How Did He Grow Up So Good?

I hit the snooze button on my alarm this morning. I dozed an extra 15 minutes ... then 20.

I wondered why My Youngest's alarm wasn't sounding. It never did go off, but within minutes I heard his drawers opening and closing. He was up and getting ready for the day. By the time I made it to the kitchen, he was making his lunch. When I went to toss his swim gear near his back pack to remind him to pack what he needed for his field trip today, his back pack was already packed up and ready to go.

It's a small thing ... but the big thing, is that 'this' is who My Youngest is! He is going to be 13 years old tomorrow and I really like the person he is growing up to be.

Yes, yes I know. I've done this twice before. I know that life (and kids) can change when you least expect it. I have no idea what is around the next corner (and please don't tell me ... I like to be surprised). But we have had 13 very good years. No matter where things go from here, I know that we have a solid foundation built. No 'big bad wolf' is going to blow this house down!

What is the difference?

Is it me? I have been a completely different mom to each and every one of my children. I look at my children and I see reflections of the person I was when I raised each of them. They are each special and unique in their own ways.

Was it because I was a stay-at-home-mom? We brought the world into our home as I ran a daycare for the first 11 years of My Youngest's life. We dealt with stealing, cheating, bullying, fighting, lying, fair play and many of the aspects of life before My Youngest walked out into the big, scary world of public education. I would be lying if I didn't admit that I believe this made a big difference.

Is it the gene pool? My Youngest is a mixture of a 'different set of genes' than his older brothers. His dad is a good guy. Solid, logical thinking and intelligent. We never argued. We may not have seen eye to eye on everything. But we never fought. I can quite honestly say that I feel that I have never argued with My Youngest. Amazing.

Is it because he has the good examples of his Adult Brothers that have set the bar? He looks to his brothers and see the men they have grown to be. His Brothers have set a very good example for him. They are good citizens, they are doing well and when life knocks them down ... they get up and keep on fighting. They treat me with respect. I believe My Youngest looks at his brothers and is simply following their good example.

Is it because our home is a home? It is (and has always been for him) a safe haven from the world. He heard me when I was extremely (over the top) upset ... once. It rocked his world. I've never done it again. But my older sons? I was an emotional basket case more times than I remember during their growing up years. Our home has evolved into the oasis it has become. My Youngest has lived in a close to idyllic world within our home. That can only be a good thing.

Is it because he has chosen good friends? Friends are so important. Feeling the need to bend and sway from what you have been taught ... just to fit in, is something that a person at any age encounters. Peer pressure. It's everywhere. As a child, it is tough because you haven't the life experience that has taught you to always remain true to yourself. I have listened to My Youngest when he talks with his friends. He treats them with respect, but he doesn't take any guff. I hear the 'daycare me' in My Youngest ...

There are many, many ingredients that are added to the mix when raising a child. As it is with baking a cake ... you can have all of the right ingredients, but if the measurements are out of whack or if the oven temperature is too high or too low or if you over or under cook it ... your cake doesn't turn out the way you intended.

I remember My Oldest being very young when I lamented to my mother-in-law "I wish he came with an instruction manual". I didn't have the recipe back then. I still don't.

There is a lot of trial and error when it comes to raising children. We do our best with what we've got and hope that simply loving them enough will help adjust the inaccuracies in that 'recipe' that is still a work in progress.

I love each and every one of my children for the individuals they are. I see who I was when I raised each and every one of them. I get them.

It's not a case of 'third time lucky' for me ... it is a matter of 'three times lucky'. Thirteen is considered an unlucky number. But with the luck I have on my side, I foresee only good things. I'll update you again in a year.

P.S. This is from last year's birthday post "A Most Wonderful Day"

Nine Days

I have been home nine days now. Each day a little bit of reality seeps back into my life. But even after those nine days, I'm still wafting on air. I am quite certain that I will carry a piece of this Alaskan Cruise Adventure with me forever.

What did I miss most about life-at-home?

McDonald's, Canadian coffee, sleep.

Oh ... and I missed my family too (being able to keep in touch with them via email definitely lessened the critical factor it could have hit had it been 12 days of radio silence).

How did I celebrate my homecoming?

Robin's coffee, McDonald's for supper (followed by: KFC, Burger King, Tim Hortons,  and McDonald's again (for breakfast) ...).

