Does R-O-U-T-I-N-E Spell Boring?

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Who hasn't heard of John and Kate Plus 8 these days? It’s a TV show on Discovery Channel about a married couple who has two sets of multiples. Kate is a stay at home mom who, in one episode, claims her days with her kids are “Vastly different yet shockingly the same.” It’s funny, because that’s exactly how I feel about my days with my kids and my hubby. The framework is the same every single day, but the conversations and moods are so very different- and often, the country is too. I'm sure we can all agree, the method to ensure each day is the same is by scheduling the day according to a – routine. After all, we are creatures of habit, so it’s ok to follow a schedule. Though it is most commonly said this in babies and children, I think as adults, we too can appreciate a good routine. Think about your comfort level related to activities/events where you are familiar with and know what to expect. Think about knowing expectations. As much as one can argue ‘routine is boring, repetitive, dull or tiresome’ I think it’s what keeps us going….and to those with children – it’s what keeps us SANE! I would pick 'boring and sane' over 'exciting and insane' any day, wouldn't you? (I'm sure V would disagree, as he probably thinks our situation is the latter).

That said, things tend to be a little different for us given the circumstance of my life specifically. While most people plan their days and weeks - I, on the other hand plan our days, weeks AND months (we're already thinking of New Year's people). We live in Mexico, but visit Toronto often enough where our routine gets frequently interrupted. I sometimes wonder if that’s unhealthy for my kids and if I’m doing more harm than good. My goal is to balance their lives with the best of both worlds, that includes living here yet having close contact and memories made with their loved ones in Toronto. Couldn’t that some how be integrated as part of our ‘routine’?

Speaking of routine, I don’t know how this happens, but it seems I tend to lose track of time when it comes to filling in my life on this blog.

Here’s an overview of what we’ve been up to!

December

We went to Toronto for the Christmas holidays and spent three weeks enjoying family, friends and snow! We celebrated our annual Kris Kringle with the girls, went skiing, hung out with my sis, Kris and Joey and of course my kiddos spent a lot of time with their grandparents. 

January

After celebrating my teeny tiny nephew's first birthday, we headed back to Mexico. My 33^rd birthday was fun! We went out for dinner and then to a local bar with some friends for drinks. It was the first time in three years where the room spun fast and I couldn’t remember what I had for dinner, until very late that night when it made an abrupt appearance as I huddled the toilet. Gross. What was I thinking? Nevertheless, it was a good time!

February

This was an exciting month, as I had been training since January to run a 10km race in the San Carlos Marathon on February 15^th. Though my time wasn’t exactly lightening speed (1hr 14mins) I managed to finish 10kms without falling over! Vince and I also went to Tucson for a night and did some hiking and enjoyed a night away sans-bebes!

March

My Mimi celebrated her 2^nd Birthday this month, and I was happy to have my parents and uncle visit to help commemorate her special day! They arrived Thursday March 19^th (on her actual birthday). It was nice to have family here at her piñata. I still can’t believe my little girl turned TWO! Where has the time gone? She’s two, she’s feisty, she holds her own with her bro and she loves…Loves…LOVES to play dress-up. She puts on a princess gown nearly every morning - EVERY MORNING! She loves shoes and playing with my jewelry. She also loves to paint her nails…and she’s only TWO! Can’t wait to see what’s in store!

April

Cristian had his annual spring concert on the 3^rd. It was great! He played the bunny in Alice in Wonderland and danced up a storm on stage. My parents left for Toronto on April 5^th, and soon after, I followed them for an impromptu visit myself. We spent Easter in Toronto and were there to celebrate a ton of birthdays (my dad, sister, Cec, Cath, Den) not to mention baby Larissa’s baptism. I was scheduled to fly home three weeks later, however, the Swine Flu held us back another week. So, what was meant to be a short visit turned out to be a month long holiday!

May

We returned to Mexico May 10^th and are happy to be back to the warm weather and our daily routine. Cristian returned to school the next day (as did the rest of Mexico) and all has been well since. No more flu talk, just taking extra measures to ensure we keep our hands clean at all times and avoiding contact with those who are sick. We’ve been to the ocean several times since our return and the water has been beautiful. We were there this past weekend and rented a beach house for a couple of days just to get away with the kids. C and M couldn’t be happier. They love the beach and can spend hours on end playing in the sand and collecting shells along the shore.

Cristian is now swimming by himself and Mia most recently declared her utmost hate for the ocean (not the beach, just the actual ocean) which is mind boggling considering she loved it just a few weeks ago. Maybe this is her way of getting back at me for taking away her bottle? Heck, she’s a big girl now and doesn’t need to rely on ‘a bottle’ to help her lull to a sleep. There I go, breaking habit…changing the course of her mini-routine. (If only she knew her diapers will disappear next.)

Vince has been well, busy at work and keeping things together. Our next trip to the north will be end of this month for my cousins wedding. I promised I would be there, and will definitely keep my word. Hopefully, it won’t be June-uary weather at that time and we can enjoy the sun and all the great things TO has to offer in the summer!!

So, that’s it. That’s what we’ve been up to……living life by our crazy schedule and enjoying every uninteresting, tedious, mind-numbing moment along the way... See you in a month!

"The Secret of Your Future is Hidden in Your Daily Routine"