Yates-Laberge Family Site

It was bound to happen. I tried to shield him as much as I could…but, everywhere we looked, every time the TV was on, news stands…..he saw…..”GEORGIA ATTACKED”….”RUSSIA ATTACKS GEORGIA”….”BUSH ON GEORGIAN ATTACKS”…..I tried so hard to not let his eyes see it.

Adam is reading now. He knows he is from the Republic of Georgia and is quite proud of it. He was given a light up globe this weekend that glows in his room as a dim night light as he sleeps. He knows where the Republic of Georgia is on the globe and loves that Andrew was born right across the Black Sea from him….he is  a proud little Georgian……

My heart just broke in half this afternoon when he saw a 3-4 second clip of fires and the words GEORGIA in the same minute. I hopped up and sprinted to the television…I was almost there and Adam says, “Why is there a fire in Georgia?”. “Why are there people in Army man tanks in Georgia?”…my GOD! Do I lie? My worry is that he sees more headlines…..

I explained that they were having some problems with another country and they were fighting. I went on to explain that it was wrong and that the people in charge will get them to stop soon. He was quiet and you could see the wheels turning in his little head……He then says….”Is my tummy mommy ok?”……I got tears in my eyes. I never thought of him worrying about her….but, by all means….why wouldn’t he! I just never thought of it. I explained that she was very safe and she would be ok. He asked how I knew. I said she was a very smart woman, smart enough that she knew to give him a better life, and that she would be in safe place. I could not think of anything else at that point. Adam is such a little thinker and so tender. He is going to make such a good Daddy and husband. …..I just know it.

This entire week has been  a long and much needed exhale…things have gone smoothly…the kids have been CALM….and nothing major has caused more than a few minutes of chaos in our house. I feel like we have been waiting for this week since we got here. …and..my GOD!!! IT FELT GOOD!

Lessons learned this  week…

1. Don’t DON’T DON’T go and ask your child’s teacher how they behaved EVERY DAY!! It causes TOO MUCH STRESS!!!  Why didn’t ANYONE tell me???!!! I have talked to Andrew’s teachers EVERY SINGLE day since preschool!!! Most parents just smile and wave…I check in….and USUALLY are told of one thing or another that he did ….so, inevitably it starts our afternoon off with a negative note!! I am not uninterested..but, I guess I finally “get” that I don’t need to know EVERYTHING about EVERY minute of his day….WHY DID IT TAKE ME THIS LONG TO GET THIS?????

2. I am in LOVE with our Wii and big brain academy was MADE for Claire and I !!!! We love it, we love competing, and I think “playing” with your partner is one of the healthiest things that can happen in a relationship! Some how, some way….the Wii is helping …..odd huh…

3. Hearing my son compliment me in another room…when he thinks I am not around….is heart warming, brings tears to my eyes….and simply renews my spirit in motherhood. After eating yummy cookies yesterday that Karen brought over, I thought I would give my hand at some…I got frozen, already shaped, as pre-done-as-possible cookies and put them on a cookie sheet today They were warm when the boys arrived home from school. Mind you, they were ALL STUCK TOGETHER in a Tupperware container….but, nonetheless,….warm THEY WERE DELIGHTED with my effort…. Tonight when Claire went in to check on the boys and cover them up before we went to bed, Andrew woke up a little…..and mentioned what an amazing “cook” I was…and that my cookies were the best he had ever tasted!! ohhh….if he only knew…..but, my goodness….it felt SO SO GOOD

4. I was 100% correct about our nutty schedule. It was WAAAYYY too much. Setting limits was the RIGHT thing to do and having dinner as a family for 3 nights in a row was the NECESSARY thing to do. EVERYONE needs balance….EXPECIALLY US!

5. Karen is a heck of a playdough maker and ROCKS for making some for Adam. He is SO IN LOVE with molding this soft home-made concoction into a plethora of snakes, people, and a billion other shapes!

6. I really don’t like  a week full of rain….I love the sun too much.

7. The airline price hike has freaked us out a bit…..and the thought of paying 3,000 to fly home is nauseating.

8. I may have to get braces to stretch out my mouth due to grinding my teeth so hard for so many years….I just think it is ODD…100% ODD!!

9.  I have lost 35 lbs since moving to Calgary and it feels DAMN GOOD! I am going to celebrate with a few new clothes this weekend

10. Google calendar is even BETTER now that I can view it on my phone internet service! Google calendar keeps our lives COMPLETELY ORGANIZED!!!!!!!!

