February 5!!!

Posted on 2010-02-05 by Reema
Happy Birthday, Sanj!
I love you!

Enjoy your day!
Comments Off on February 5!!!

A Good Day…

Posted on 2010-02-04 by Reema

I had a good day today.  I do better when I don’t expect to accomplish certain things and then they happen! Sammy has been throwing up.  He was home for the day still vomiting.  He is supposed to go to a Youth Retreat this weekend.  I am praying that by tonight he will feel better.  These things are so great for them.  Did you go to any?  I didn’t  really have the opportunity as a teen to often.  Yet I remember the feeling of being full of loving God after a Week of Prayer or youth event.  I  loved Jesus with all my heart.  It was so easy.  I want my boys to feel that energy that comes from worshiping with friends.

Loving Jesus now… I do, with all my heart.  It is just that now there are times of doubt, frustration and temper tantrums. Maybe I just want my way… or His way is too hard.  Maybe I need to work back to getting that faith of a child.  It was so easy.  Do you know what I mean?


I felt better today.  Maybe because I was anticipating the blues that anything aside from that felt better.  I dropped the boys off and came home and wrote.  I feel so good when I write.
I called Sanj and told him I wrote.  He read while I was on the phone.  He laughed.  How I love his laugh.  When he laughs, while reading a blog, it feels like I won the Pulitzer Prize.
His thoughts mean the most to me.  I love that he can laugh at himself.  I love his pride in me.


Why does it matter?  You know how they say behind every great man is a greater woman?
Well, when I am able to accomplish something I feel awesome about, it is because I have this amazing man that supports my ambitions whole heartedly.  He is the financial backer of my projects and dreams as well as emotionally.  He believes in me.  This said, I can believe in me too.  ( I realize that sounds bad.. I believe in me still even if he didn’t.  As one of my boys said, I think a lot of myself… lol).


I, then, headed to the office in time to putter and then be taken out to lunch by my sweetie. The office is busy with lots of activity.  Recently, Sanj hired more staff and there is also a student following him around.  I love the vibes that are there.


I was planning to work but then had to go in search of the gift.  Oh, the pressure!  It isn’t the easiest thing to do.  I always search for a gift that brings an AWWWW factor.  I’ll share what I found tomorrow.  It is just a cool thing.


Then I was sitting in the car, filling out the many forms that were overdue!  Forms for the retreat, forms for high school for Tyler, forms for a serve trip the older two boys will be going on this summer, forms for ski day.  Sigh.  I filled half.  Then it was off to the grocery store.


Zachary’s grade 2 class was having a store today.  They were selling all sorts of things and goodies.  So I had to make my appearance and shop. 


This weekend is the Polar Plunge!  What is that you ask?  It is where crazy,wonderful individuals will take a plunge into the ice lake… all for charity.  Brrrr….  Our fabulous principal and two other crazy parents will be jumping into the lake on Sunday.  We went around to the parents sitting warmly in their vehicle asking them to empty their loose change and more.  It was amazing the number of $20s that were dropped in!  (Thanks all that donated!!!)   *** It isn’t too late… drop off your donation to Rhema!!!


By the time I was done walking around, I was frozen!  I am really looking forward to it though!  How fun it will be!  Thanks Mr. Slofstra for being a great sport!


It was home, supper and all the evening stuff.  Tonight is a Grey’s Night…  and hopefully not a rerun.


All in a day!  I have my fingers and toes crossed that no more kids start puking!  I guess we have been lucky so far.  They have been healthy for the most part.  So we will see…

Comments Off on A Good Day…

Meet Sanj and His Many Faces…

Posted on 2010-02-04 by Reema
The Many Faces of Sanj:
My hubby is a complex kind of guy.
I say it is the musician in him that gives him his intense, corky personality.
Let me tell you about he many faces of this man I love:
This one is the one I like the least.  See his brows wrinkled up… it means, “that’s weird, you are not right, I don’t agree with you… but I’ll be quiet.” 
That look with his lips pursued together is the most annoying one.
It means “whatever… I know I am right!”

This one is one of my favourites.  It is his OCD smile. He is crying out for help because he really doesn’t want Josh to touch him, all wet and dirty, yet he knows he shouldn’t care… but HE DOES.  See his eyebrows crunched together?  He is in distress.



