Archive for the ‘Family’ Category

Sometimes I sit back and watch my kids interact with each other.

Will she share the very last cookie, just because her brother is giving her puppy dog eyes?
Even though he isn't fond of board games, will he play anyways, just because his sister wants him to?
Does she patiently explain that painstaking math problem to her frustrated younger brother?

I watch the way they speak, laugh, fight, yell, resolve and help each other.

Today...
I can see that my children genuinely like one another.
They depend on each other and enjoy their time together.
I see them run to each other with exciting news or even not-so-exciting news.
I know they have each other's backs.

This is what I see today.

I can't see into the future.

As a parent, one of the greatest gift we can ever receive is seeing the ever strengthening bonds of our children well into adulthood.

I hope they'll be the best of friends for all of time.

I hope that all the time they share together today (as children growing up in the same household, sharing rooms, chores, toys, laughs, fights, moments, memories) will create a bond so strong that nothing can break through it.
Not their future partners, life paths, geographical distance.
Nothing!

I've seen far too many siblings grow up and grow apart, never to speak to each other again.
I hope that never happens here.

I hope that they always remain the very best of friends,
that they always share in each other's accomplishments and
that they continue to be each other's rock.

It would make my heart smile.

Okay, I'm going to be honest - I'm not very comfortable with all the new media outlets.  I try to be hip and cool, but it's taking me a little while.

I do have a Facebook account and have a few friends and like to browse through their lives - but, most of the time I'm not sure what people are saying.

What's with the code???

Acronyms?

Really?  Why?

Lots of short forms representing statements and feelings!   So very challenging to read. I stop and try to figure out what it means.

So I decided to make up the top 20 list of commonly used acronyms - I credit Facebook for the enlightenment.

#20  AAMOF - As A Matter Of Fact

#19  WGBTY - Will Get Back To You

#18  AA  - not just Alcoholics Anonymous but, Adios Amigo

#17 TINWIS - That Is Not What I Said

#16 ROTFLOL - Rolling On The Floor Laughing Out Loud

#15  CMIIW - Correct Me If I'm Wrong

#14  DYJHIWTH - Don't You Just Hate It When That Happens

#13 HAGN - Have a Good Night

#12 IGGTOT - I Gotta Go To Other Things

#11 FMTEYEWTK - Far More Than Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know

#10  AIUI  - As I Understand It

#9 CSY - Can't Stop Yawning

#8  SETE - Smiling Ear To Ear

#7 SOTMG - Short Of Time Must Go

#6  TTBOMK - To The Best Of My Knowledge

#5  WDYW  What Do You Want?

#4  WAM  - Wait a Minute

#3 TYVM - Thank You Very Much

#2  WYP - What's Your Point

and the #1  TAF - That's All Folks

Hope this helps.  Let me know if you have others to add.

CU

Earlier this week, I helped a friend move out of her marital home.

She seemed happy. She said she was looking forward to the next chapter in her life. But, as I moved boxes and cleared closets, I wondered how she felt leaving behind all the memories (both good and bad) that existed between these walls.

This house was her home for over 16 years. It's where she raised her two beautiful boys with the man she believed would be with her "till death do us part". It was within these walls that she laughed, loved, fought and cried.

The time had come.
It was time to stop trying to make it work.
It was broken beyond repair.
It was time to leave the past in the past and...
It was time to move on to happier days.

Moving on is never easy. It's never pain free. It's full of hurt and anger and uncertainty. However, she learned a few things that helped make the transition a little smoother.

Communication is key. Although their relationship was strained and it was difficult to discuss important matters, it was a definite necessity.

Stay calm. Over the years, a lot resentment and anger can build up, but keeping your tone neutral can go a long way in resolving important issues - and being heard.

Schedule moving time. It's not an ideal situation when both parties move out at the same time. If possible, schedule the move on different days and make sure you give each other the time and space needed.

Learn to let go. You can't keep looking back, wondering 'what if'. You can't question everything. Armed with experience and inner strength, you can only look forward to brighter days ahead.

For her, the first night in her new home felt strange, yet it also felt right.
New memories will be made as she starts the next phase of her life.
Getting here wasn't easy...
It's still not easy, but with love and support, she'll be Ok.

That's all we really need.

