Tag Archives: Sentimental

How did I get so fortunate?

Posted on by Before I Had Kids
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Lucky Man

I see a lot in this photo.

I see weeds and work left undone.

I see a house that is full of broken things but teeming with love and happiness.

I see a family that has come through its most difficult year, shed tears, faced devastation, lost people we love, and bear the scars to prove it.

I see a family that continues to face tremendous pressure but with resolve, led by a woman of remarkable courage.

I see pure, unadulterated joy.

I see myself.

I see myself and wonder what wonderful thing I did in a past life to make me worthy of such a musical existence.

I see foolish kitchen dancing and messes on the rug and curling up by a fire to watch a movie.

My wife sees a lot in this picture too.

But mostly she sees that @%$ing brass mailbox she’s wanted to be replaced since Christmas.

Don’t get me wrong, the first day RULED

Posted on by Before I Had Kids
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My name is Carey and it has been three days since I’ve seen my children. 

Don’t worry – they’re fine.

It’s Easter break at school and they’re both home all week and so my wife thought it might be a good idea (read: a good way to prevent nervous breakdowns, epic battles and regrettable corporal punishment) to break up the week by spending part of it at the cabin. 

I thought it was a great idea. The kids love the lake and we’re in the middle of some home renos so I figured it would give me a chance to work my tail off in the evenings to make our home a bit more . . . well, not a broken disaster. 

And it has been great. The kids are having the time of their life playing around at the lake and I’ve accomplished a crapload of house stuff in their absence (it’s a scientific fact that productivity declines by 99% with each child under 6 who is present).

 The quiet, the alone time, the productivity, the peace and the self-indulgence have been fantastic.

And really by ‘fantastic’ I mean ‘excruciating.’ I miss them so much I just might have a nervous breakdown.

Being rudely awakened at an ungodly hour by a little girl climbing into our bed carrying two blankets, three stuffed animals, two barbies and an outfit change?

Best way in the world to wake up.

Having a little boy climb all over you and poke you in the eye so you’ll pay attention to him while you’re trying to have an adult conversation?

In retrospect, it’s the best damned way to have a conversation.

My name is Carey and I miss my children :-(

9 Parenting Tips That Could Save Your Children

Posted on by Before I Had Kids
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  1. Stop worrying about the lack of fresh vegetables you served at lunch.
  2. Stop stressing because you put on a TV show to keep them quiet.
  3. Stop agonizing over that bump he got on his forehead because you weren’t paying enough attention.
  4. Stop worrying about things you can’t control.
  5. Stop beating yourself up over not taking them to the playground yesterday even thought they asked very nicely.
  6. Stop having anxiety over skipping gymnastics class because you were just too worn out to face it.
  7. Stop reading all those ridiculous parenting magazines that set unattainable standards.
  8. Stop believing that those other “perfect” parents you hear and see all over the place are doing a better job than you.
  9. Go tell her that you love her, that you will always be her Daddy and will always protect her. Tell her you are proud of her, and give her a big hug.

Crayon & Marker Organizer by Madeline

Posted on by Before I Had Kids
1

In the foreground is a craft.

It is a marker & crayon organizer that our daughter made when my wife and I told her to “go and play quietly so Mommy and Daddy can talk.” We didn’t help with the construction or the labeling and I think it’s pretty darned good.

In the background is a mess.

Dirty dishes and clothes and some tears and the frustrations of being 5 years old and not quite knowing your way around the world. Anxiety and upset tummies that make you miss your school Valentine’s Day party and a rip right through the cover of your favourite book.

In between though?

In between that craft in the foreground and that mess in the background is a look of such sheer pride, such happiness, such self-satisfaction and wonder . . . that if you look at it for a few seconds, the mess in the background just fades and fades and suddenly poof it’s gone.


Maddy holding her crayon organizer

Those following-behind-the-bus-in-our-car stories? All true.

Posted on by Before I Had Kids
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Before I was a parent, I don’t think I could really have imagined with any certainty the spine-twisting, knee-buckling devastation that is Watching Her Get Onto the School Bus For the First Time.

There is so very much that awaits her on the other side of those creaky old doors, just up those three impossibly tall steps.

So much joy is there.  So much discovery.  So many new worlds and people and experiences.  But also so much pain, so many obstacles and so much hurting.

To see it for the very first time, to know that beyond those doors and up those steps are fights her Daddy won’t be able to fight for her, owies her Daddy won’t be able to fix, and tears he won’t be able to erase with a blankie and a cuddle and an enthusiastic story . . . it’s almost more than a parent’s soul can handle.

It’s the simultaneous terror and wonder of being a parent that at once breaks your heart and builds it back up again.

At least, that’s how it feels from here.  Just try telling that to the little girl in the polka-dot backpack, grinning and bounding up those three impossibly tall steps right up into a whole, shiny, big new world . . .