A Crafty Mom's Blog

Easy Woodcut Art Activity

2011-01-24T21:29:00.000-05:00

My grade five class recently read the book "Riding the Tiger" by Eve Bunting. The book is a rich and powerful allegorical story of the allure of the gang. The story is beautifully illustrated with hand-carved woodcut art by illustrator David Frampton. After doing some research, I came across some simple directions to create woodcut art in the classroom using styrofoam plates.

The steps were simple to follow - the students first created a basic design on a piece of paper. Next, they drew the design onto a piece of styrofoam (cut in a square or rectangle, rounded edges removed) with a marker.

Finally, they used a pencil to colour in everything that wasn't drawn by the marker - they are supposed to press hard here, leaving the marker lines raised above the background. Those lines pick up the ink and the part colored in with pencil will not.

They then inked the styrofoam with an ink pad or other type of ink, and made sure all the lines were marked with the ink. Quickly but carefully they pressed the Styrofoam onto a piece of paper.

The end results were amazing!! The students were so proud of their work. (O.K., their teacher was too . . . )

Easy Stained Glass Paper Art for Children

2010-12-16T11:48:00.000-05:00

It has most definitely been a long time since I've blogged. I'm touched, and sometimes floored, by the number of friends, readers, and total strangers who often drop me a line to tell me how much they miss reading regular posts from me. Yes, that kind of stuff means a lot to me.

Yes, I did return to work in September and life has been more than harried and stressed since then. There's a lot to say regarding that, but I think I will save that for a separate post. For now, it's the holidays and I've missed blogging so much that I couldn't stand NOT to post a few holiday craft ideas.

I have done this stained glass paper art activity with several of my classes, and tried it at home with my 3 Things this year. It's fun, easy, and looks fabulous on dreary, cold windows this time of year.

What you will need:

Crayons

(they must be wax)

Small dish of vegetable oil

Cotton balls or cotton pads

8 1/2 by 11 plain white paper

The first step is to draw your picture or design (with the crayons) on your paper. Whatever your design is, you need to make sure that there are no white parts of the paper left visible - it should be completely covered in colour.

Coloured stripes or designs in the background work very well, and show up much better when you hang these in your window. It is best if you outline the coloured areas with a dark black crayon, creating borders and edging for the picture.

When your picture is entirely coloured, you are going to dip your cotton ball or cotton pad into the vegetable oil.

Rub the oil over your picture, until the entire paper is saturated with the oil.

When you are finished, you will have a glossy sheen all over your paper. Hang the oily paper to dry for a good 12 hours.

Last step is to hang the pictures in a window that gets lots of light.

You'll notice the oil has created a "see through" effect, making your coloured paper look like real stained glass!

These decorations are sure to add a festive, colourful, holiday touch to any classroom or home window!

Home-made crayon muffins!

2010-06-09T10:06:00.008-04:00

Do you have mounds of broken, old crayons lying around?

Do you have children? Then of course you do!!!

I was looking for something to do with all my bits and pieces of old crayons - this activity is a blast and my kids LOVED doing it.

Gather all your old pieces of crayon - unwrap them and peel the paper off. Place them all together in a bowl. The more colours you have, the better.

Then you take a sharp, large knife (make sure children are only watching at this point!) and chop all the crayons into little pieces, about 1/2 - 1 inch thick.

Place your crayon bits in a muffin tin (we used the small muffin tin). Have the kids mix up the colours and create designs as they wish.

Bake the crayon "muffins" in your oven at 350 for about 15 minutes. Let them cool for a good long time, and then place them in the freezer for half and hour - they will "pop" right out of your muffin tin for you!

Voila - you have created your own multi-coloured crayons!!! Lay out some paper and have your kids get creative . . .

These are a great idea to do for loot bags or birthday party activities as well!!