This is a work laugh.  He is laughing but not from his belly and his nose is scrunched up.
My doctor calls this the B.S. work mode smile.

  
I love his playful mode… it usually takes a bit of convincing but then his very creative nature comes out and there is the funny guy I love to see!


Can you see his face?  He is zoned out. Gone.  In another world, that I am not allowed to enter where only music is his companion.
It is like he is having an out of body experience.
I could parade a bunch of naked women by and he would not see it.
This is his escape.  This is where he is his true self.
This is where his happy place truly is.
This is the father side. Here he is at peace enjoying a moment of stillness and snuggling.  It is those stolen moments that you see how fatherhood is so part of his being.
Here is the Sanj I know.
He is relaxed, happy and content.
No wrinkly forehead.  No scrunched up nose.
Happy and content.
I love this man of many faces.
I am so glad I get to see this one everyday.
Posted in love | Comments Off on Meet Sanj and His Many Faces…

More Than Half My Life!

Posted on 2010-02-04 by Reema

It is my hubby’s birthday tomorrow.  I have known him more than half my life.  Wow!  That half has been the better half.  I have so many memories of him.  Many are when we were just friends.  Many are of me crushing on him and him pretending not to notice.  Many of the memories are of him driving me nuts.  Most of my memories are of him making my world better.
He was in this world 3.5 years before me.  I love to think that God made him just for me.  He gave Sanj experiences that would make him perfect for me.  God allowed him to experience things that would make Sanj wise, gentle, thoughtful, full of patience and love.  He made him smart and driven knowing that I would be relaxed and lackadaisical.   He made Sanj solid and no nonsense knowing that I would be full of random and ill-logical feelings and ideas.
We are each others opposite.  Yet we are like pieces of puzzles… opposites that match up nicely to make a great picture.
I love this man.  I love that he gets me.  He gets my randomness. He knows that tomorrow I will be full of totally different ideas and dreams and yet feel as passionate about each idea as the next.  He just acts totally interested and supportive day after day.
It’s his birthday tomorrow.  He has the day off.  Years ago, when I first wanted to give him the day off, he wouldn’t take it.  Too many patients to see, too many bills to pay, etc.  So I had his secretary fill his appointment book with fake patients.  He woke up on the morning of his birthday and I told him he had the day off.  ðŸ™‚  That was fun.  This continued a few years, then one year he said, don’t give me the day off.  I really can’t take it off.  Stupid me, listened to him.  The morning of his birthday, he wasn’t really getting ready.  I  told him I didn’t mark it off.  He was so disappointed.  I felt so bad.  I learned to hear him but not  listen to him.
So now, his birthday is a given.  We’ll see how he spends it.  The evening is full of hockey.  I tried to cancel it but got no no.  We’ll see.
I am so glad that God gave us a birthday.  We each need one day (or more) to feel special and all about you!  Enjoy your day, my dear sweet Hubby.  I love you.
Posted in love | Comments Off on More Than Half My Life!

Marriage and Manservant

Posted on 2010-02-03 by Reema

The last couple of days have been an eye opener for me into the world of boys.
As girls have entered our lives…. it has been so interesting to me to watch and listen.

I so badly want to write the whole conversation but am restraining myself.  It was so funny to hear the boys talk about girls.  They are realizing just how different girls are from boys.  I am too!

The younger ones have become pests and funny coming home with tales of the boys talking to girls.
Some of these girls are going through the younger ones to get to the older ones.  Jordan came home totally upset with his brothers teasing and called Max the paparazzi!

Then there are moments where they just beat each other up.  Then they are laughing.  Soon enough, it is then over and they are off to play a video game.

Us… girls… we want to talk.  We want to know what they are feeling.  I am realizing that maybe they are just thinking of nothing and feeling nothing.  Maybe that is possible.  I am actually coming to the realization that  boys/men are totally different.  We really must drain them.  I exhaust myself with all the emotions and feelings I go through in one day… Sanj is so good about listening to all my thoughts.  He seems to know how much a comment is acceptable and when I need more.

When I do ask him what he is thinking, when he is staring off in space, if his answer is more than nothing, it is usually boring.  No emotions or feelings that are exciting or inspiring.

Today as we were getting ready, he looked pensive, so I asked, “what are you thinking?”
He said, “about not going to the gym today.”