I am off to sleep and wish for some word from some of you. I am missing my friends and wanting to connect this weekend.

Anne

Adam’s Birthday Invitation Cover

I am at my breaking point with everyone and everything…in my house.

I really REALLY miss working/consulting and I really hate doing NOTHING but stuff for EVERYONE else. I know that sounds selfish, but my GOD…I was NOT created to make sure EVERYONE else is happy, fed, to appointments on time, clean enough, full enough, happy enough, smart enough, and loved enough.

I NEED A FREAKING BREAK FROM IT ALL!!!

I am sure that I am just pissed…but, I miss ME. I miss being smart and figuring out geeky code. I miss adult interaction for geeky things. I realistically do NOT have time for this now because Claire is only home for 30 minutes in the morning and 1 hour at night to help with the kids. HOW THE HELL DOES EVERYONE DO THIS???????? HOW HOW HOW!!!

I look at several of you that have full time working husbands….and you are moms…full time…and happy with it! HOW? I started eLearningToys.com when my kids were toddlers because I HATED being at home! I AM BACK IN THE SAME BOAT! I volunteer at the school when Adam is there for his 2.5 hours a day several times a week and I love it….but, it is just not the SAME!

I worked on Adam’s birthday invitations today and love how they came out. I went WAY overboard in doing them….but, I needed something to do with my head. The other parents may think I am a lunitic but you know what….I really really really do NOT give a SHIT! That is ONE thing that I have been gifted of here….I really am MUCH more self assured and confident about my decisions and parenting on a day to day basis. I bring Andrew lunch at lunch time most days….the other moms get it ready before school…..I DON’T CARE! This way works for me! One mom asked me why I do it this way…..she is sort of a snooty little one….I smiled and said “because it works for me”…and that was that…..She has not asked me too many questions since then

Everyone knows that I am a NUT about birthdays…and I am BEYOND sad that Adam’s friends from NH will not be there. Adam actually ASKED where everyone was going to sleep when they got here for his party! I thought that he was wanting to have a sleep over party….then he explained that everyone was going to be flying into Calgary for his party! When I explained that was not the case …he got sad…and said….”well then who is coming to my party….just two kids ??(Graham and Griffin). I explained that we were inviting the kids in his class and he was a bit horrified…..He said that they did not even know where we lived….and that no one was going to come. MY GOD THIS CRAP IS HARD!!! SERIOUSLY HARD!!!! I got it all worked out in his little world….and we went onto some other topic….but, I see his point! He just wants HIS world back too!

Claire is still in hell….and it sucks. I don’t really know what to do to get her to bounce back. I hope time helps. I am worried about her a LOT.

One good thing that happened this week is Northwest’s fare break from Hartford, CT to Calgary! They were running a fare for $222.00!!! I saw it and called my friend Leslie in New York right away and asked her if she wanted to DRIVE two HOURS to Hartford and come out for the weekend! SHE IS COMING!!! LESLIE IS COMING!!! LESLIE IS COMING NEXT WEEKEND! 9 days away to be exact! So, that was my silver lining of the week. Someone familiar…someone I love…..is coming to Calgary! I could not be happier about it.

Today we had a hail storm…no shit…a HAIL STORM!!! a LONG LONG one! It was sort of odd!

I am going to put ads on my blog. It is a HARD decision to, but, the ads, when clicked, bring in revenue and simply put, we need the buffer right now. The cost of everything insane…no matter how much we try to save. I will try to put them so they are not annoying. If they are, let me know. I don’t want people not to read because of ads. If you see something interesting, by God, click on it!! Also, tell your friends, family, etc about the blog. I would like to get more readers and traffic just to make things fun and interesting.

I don’t think that I will ever stop being homesick. We have been here 7 weeks…2 months next week. Odd huh! I am so happy that my street ROCKS….and that I really feel comfortable being ME here….another silver lining

Love to all of you.
Anne

My little Andrew hit a TRIPLE today! and would have had a in the park HOME RUN if they would have allowed it…A TRIPLE!! I almost FLIPPED OUT!!! He SLAMMED THE BALL! SLAMMED IT! I just stood there with a smile in my heart as my little one ran to first…then second….then third….and then HOME…I WAS FLIPPING FLIPPING OUT…then they sent him back to 3rd…but, it was OK…he has come SO SO SO SO FAR. It was just AWESOME!

