Meredith Carson... Across the Pond and Back Again...

Sleep is a bit like sex in that when you aren't getting enough, it's all you can think about.  Lately I have been obsessing about sleep like a fifteen year old boy brooding over... well, you know. It has been more than four months now since I've slept through the night!  Lilianna Gwyneth and I have been having some serious heart to heart conversations regarding this matter, but she still isn't interested in sleeping as much or as long as a normal human being her age.  I laugh in the faces of those sleep experts who write that a baby between 3 and 6 months should  be sleeping 15 hours a day.  Ha ha.  On Friday evening, Pipsqueak awoke at 1:30 am and was geared up for action.  The sleep she had from 9:30 until then was just the nap she needed to feel refreshed and ready to roll again.  Ever-so-annoyed, I stomped down the stairs with her only to discover that her dad had also had a little nap and was up again messing about on his computer...

As a young woman I was drawn to teaching as a career because I liked the notion of positively influencing the way others think and behave.  I adored the fact that I could create a little world for my students when they came into my classroom in the morning; I could set the tone and affect the social climate.  Other teachers often commented that my classroom was always "so peaceful and calm."  ( I can promise you that it wasn't always, but that was my goal.) It has taken me a long time to realize that my current position (Carson Family Mama) has all of the same perks and powers as my previous job as a teacher.  Of course a mother has an even more powerful influence on her children than a teacher does.  Few adults are in therapy because of messed-up stuff their 3rd grade teacher did.  When my two eldest girls were younger, I often felt as though nothing I did mattered.  Did anyone in the world really care if I ...

I'm pretty sure it wasn't the sunshine that made us sick, but shortly after our visit to the park on Saturday, Lili and I started feeling completely rotten.  Since Saturday we haven't really seen much improvement.  I expect I would feel much better if I could only get a good night's rest, but that isn't happening with my pitiful, miserable bedfellow.  All through the night, Lili is up coughing and howling so mournfully.  Her rattly, raspy moaning is absolutely heartbreaking at two in the morning. So that's where we've been these past few days.  I am really hoping that we will start to feel better ASAP. On a lighter note, before she fell ill, Lili started to enjoy one of her Christmas presents from Santa (pictured below).  She really seemed to appreciate being able to stand among us and having a different vantage point.  Emma and Sophie also thought it was fabulous that Lili could stand up like a lit...

EVERYBODY GET OUTSIDE!!  IT'S ACTUALLY SUNNY TODAY!! Emma dancing with herself on the see-saw Sophia chillin' in the tea cup Wow!  Check out those jowls!! Blue skies, such an unusual sight at this time of year! My little buddy and me

Strrreetch! Good Morning, Mama! When these two cutie pies are the reason you aren't getting enough sleep at night, it's difficult to be too cross.  They are lovely, aren't they?

I knew I shouldn't have bragged about all of the sleep I was getting.  I have told Emma and Sophie that when Lili sleeps, this is her Golden Time .  During Golden Time, her brain and body are growing.  Sometimes you would almost swear you can actually  see her growing right before your eyes.  The big girls are very keen to give Lili her peaceful Golden Time since they are 100% in favor of her brain growing.  Also "You need some Golden Time," simply sounds a bit nicer than " JUST GO TO BED !!" Today George and I are the ones who desperately need Golden Time.  Last night Emma was up with frightful, worrisome thoughts at midnight and 4 am.  Sophie was up with really sore ears from 2am.  And Lili was up at 3 o'clock for a snack and some socializing.  When I slept (fitfully) in between all of those happenings, I dreamed about being woken up by children.  I dreamed about being really annoyed that no o...

Back to the daily grind!  The snow has all melted, and we have been forced to re-join the real world.  The real world is far too busy a place.  Not only have I been busy with getting people settled back into the school routine, cooking, cleaning and baby entertaining and maintaining, but I have also been keeping myself busy watching the entire first season of Glee in just a few marathon sessions.  I just couldn't help myself.  (I so want to be in a show choir again.) I have also been extremely busy smothering Lili with hugs and kisses and calling her names like 'Honey Pie' and 'Sugar Snap Peapod' since she has been regularly giving me a 6-7 hour stretch of sleep each night!!  We think this is awesome at our house.  If you have a story about how all of your little Huckleberries slept through the night from the time they were three weeks old, you can kindly kiss my grits.  We simply do not have babies like that in our family. ...

