Ajay

Mommy met this boy at Subway

His name is Ajay

and he lives in the untamed north

the beautiful north

the north we love

Ajay doesn't know about the north

and the fishing

like the 6 lb lake trout that Benjamin caught

(and had NO interest in touching;)

Ajay is from East India

and he works at the Subway  

in north Saskatchewan

He doesn't know about the winter that's coming

This is his second year in Saskatchewan

his first this far north.

Does he know it's a delight to

lick and scoop snow?

Does he know how to make a fire?

Does he know that you have to refill the wood box for next time?

He lives 15 minutes from us, does he know all of this stuff?  Should we tell him?

Hey Ajay, we will try and find you when we come back!

We will try and show you the fantastic beauty of the north

the cold places you can sled through

and the warm places you can take your socks off at.

Ajay told mommy that he had no friends here

well, Ajay!  

We will do what we can to fix that!

As you work for your residency

As you work to go back to school in Toronto

As you work in aviation mechanics

like you did at home.

We will offer a bit of our love of the north

and hopefully a bit of our time together as a family

as yours is so far far away

(but you said you were hoping to go visit soon for a few months)

and see your best friends

your crazy siblings or relatives

and enjoy some much needed family time

which is why we come so far north

and which is how

mommy came upon meeting you.

Blessings and friends to you

Ajay

(and thanks for lunch)

advice from a child

 one three and five

have you ever been more alive

then when you were one three or five?

trees are for climbing

grass meant for pulling

leaves meant for picking

who would think otherwise?

this is just the way life is,

when you are three

or when you are five.

yes the world seems spinning and crashing

leaders hope no longer lasting

yes sadness is growing

so the children do the drumming

so the children keep on coming

with the joy of the morning

and I get to learn

that our roads are the same

the child and the full grown

we both get to roam

we both get our day

  and children talk if they're sad

they reach their arms up if they're mad

they shout and laugh at the same time

enjoy the music and the rhyme

they never have had enough

because they choose the simple stuff

one three and five

everything is alive

dogs to be kissed

flies to be squished

brothers to be pushed

supper to be mushed

who would think otherwise?

this is the way life is,

when you are 

one three and five.

autumn, harvest and sun.

Harvesting a grass infested garden is a pain!

but the vegetables reigned triumphant in spots.

the moles reigned with full bellies in others.

the carrots  half eaten

the beets nibbled on the sides

the onion sampled here and there.

and the rest confiscated by three helpers and one mommy!

 Cold days and warm, the harvest is in!  In tummy's and wagons and cold cellars alike.

what a great time pulling up carrots,

finding rogue onions, and adding piles and piles of beets to the load.


everyone was here to help (wage war on the grass too)

we are enjoying every moment of sunshine given to us

daddy parked the summer stuff away

boppa husked corn for supper

meame brought one last meal for the fire pit


mommy put the carrots in the basement

Benjabeano threw potatoes in the sink

AnderZander ate beans

Kadie  Roze supervised with her usual foreman flair

and Mathey drooled.

All in all the garden was a success!

so happy together

so glad to be outside

so glad to have nice neighbours

so glad to have nice hikes

and good bikes

and great company

 so good to have time with daddy

an empty basement for a game of hockey and football


combined

so happy about the warm weather

(nice try with the coats mommy)

so happy to have mushrooms to pick

(and mostly to stomp stomp stomp)

so good to have sunshine to keep us out

and games to entertain mommy when in

(we ARE helping you make supper)

so good to have toys that won't break

(today, tomorrow is different)

brothers to drive you around

(can we see her future?)

and glass doors to explore

(pre Mathey smudges and post)





(so yuck)

and siblings to share

the so good days together

making childhood memories

building treasures

climbing hay bales

being young

smiling from head to toe

and making those we know

do the same

while daddy's on call

While daddy's on call

we think about him lots

where he is

what he's doing

when will he be done

and 

our 

family

be 

all

together 

again?

You see,

daddy is always part of great adventures

steering

guiding

keeping an eye on obstacles 

beside and ahead

he's the one who put things 

in it's place

making our lives

beautiful

disciplined

warm

&

safe

he hears our story's

tells a few of his own

he shares his delights

his smiles

his wants

his expectations for us

his hopes of our future

in doors and out

and who do we go to when 

sick?

daddy

frustrated?

daddy

awake in the night?

mommy 

wanting to learn?

daddy

wanting to explore?

daddy

and who helps us feel better?

daddy

who fixes our stuck toy?

daddy

who takes us back to bed?

daddy

who teaches us how to be big boys?

daddy

who teaches us what a good daddy is?

daddy.

and who comes rushing home the moment

he is finished call?

daddy.

last day of summer

no matter how we try and deny it

socks and shoes means autumn is in the prairies.

the swallows getting ready to leave the car shed (daddy's happy)

sand hill cranes circling far overhead 

squash in the garden (B "mommy, this squash is dry, I was not 'spectin' that)

harvest in the fields (A- "mommy, wacter over dere!)

and clean up time in the yard.

daddy cleaning up a few long branches and fallen trees
everybody helping out.
Benjamin & Alexander on wood pile patrol
Katherine on quality control

 Mathey loving being with the family (nose softly in my hand)

work work work

with daddy.

then eat eat eat

by daddy.

a fabulous way to spend the last day of summer.

(do you have to leave so soon?)

and it begins

this wonderful 5 year old has grown so much over the summer

a leader to his siblings,
a runner through long grass,
a hiker
a biker
a flower picker
a no napper

and now a school boy!
a kindergarden school boy!
a home school boy!

a big letters and little letters
colour in the lines
make his own paper airplanes
and draw what he sees boy!

First day of school for this 5 year old
brought
a new to us desk
a routine starting with
making the bed
brushing his teeth after breakfast
getting dressed on his own
and
working through a kindergarden book, page by page, writing his name at the top once each page is completed.

What a big boy!
and then celebrating by going on a daddy date to the city, out for supper, out for some truck shopping
out for coffee and out with his favourite person in the world, celebrating the beginning of school!

so while he as away on his daddy date,

what did the rest of  us do?

helped mommy with the laundry

helped mommy with the garden

helped mommy with her organizational skills

kept an eye on each other...

through

bath time

meal time

play time

doing things

our way!