Andrew has ALWAYS wanted to be a catcher and today…first inning…first game….opening day…he was chosen to be the catcher!! HE was beyond excited in his little mask, shin guards, and little chest protector!! He could BARELY move, but, my GOD…it was so precious!!!

Adam put his little Tball uniform on for team photos and is just ITCHING to get out and play! He has his first game next Tuesday and he is PUMPED up for it! I can’t wait to see it either!!

I love my little boys in uniform….they are just so proud…..so free….and doing what the LOVE!

You will NOT guess what we got on the way home from baseball!! We stopped at a yard sale (surprise!!) and they each got HOCKEY STICKS!!! The man actually sawed the handles down to their size and retaped them !! It was so so so CUTE to see them so excited about REALLY old and worn out sticks.. They play with a tennis ball here in the summer…so, he got them each a tennis ball and gave it to them. IT WAS AN AWESOME DAY!

Anne

I have been following the FLDS case pretty closely. I think that the men should be taken away….and dealt with…..my opinion…but, WHAT THE HELL IS TEXAS DOING???

Let’s just say by CHANCE…there was family that was Catholic and they got a call from a 16 year old girl that said she was being abused by her father and other MEN….the state would go in and take the MEN out of the house, issue a restraining order of some sort……and PROTECT the children and mother.

I realize that this IS different and there is some MAJOR responsibility that the mother has to talk in all of this, but from ALL reports, the mothers have not physically abused the children sexually…. The neglect of not reporting the abuse is not excusable and there needs to be SOMETHING that happens….but, I have a MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR problem with these children being taken out of their homes….and FURTHERMORE…

THERE IS NO REASON TO TAKE BABIES AWAY FROM THEIR MOTHERS IF THE MEN WHO ARE ABUSING THEM ARE NOT IN THE PICTURE!!

I realize that everyone is not going to agree with me.  BUT MY GOD!!! I just read that a woman who was nursing a 13 month old was separated from her baby. 13 months old! The state of Texas decided that 12 months is that is acceptable for nursing to cease! These people are VERY different from us. They nurse 3-4 times longer due to cultural and economic reasons! MY GOD! There are 61 babies under 3 years old now abruptly taken from their mother’s breasts.

I feel so strongly about this ….primarily because of baby Rowen. I knew about Emily being pregnant before she was even showing…and waited each day for his birth.  Then saw him grow and grow and grow….as a happy and perfect little person….with only one thing for food….Emily’s breast milk. These children are surviving because of their mother’s milk….and now they are going to place them in a different environment, stress their bodies and hearts to great lengths…..and now…..they are going to lose important body weight/mass due to the state of Texas’ inability to see the OBVIOUS needs of the children because of bureaucracy.

This is my opinion…..I just can’t stand that babies are being ripped from their mothers’ arms. I don’t know that I have the solution for this ENORMOUS problem. I pray for those TRYING to make such difficult decisions….and I pray that SOMEONE  realizes that a 13 month old baby is 100% too young to abruptly stop breast feeding.

Where do you guys stand on all of this?  Tell me…..even if you completely disagree…..tell me.

How can this crap happen in our world?? HOW?

Anne

Karen and Tanya took care of me here in Calgary yesterday. Many of you called and took care of me from afar. I thank God that I am able to have people in my life that surround me with love and genuine care. 

Karen showed up with larges popsicles I have ever seen in my life for a visit yesterday afternoon. The boy played and we talked. Humans are made for one another. I truly think that we have NO other reason for being on earth…we are here FOR each other…to help each other…and yesterday I felt that and saw that in my life.

Tanya came at dinner time with a beautiful potted plant and adorable card for our family, welcoming us to the neighborhood…and reminding us that transition was difficult…and PROMISING that ONE day the sun witll come out in Calgary.  I am blessed that these two women have relocated many times before and TRULY “GET IT”. They know my fears, my feels of abandonment, and I know their promises of it feeling “normal” one day will be realized.

My day started sad and became better and better. The phone rang with familular voices from home, popcicles, flowers, and blog notes…… and some  how, some way….I felt surrounded by love, both here and there…….I realized that the hand that I try to extend to others was extending back to me….and it comforted me when I needed it most.

Thank you. From my heart….thank you.

Anne