Today, I had so many thoughts.  I was thinking of life as we get older.  I was contemplating Sanj and I as a couple when the children were all gone.  I was thinking of couples that break up after the kids were gone.   I was thinking of men that cheat on their wife after all that time.  I was thinking of those couples I see so often that are at a restuarant, just sitting.  There is no chatting and no engaging of one another.
Ick!  I would be so sad.

What happened?  Yes, I know, each couple has their own story.  Yet, I think the key is keeping your friendship alive.  If you are friends with your spouse… then you will want to be with them.  You will miss them.  I look forward to hanging out with Sanj.  Mind you, not every minute of the day… as we are very different.

I see retirement like this (especially if I win the lotto).  I am sure we will still live here.  Maybe on the lake… kids and grandkids will come and visit and all that good stuff.  I think that we will travel a fair bit. I want to see the world.  Then if we wintered in warmth a few months a year…  then I see us hanging out in the morning.  Sanj will have been up at 5 still, done whatever he does.  I will have enjoyed sleeping in.  We hook up to be served breakfast by the manservant.  We then relax a bit.  After lunch, he will go off and golf.  I will write, shop and do a book signing here and there.  We will then go out on the boat and have dinner somewhere into the sunset.

We then have time with each other and yet time to enjoy our hobbies and friends.
I still think Sanj will call me a million times a day just to say hi and see what I am up too.
He will miss me when he is away from me.  I will think of him and buy him little things that make him smile.  Of course there will be all that shopping for the grandkids too.

Ah… life is good.  Thank you, God, for making men from Mars and women from Venus.

Posted in Marriage | Comments Off on Marriage and Manservant

Grade 8 vs Staff

Posted on 2010-02-02 by Reema

Today was the Rhema staff vs 8th graders hockey game.  It was perfect!  Perfect weather, great school spirit, a great memory.

My Tyler was in his glory.  He loved playing against his teachers.  He loved that the goalie was his buddy, Mrs. Premate (who was awesome)!  I loved watching his happiness.  It wasn’t about goals scored (though that was wonderful too) but rather it was about being in a place that is like home… school … where he is loved, pushed, challenged and happy.



I can’t believe that he too, will be leaving this all so soon.  I know he is ready for the challenges ahead and he has been given the tools by teachers who love as they teach.


It was a good day.  What a fabulous memory for them!  The grade 8s did win… the icing on the cake.
How I love my boys.  How I love this school.  How much I love the people that make up this place.
Thank you, God for Rhema.

Comments Off on Grade 8 vs Staff

The First Annual…

Posted on 2010-02-02 by Reema
This weekend was the first hockey tournament on the Liftlock canal in Peterborough.
It was one of those pictures that captured the spirit of being Truly Canadian.
It was one of those weekends that also captured the spirit of my men.
Sanj was there all weekend.  Literally.  When he commits to something, he is in 100%.  It doesn’t matter that the weather was freezing… (-20 ℃).  It didn’t matter that he worked all week.  It didn’t matter that he is cold all the time.  He was there for the whole thing.
He coached, he organized, he shoveled (he was a human zamboni).   I watched him.  I realized that he is a little crazy.  Yet I realized that I am in lucky!  If he puts so much of himself into an outdoor hockey tournament and loved it… then it doesn’t matter that I am crazy too… he loves me.  Yah!
The boys loved it!  It was one of those weekends that all of them wished they could have played.
The younger ones played in between the boards.  The older ones played after their games.
They played and played.
It was a great weekend.  It was one of those things that I couldn’t help but be drawn to.
It was one of those times when the score didn’t seem to effect the mood.  They just loved playing.
This will be an annual thing.  It was a huge success.  16 teams/ 280 players!  The CBC came and filmed for Hockey Day in Canada.  The local media was there.  (My hubby was interviewed and on TV too).  A police cruiser stopped by and the two officers popped their truck and out came skates and sticks.  They came to play for a bit too.
It is part of who we are… Canadians… a bit of weather does not stop the passion that is in the heart.
Comments Off on The First Annual…

V-day Ideas???

Posted on 2010-02-01 by Reema

Sanj and I have this tradition on Valentine’s Day… we each take turns planning Valentines.
In the past, he has been pretty awesome with his plans.  My favorite was going to see “Dirty Dancing” in Toronto.  The play was awesome, the dinner was delicious but the thing that made the day special was that Sanj went to see this with me!  I was touched by his thoughtfulness.

