for a short time.

 For me, September means potential and promise. The highs and lows of this school year remain unwritten, but right now the excitement that runs through our home is palpable and real. I try to gather up these feelings and tuck them away to bring out when the rainy, darker days rear their grumpy heads. For I know they will come. When homework becomes a burden rather than a novelty, and early risings loom endless on the horizon, and blankets of snow quiet the world outside bedroom windows. And then, when the shoes are scuffed, and the pencils sharpened to a point of no return, I will reach back into September's bag of tricks. I will pull out the rays of sunshine that I have hidden away for tricky days, and I will use them to keep us all moving forward.

But for now, we are intent upon filling up on all that September has to offer us,  just like we loaded up fresh backpacks with shiny new school supplies. We are stockpiling! Our most favourite way to do this is to celebrate the birth of the twins. We fuel September's promise with cake, decorations, and family. I hope that all of you are finding ways to enjoy this wonderful month. I'm off to continue my scavenging for September goodies. Before I go, here are some pictures of September happiness that I have added to my collection. Have a happy day - and happy "new" year!

Oh happy day!

Tea for two - happy birthday, girlies!