"Oh! the snow, the beautiful snow, Filling the sky and earth below, Over the housetops, over the street, Over the heads of the people you meet." -- J.W. Watson By 7pm last night, we were pretty certain that school would be cancelled today, and three of us were not disappointed.  We woke up to a glittering, white wonderland.  After having a day out on Monday and shaking off my cabin fever, I was up for another snow day.  George started off his day as usual this morning.  He confidently marched out to the car to head to work.  An hour later, when he hadn't made it out of our cul de sac and had nearly taken out our neighbour's shrubs sliding on the layer of ice beneath the snow, he decided to have a "work from home day." Sophie and I had front row seats for all of the action.  We pulled up our chairs by the window and sipped cups of tea by the warmth of the radiator while we watched Dad spin his tires in an attempt to get out of the driveway...

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Dear Lili, One day you will be a toddler who throws herself down on the floor and has a screaming temper fit.  One day you will be a snaggle-toothed little kid who decides to test her boundaries and mouth off to her mother.  One day you will be a teenager who thinks she knows way more than both of her parents combined.  But today... today, dear Lili, you are the sweetest thing I can imagine.  Not a single wicked thought has ever even flittered through your pretty little head.  Your eyes follow me wherever I go because today I am your everything.  I regularly earn glorious, joy-laden grins simply by cooing, "Hey Girl!" as I gaze into your bright blue eyes.  When you sleep, even your soft, baby bear snores are adorable.  Today I have the best job in the world, and that is because I know how quickly you will change.  I am trying to soak up each moment with you before this one year of baby-hood dashes past me. "Babies are b...

Isn't that just about the most gorgeous thing you've ever seen? Look at those little frozen, puckered lips! Lili wasn't all that impressed with our snow today, but we took her out for a proper, brisk winter walk anyway. Every girl at our house was thrilled with the frosty excuse to stay home and lie in bed for an extra hour this morning. Too bad George was off for work before 7:30 this morning. We all did a little relaxing and snowball throwing on his behalf though. First thing on the agenda this morning was the building of snow-women. Emma, Sophie and I built this Snow Mama and Snow baby while Lili 'chilled' in her swing and watched us through the kitchen window. Emma and Sophie tell me the snow girls' names are Rhiannon and Elora. We also just got the news that school is closed again tomorrow!! Another day of hot chocolate, Wii and guilty pleasure daytime TV for us... it's a rough life, but Christmas vacation was far too short anyway. Happy Wi...

I really don't want this thing called the Christmas holidays to end. I am not eager to get back into the routine. I am actually quite enjoying our lack of routine, but they tell me it has to end. George went back to work today, and the big girls go back to school tomorrow. Yesterday we decided to savour our last vacation day properly. We finally made those gingerbread biscuits, and I proudly acknowledge the fact that they were almost entirely kid-made. Sophie and Emma, measured, kneaded, cut out the houses and men, and finally decorated each cookie with flair. I only helped roll out the dough, which is, of course, the trickiest part. We also had hot chocolate with whipped cream and candy canes, a gorgeous roast chicken dinner and apple crumble, and we got all of the ornaments taken off the tree and put away. The girls' favorite part of the day was exploring up in the attic while the Christmas boxes were being packed away. That was some serious fun. Dad was required ...

New Year's Day in our neck of the woods was so glorious and sunny (albeit cold), that we decided to pack up the kids and drive to the seaside. Our destination was Ogmore by Sea, which is about 30-45 minutes away. We weren't the only ones who thought a winter walk in the fresh, sea air would be a good idea. Hoards of bundled up Brits had headed out to the seaside, and there were a surprising number of ladies in ridiculous, high heeled boots attempting navigate across the rocky terrain. We were, of course, completely sensible in our wellies and hikers. Lili produced frequent Wilber-esque grunts of approval from her catbird seat. She was wrapped snugly in her snow suit and them zipped up cozily inside George's coat. I think both of them were equally pleased with the scenario. I truly enjoyed feeling both the sun and the cold on my face. I felt alive and healthy and part of something bigger than myself. It was a perfect place to greet the new decade. My reverie was rather ru...