So, this year is my turn.  It has to be an afternoon or later evening thing because of … yup!  You guessed it… HOCKEY!  I am stumped with a fabulous idea.

I thought of ice fishing… I really want to try it… but he told me to hire someone or rent a hubby and go with out him.  He is not interested.

I thought of going away that night but the next day is Family Day and I wouldn’t want to ditch the boys.
The last couple of years we have gone skiing on Family Day with Sanj’s brother and family.

So, I need ideas.  If I end up using your Valentines Day idea, I’ll send you a gift certificate to Timmy’s or Starbucks.  Help!

Posted in love | Comments Off on V-day Ideas???

Hurtful Instead of Helpful…

Posted on 2010-02-01 by Reema
Doing a good deed is really as easy as ABC.  If you are nudged to do a deed, just do it!  Our school has a committee, yes, the one I love and talk about… The Good Neighbor Committee (GNC)…  you know about it… right?  Doing unto others that we want done for ourselves.  Being a good neighbor to our community and as well as our school community.

Doing good is like Christmas… that is the feeling one gets when you do something just because.  You know that feeling, right?  Of course you do.

Here’s the thing… today someone came to me and said here is someone who is really struggling.  Then they went on to give the details… which includes all sorts of life stuff.
Then they went on to say that it was that person’s b-day and nothing was done.  (I was still wondering how GNC could be a part of it)… and then went on to say this could be a GNC thing.

Here’s my thing… it isn’t the kind of thing we do as a committee.  We just don’t have to resources to help all the families in need. (How much we wish we did!!!)  We do things like make meals, babysit, or take someone out for coffee as people but not necessarily as a committee.

What was frustrating for me with this situation was how come this person could not just DO something on their own?  Buy flowers and say “thinking of you or happy birthday?”  Get a few people together and go in on a pedicure.  Whatever.

What happened is gossip.  In the name of praying for others… people tend to gossip.  We don’t need details.  Just pray.  Ask others to pray.  Everyone doesn’t need the scoop.  In this case, an email was circulated, with too many details.  For what?  

As Christians, especially those that allow themselves to be called prayer warriors, it is so important to guard a person’s needs as it is to pray for them.  I have a hard time with the term prayer warrior.  It seems to imply a bigness of some sort.  We need to be so careful as we take on the burdens of others that we do not end up hurting in the effort of helping.

Just do unto others… if you were in the same situation.  If your birthday was forgotten and you were in the midst of being in a valley… what would you do or want?  That would be the right thing to do.
Then do it!  Don’t wait for others to do something.
Comments Off on Hurtful Instead of Helpful…

Blue…

Posted on 2010-02-01 by Reema

Today I feel blue.  


O.K… before I get the emails sent with love about this and that… I am on top of it.  I called my doctor, my thyroid is being check tomorrow, as is my sugars etc.  I am really hoping that my thyroid is off in part, simply because then maybe my thinning hair will have an “easy” fix.

I am sure a big part is the season of blues…  never had it before but obviously it has attached itself to me.  I am sensitive to the noise.   I am very impatient.  Have the boys always been so disobedient?

Josh stood there and pooped in his pants while I was making supper.  Apparently he did not want to miss any part of the show he was watching.  This was not a good day to pick to do that kind of foolishness.

It was also that time of the month.  Yes, I know,  TMI.  The point is that I had cramps from out of this world.  I felt like I was in labour all weekend.  I keep thinking that it is time to remove that which causes it… then I make the appointment… and it seems so drastic… because I forget the pain.  I can’t live like this.  REMEMBER THE PAIN!!!

Sigh.  So today I called my doctor.  I am feeling bad.  Really bad.  I think I need to come in and see her.  Thank you, God, for modern medicine.  Thank you for my little white pill.

Little things annoyed me today.  Intolerance.  Phone calls.  Bills.  More bills.  Money.  The need for more money.  Josh.  When did he become so disobedient?  How come he can never do things for himself?  He tells me he can only do it at school.  Ha!  I actually threatened him with school today.  I told him if I see wet pants or poopy ones, then he would miss school.  Crazy, eh?  Well, he really loves school.

