PEE

Everyday I deal with pee in various ways.

Sounds gross already, doesn't it?

Today for example, I went into our main bathroom, beside my bedroom and found a large puddle making it's may to the door. Definitely pee. I didn't even have to check, Im that used to it. No one claimed responsibility.

Maybe an hour later, same bathroom; pee all over the toilet seat. This time I know it's my 6 year old's. He cleans it himself.

Through-out the day I performed the normal diaper changes for my 2 year old.

While sitting in my formal living room this afternoon, I noticed a smell that had been around for a couple of days. This smell (of pee) seemed to be coming from a chair we keep in the corner near the window. This same chair was a favorite spot for my now 3 year old when he was potty training but hadn't smelled previously. Upon further inspection, I find the cat bed which lays behind the chair, directly on the hardwood to be soaking with cat pee.

After experiencing a little fit over that *** who doesn't clean the damn cat box when he is supposed to, I sent the older two kids to clean their disgusting rooms. What emerged, was insanity. Pee soaked clothes headed for the laundry probably days after being soiled, wet spots on the carpet from either the above mentioned clothes or from cats looking for a clean (ha!) spot, and bed sheets which were not wet but had that distinct smell. DISGUSTING!

Then to top it all off, (and they're not even in bed yet) my two year old fell asleep in my bed this afternoon and woke with a soaked through diaper.

Between four boys and three cats, it's amazing I still have my sanity.

Summer

Most summers start with big intentions and long lists outlining all the things I plan to do with the kids. Then, by the time September rolls around again we've barely done anything and all those promises I've made to the kids are left unfulfilled. Take last year; We went out and bought camping supplies, then before we could go I broke my ankle and was left unable to walk for weeks.

This year though, Im determined to give my kids the kind of summer I experienced as a kid. We did stuff and had fun. We weren't confined to out backyard everyday, (like my kids were last year) and we actually knew how to ride bikes (yes that means that only my oldest can ride a bike without training wheels).

There's not a whole lot of things to do in this city however and I usually have to really dig to find inexpensive family activities. This past weekend, Jason and Owen were out of town visiting family so it was just the older three kids and I, from Friday until Monday. We didn't have a vehicle but we decided to go for it and do as much as we could. It's not everyday that I get to be stroller-free on outings.

So Saturday we spent the morning doing our usual routine of lazing around and cleaning. Then, around 11am we left for an adventure that included 7kms of walking, ice cream at McDonalds, 2 family festivals, a visit with a friend, a trip to walmart and yes, a ride in a taxi. We got home completely exhausted but after a short break, one of my brothers picked us up for a pool party/bbq at Ross and Melissa's house. By the time we got home, the kids were beat and went to bed without much fuss while Mommy enjoyed a glass of wine and the quiet!

Sunday saw us walk to a nearby restaurant for breakfast followed by a trip to the candy store to spend the gift cards all three kids had been saving. We had a lazy couple of hours while I had a nap and roasted a chicken for dinner, but then we were off again. This time we went to one of the parks on our street and played for a long time with some neighbourhood kids. I even made a friend with another mom of four who lives on our street. Before heading home, the boys wanted to go for a walk along a stream that runs behind our house. They spent probably a half hour throwing rocks and other items into the water, while I sat patiently by. Eventually after the youngest had gotten his shoes all wet I convinced them to return home where we turned on the sprinkler and washed away all the dust and dirt from the day.

It was a fun weekend and exactly what summer is supposed to be.