Questionable Success OCT 4

Success: Despite being awake all night last night, I stayed awake all day and remembered to feed and take kids to school, and to pick them up.

What? Like that doesn't count? It counts. I  even made meals and stuff.
So, maybe as a success, that's a bit questionable. But, whatever. I need the back pat. I'm exhausted. Yay me.

One month and still sick!

It has been a month since we first welcomed this flu/cold/never ending cough into our home.
I'm back to administering a puffer to Z every few hours because his coughing is outrageous, and I'm a little tired of cleaning up vomit every evening after his worst coughing fits.
 B seems like she is getting better, but frankly I'm worried about the track meet this week for her.
After I worked out, I was convinced I could hear something squeaking in the house. It turned out to be me, breathing.  It sounded like I was breathing through a tiny straw.
Total of sick days taken by kids 5. Sick days of spouse? 3 where he was too ill to do anything at all.
I don't know what this illness is officially, but I can tell you it's been a pain in my ***!

This one's a draw.

Today's success: We were on time for school, and although my youngest was sniffling when I said goodbye, he went willingly to join the name hunt activity his class was doing. And then I learned later from his planning time teacher that he put his hand up and was participating. YAY!   so...all kids out the door, and at school on time.
Failure: Child number three called home sick at lunchtime. Sigh. Can't win 'em all.

On the bright side it's 26 degrees in October! So lovely out.

Success #3

Success: Two kids out the door in time to walk to school, and one that made the bus!
Fail: One child so miserably difficult this morning that it's a good thing the second youngest made the bus, there is no way I could have gotten him out the door in time to drive her.

Luckily, the day improved. 

It was a miracle, since he fell asleep over an hour late last night, tossed and turned all night, and then was fully awake by 6:15 this morning. He had such dark circles it looked like he'd gone several rounds in a boxing ring. 

But, once everyone was out the door, he became a lot easier to deal with. He wasn't feeling frazzled by the morning rush by then.  We had breakfast and then I cleaned the garage with his help while he rode his bike and scooter and we played outside with the art easel, and then weeded the yard. We also discovered 7 raspberries that had ripened on our canes. SHHH don't tell the others, we washed and ate them, still warm from the sun. 

Then, he was as good as...well someone's else's well behaved child -when we met a friend for coffee! After lunch and a Wild Kratt's break, he asked if we could pick apples. I was feeling tired, but it was 26 degrees, in October. How could I say no?

I'm glad I said yes. Because that was his shining moment of the day. He was so excited that when someone asked him if he'd gone on vacation this summer, he responded with, "I got to pick apples!"  (Yes, clearly that PEI money was well spent ). 

Success #2

Parenting success: I remembered to wash a load of stuffed animals that they mentioned smelled stale and that they wished daddy would wash.  They were both very happy to come home to fresh fluffy friends. Yay me!

Today's non-success. (I've decided failure is too harsh):  Bedtime. Sleep has not been achieved after 1 hour. 

It was not a great day overall, in terms of kids' behaviour.   My little grump woke up in an unpredictable mood and was a devil to keep moving and getting ready for school.  Even now, 15 hours after he woke  up, he's still awake. He had school and then played at the park for an hour and half before dinner and then we played outside  again after dinner. He should be asleep.  He is not.  He is driving me, and his sister,  absolutely teeth grittingly, batty.    "Mom, do termites have ears?  ". Me "shh".  

"  Mom, wouldn't it be weird if during feu rouge, feu verts, people still went even on the rouge?"

Me. Yes weird. Now, Shhhhhh!!!!

"Mom, guess what happened at school today?" 

Me *screaming in my head*

And his sister shouting from her bed "be quiet!!"

Parenting success. Day 1

Parenting success: I did french braided pig tails for my daughter.
Parenting failure: I accidentally deleted the photo I took of my first successful attempt

Go ahead. Laugh. Feel smug.  Braiding. Big deal you say.   But my daughter has super straight, resistant to styling hair. Truth.
She can't even keep pigtails in throughout the day, they eventually slide out-  and anyone who has seen me knows that my hair is the opposite. It's just plain crazy and resists any attempts to be neat. How we have two such opposite hair types, I will never know.  But today, I did it! She left the house with her hair in two neat braided lines from the top of her head.
Yay me. Hey, if we parents don't pat our own backs, who will?

PEI

Note to future travellers headed to the maritimes- it's not Southern Ontario- Fill up on gas when you are in a city. Some places seem to have no gas stations for ages. Particularly when the red light is on on the gas tank and you are miles from Charlottetown. 

We have visited several provincial parks, enjoyed our own private beach, seen some lighthouses, gotten a lecture from a fisherman on the illegality of catching your own oysters(wasn't gonna! ) because apparently they've all leased the rights to the ocean. Well, who knew you could do that? Maybe I'll lease a piece and give people crap for using it and littering in it.

Our cottage is really lovely, but the floor's a bit rough in spots/gappy and I managed to slit my toe the first night, which hurt like crazy and made it hard to walk the first two days, but it's healing enough now to be alright. The beach isn't so much of a beach, as a seaweed respository, but it's ok. I've been clearing an area every day for the kids so they can walk to it and play on the beach so that's enough to keep them happy.

We've seen so much of this lovely island, and yet I feel like there is likely so much more we haven't seen!

We went to the Confederation/parliament building- which was lovely, visited the harbour at Charlottetown, went to Panmure island lighthouse and provincial park, Thunder Cove, Cabot beach, Summerside, and we ate supper at the New Glasgow Lobster supper. It was so much food, I can't imagine eating it all, but the waitress assured me that not only do people eat it, they have extra buckets of muscles, and some courses that we were too full to eat!   Pictured is B. realizing that if she eats her whole soup, after already eating mussels and fresh bread, and salad, she will be too full to eat her meal.