Goodbye Baby

My kids are growing.

Isaac has lost two more of his teeth. And is 3/4 my height.

Rosalie up and decided to start riding a two wheeler; In January!

Oliver has started full-day kindergarten and is loving it. I have never seen such a determined-to-keep-up fella. (still uber snuggly:)

I can't believe I'm already saying this, but as they bounce off to school or next door to hang out with their neighbour friends, I realize they need me to start letting go. 

I want them to stay home and colour and play with playdough...they want to understand robotics and tell me about the latest dance moves and peer-jokes. I suppose I could have kept them home and do more to delay the inevitable 'Growing Up', but with this comes bittersweet joy and pride at the little people they are becoming.

They are excellent, kind, and respectful students and classmates.

They are thoughtful and ask deep questions and give great answers.
They are able to communicate with all sorts of age groups.

They are willing to start doing their part in acts of service for others.

And a lot of the reason this is happening is because I've had to let them do more than I may want.

Like have a playdate with a new neighbour-friend.

Like let them go to a 'regular' school...

Bring them in circumstances where there are people who are 'different' from them.

Invite a variety of people into our space, from infancy to elderly!

Giving them boredom which leads to creativity and not offering immediate solutions to simple problems.
This stuff is hard to do for me, as a parent, a mother. In fact sometimes I do catch myself still 'babying' them. In part because it's just faster and easier, but a lot because they are growing up too fast and becoming too independent. And sometimes I still want to provide everything. I want just the 5 of us to be enough.

But that's not reality. God created family to grow. to be the foundation, yes, but to grow out of that into the world! Soon they will favour a phone call from a friend to reading a story with me.

Soon they will cry about the misfortune of another than about not getting their favourite snack.

Soon my Sunday-school answers will not satisfy the craving of their souls for deeper truth and connection Jesus is calling them individually into..and it might not look how I imagine or think it should!

And I know there will be times they will break my heart with their independence and decisions...but I can only pray that those first foundational 5 years of their lives have been a good start. Have developed strong, healthy roots. I sound like I'm already packing their bags! But I guess lately as I settle into a new personal routine of 'free time' and starting a part time job, when I used to spend 14 hours a day with them, I have realized how fast time does go by, and how I need to take a deep breath and move forward with them and their own new stages of life! Exciting times ahead for the Buckley family....

A little pause in the sun

'Eeyy-oo it's almost the end of August!
I did not plan too much for our summer intentionally, I figured enough things would come up last minute that it would nicer to go be able to 'go with the flow' instead of living off the calendar.
Well...it was a nice sentiment for the first half.

Half of our family likes to live that way, the other half not so much:)

However! All in all it's been a simply lovely summer, very hot, but no complaints here. Lots of trips to the pool, the beach, roadtrips! My garden flourishes, the children grow, community advances.

It has been a bit maddening most some days, all 3 kids together all day seems to prove itself a bit much. Mr. Spirited bores in seconds and his immediate reaction to such feelings results in disrupting other persons happiness. Frustrating to say the least.
The impending freedom I see in my near future (school starts for ALL THREE!) is what keeps me optimistic that I will not be completely driven mad before I'm 30.

super cute old picture I found

Speaking of 30, my Handsome Hunka Burnin' Love Eric turned 30 this month! Ah yes, how time slips away on us. But he is in the best health of his life having taken up running and eating chick pea salad. As well as ridiculous amounts of coffee. Did I ever think the day would come when he would enjoy a semi-hot beverage with me? Well it is here. And I am glad (Ps, he drinks more coffee than me.)

For me, fall holds a couple new opportunities I am excited about, I will continue doing daycare for one girl until October, an in September will be doing 2 days a week with a new little fella, who will be joined by his cousin (whose parents are friends of mine) In January.
At first I didn't know if I wanted to continue down the childcare route, but as Oliver will likely only be doing ever-other-day at kindergarten, it worked out perfectly that the days he'd be home I'd have another couple kids for company. And still have at least a couple days a week to...to...to MYSELF!!!?!?!?! Which is a bizaaaaarreee idea. What on earth will I do all day long? (Hint: I haven't been doing any cleaning for the past 2 months, saving up with giddy delight. Hah.)
anyhoo. I'm also looking forward to becoming more involved with Sanctuarys weekly activities, and friendships I value there.