Reflecting: Part One

2010-06-07T00:00:00.001-04:00

I have been feeling a sense of upheaval and change regarding my blog lately . As many of you know, I am returning to work full-time in September, and with that date approaching quickly, I guess I don't really know what will become of my blog. It scares me, it saddens me, but I am just trying to be realistic. A full-time job with three young children is likely going to be all that I can handle. I've considered taking the blog down, but I don't feel ready to do that yet. Last night as I walked my dog through the tree-lined streets in my neighbourhood, a song popped up on my iPod's shuffle mode that really spoke to me and made me want to write this.

The Cranberries' "Zombie" blasts from the dusty and archaic black stereo speakers in their ninth floor apartment. The girls had been painting for hours - all day to be exact. The upbeat music oscillating through their veins pulsed alongside their adrenaline, keeping them going long after they should have taken a break. Empty coffee mugs and the leftover pizza they had ordered for dinner were all that were visible in their plastic-covered condo.

"It looks fantastic!" first girl exclaimed to her roommate, her eyes wide like saucers from too much coffee and an overdose of paint fumes.

"Yes, it does," second girl admitted, giggling incessantly as she scanned her own handiwork. "We could totally ditch our degrees and become painters, you know."

The pair had just completed their third year of university. Their thrifty landlord had responded to their pleas to give the apartment a new coat of paint by offering them paint at no cost. So they could paint the walls themselves. As these young ladies matured, they would see how they were "swindled" by their landlord with an unrecognizably thick French accent. But at the time, they were pleased to have completed such an onerous task, a welcome reprieve from their final exams and a brief interlude before they started their summer employment.

"I'm exhausted", second girl proclaimed. "I could lay down right here on the carpet and go to sleep."

"Maybe we should have a beer to celebrate our success?" first girl suggested.

"We don't have any beer," second girl reminded her thirsty friend.

"We could go pick some up?"

Second girl was known by her friends to occasionally resemble a stick-in-the-mud. "I'm so tired," she said. "My entire body aches, it's late, and my face and hair are coated with thick, white paint."

"So what?" first girl demanded. "What if we just threw caution to the wind, hopped in the car, and headed over to the Beer Store?"

"You only live once," first girl added, as if it were an afterthought, either as worldly advice or as back-up to persuade her friend to put her petty reservations aside and have a little fun.

"Meet you in the car!" second girl screamed, grabbing a light sweater from a hook near the front door, and dashing to the elevator to beat her roommate, like she was ten years old.

First girl had the music in her car blaring and the windows all the way down as they drove the couple of kilometres it would take them to get to the Beer Store. They belted out the lyrics to those mid-1990s songs on the radio like they owned them. They laughed as the ridiculousness of their situation set in and they began to wonder if people would mistaken them for gangsters with their painted-covered faces.

They stepped into the front doorway of the Beer Store minutes before it was closing. First girl walked up to the cashier and asked for Labatt Blue. Second girl - as if on cue - stuck her finger down her throat to convey her distaste for the prolific Upper Canadian beer.

"I'll take twelve Moosehead," she told the young man behind the cash. "Only because you don't sell Keith's in Ottawa yet."

Other customers must have been inspecting the two young, paint-stained, seemingly care-free girls arm themselves with the alcohol they would need for a night of fun. The girls paid for their beer and headed back to the small red hatchback that they had arrived in. They acknowledged a couple whistles and a hoot and holler from several college guys in the same parking lot. They waved, grinned, and hopped in the car and drove away.

To Be Continued

The Front Garden

2010-05-19T00:00:00.001-04:00

We've lived in our house for seven years now. When we bought this - our first home - we had a puppy. As we unpacked our moving boxes and started our new life, I was about eight weeks pregnant with Thing 1. Life has certainly evolved for us. Seven years later we have a beautiful (small) home, a seven-year-old dog, one six-year-old boy, one four-year-old boy, and one two-year-old little girl.

When we moved in our front garden was cedar hedge-heavy. Meaning, they were everywhere, even blocking our front window. The summer after I had Thing 1, I ripped out all the shrubs and plants from the front garden area and committed to starting from scratch. My gardening-expert mother-in-law helped me select a variety of hearty shrubs and plants that would not only look good in front of our home, but would survive deadly Ottawa winters. I planted them and was told to be patient, that in a few years things would fill in nicely and my garden would be complete.