Oh ... and I spent time with my family too.

Who did I just have to talk to upon my return?

My children (first rating on this one). Quickly followed by my mom and each of my siblings. Tied in second place, was my eagerness to return to the dance studio while the post-holiday-sensations were running at an all time high (I hadn't even come home from my holiday when I was counting down the days until my next dance lesson).

What were my priorities upon coming home?

Boring ... unpacking and housework. Though I returned to a clean and tidy home, I had purposely left a lot of the nastier cleaning jobs to do when I came home ... no sense in doing them twice, when once would suffice. So I had a bit of a a backlog of housework (easier to do when working on a post-holiday-high).

My favorite chore since my return?

Spending the entirety of this past Saturday going through my photos and videos of my holiday. Putting them together in a cohesive manner (photo montage and video of my favorite moments) was almost as good as being there all over again.

Favorite family moments since I've been home?

All of them. Even the small and mundane have been memorable and a little bit bigger than life. I love being surrounded by my family.

The most mundane celebration of my home coming?

Falling asleep on the couch. After spending the past two evenings stretched out and napping on the couch after supper, My Youngest asked, "Why are you so tired all of a sudden?" My reply? "I think I've been tired for three weeks and this is the first time that I've had a chance to sit still."

Where has my weight been this past month?

I have an 'at home' weight and a 'cruising' weight. The cruising weight is three pounds lighter than my at-home weight. Needless to say, my at-home weight has returned (and my stomach is not happy about it ... I think I should banish chips and take-out food from my diet ... my digestive system is rebelling).

Then there's 'the hair' ... let me talk about my hair for a moment ...

I devote far too much air-time to my hair. Pre-holidays ... and for the year (or more) preceding it? Lots of bad-hair-stories. Too many. Boring. Tedious.

Since my on-cruise hair style by 'Dee' ... no bad hair stories. Bad hair day? Mess it up as much as possible with damp hands, finger fluff it into place and voila. Good enough to greet the day. It is plain. It is simple. It requires little to no fussing or mussing. The only downfall? It will grow ...

What is still on my to-do list now that I'm home?

Call my friends! I have put this on a back burner because underneath all the hype and glory, I have been exhausted.

My Youngest is celebrating his 13th birthday on the weekend and that requires yet another out-of-home-experience. There are a handful of family celebrations/gatherings within the next month. More gallivanting.

At the moment, I'm not only catching my breath. I'm 'logging' like the whales and consciously breathing (did you know that whales have to remind themselves to breathe? Half of their brain is utilized reminding themselves to take a breath). I'm going to have to go down for a few more 'deep dives' very soon and it may take a while before I resurface. So for the moment, I am utilizing half of my brain to remind myself to breathe.

Oh, and soon ... very, very soon ... I must buy groceries (the milk and bananas I bought upon my return are starting to run thin).

Where do I go from here?

I am investigating the possibilities. My Very Good Anchorage Friend has suggested that we set a goal of going on a cruise in a few years. At this point, I could sell an Alaskan Cruise to an Eskimo. I will encourage any and all even considering the idea ... to go for it!!!

And that is where I'm going from here. I'm going to 'go for it'. Whether it is work or play ... family or friends ... I am going to approach life with enthusiasm and anticipation.

Every day has the possibility of feeling just a little bit special. Just ask me how I loved napping on my couch the past two evenings. It was worth writing about. Need I say more??

Is Prosperity Knocking ... and I'm Not Answering the Door?

~ My horoscope for this week ~ "Prosperity knocks on your door. And so will a lot of other visitors who have nothing to do with your future good fortune. Luckily, it's not too difficult to figure out which opportunities are the best. It won't be a logical decision - just something you know in your gut immediately as you confront your various options."

I've been savoring the gradual return to life-as-I-know-it since my return to reality (one week ago yesterday). As I've been sliding down this gentle slope, I can't stop thinking "... and where do I go from here?"

I read my horoscope and I thought "Yes! Prosperity is going to come a-knocking. I have options. I trust my instincts ..." I just have to answer the door.

Could it be that my future lies in something that I have already begun? All I have to do, is sit back and listen to my own voice and I know what fuels me. More importantly, I know what does not.

There is that which I hold onto, because it is safe. It is not entirely a comfortable fit. But it's easy ... because all I have to do is 'show up'. Is it holding me back? Is it a necessity? Do I have choices? Or am I locked in to this life-as-it-is?