I'm going to be uploading ten million pictures of our summer eventually. It's been a treasure.

Caio.
(Never regret taking the time to try and  blurb out some words on here because in a few years I can read back...these very important details.)

It's almost summer!

It's practically here, spring has felt like summer, we basically went from snow to 25 degrees.
Luckily I managed to hold out from starting my garden for the longest I've ever gone!
We'll see if it pays off...
It's been a fun year so far, (last time I posted was in 2015 so....whoopsy!) Isaac turned SIX in April, he had a fun birthday with a friend, we had a 'superhero' theme and relay race and I'm sure the best part was silly-stringing the 'bad guy', who happened to be DAD at the time, I don't have those pictures available but I'll try and get them up sometime.

We've had a lovely friend who has been bringing puppies every now and again so I DO have some of those pictures, so mostly this post will be pictures yet again, and I shall work on a for real update another time.

Things are going well! We've got a good steady rhythm and we are enjoying life, visiting with friends, family, finding new coffee shops:), enjoying community, nature, each other.

Rosalie has decided she doesn't like dresses anymore and only wears "Shorts and a T-Shirt." and Oliver has taken leaps and bounds in verbal development and he and Isaac have been playing together more which is nice.
We recently bought a VAN and are keeping our other car just for the summer so I've had a bit more freedom to roam (BEACH!)
It's going to be a super-fun year, I just know it. We have camping, zoo trips, and family visits plans but otherwise are probably just going to take it easy, after all, who loves being busy??!

3 month changes!

Obviously I haven't been having much time for blogging!
I've been thinking of how I really should journal more often. I think journaling/diary writing is becoming a lost art. And more important than anyone gives credit too. Now adays everyone just verbally vomits on the internet, or sums up their brain trying to complete rational thought in the most convenient Meme.
So. My new years resolution will be to journal more just between me and paper. It's always helped me rationalize and understand and organize my thought processes as well as keep a record for me to look back on in years to come of where I've been and what I've learned. There it is!
In the meantime, I will also try to keep this blog updated somewhat because I was going over some old posts and it's nice to read about and see photos of what life was like even 2 years ago!

Lots of exciting things have happened over the last 3 months.
Some of these changes have included Rosalie going to SCHOOL! Isaac losing his first tooth (November, and he lost his SECOND one on Boxing Day!)
The arrival of our new second cousin, Daphne:) And Oliver celebrating his third birthday!


I'm going to attach a few of the photos of the above events, and special Christmas moments:)
The dynamics in our family have changed significantly since last spring. Isaac has come a long way, I suppose more so Eric and I have come a long way in learning about how to best relate to him in the whole intense, awesome, unique, spirited little boy that he is:) Some days are still very hard, but it's become easier to focus on the good and fantastic qualities about him and help him grow in the potential that is bursting inside him, helping him to experience those intense feelings and outlet that energy in positive ways. We are very proud of him:) He has taken a fancy to 'inventing things' lately, but as always prefers to be doing anything social and running around with his neighbourhood friends. (We NEED to get a dog. seriously. It's going to happen someday soon.) **Isaac would like to add to this update that he misses his friend Nathan, who moved to a different school, and loved playing with him. Pray that he meets a new friend at school who he can get along with just as well!**

Rosalie has been enjoying school and currently has really been enjoying crafts and colouring as usual, there is always a trail of paper wherever Rosie has been for more than 10 minutes:) She does struggle with needing her own quiet time, not just at school but at home too. With two rowdy brothers who like hearing her squeal it's a challenge! But we find a way. Once school starts back up I think I'm going to take her out a bit more often just so she can get that extra space before Isaac comes home. She loves playing with her friend Ziya next door and any kind of reading, imagination, and cutting out paper! **Rosie would like to add that she loved playing with her friend Lisa, but she moved to California... Lisa may or may not be a real person)**
Oliver turned three years old on Christmas Eve! He is an exceptionally affectionate, curious and energetic little fella. He likes to still be carried around by me but is getting way too heavy! I caught a glimpse of myself carrying him in the mirror and realized with a bit of a sinking heart how he doesn't look like a baby or even a toddler in my arms anymore, and these are the last months of carrying him around like this...and then never again! Sigh....But! His favourite things are his big brother, his orange bike, the colour orange! And motorcycles. (He got a LOT of motorcycles for Christmas:) He also likes to play with Rosie especially when they do dancing and dressup.

