The evil joys I get while having to parent my children | Klutch Photography | Vancouver family photographer

why do i enjoy having my kids suffer like we did in the 70's and 80's?  ok, it's actually less on the suffering  part and more of the "figure shit out or die" type of childhood play that i enjoy so much... i think it really helped me become resilient and to "think out of the box" type of person.

so do you remember those "death like" roller skates,? yep- you got it...adjustable 70's metal skates with ONE strap and no breaks! i found two pairs of them! christ, if that wasn't the universe providing my girls with an 80's holdback i don't know what is! when i showed greg (hubby) the skates  he said "are you trying to kill them?"  really? says the guy who tries to pull 360's on an air chair on the lake. 

me : "R E L A X babe,  they have grass to land on" (and dollar store mittens to protect their hands)!

and all you others need to calm down and put your phone away folks, no need to call child services....their still alive people! we did worse, FAR WORSE in our day!

the girls night was spent mostly in the downward dog position and i couldn't stop laughing or grinning at the constant falling - high pitched screaming-falling or laughter mixed with joy when they didn't fall.

they asked for help. to which i replied  "HELP!,  good lord, you kids are soft. your on your own roller girls... remember were building layers to your onion"!  (i did try to help by popping up a you tube video for tips but that went through on roller skate and out the other).

The crazy part- they loved it and what to do it again!  REALLY??!!  Clearly they like doing yoga (with wheels on)!

This my fellow P's is the evil joys i get to have while i parent my kids to be strong out of the box, resilient people!!

#lifeunscripted

Dina's Instagram feed...

But I didn't win a ribbon? | Klutch Photography | Vancouver family photographer

june is a nightmare for parents, the commitments, the events. the finale to the  school year is nuts...we should get awarded tee shirts that state "i survived june" on the 24th. I swear more coffee and booze is consumed in this month then all others.

this weeks event...TRACK AND FIELD!

my babe (the oldest one) does track and on a whole, she's good at it, runs hard, committed and is selected for numerous races. this is the third and final track meet of the year. it's the big one and it's an all day affair.  the kids love it, as parents scramble to find ways to get there kids there and back while juggling their own work schedules to watch some of the events. both the hubby and i were able to watch a few of che's events, lucky us!

she ran hard, strong and clean races. her arms stayed tight to her body...usually she "chicken arms" (as scene in soccer games).  she did three long distance events in almost full sun all day and two others. there was not a thing she did wrong.

but she didn't place in any of her events. she didn't win a ribbon. this was not a "problem" for us as parents-she just wasn't as strong or as fast as the others. period. she is learning how to compete, win, lose or otherwise and that's what this is really about. learning. (ok yes winning f'n rocks but that's not going to happen every time!)

she kept asking, what event did i do best in....my response was ALL OF THEM. you nailed all of them. you were just not as strong as the other kids competing. i explained that everything she did was spot on - everything!  the others were older, or trained more or had more natural ability.  that's all.

The only thing you could have done was train more...or be in grade six (as that was who she was competing against grade 5's and 6's). every part of me is proud of her, i told her over and over.

che- "but i didn't win a ribbon"!

me- "you don't need a ribbon to prove you tried your best, we know you did! 

#lifeunscripted

Please don't there be any pukers on the bus! | Vancouver Zoo | Klutch Photography | Vancouver family photographer

it's that time of year again...field trips!  this years journey- the vancouver zoo. 

i'm always guilted in to chaperoning by my daughter!  part of me is always game to go, but another part of me has a DEEP fear of spontaneous bus puking caused from ONE motion sick kid. this one puker can set a chain reaction (similar to dominos) that can trigging others to release a partly eaten breakfast or return trip lunch. the thought of smelling another persons half digested food in a save on foods grocery bag for a 1.5 hours (there and back bus trip) is enough to say NOPE, not going! 

BUT i always do. i'm a sucker for my freckle faced daughter wanting me still. so while she still thinks i'm "cool" i'll suck back the fear and do it anyways.

and by the grace of god, there has not been any pukers! can i get an amen. knock on some wood people, it's a miracle.

(the kids loved the zoo and were exhausted after a long day.  the best part for me, is always being able to capture it!)

#lifeunscripted