A little bit of hot water, doesn't hurt.

There is nothing quite like working in my back yard, fixing it up to look and be the way that we want it : An outside living space to compliment our cozy little house.
Though the weekends are long and hot and most K-town folks are off to the beach, we are here working out butts off; Moving rock, shifting pond-liners, digging a big hole in the ground, and being burned by the sun.
So when Dude and Dudette invited us over for a dip in their pool, and a late Sunday afternoon BBQ, how could we refuse. We packed up the marinating ribs that were in the fridge, stopped by the cold beer and wine store, and set off.
We were delighted to see that they had invited Superman and Lois as well. I joined the ladies at the poolside, while the girls ran to change into their swimsuits, and Carpenter, Dude and Superman discussed the limited entry results, oh yeah, because they were in.
The girls came running back, Gem immediately jumped in. Jules was suited up in a life jacket, and then began a hesitant descent into the water, she clung to the side of the pool, with in arms reach, not wanting to be completely submerged, but not wanting to be pulled out either. One of the older girls jumped in the pool and then helped Jules around . She was much happier after that.
I kept a close watch on my girls while I chatted with Lois. We talked about the upcoming changes facing our family.It seems to be the hot topic no matter where we go. For most of my dear friends out there, you know what I'm referring to. However, I am not ready to disclose everything on this blog just yet, because we are still in limbo, and no firm plans can be made. So for those of you who don't know about the new adventure, it'll give you a reason to come back and visit. In the mean time the conversation begins like this: If this happens..... or IF that takes place.... and it becomes almost a frustrating experience, because you just can't plan around "IF''s.
I explained to Lois that as much as I found this process to be an adventure, I wasn't ready to move , In light of our new landscaping work, the tree house, and my home starting to take the shape of something I truly love.
By the time supper hit the grill we were all taking about the men's love of hunting and how September/ October are two months when we barely see our husbands, because they are gone chasing that elusive elk. We feasted on pork, chicken and beef,( the freezers are dwindling low now on that most expensive wild meat. We'll have to wait til hunting season for more I suppose. But I'd just prefer to leave good ol' Babmbi in the forest.) and, there was stories of how Birthdays, and in my case, an anniversary is missed because of hunting season. It was a hot topic and caused more than a couple of waves. Lois, too felt my pain, and we laughed at men's "priorities".
Jules began to choke, and cry. The bigger kids had been making a wave pool. She was swallowing too much water. I rushed to the edge of the pool. I gripped the shoulders of the life jacket, and hoisted her up in one swoop.
She stood there, on the deck, in the twilight air shivering, and catching her breath. She turned to me.
"Oh, Mommy! I'm so sorry! I just couldn't hold it !" She gasped and sputtered.
Then I noticed that with the dripping pool water she began to pee.
"I'm so sorry Mommy! It was an accident, I just couldn't hold it!" She repeated, this time with a quiver in her voice that told me she was embarrassed and about to cry.
It's okay, Sweetheart." I told her, "Accidents happen. At least it wasn't in the pool."

Just then, Jules , looked up at me and exclaimed, "WOW, MOM! PEE IS HOT!"
"I never knew that pee was hot!" She continued, in awe, as she watched it flow down her leg.
Laughter roared from the pool , the other kids no no longer able to contain their giggles, and I smiled at my little Jules and said, "Yes it is, now lets find a hose to rinse you off!"
The deck was rinsed and so was Jules, who wanted back in the pool.
I walked back to my seat, cracked open a cider, and relayed the hot water story. Conversation turned from hunting season, and flowed with ease and laughter. I was thankful to be away from the hot water topic, at least until September.

THe Matriarch reaches a Milestone

Today is just an ordinary day. For most people they are still recovering from the Long weekend Parties, or preparing to party with the neighbours south of the border. Today, Carpenter awoke at 5:15 am and was gone in 15 minutes to pick up his crew and take them to work.
But for me, aside from looking after my household and running off to work, I must, pick up the phone and call someone today.
She is a very special person, who brought me into this world, taught me countless lessons over the years, and has given loads of advice, some of which I embraced whole heartedly, and some I threw right out the window.
Sorry Mom, but it's true. Then you know that, because Moms just know.
So here is what I know about my MOM:
She enjoys a cup of coffee in the morning in her favorite mug, made her way. Don't ever muck with the coffee. She likes things that are leather or wood. She favours her jeans and turtleneck sweaters, except when she's off to the Cattlemen's ball, then hand her the dancing shoes.
She enjoys a good laugh, a beer with her steak, and has a love- hate relationship with cats that I will never understand.
She has been the right hand -man on the Family Ranch along side my father. And still is. She has put in many long hours with field work, calving,and haying. They used to say that the ranch at one time could employ 50 men. My father does the work of 2 and my Mom, the other 48.
Still,at the end of the day, she is my biggest fan. And I am hers.
So after you climb down from that John Deere, Mom, Have Dad take you out for supper.
Happy Birthday. I love you.