Tomorrow I am going to Weight Watchers.  I have 20 pounds I need/want to lose.  I have tried, started and failed.  I figured that I need AA but for food.  So I am blogging it.  Tomorrow I get weighed.  You… writing to you… will hopefully keep me more accountable  and hopefully keep me from failing knowing I am blogging it.   (Could you please say a small prayer for me… that God could help me… I know He has a lot going on… Haiti, death, hungry folks, scared and lonely babes… but then there is me with my need … actually desperate help for fight the battle of feeding my angst.

Tomorrow I will also go get running shoes and make myself go to the gym Wed… Yup, I am blogging it.

Dear God,
I am feeling horrible.  I feel tired.  I am grumpy.  I am feeling blue.
Could you please help me find my happy place again?
I appreciate all that I have… I really do.  I just want to stop wanting to run (well not run literally… haha)  but escape.  I do love and like my life.  I want to feel that satisfaction that I know is in my soul.  Could you please help me?  Please?
Amen.



Posted in General | 1 Comment

Will You Be My Friend?

Posted on 2010-01-29 by Reema

I think I am lonely today.  I am always around people yet sometimes I just miss having a real connection.
Do you know what I mean?  Everyone is so busy… I miss having those heart to hearts… I miss that time spent with someone I love that leaves me so filled.


Sigh.  Maybe it is the blues.  It is -18 ℃ + the wind = – 26℃!!!  So, yes, it could be the winter blues, after all, it is the end of January!  Most of our house is warm except the family room… the wood stove needs to be going.  I’d better get that wood before my sweet hubby comes home and wonders what I have been doing all day! lol


Lately I have been reacquainting myself with folks from high school thanks to Facebook. It is interesting to see what they have been up to and look at pictures of their family.  High school was not a period that I shined (or is it shone?).  When I went back to my class’s 20 year reunion, I was sure that I would be fine.
Yet when I was in that environment, I found I     became me again from that era.  I was shy, nervous and felt insecure.  I left there feeling very annoyed with myself!!!


Those that are in my life today would probably have a very hard time believing how shy, quiet (lol) and insecure I was.  Those from my high school days, who don’t see my life today, wouldn’t.  In high school, I felt like I was trapped in a coma.  I wanted to be outgoing, friendly and me yet was somehow trapped by this coma I was in!


Next year is my 25th year reunion!  Wow, that makes me feel so old.  I want to overcome this craziness that takes over when I enter Ohio or see Spring Valley folks.  Maybe no one is judging me… maybe I am the only one judging me… harshly!


So, this is one of the things I am going to work on!  It is funny, but when someone befriends me on Facebook… that I wasn’t really friends with in high school… I feel weird.  Instead of always fear or insecurites to take over, I am going to try and see this as a second chance.


One of my besties ( this is what today’s kid calls a best friend) and I didn’t really hang out in high school.
She would apparenly try to talk to me and I was so shy.  (I guess this was my defense to all the poop going on at home).


Is this all so weird?  Probably! Do you have any tips for me to get over my fears?


(Photo taken by Jordan Sukumaran and Photo editing done by Maxwell Sukumaran).

1 Comment

Hairy, Hairy!

Posted on 2010-01-28 by Reema
I had the weirdest dream yet it was kind of funny.
I have blogged about my dreams… they are vivid and I usually can remember them in detail.
I dream every night.  Sometimes that is tiring, depending on the topic of the night.

You already know that my hair has been falling out to the point of being alarming.  I have thinning hair.
I guess I am a bit obsessed with this.  The other thing about me is my legs are pretty much hairless.
I really don’t have to shave… I may do so a few times a year to remove thin strands of hair that are scarcely seen to the naked eye.

Trust me this is relevant to my dream. lol
I was somewhere thinking about my legs and that I should perhaps shave… just to do so.
As I looked at my leg, I saw this LONG strand of hair on my leg.  I was very surprised.  It was so long … like the length of my hair on my head.  I was so surprised that I went to show Sanj.

When I showed him, there wasn’t bits of stranded… I had this gross long hair on my legs… hair that should have been on my head!!!


lol

I guess I am more obsessed with my thinning head of hair! lol
My lala-land life is as crazy as my real life!
No wonder I am tired!
Comments Off on Hairy, Hairy!

Happenings…

Posted on 2010-01-28 by Reema
I had a pretty good day.  Not a lot happening (well, I cancelled the a lot happening part to keep my day reasonable).  I went into the office and did a bit of cleaning, made a mental note to hire a cleaning person for the office (the last one was let go…).  