"Stop growing up so fast"
"I can't daddy"
"Why? I want you to be my little girl forever"
"No daddy. I'm growing bigger everyday"

I hear this conversation on an almost weekly basis between my husband and our youngest.

Her sister was 8 and her brother 4 when she burst (OUCH) her way into the world and our family.

I clearly remember, shortly after she was born, sitting under a tree at the water park with her while the other two splashed and played. She was born in June and not wanting to keep everyone confined to the house and a schedule during the summer months, I decided right then and there that she'd be introduced to kid style summer living a little earlier than most.

She's been on fast forward ever since.

She's always been exposed to events much earlier than the other two. By the time she was 4 years old, she'd seen her first movie (18 months), flown to a sunny destination (3 years old) and attended her first concert (4 years old).

Prior to her 5th birthday, she wriggled her way out of the child seat on the back of daddy's bike and into the seat of her own two-wheeler where she's kept up (quite easily, I might add) with the rest of us on our hour long evening bike rides.

I don't have any recollection of her knowledge of any nursery rhymes. Instead we hear her singing along to Katie Perry " 'cause baby, you're a firework..." from the back of the minivan.

She gets upset if we ever tell her she's too little/young to do something and beams when she realizes that she's tall enough to stand in the pool without a floatie/old enough to go to bed at 9 instead of 8/responsible enough to brush her teeth without adult supervision.

I can't believe she'll be 7 this Saturday.

Sometimes, it feels like we totally skipped her baby days, her toddler days, her preschool days.

We're trying to savour every "little girl" moment.

But...

it isn't easy.

She's fighting us every step of the way.

It's as if she's trying to catch up to her brother and sister.

Slow down baby #3.

Please don't rush your childhood away.

We....

We miss you already.

Get out!

Not always spoken in a good way, but this time, it is!  Get out!  Enjoy the outdoors with your kids. Time to shed those socks!

Some days it's hard to spend time outdoors when there's so much to do indoors.  In my case, it's usually laundry.

But, I promised myself that every evening after work, we would all just Get out!

Did you know that June 15, 2011 is Nature Play Day in Canada?

The Child and Nature Alliance of Canada are encouraging you to Get out! For more information, and to register, go to www.natureplayday.ca

You don't have to wait until June 15th; start today.

1.  Check your local community calendar.

• You'll be surprised of the list of free events and festivals planned.

2. In your own hood.

• Create chalk masterpieces on your front sidewalk, start a game of freeze tag with the neighbourhood kids, jump rope, bike to the playground.

3. In your very own backyard.

• Have the children help you plant, water and care for your garden.
• Look for bugs - not my favourite thing to do, but my boys enjoy it.  So much, that they make food trails leading into the house!?! Like I don't have enough ants in my kitchen!

4. Water - Love it !

• Sprinklers are the best!
• Have the children help wash the car.

5. Have dinner outside.

• Picnic Table style or Blanket on the Grass style.  Food tastes better.
• Or, sleep under the stars - nap or overnight in your tent.

So, get dirty, get wet, get messy, get excited!  These are the memories your children are going to remember.

Oh my.
It's the end of May.
Already.
I'm thinking of my summer plans.
Already.
I'm envisioning sitting on a beach chair sipping pina colada's overlooking a lake somewhere.
Because it sounds lovely, right?
Because it sounds wonderfully relaxing and it pretty much sums up what I expect from my summer vacation.

I wish I could just twitch my nose (like Samantha from Bewitched) and transform myself from the here and now to the then and there.
But I'm no witch nor wizard.
I don't possess any magical powers.
I have to get busy so I can get relaxing.

And this is how I plan on doing it...

1 - Start looking now (actually, I'm a little late, the earlier the better) for your vacation destination. A few great cottage rental and camping sites I've come across are cottagesincanada.com, ontarioparks.ca and cottagelink.com.

2 - Renew your CAA membership and obtain maps from your CAA dealership. Have your vehicle serviced before you start your drive.

3 - Have each family member pack for themselves. However, I suggest taking a gander at everything before loading the car, especially those of teenage girls. I mean, how many tank tops does a girl really need?

4 - Take a look through the house before driving off. You don't want to find yourself sunbathing on your daughter's tank top because you left the beach towels in the hallway closet.

