[i] LoveLife

Random + lovable + living.

I have been taking a break from technology. Not really on purpose, but it has turned out to be so nice. I need to do something like this once a month. Seems like there is always an ebb and flow around here and balance means knowing what needs attention when it does. Not necessarily giving everything attention all the time.

The house. We are in the middle of a bit of a repair from some Spring leaking. So that is taking up space in our energy pool. As are a few new design ideas. And a broken coffee maker. Oy! And getting things organized because that crazy kitchen wall has gotten some attention lately. I feel like we have finally found our design groove here. It took a while.

The girls. They are so awesome. Oh, I always say that. And we are not without our challenges, but life is good. We're at such a fun stage with so much more freedom than ever before. Poet is almost done potty training and it's really exciting. Everyone in this house is setting her up for success and it's so beautiful to see that happening. So many big changes in all three girls lately... so cool to be in the midst of it all.

The weather. There's no snow and that is a lightening feeling in itself. Sunsine on my face is not something I take for granted. I am soaking it up (when it's not raining). And I am anxiously awaiting the blossoms from our apple and cherry trees because they only last a week... but they leave such a nice feeling for months afterward. I am looking forward to the summer months.

The polar bears. Man. They are taking me on an incredible journey. I met a baby polar bear last week that has been weighing on my heart. And I met a baby grizzly bear who was coloured to be the body double for the polar bear. Because of so many incredible reasons - it's impossible to share. But it has left a mark on me. Sigh...

The studio: is hopping. I am grateful for always having a full TO-DO list. And then some. I'm getting better at saying no and filtering down to the things that mean the most to me.

Today: I am taking the day to catch up on work. I am in the middle of a busy scripting season and have projects going on in a handful of different countries (crazy). And I'm trying to get prepared for my TEDx talk in 2 weeks (oh man). OH. MAN. THANK GOODNESS THE COFFEE MAKER HAS BEEN REPLACED.

GO!

One happy mama.

Mother's Day this year was so nice. I LOVED it. I love being a part of each of these beautiful girls lives. I'm the lucky one.

We are settled in to this life. We are in a home we love. We have friends we love. We are healthy and happy and that makes for a life we truly love. I feel the difference in myself. In all of us. Life is good. And this year Mother's Day was so incredibly cool. Pilot made me coffee (by herself). Penn made gluten-free, dairy-free pancakes (not by herself). Poet was Poet. The dogs were really good on our neighbourhood walk AND Dan took a million photos of me and my girls together. Which, to me SAYS THAT HE GETS ME.

Because that's all I ever wanted. To see with MY OWN EYES our chaotic, messy little full-of-life group that is far from perfect, but really happy. I love them. I belong here! I cherish these photos - crazy outfits and missing flower basket and all. I love to see the Girl Tribe and Frenchie crew as a unit.

(And he also got us a photo session with Hey Kiddo my favourite photographers of all time! AND don't worry, Dan is a very, very big and important part of our unit. ALL of us girls adore him and we'd fall apart without him!)

Today: is about getting business complete. Script. Script. Script. the next three weeks around here are really full of things that are really important to me. I'm going to be giving it my all. Fingers crossed.

GO!

To the power of 3.

Yup. The three P's are as good as ever. They are SO happy that Spring is here and I am SO happy that every night at bedtime they are as pooped as can be. It's good. We are transitioning out of baby-mode and finding our groove in busy-kid land. Naps - what the heck are those? Down time - what is that? PLAYING TOGETHER WITHOUT ME - hello! That's just the most amazing thing to bear witness to. The imagination and excitement and enthusiasm of being a kid is just the best thing in the world. I am a lucky mama.

*

Pilot,
YOU love life. You are a bubbly, happy soul. You can read! You can do math! Oh man - this has opened up the world to you and it's really, really fun to see you owning that awesomeness. You are still the loudest kid on the planet. You still love rules. You still love art. You still love being the biggest and the first. You are a genius. AND, you are a doll of a big sister who takes her role very seriously.  I love that about you, dude. You are my favourite.

*

Penn,
YOU amaze me everyday. You're my unpredictable one and I love it. You can hit a line drive better than the boys we know, you can give Beyonce a run for her dancing money, and you have a soft, sensitive heart that sometimes surprises me. You are so cool. You have grown so much this year and it's heart-breakingly awesome to see you come out of your shell and talk our ears off. You're beautiful soul. AND you're a kind middle sister who really makes sure we are all okay. I love that about you, dude. You are my favourite.

*

Poet,
YOU slay me. Seriously, everyday you make me nod to myself and think "yes, this is exactly who we were missing". You are funny as heck. You are stubborn as anything. You are the drama from your biggest sister and the sweetness from your other big sister. Times TWO. Or maybe THREE. You're a firecracker. AND you're a free spirit that knows exactly what she wants. I love that about you, dude. You are my favourite.

*

Today: I have a serious agenda. It can't possibly be Thursday? Oy. I have been practicing productivity tricks and they are working, but I will be hitting the ground running.

GO!

THAT feeling.

This is an in-progress shot from a painting I finished on Friday. It's not complete in this photo. There's not much to say other than I really enjoyed every minute of this piece. Every minute. Just thinking about it kind of chokes me up. Because of all the things I ever wanted to do in my whole life - this is it. It turned out like I was hoping it would and that is rare. And I'm so grateful for that feeling - that I could cry. Really, really happy. And so grateful.

His name is Paul. I'm not sure if that's what the painting will be titled, but the bear's name is Paul (if you were wondering). That sounds weird, I know. But, it is just what felt right.

Today: I'm hoping that I can find that feeling again. There's nothing like it.

GO!

You like cookies?

I was given a box of AMAZING cookies (thank you Cheryl Harris!). DELICIOUS! And let me be clear - that's pretty high praise because I am restricted on what I can eat so finding something within my GREEN LIGHT zone is tougher. Gluten free, dairy free, egg free. SWEET deal.

Gluten-free (and vegan) DOUBLE chocolate cherry cookies recipe here. THIS IS AMAZING. The list of ingredients is small - everything is easy to find - the cookies are delicious. No eggs! Make sure you use sour cherries because that's the best part. I am a fan for life. I give it a triple recommendation. UNLESS YOU ARE ALLERGIC TO ALMONDS AND THEN YOU WILL DIE.

Gluten-free (and vegan) chocolate chip cookies recipe here. (pictured above). ALSO AMAZING. And again, if you're allergic to almonds this isn't a good life choice.

You're welcome. ;)

Today: PAINT. Oh, and my computer is headed in for repair. Eeeep. Normally that stresses me out, but I think it will be good to just paint without interruptions! Fingers crossed.

GO (make some cookies)!