That time, my friends, has come. I'm really happy with how this looks today. I spent a long time weeding and trimming yesterday, but it seems that the bulk of the work I've already put in has paid off. Not too much to do now other than basic maintenance. I'm hoping to add some flowers over the long weekend.

If you look very closely at the above photo, you will see that seven-year-old dog! He is a very serious watch-dog.

One of the best aspects of this garden is that the plants bloom at different times of the season, showering our front yard with a variety of vivid and deep colours just when you least expect it.

This tree started from almost nothing and is thriving today!

South Beach - The Update

2010-05-17T21:53:00.005-04:00

Why, yes, I did manage to successfully complete the first two weeks of the South Beach diet! I finished day 14 of the dreaded "Phase One" of the plan on Sunday.

And since so many of you have asked me . . . .

I lost NINE pounds in two weeks!

That takes me only nine or ten pounds away from my goal weight, which means I am halfway there. Having started Phase Two of the plan today, I am already thoroughly enjoying reintroducing some whole grains back in my diet. After two weeks of eggs, omelets and frittatas for breakfast, I found it heavenly to dip my spoon into a luscious bowl of oatmeal sprinkled with cinnamon and walnuts (followed by a bowl of strawberries!).

I am hoping to remain committed to Phase Two for as long as it takes to lose the rest of the weight. But I can already tell that this is slowly becoming a way of life for me. I truly feel fantastic. My energy level is soaring, and my mood and outlook are also reaping the benefits of my new healthy lifestyle. There is no more bloated, full feeling after eating a bunch of carbs. I feel energetic, and truly and honestly, never hungry when I am following the plan. I have reached the point where I don't crave the cookies, ice cream, chips, and other "bad" snacks anymore. I actually want to reach for something wholesome that will give me energy. My husband says he has not seen this much of a change in me since I took anxiety medication for my anxiety.

If you're looking to lose weight off your middle, or are "apple-shaped" than this is the diet for you. Unfortunately, I am "pear-shaped" and am looking to lose the extra pounds around my hips and thighs. Most of my weight did come off my torso and belly in the past fourteen days. So to combat that issue I am planning to increase my exercise this week and make sure I do at least 20 minutes of hard cardio every day, and strength training every second day.

I thought I'd summarize a few positives and negatives of my past two weeks.

PROS

1. After nearly 20 years of drinking coffee, I am now drinking coffee without sugar!
2. I can honestly say I am not craving sugar or junk food in any way.
3. I have never eaten so many healthy, organic, vegetables in my entire life. And loved them.

CONS

1. I did slip up and drink the occasional diet Coke - which I am usually against and I never consume products with aspartame in them - but hey, there was really not that much I could drink!
2. I'm wondering if I actually am measuring all this olive oil properly. Eyeballing "one tablespoon" of olive oil can be pretty dangerous, I think I consumed a lot more than I should have.
3. There is SO much preparation. It has been very hard on me to plan and cook separate meals for me and the other four members of my family. It is ridiculously time consuming. I doubt I could continue it long term, so after I lose the weight I will need to brainstorm some ways to make this work for all of us.

I'll be sure to post more results next week!

Easy Toddler Teddy Bear Craft

2010-05-12T00:00:00.003-04:00

This toddler craft is so easy, I took it in to use with the preschool liturgy class I help teach at our church. They had a blast with it!

The craft is a simple teddy bear face, and is based on circles. Great time for a lesson on shapes.

First you will need to cut out one large circle, two smaller circles for ears, and then two slightly smaller circles for the inner ear area. Cut out one small black circle for a nose.

You can use two small circles for eyes, but we happened to have some craft eyes on hand. They added a very cute touch.

* Getting the circle shapes is simple if you are an avid crafter like me - I have a variety of different shape circle shapes, and I also own a circle cutting system. So it only takes me about two seconds to get the circles ready!