The afternoon was spent with Zachary and then it was time to pick up the boys.
The Rhema hockey team (which Tyler and Jordan) are a part of, have a tournament tomorrow in a town 1.5 hours from here.  So after school today, they had a practice.  So we went and hung out … it was only an hour… how bad could it be?

Josh got into the van complaining of a tummy ache.  We went bathroom but only number one happened.
As we got to the rink, Josh told me his poop just came out quick.  LORD, PLEASE HAVE MERCY!!!
Here’s the thing… I don’t have anything on me.  Nothing.  This is the problem with eating peppers and veggies like a glutton.  Trust me, it was not pretty.  I was not happy.

I told him no fruits or veggies… only a banana… they back you up a bit don’t they???
So, I lay waiting to see if this is the results of being a veggie monster or the beginnings of the stomach flu.
SIGH.

This weekend there is endless hockey…  Max has to be out of town at a rink by seven  in the morning Saturday.  Sanj and some of the boys have a tournament all day outside!!! Brrrrr… The temps have dropped  these last few days.  Tonight is going to be – 30℃ when you factor in the wind.  They are having the tournament on the canal by the Liftlocks.  Very cool… even cooler taking in the weather! lol

This isn’t our teams but is where they willing freezing in the name of hockey and fun!

The cool part is that Hockey Day in Canada will be there to film some of it… that is very cool.
My sweet husband is going to freeze!!!

That leaves me to take Zachary to his game and do the running for hot chocolates and coffee!
Max has been invited to spent the night at friends…  God bless friends.  This is how bigger family manage at times, with friends.

I am just happy to be home… have sleeping boys keeping me warm and settling in for a Grey’s night!
Anyone watch Private Practice?  It has gotten pretty good too!
Sanj is with Sammy running a hockey practice.  That man does not know how to say no or stay put!
Gotta love him, though!  Gotta love him!
Comments Off on Happenings…

The Gift

Posted on 2010-01-28 by Reema

Today I spent the day with an incredible child/young man.  He looked like Sammy, smelled like Sammy and even dressed like Sammy.  


I haven’t seen this child in a long time.  I really liked him!!!


I had a great day with him.  I love this kid.  Of course I love him all the time but I really enjoyed him.


Zachary loves his oldest brother and wants to be just like him.  Of course there is the little factor that they are very much alike in so many ways.  Sammy finds Zachary copycat behavior highly annoying.  Today, though Sammy gave Zach the greatest present.  He hung out with him and treated him so nicely!


Sammy was at the mall with a friend for a bit this morning.  While there, he shopped for Zach and bought him a present.  I was blown away by his thoughtfulness and especially since he spent his own money!!!  Then he chose to have lunch with us instead of going to his friend’s right away.  (Sammy is off for the next few days due to exams).  At lunch he ordered exactly as Zach did in honor of his birthday.


Zach had a great day … yet it was made extra special by this child of mine!
I am so proud of Sammy.  I am so glad to have spent this day liking him every minute.
I am so proud that he made choices today that is telling of the wonderful young man he is growing up to be!
I love you, Sammy!!! 




Pictures to post as soon as I get Sammy to help me download off my phone.

Posted in moments | Comments Off on The Gift

Happy Birthday My Sweet Zach!

Posted on 2010-01-28 by Reema

Today is Zachary’s 8th birthday!  He is such a big boy, independent and has life under control that I forget that he is only turning 8!  I always think of him as a little older.


He was born sometime this evening… he was a very painful labour.  OUCH!  He was a fast labour yet a excruciating one!  I was so angry at him when he was born.  I remember looking at him as he lay in bed realizing the ridiculousness of my anger and yet feeling justified.

I have blogged many a time of this wonderful child of mine.  Zachary is zany and zestful!
He is zilly and zappy!  He is zenergetic and full of zeans!

My Zach is a very hard worker.  He does not give up.  He is a great friend.  He is thoughtful and kind and very loving.

He never lets his size or age stop him.  He is my go getter!

I love this kid of mine!!!  I love him zoodles and zoodles!

Thank You Jesus, for blessing me with the gift of being this beautiful child’s mom.
May he have a wonderful year of lots of love and happiness!