Taking steps out of the safe zone and into the unknown is a frightening prospect. I keep postponing the inevitable because I have this, that or the other excuse. As it is with any daunting task where the end goal feels so illusive ... one must take one step in a forward direction. Followed by another.

I know where my passions lie. I have even opened the door to many of those opportunities. I have started the process of following these passions. I simply have to finish what I have already started.

It is not only a matter of answering the door. Not only do I have to walk through the door. I may have to close the door behind me and look towards the future.

My last photo of Anchorage, Alaska
"A New Horizon" awaits

Our Alaskan Excursions

I have one more small pile of notes of things-I-want-to-write before I forget. And that is to devote some memory space to the naturalists, tour guides and to emphasize the appreciation that I have for those who simply love this planet and share their passion.

Milos Radakovich was the Celebrity Millennium's naturalist who led a series of three lectures. He had an astounding amount of knowledge to share with his audience and he did it in a manner that was captivating, humorous and made you want to know more. Milos was my introduction to the word 'naturalist' (one versed in natural history, especially in zoology or botany). His passion for our planet and his knowledge of the natural sciences kept me coming back to each and every one of his lectures aboard the ship.

Then there were our tour guides.

Our excursion through the rain forest in Ketchikan. I should have been taking notes, because I wish I could remember more of what our guide told us (i.e. those poisonous slugs). I remember the awe I felt as this young girl rattled off more knowledge in our two hour stroll through the forest, than I absorbed from all of my science classes over the course of my education.

Our whale watching excursion in Juneau was my favorite. I have already gone on and on (and on) about this, so I will bore you no more. But it is all summed up in our guide's words, when the engine was turned off and we drifted quietly, "This is one of my favorite things to do out here on the water ... just hang out watching whales and listening to them breathe as they come to the surface ...". Breath taking.

Then there was our Eagle Preserve Rafting and Wildlife Quest in Skagway. This is the excursion that I would most like to re-do. It was half way up the 40 mile narrated drive (from Haines, to the Eagle Preserve) that the motion got to me and I listened with only half of my senses.

None the less, the narrative of our Alaska loving, nature loving Haines resident and tour guide was wonderful. He was easy to listen to, his passion for the Alaskan forests, wilderness and nature in general was contagious. One would wonder how anyone could feel any different than him after listening to him go on and on about the wonders of Alaska (and wilderness in general).

We then wound our way through the river by raft. Each raft was guided by our own personal guide after we were outfitted in rain gear (ponchos and rubber boots) and advised what to do 'in the very unlikely event of ending up in the water'. I was back in the moment of being afraid of bears in Ketchikan. But as it was with the non-bear encounter ... we also didn't tip our raft. I was as dry at the end of our trip as I was at the beginning.

They provided a picnic lunch and all of the information we wanted after our raft trip and before the 40 mile trek back to Haines. The team work that it took to co-ordinate this adventure was something to behold. There was our bus driver, the 'narrator' on our trip (whose name is "C.P.") , a guide for each raft, another team to set up (and clean up) our picnic and then the bus driver and our own personal tour guide, C.P. who narrated the way back to Haines.

The easy, fun banter was enjoyable ... even though I had eyes closed throughout the trip.

Our world is a wonderful place. If everyone thought the way that these tour guides, teachers and naturalists did ... it could be like the Garden of Eden. The impact that these guides make on the many people who will go on these tours and listen to these lectures can and will make a difference.

One person at a time. We all make a difference.

A Little of the Inane (more holiday memories)

Is it possible that I may never run out of holiday induced blog posts? Entirely.

My main goal is to write down all that moved me in some way so that I can look back on this years from now and remember. Everything. The highs, the lows, the deep and thoughtful to the inane.

Today ... is a little of the inane. I got a kick out of many of the signs that I saw on holidays. Some people snap pictures of the breath taking Alaskan scenery. Me? When I stop taking pictures of our oh-so-awesome Celebrity Millennium cruise ship ... what do I see? Signs that make me chuckle (or wonder).

First off, I must tell you about the toilets aboard the cruise ship. I had honestly not wasted one brain cell wondering about the plumbing aboard a ship. When my thoughts fleeted to wondering what the bathrooms may be like, I had visions of those tiny bathrooms in a small camper trailer. The ones where you barely have room to turn around. I was wrong.