Glue your smaller ear circle onto the larger piece.

Add the same to the second ear. Take both ears and glue them to the back of the big circle. Now the bear has his two ears!

Glue on your black nose circle and your two eyes.

Have your toddler then draw the bear's mouth and voila . . . your teddy bear head is complete.

We glued our faces to the back of a piece of cardstock, but you could also construct a body for the bear out of bigger circles, or glue a popsicle stick to the back of the bear's head to make it into a puppet!

2010-05-10T20:58:00.001-04:00

I can proudly proclaim that I just survived the first seven days of the South Beach di et.

If you're not familiar with the plan, the first two weeks are known as "Phase One". In that time, you cut out mostly all carbohydrates and focus on protein, "good" fats, and the lowest glycemic index carbs needed for satisfaction and blood sugar control. It is aimed at ending unhealthy cravings for sweets, baked good, and starches (unhealthy cravings? - yup, check). After 14 days you begin to reintroduce more carbohydrates into your diet.

I am not a fat person, and by most weight charts I am not overweight. I have had at least a dozen people tell me they can't tell that I have gained weight, and I guess that is a by-product of my genetic make-up and structure. I'm fairly tall, and tend to gain weight evenly, throughout my body. I carry weight well. I can easily gain or lose ten pounds and you won't be able to tell. (Not so fun when you lose the ten and a friend tells you she didn't notice!)

By the time the new year rolled around, I had gained about ten pounds since last summer. So I instituted big, lofty New Year Resolutions. Admittedly, they fell through with a resounding thud. I wasn't really into it, and I don't think I took the weight gain seriously. Fast forward to a few months later, and I had gained yet a few more pounds, taking the total up to a jaw-dropping EIGHTEEN pounds. I began to become more than a little alarmed. 90 per cent of my wardrobe wasn't fitting, and I was suddenly wearing yoga pants every day . . . and not looking so great in them.

I was one of those people who lost their baby weight from nursing. I really, truly could eat whatever I wanted and not gain weight (don't throw heavy bricks at me!). When Thing 3 weaned last summer, my metabolism took an unexpected jolt and plummeted. Suddenly a new reality set in and I was not able to eat whatever I wanted any longer. . . although I still did. And for the most part our family does eat very healthily - my issue has always been snacking. If I'm stressed or overwhelmed, out come the chips or cookies or ice cream.

It seemed simple. Summer is coming, and I refuse to buy new clothes. I am determined to fit into my summer wardrobe from last year. Most importantly I wanted to feel better, physically and emotionally. I want to have more energy, to have more even, balanced moods, and to lose that full, bloated feeling I always seem to get after filling up on carbs and high-sugar foods. I had heard great things about the South Beach diet and witnessed first hand the success my husband's cousin had on it (she looks fabulous!). I toyed with the idea before, but was always nursing or pregnant, so I knew I could never take on the task of eliminating so many carbs like that. Now seemed like the perfect time to try it.

Yes, it's hard. But not nearly as hard as I thought it would be. I've completed the first week and am into the second week of Phase One. It's been an absolutely gigantic lifestyle change for me. "Bad" carbs were a staple for me before, and usually the center of my meals. We are aggressive casserole and pasta eaters. Now I am usually eating a salad with protein for lunch, and maybe a grilled chicken breast with vegetables for supper. The snacks (there are two a day) are really filling me up, so I was surprised to find that I wasn't starving all the time. I have an abnormally large appetite - possibly because I have never been filling myself up with the proper foods in the past - and have often been known to eat more than most men sitting at the same table as me. So not being hungry or feeling that dip in my blood sugar is of crucial importance to me.

The absolute best part is I have indeed started to lose my cravings for the "bad stuff". I am feeling good - no, great - and it's affecting my whole personality. I don't feel exhausted or worn out, I feel energetic pretty much throughout the entire day. My moods aren't up and down, I'm not "tense" and "edgy" by the end of the day with the Things. I don't feel yucky or bloated, and there are no sugar crashes. Everything is more on an even keel. I haven't weighed myself yet so I don't know how much I've lost (I have committed to not weighing myself until the two weeks are over) but I can tell it is something. My face is thinner, and I can now button up a couple pairs of pants! Placing a little emphasis on my own personal self-care is doing me a world of good, I'd say.