Happy Birthday Zachary Thomas!!!

Comments Off on Happy Birthday My Sweet Zach!

Stuff

Posted on 2010-01-27 by Reema

Today I spent some time at the boys school helping clean out the kitchen.

Here’s the thing, I wouldn’t have done have that stuff even at home!
How come it is so much easier cleaning outside my home?

Do you ever wonder where stuff comes from?
I have baskets of stuff that I never use… yet can’t seem to throw away either.
Have you ever walked into someone’s house that has just the furniture out?
Where is their piles?  How do you not have piles?
I have piles… piles of bills that I feel if I don’t open then they can’t scream at me…
I have piles of laundry.  Some clean and folded.  Some dirty and waiting.
I have piles of stuff that need to be sorted into give away or garbage.
I have piles of shoes… waiting for someone to use them… or really needing to be tossed.
I have piles of cords… do you know what I mean?  Cords for this and that yet we need seem to use them.
I have piles of dog doo doo that needs to be cleaned up.  Anyone?

So when I walk into someone’s house and their are no piles… I can’t help but almost hate them.
That’s bad, right?  Yeah, I know.

The problem is that kind of person that has no piles is so organized and has self control.  So usually, they are skinny because they don’t pile their food to ridiculous portions.  They are neat.  Their cars are perfect inside.  They grocery shop probably one a week… they are people that drive me crazy.

I want to be that person… sigh.  I am a work in progress, I suppose.
Thank You, Jesus for not giving up on me!
1 Comment

The Boogie Man

Posted on 2010-01-26 by Reema
It is 9:19 p.m.  I was happily relaxing in my bed snuggled up with Max, watching American Idol.  The two younger ones have been down for a bit.  Sanj and the older 3 are at hockey.

My peacefulness is disturbed by sounds downstairs.  At first I think it is just a pot resettling in the cupboard.  Yet I continue to hear sounds.  My heart is racing… my head is pounding.  I am scared.  I am the world’s biggest chicken.  My jaws are hurting from tension.

What if someone is in the house?  I call Sanj.  He is not too helpful.  He thinks that one of the dogs are loose out of their crate and making a mess.  (Did I mention he is a bit OCD?)  He told me to go check it out.

Is he crazy?  He knows I am not going down till he gets home.  He calls me again.  “Are you OK?” he asks.  Um… NOOOOOO!   He says, “Dial 911 and go down the stairs.”  Um… NOOOOOOOOO!
I tell him to just hurry up and get home.

Here’s the thing… I am a chicken.  I don’t even really listen to the news because it will likely cause me stress.  We live out in the boonies… Where is the nearest police?

I remember on the news (when I was young) a story about the bad guy breaking into people’s homes, hiding under the bed and waiting till the climbed up, dangling their feet.  Then whack… he would cut their Achilles tendon.

Sick, eh?  To this day, my feet never dangle off my bed.  Just a rule.

I never get into my vehicle with out checking the back seat at night.  Crazy, eh?


I never sleep with the closet door open.  

I know.  I just fear things, rational and irrational.  Maybe I should get a gun and learn how to use it.  My dogs are quiet.  Maybe the bad guy gave them a piece of meat with a sleeping pill.  Yes, I know, I watched to many movies.  Turner and Hooch comes to mind.

Sigh.  I hear Sanj pulling up in the drive way.  My hero.  Now I’ll just wait for him to open the door… and yell at the mess the dogs made… or the bad guy.  If you don’t see a blog soon, you’ll know it was the bad guy.  If you see a blog post, you can send Sanj a sympathy card!


I am OK!  Apparently it was no one!  Sigh.  Good Night!
1 Comment

A Long Way Gone… by Ishmael Beah

Posted on 2010-01-25 by Reema
I just finished a book called “A Long Way Gone.”

I have to admit that it was a hard read.  From the back of the book you know right off the start it isn’t a happy story.  Yet I was captivated.  I would pass it on and say read it.