The bathroom was twice as big as I expected. The shower? Once again, I had visions of tiny in my mind. It wasn't huge ... but (once again) my expectations were almost doubled.

Now the toilet (Mom, close your eyes. I know you do not enjoy toilet talk. But I must ...). The toilets aboard our ship had the most amazing 'vacuum' system that I have ever witnessed. It utilized a minimum of water and it was beyond efficient (if one ever risked placing your hand in the area while flushing, you would risk losing your rings ... or your finger nails). It was the sign above the toilet that got me to wondering:

Most of the pictures are very self explanatory. But cars? I wondered who just may have happened to sneak their car aboard the ship and wondered if they could simply flush it down the toilet to decrease the weight of their luggage on departure.

Yes ... I know it meant 'toys'. But the idea of someone needing a sign to tell them not to flush a car down the toilet did bring a smile to my face.

Now, the object that had me completely buffaloed throughout my trip was the long, oblong shaped 'thing' to the right of all of the unflushables. What was that?

Days and days went by and I continued to wonder about what this 'thing' was. Finally, finally ... I asked my Cruising Friend. Without the pictorial aid, she didn't know what I was talking about. But she required little more than to look at the sign to tell me "It is the lid of the toilet". Oh ... I never would have figured that one out on my own.

This one, I found on an outside garbage receptacle in Ketchikan.

No "Pebble Mine"? I'm still wondering about that one.

Upon writing that sentence, I googled 'Pebble Mine' and found this: http://www.themudflats.net/2010/04/08/eye-on-pebble-mine/

I'm still confused. I'm guessing it doesn't mean not to throw pebbles into the garbage.

This sign? I got. I'm just wondering if bears can read though....

This is why I wonder:

My friend brought this sign (on the wing of our plane) to my attention. We were flying at an altitude of 37,000 feet, at a speed of 506 mph when we read "Do not walk outside this area".

Hmmm .... I guess you are 'safe' as long as you walk on the wing within the safety zone?


How could I walk by this selection of chips aboard our catamaran without snapping a picture?

I have a chip addiction which I can barely (if I try) contain.

"Alaska Chips"; "Grizzly Chips"; "Volcano Chips" ... how in the world did I resist the temptation?









Then there is the auditory video that I put together (I am moving this video from its original location to this collection of the inane, because it truly belongs here and not worthy of its very own blog post).

It is not simply the visual memories that one takes home with them from a holiday excursion. It is the sounds, the aromas and the entire essence of the vacation.

As our days were winding to a close, I listened carefully to the sounds of our our new 'home'. I thought of how these little memories will dim as time goes on.

So I have preserved just a few of those sensory sensations:

The one sound that I long to hear again (and that I did not manage to get, to add to this collection), is the sound of the ship's horn. Ahhh ... my favorite sound of all. It was as if the ship was calling out to me.

And these ... are the memories that I just may forget as time goes by. It is easy to remember the awesome. It takes far more work to remember the inane.

The Tulips

Very soon upon our arrival to visit with my Anchorage Friend in her home, she looked at dismay at the tulip on her kitchen table and mentioned that she had wanted to pick a fresh tulip from her flowerbed for us to enjoy. Bringing a tulip indoors was a special treat which she liked to savor. It felt special for her to think of our visit as being Tulip Worthy.

Fast forward an hour (or two ... I really have no idea, because time was irrelevant during our visit) and in came her husband. What did he have in his hand? But two tulips. Fresh out of her flower garden. She was pleased and dismayed all in the same moment. How perfect for him to read her mind ... but two? When the tulips were so numbered out in the garden? No more was said.

The tulips were in bud when they were brought into the house. They were ceremoniously placed in the vase's special spot on the kitchen table for all to appreciate during their brief 'hurrah' indoors.

Our afternoon visit turned into a supper invitation. As we were tidying up the kitchen and winding up the day my Cruising Friend said, "Look at the tulips! They are in full bloom".

We admired those tulips. We heard their history ... of how they were planted by the previous owners. How there were yellows and reds. And of the mixing of the colors which turned them into the most special and unique mix of both colors as their roots and heritage intertwined between the soil and nature did its magic.

The tulips were all but forgotten the next day, as our visit took us out for breakfast and then exploring some of Anchorage's heritage throughout the afternoon. Which led to a supper at a favorite Mexican restaurant and a promise of just 'one more breakfast' before our plane departed the next morning.