5 - Make sure you stop somewhere along the way to fuel up the bellies. The last thing you want to hear is "Mom, I'm hungry" when pulling up to that little piece of heaven on earth.

A little piece of heaven on earth

With a little organization and a plan in motion, I'll be ready.

There'll only be one thing left on my to do list.

So...

who's going to deliver my lake front pina colada?

Cheers! and happy summer planning.

You know what.

I'm tired of hearing everyone say how busy they are (myself included).

Everyone is so insanely busy that friendships are taking a backseat. It shouldn’t be this way. Our lives should never be so full that we can’t make time for family and friends.

Busy shmizy.

I want to bring the fun into busy and the active into friendships and I think I may very well have figured out a way to do it.

Ready for it...

SOFTBALL. (or soccer or volleybal or dodgeball or bowling etc. etc. etc.)

No joke.

We put a softball team together.

We called up a few family members, old friends, new friends

And voila...

Team ADRENALINE was born.

Over the past few weeks, we've been getting together to practice our mad skills (or lack thereof), which easily leads to laughs and good times. Our kids come along and play at the adjoining playground or (if they prefer) become our little "ball boys and girls" and our fans.

Go ahead. Give it a shot. I'm sure once you start, you'll be wondering what took you so long.

We're making time for family and friends and we're having fun.

Take that...BUSY.

On Thursday, I invited you to post a comment to let us know what you're most proud of mothering for a chance to win this incredibly trendy SAS handbag by Bod & Christensen.

This big, beautiful bag is made of Gucci nylon in cream with cognac trim. It features a satiny leopard lining and has lots of interior pockets for your cell phone, keys and all your goodies. It retails for $90.

And the winner is . . .

apavlovsky, who wrote:

"I try to be a good mother, but it is not always easy, lol! I work part time away from home, but when I am home I try to have some homemade goodies ready for the kidlets when they get home from school. We also have storytime. At the end of the day we snuggle in my bed and read the books they picked out for me. It helps us to stay connected. I sure hope this stage lasts a long time because I will miss our special time when they get older."

Congratulations! And a big thanks to all who entered. apavlovsky, I'll be emailing you for your address so I can send you this super-fab prize.

It's Mother's Day this Sunday.

As with past Mother's Day,
I'm sure I'll be made to stay in bed long after I really want to.
I'm sure I'll hear rumaging through the kitchen and the clattering of dishes.
I'm sure I'll be the recipient of a 1/2 cup of luke warm coffee (the other half spilled all over the tray it's being served on) accompanied by a bitten piece of burnt toast.

As the day progresses,
I'm sure I'll see misshapen made beds, soapy dishes and wrinkled clothing fresh out of the dryer.
I'm sure that if I so much as mention that I'm thirsty, I'll be witnessing a race to the kitchen followed by sulking from the one who wasn't quite fast enough to bring me my tall glass of water.

But through it all...
As predictable as this day has become to me by now, my kids never cease to amaze me. I'm always touched by all the excitement and all the effort they put into making this day a special one for me.

I cherish it, I look forward to it and I savour every last bit of it.

If your home is anything like mine, by end of day on Sunday, you'll be sitting on the couch with your feet up. You'll be enjoying a glass of wine (delivered by one of the kids, of course) and you'll be bursting at the seams with an abundance of love for your precious bunch.

The day after Mother's Day...?
Well that might very well be a whole different story,
but on this day, my day, I'm lovin' my life.

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful moms out there.

Here's a chance for you to win a beautiful prize for yourself (or to give to your favourite Mom) just in time for Mother's Day.

The incredibly trendy SAS handbags, by Bod & Christensen, range from $50-$150, but you can WIN this one for free.

This big, beautiful bag is made of Gucci nylon in cream with cognac trim. It features a satiny leopard lining and has lots of interior pockets for your cell phone, keys and all your goodies. It retails for $90.

And it could be yours! Just post a comment to let us know what you're most proud of mothering - it could be your children, a relative, or someone in your care. Not a mom? No problem. Tell us about how you're "mothering" and nurturing your business, your pet, even your garden. It's your call.

Let us know by this Sunday, May 8 (that's Mother's Day!). I'll announce the winner here on Monday, May 9.

Good luck!