This is what Amazon.com said:
“This absorbing account by a young man who, as a boy of 12, gets swept up in Sierra Leone’s civil war goes beyond even the best journalistic efforts in revealing the life and mind of a child abducted into the horrors of warfare. Beah’s harrowing journey transforms him overnight from a child enthralled by American hip-hop music and dance to an internal refugee bereft of family, wandering from village to village in a country grown deeply divided by the indiscriminate atrocities of unruly, sociopathic rebel and army forces. Beah then finds himself in the army—in a drug-filled life of casual mass slaughter that lasts until he is 15, when he’s brought to a rehabilitation center sponsored by UNICEF and partnering NGOs. The process marks out Beah as a gifted spokesman for the center’s work after his “repatriation” to civilian life in the capital, where he lives with his family and a distant uncle. When the war finally engulfs the capital, it sends 17-year-old Beah fleeing again, this time to the U.S., where he now lives. (Beah graduated from Oberlin College in 2004.)”

It was a great read.  I can’t stop thinking of the life this child lead.  I can’t help thinking of my Jordan, Tyler, or Sammy wondering thorough the woods, dealing with the grief of a lost family, suffering from lack of food, water and shelter.  I can’t image my babies lives without us there to guide, nurture and love them.  Then I have to add the horror of being a child solider.  Unbelievable and yet I thank God for giving each of us the strength we need to cope with each of our challenges.

It is a book worth reading.
Comments Off on A Long Way Gone… by Ishmael Beah

Practicing What I Preach…

Posted on 2010-01-25 by Reema
I just read my blog about loving the ones that are hard to love.
My dad called my mom  and was going on about his loneliness.  He wants to live with each of his children a month.  YIKES!  My mom said,  “call and ask them.”
His reply was, “I thought you could ask.”
My mom said no.  (Good for her!)

He was at my brother’s  over Christmas almost a month and chose not to call me at all. 
I left that ball in his court.  

How I struggle with this!  He made his bed and sleeping in it is not pleasant.  I feel bad for his loneliness. Yet no matter what, his life is all a creation of his own choices.
Sucks, eh?  

I think of that often, especially being at Sanj’s office, I see two kinds of people.  There are the seniors that choose happy and life.  Then there are those that choice to be miserable.  I want so bad to be a happy person… my whole life.  Getting old sucks.  But really, it doesn’t have too.  If you choose to live and make each day count… you can find happiness along the way.

Back to my dad… I called Sanj and said that my dad wants to come for a month.
There was silence on the other end.  lol
Have I told you I love this man?

Sanj replied, “maybe a week.”  lol
A month would be a long time too… for all of us.
A week would be stressful…
I know my dad wouldn’t stay a month anyway.

So… I am pray and about (and pray please God, don’t let him call), I have decided that if he calls… I’ll extend the invite.

I wonder in this kind of situtation what Jesus would do?

Oye.  I wonder what it would be like to live a boring life?

I guess being kind to the odd, weird and annoying is a category my dad falls into.  Talk about practicing what I preach.
This picture is random.  Jordan had to make a model of ones’ ribs.
Obviously I didn’t help him… thus the great job!
Posted in Family | Comments Off on Practicing What I Preach…

Ice, Friends, A Long Weekend…

Posted on 2010-01-25 by Reema
I had a great weekend once with my men.  Saturday afternoon after hockey,  we had friends over.  They were on the rink all day.  Literally!  Zach (my 7 year old) had to be at hockey at 9 a.m.  then he and his buddies were on the ice from 2-7 p.m. with maybe a half an  hour for supper.  Crazy, eh?

*** Just a side bar about Zach’s hockey game… he played goalie that morning.  Wow.  I hope none of my boys ever want to play that position.  Take about stress!!!

They had such a good time.  Sanj and the dad of the kiddies had a  great game with the older boys.  On the ice, age is obviously not taken into account. lol


Tyler had a friend over from his younger days.  It was so neat to see these two just pick up where they left off.  I could hear them laughing making prank calls about ordering Chinese food.

So, it was a good weekend.  It is topped off with no school today!  The house is quiet.  Everyone is off doing their thing.  

Last night it rained and rained.  So no rink for a bit but it was perfect sleeping weather.
Josh does not understand the meaning of sleeping in.  As soon as he sees a hint of daylight he is up, “Mommy, it isn’t night time anymore!”

I have been thinking so much about all the babes out there… not just in Haiti but around the world.  I asked Sanj if we win the lotto (I found a ticket on the ground the other day… ) could we adopt 6 little boys?


He said he would divorce me.  lol

So I am pretty sure I can adopt 2!!!   I love this man!





Posted in Boys | Comments Off on Ice, Friends, A Long Weekend…