Baby steps.

Tune in next week when I move into Phase Two and reveal my results from Phase One!

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T13:29:00.004-04:00

One of the best parts of Mother's Day for me is the hand-made art from school. Nothing warms my heart or tickles my emotions like receiving handiwork from my children.

Beautiful and thoughtful notes only sweeten the deal.

Isn't that cute? Four-year-old Thing 2 came home from school with this on Friday. I think I am supposed to be flattered that he thinks I am . . . . TWELVE? Yet not feeling so flattered over his affirmation that I love "all the foods".

Which makes me wonder if he was in cahoots with his father, who bought me these lovely rollerblades for Mother's Day. I suspect they will keep me busy and away from "all the foods"!

I used to be a big inline skater, and can still be found scooting up and down our street with the Things on my other pair of rollerblades . . . which my father purchased for me in 1996. I am most definitely looking forward to trying out this sweet, and definitely more modern, ride!

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. It's your special day, and you certainly deserve it!!

Book a Spring Mini-Session with Anna Epp Photography

2010-04-29T14:01:00.005-04:00

Anna Epp Photography, one of A Crafty Mom's sponsors, is hosting a Spring Mini-Session day on May 15th, 2010. This is a wonderful opportunity to get your family portraits done at a discount of 50% of her regular session fees in addition to 25% off your print purchase. The Mini-Sessions will be held at Andrew Hayden Park, with the opportunity to have the lovely park and the Ottawa River as your backdrop.

Head over to her blog for more information or contact Anna to book your session time. Don't delay, as there are only a limited number of spots and they are filling up fast!

A Tribute to CHEO

2010-04-23T14:16:00.005-04:00

I've been putting off writing this post for some time now.

A week, to be exact.

I'm not sure what's made it seem so difficult, but I just couldn't gather the energy to put together my thoughts and get them all out.

Some of you who follow me on Twitter will know that I spent much of last week at CHEO (the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario) with a very sick Thing 1. It was an experience that truly touched me, and left its mark on me. Often certain events and circumstances in our lives affect us in ways that we are not expecting - surprising us and taking us aback in an unprecedented manner - and we are left at the event's conclusion searching for answers to a plethora of questions.

On Easter weekend Thing 1 seemed a little "under the weather". He had no clear or strong symptoms, but he was extremely lethargic (so entirely unlike him, if you know him at all), run down, and not eating. Here and there he had a low grade fever, but in general I felt like the situation was not dire. His general malaise stuck with him for the next ten days, until finally we noticed a slight bit of redness near his left eye. Over the course of roughly 48 hours, the eye area became more red, swollen, and eventually painful to touch. He complained of light sensitivity. I marched him in to our family doctor immediately.

He was incredibly miserable by the time we arrived at our doctor's office. As a matter of fact, I carried him from the van up to her fifth floor office. When he failed to read his eye test perfectly in the infected eye, our doctor directed us straight to CHEO. She handed us a letter that would supposedly gain us quick entrance and short wait time.

Time is relative at a children's hospital.

Although we were immediately classified as "priority" at the Emergency Room, that didn't seem to solidify our one-way ticket to meet with one of the white-coated docs. After many hours, we did see a first year medical student, who suggested Thing 1 looked "fine" and felt that we would be okay to go home. His supervisor (thankfully an actual medical doctor) diagnosed him with orbital cellulitis. X-ray results showed that he did have sinusitis and an assortment of infected tissue around his eye. The poor kid's white blood cell counts were through the roof, and thus he was admitted immediately and given intravenous antibiotics and fluids (he was slightly dehydrated).