We had a great year in 2015, I personally am having a lot of self-growth (but been trying to work out, haha!) and looking forward to the new opportunities that await me in 2016.
Eric is still an active games-night host and participant, has been working on his cycling skills and uses up most of his other energy on being a human jungle gym:)

Happy new year to all of you, faithful friends and family! We love you all.

Robot suit Isaac designed!

When Mcdonalds has 'Free coffee week..'

Isaac's first time skating!

Oliver's 3rd birthday!

Christmas Eve with our second cousins!

Christmas morning excitement!

12 degrees C on Christmas day...so much for my 'go toboganning' tradition! but we had fun climbing trees and throwing rocks in the river

We got to watch baby Daphne for a little bit, she had a very attentive audience

Another chapter:)

Summer is coming to an end! We've had a really awesome summer, we went on a fantastic camping trip with good friends, survived a thunderstorm that made it feel in our tent like we were walking on a water bed, and successfully completed two full nights of all 5 Buckley's in a tent!

Isaac & Rosalie got to go to their first VBS planned by another very good friend of ours. A little taste of what was to come for the new school year...:)

We visited the great Bruce County, got to meet some brand new puppies, and went to the beach as much as we could!
We've had a part-time visitor joining our family 3 days a week since June, 1 year old Naomi is a great fit for the fam and is keeping Oliver good company especially now that the older two have started school.

Here's some photos of our last couple months, highlighting a very special Birthday Girl who turned FOUR! (thanks Aunt Bethany for the birthday dress, she loved it!)

And the first day of school!
Exciting times..
though the night before Eric and I were dancing around to 'Celebrate Good Times' while making tomorrows lunches, I confess to feeling a little melancholy, as it really will be but a moment until Oliver is traipsing off to school with them, as you can see in the photos, he was quite ready to be a part of this big day!
For the first time in awhile the house was so quiet and still during Naomi and Oliver's 1 1/2 hour nap... and I found myself checking the clock and wondering if it was too early to go and pick the little un's up yet (It was)
I'll be honest, I felt like I couldn't WAIT to send Isaac back to school, but even though I had that feeling right up to walking out the door, it is hard to leave a crying child behind you who, after two months of a whole lot of verbal abuse and challenges, just wants to go be with you.

I know Isaac really benefits from school and the routine of it all, but I'm sure there will always be a little twinge that wants him to stay home forever. le sigh!

As for Rosalie, she was ready to go! She was  a little quiet about it, I think perhaps because Isaac was (loudly) ranting and raving about how much he did NOT want to go to school the previous 48 hours she didn't get much of a chance to express how she was feeling about it, but once we got to the classroom she got busy playing right away and when her teacher called for circle time she was right there ready to participate, and barely acknowledged me when I said goodbye.

When she got home, as I assumed, she snuggled with me for a bit, then headed straight for some alone time. I'm a little nervous about how the school setting will affect her need for her 'alone time' but we shall see! It's not jail, you know:) there are options...

Isaac & Rosalie are in the same class which also has me a little nervous, but I'm hoping that it will actually help to improve their relationship. At supper tonight Rosie mentioned a little girl was telling her her 'star was going down' and Isaac quickly said "Why didn't you come tell me about it??" Oooh my heart! Looking out for his sister? I like this!

Meanwhile Oliver and I got some special time together and I realized yet again how strange it is to only have one (Naomi was napping) Little person around who plays by himself, craaazy!

So I haven't been updating too much, still not sure who the main audience of this blog is to tailor the content to, but anyway! Hope you enjoy!