The last morning arrived. My Friend came up to me and told me of the tulips ...

She said she looked at those tulips that morning and saw that they had passed their 'expiry date'. She said she quietly sighed and thought (like our visit) "All good things must come to an end ..."

As quickly as that thought came to mind, she was already seeing beyond the obvious. Suddenly, the tulips were symbols for our friendship and the strength and endurance of those mighty tulip bulbs was being compared to the strength and endurance of our friendship that started when we were 10 years old.

Tulip bulbs are planted with hope and promise that they will eventually bloom. Two young girls are brought together by circumstance and there is hope that a friendship will blossom.

Tulip bulbs lie dormant throughout the long winter seasons, yet they are the first flowers to bloom in the spring. Sometimes tulips survive with little to no outside interference. But it never hurts to nurture them a little along the way.

Friendships may lie dormant as life takes us off in various directions. If one is very lucky, those friendships survive throughout years of dormancy (My Cruising Friend and I share that small miracle of a friendship that was quickly revived after a few decades without contact). Other times, a friendship may be nurtured by a sporadic inoculation (cards and letters) to keep us reminded of the friendship we have shared.

When tulip bulbs of different colors are left together over the course of time, there is a subtle mixing of colors. A special blend which is dependent on the conditions, mutations, genetic engineering (with some human intervention)  and bulbs which share that soil. It is only when the tulips bloom after years together, yet apart ... that one can see the special breed which has come together when no one was paying attention.

When friends go their separate ways, they bring new friends/people/spouses/children/pets into their lives. They start to mix with others and become unique and special.

My desire to go to Anchorage was fueled by the knowledge that I would like to reconnect with my American friend. The cruise and Canadian friend that I brought along with me, were just a creative way of getting from "A" to "B".

Our friendship had been dormant for 38 years ... nurtured by letters, Christmas cards and emails. When we came together, she brought her husband and special 'Ginger' (a Labrador/poodle mix ''pup''). I brought my Cruising Friend along with me.

We sat down as 'four' unique individuals - two of us with a history of friendship. Two others with their own connections to the 'original two'. The four of us mixed and blended throughout the course of the three days that we shared. By the end of our visit we felt the 'colors' of one friendship bleeding into the other.

My friend and I marvelled at the kinship our friendship shared with her tulips. Two small flowers brought into our visit at the onset. Two small flowers that lasted only as long as our trip to Anchorage allowed us to stay.

But underneath the soil, lie the bulbs which will endure the long, cold winter of Alaska. They will bloom once again in the spring. They have not died. They are alive and well deeply embedded in the roots where they began. Getting stronger by the year.

Our friendship has only been strengthened by this ever-so-brief visit. It feels as if we breathed life into a friendship that we both thought was pretty special before. Our friendship will endure the long, cold 'winter' between now and whenever life may give us an opportunity to meet again. The bonds of friendship which brought us together are alive and well and deeply embedded within our beings and our families where they began. It will get stronger by the year.

We mutually agreed. It was not a matter of ''all good things come to an end'' ...

What looks like an end is sometimes a beginning. We both believe something has been reborn within our bond of friendship. This visit was like a tulip that blooms brightly and brilliantly during its brief life span above the soil. But our friendship is the bulb that lies quietly beneath the soil. Growing, blending and evolving throughout its dormancy.

I will never look at a tulip without thinking of our eternal friendship.

Updates

I think I'd better take a step away from this blog before it explodes ... after all of my updates, edits and blog posts today!

I have gone back and added photo/video footage to several past blog posts. Here is a quick guide in case there is something you may want to go back and check:

A look at our stateroom; and parting photos as we sailed out of Vancouver - "A.MAZE.ING"
Elevator photos to go with "The Elevator Dance" (trust me, these are no ordinary elevators)
The scariest bug I saw in Alaska: "I Survived Ketchikan" (plus a link to the killer slugs ... newts, perhaps?)
Video of the first whale I spotted "No Scary Bugs Yet"
"Dancing With the Stripes" and Hubbard Glacier photos: "Grande Finales All Around"

That's not including the six (now seven, with this update) posts from today.

I think I'd better walk away from the computer. But hey ... I still have some photos/videos to organize ... hey wait ... I need to stay here ..... ... arghh....