We were in the hospital for four days, and he was released a week ago today. He reacted well to the antibiotics, and the swelling started to improve within 24 hours. Extensive tests with ophthalmology showed no damage to his eye, the eye tissue, or any problems with his vision or optical mobility. We saw flocks of wonderful, dedicated, and talented young doctors who treated both my son and I with compassion, respect, and patience. And the nurses? Really deserve their own post. The nurses at CHEO are special, fantastic, and unique people. They took superb care of us - and I mean both Thing 1 and I.

I was unaware preceding this visit that parents are allowed to stay with their sick children 24/7. It was possible for me to never leave his side. A large chair beside each bed folds down into a cot for sleeping, meals are delivered to the rooms for parents at a fraction of the cost you would pay for decent food anywhere else, and there are showers and other amenities to make moms and dads alike comfortable. The nurses carefully explained every detail of what there were doing to both he and I - they were gentle, caring, patient, loving - and provided answers to every single one of our questions.

There are volunteers and staff on hand to entertain the children and provide activities for them. After chatting with Thing 1 for several minutes, a staff member returned with a box full of markers, stickers, glue, and paper, play-doh and cutting tools, books, and a Scooby-Doo movie and DVD player. These workers are clearly bringing their A game to work for every single shift. The thanks I'd like to extend to them is broad.

So Thing 1 got better. He was released. We came home. We are thankful. We are blessed. And so the story supposedly ends.

Except it doesn't.

One common theme from every conversation I have had with parents who have stayed at CHEO with a sick child is how difficult it is to recover from the "other" sick children.

The teeny tiny sick babies. Full of tubes, on intravenous, attached to machines to keep them alive. The children injured from car accidents or other horrifying events, in pain, disfigured, burned. The cancer patients. Children who have spent much of their short little lives inside the confining walls of this special little haven for small people. Some who will never leave.

I expected last weekend to be joyous. We celebrated Thing 1's return home from CHEO with a special dinner of his choosing. Things 2 and 3 were flabbergasted with excitement at seeing their older brother again. Yet for days I found it difficult to focus. I forced myself to smile on the outside and not show my healthy, vibrant children the darkness and pain I felt on the inside.

A week later I am still recovering. The best I can come up with is to find some way to give back to CHEO. Maybe I will make a donation. Perhaps I will volunteer my own time. I'd like to make some crafts and send them in. In the meantime, I'm overflowing with love for my children, and am thankful for their health and well-being.

I refuse to take it for granted.

Family Makes the World Go Round

2010-04-12T00:00:00.002-04:00

When I was in my late teens, I moved from a small fishing village in Nova Scotia to the big, bustling city of Ottawa, the capital of Canada. I left home to go to Carleton University to follow my dream of becoming a journalist. (Yeah, and now I am a teacher, go figure.)

As I approached my graduation from Carleton, I met a boy who had grown up and still lived in Ottawa. We ended up getting married and the fact that we both found steady employment in the nation's capital seemed like a good reason for us to stay here.

Years later, I still find it hard to be so far away from my family. I can't see my relatives any time I like, I can't pop over for a coffee and chat, and I can't even hit them up for free babysitting. This means that the time we do spend together is appreciated that much more.

I was fortunate enough to have a visit last week from my sister, her husband, and their two bubbly and remarkably gorgeous children. All together their ages are 1 (although nearly two), 2, 3, 4 and 6. We had a fantastic visit and it was nice to see my sister and brother-in-law and hang out. The kids love playing together so much, we always wish their time together was longer.

Thing 3 with her older cousin. The two gals in the group.

Makin' pizza the old fashion way . . . from scratch. Was enjoyed by one and all.

And to finish the meal, my nephew polishing off an ice cream sundae we made.

After eating it's time to get washed up. Hmmmm. . .Thing 3 is noticeably paler than the others.

What says "cute" more than five cousins cuddled up in their PJs?

The Honest Scrap Award

2010-04-08T19:45:00.004-04:00

The lovely Lisa from the newly re-named "Forever In Mom Genes" awarded me the Honest Scrap Award. I should be upfront and come clean about the fact that I am horrible about gracefully accepting awards and participating in memes. Usually I nod and smile and then forget to post them and never pass them on to anyone else. I felt it was time I broke that bad habit.