P.S. Tell Dad he can wash the truck tomorrow.

A little loss of Magic

The Tooth Fairy. My daughter could not wait for her visit from the Tooth fairy last night, and spent most of the night anxiously waiting. Waiting and not sleeping.

She has been trying to wiggle her front teeth ever since she saw her big sister do it , and now my baby, Jules, has lost her first tooth.

When I lost my teeth at the ripe young age of 5-6 years, I enjoyed wiggling them. It would gross my mom out, and my Dad, well, all he wanted to do was pull it out for me. As the tooth became loose, He would say, “Here, let me pull it out for you, Oh please, let me pull it out, you won’t feel anything.”

I looked at his big thumb and index finger and quickly thought of this logically Big fingers in my little mouth. Not feel a thing? Right.

“C’mon, it’s just hanging by a thread; It’ll just be a second.”

I wiggled my tooth. I looked at my Dad, anxious to rid me of it, and thought about the thick coin that would be under my pillow in the morning that I could use to score serious penny candy from the corner store. And gave in. There was some pressure, a small crunch, and then a gush of blood and saliva filled my mouth. Dad replaced his fingers with a wad of tissue, my Mom looked as if she’d hurl at any second. I still remember the taste of that wet wad, and it makes me ill.

So when Gem was about to loose her first tooth, I was bound and determined that Carpenter would deal with it at the appropriate time. I’d never pull it out for her. I didn’t have the stomach for it.

When the little tooth began to wiggle, Gem wiggled it furiously. Then one night with our neighbours over for supper, the boy, Dec, decided to help it along. He carefully wrapped his fingers in paper towel, commanded Gem to “Open Wide” and proceeded to try to pull the tooth out. When he did not succeed, he asked if he could try again. Gem nodded. After all ,she wanted that tooth out , so she could collect on that Tooth Fairy. Once again, he commanded “Open Wide” and struggled with the stubborn tooth.

From my dining room table I watched in horror , this continue for a few minutes. I downed my near full glass of wine in one gulp and decided to intervene. Carpenter asked if I wanted a refill and I nodded. I would need something to quell the sick feeling growing in the pit of my stomach.

Dec caught my eye as I crossed the room, and confessed, “It just won’t come out, I don’t think it’s ready.”

Gem said, “But it’s loose, Mummy, I can wiggle it, I want it out. I can’t pull it out by myself.”

“I don’t think it’s ready. But it will come out when it’s ready to. I promise.”

And it did. When it was loose enough, Gem pulled it out all by herself. And proudly showed it to me while holding a blood soaked tissue in her mouth. My stomach churned. And I kissed my sweet little girl. “You are so brave,” I told her, “Mommy could never do that.”

It’s true, I couldn’t.

So when it was Jules’ turn, she proudly showed me her new wiggly tooth, the morning she discovered it. And the pride continued at school, showing everyone.

This weekend she showed her cousins, and then Grandpa, who said, “Oh, Jules, let me pull that out for you, It’s hanging by a thread, you won’t feel anything.”

But the tooth was not quite ready. Then, while she played with the neighborhood kids last night, she pulled the tooth out her self. She came running home, seven other children in tow. Screaming, “MOMMY, MOMMY, I JUST PULLED OUT MY OWN TOOTH! LOOK! SEE!”

I was impressed, very impressed. I hugged her and took the little tooth from her, placed it in a safe place for later. It was at this moment, I saw the definite trait of my husband in my girl, who still loved being a princess. There is no way, I’d ever pull out my own tooth. I’d have fainted first.

Jules carefully wrapped and re-wrapped her tooth for the Tooth Fairy. She was so excited. She boasted to her sister how the Tooth Fairy would leave her money.

Gem just rolled her eyes. Then she pulled me aside, and said, “Mommy, I have to ask you a question, and I want you to tell me the truth. Are you the Tooth Fairy?”

I looked in my daughter’s big brown eyes, and the seriousness of her face. She had earlier this year, figured out the truth about Santa, thanks to the recycling bag. I decided to come clean. Although apart of me didn’t want to. I had one girl, who was smart enough to figure out the physical impossibilities of reindeer flying, due in part to all the hunting videos she’s watched with her Dad, and thus making the link, to the Tooth Fairy. My other daughter was still willing to believe in that little bit of magic. For how long, I don’t know, but I do know that her smile, like her older sister’s, is changing forever, from a cute little baby smile, to a little girls’, and now onward to a young lady’s.