You can read Lisa's blog at www.foreverinmomgenes.com or find her blogging for the Yummy Mummy Club here. She is intelligent, witty, funny, and most importantly, honest and real. Hard to ask for better qualities than that, isn't it?

The Honest Scrap Award Rules say that I must:

1. Brag about the award.
2. Include the name of the blogger who gave you the award and link back to that blogger.
3. Choose a selection of blogs that you find brilliant in honest content.
4. Show their names and links and leave a comment informing them that they were prized with this award.
5. List at least ten honest things about yourself.

Hmmm, ten honest things about me?

1. I am related to Anne Murray.
2. I can touch my nose with my tongue.
3. I lie about my age all the time.
4. My dog Rudy is named after the football movie. If he had been a girl, however, he would have been Ruby.
5. I played touch football for a long time.
6. I went to a Green Day concert nine months pregnant. It was awesome.
7. I saw the Watchmen last concert when I was seven months pregnant.
8. I gave birth to all three of my children at home. They were the best experiences of my life.
9. I have caught my daughter eating dog food and stopped to go get my camera to take a picture before I took the dog food out of her mouth. It is ridiculously expensive, organic dog food - how bad can it be?
10. If it kills me, I am going to have a book published before I die.

And to continue on in the Honest Scrap tradition, I would like to pass this prestigious award onto the following bloggers:

Beach Mama from Life is Good at the Beach
Capital Mom from Capital Mom
Lynn from Diary of a TurtleHead
Julie from Thoughts of a Smother Mother

Well Worth Waiting For

2010-04-05T19:59:00.000-04:00

In anticipation of my graduation from six years of carrying a diaper bag to, well, not carrying one anymore, I decided to splurge on a new bag. I finally established that for my birthday in February I would get the PERFECT bag.

You know the one I mean. Your favourite bag. The "go-to bag". The one you grab first, the one that makes you feel . . . whole again. And it holds everything and anything. It seems to fit exactly what you need, nothing more, and nothing less. I searched for months and months before I found the one I was looking for.

The bag needed to be big enough to stick a sippy cup or stuffed animal in, yet small enough that I could comfortably carry it anywhere. It needed to be fashionable (read: not ugly) yet not high fashion (because I am simply not that kind of girl).

The deal breaker? I hoped it could double as a shoulder bag *and* a backpack. But not a hideous one. I have a big MEC backpack that I carry with me on major outings, day trips, and hikes. The bag I was looking for would be for daily use, running around with the three Things, stopping for the afternoon at the museum, shlepping down the street and around the block. I yearned for the ability to quickly transform my bag into a backpack so that I could have my hands free immediately if the need arose.

And it arises. Frequently. If you have one, or two, or three Things you know exactly what I am talking about.

One afternoon in early February I finally found my dream bag on etsy. The crafter from whom I bought it is MimsMaine and her custom bags are absolutely phenomenal. I had no idea how much I would love this bag until I received it in the mail last week (each bag is custom made, so you need to allow 4-6 weeks for delivery). The detail and workmanship is beyond anything you would see on a runway in Paris - it is stunning and superb. And, no, I am not being compensated in any way for this post, I am legitimately just writing it because I am obsessively in love with this bag.

It is simple and easy to transform into a backpack, it literally takes about 15 seconds, and, voila, your hands are free.
I absolutely adored this patterned fabric, but she has dozens and dozens from which to choose.

I think this was the perfect graduation present . . . don't you?

Do you have the perfect bag? What do you love about it? Or are you still searching for the elusive "perfect bag"?

Holiday Weekend

2010-04-04T20:31:00.006-04:00

We had an absolutely beautiful Easter weekend here in Ottawa. Temperatures reaching the upper 20s in the first few days of April. Sunscreen being deployed. Sunhats donned. Smiles and joy on the docket as the hustle and bustle of regular life took a back seat to just chilling out and enjoying each others company.

I find I have so little stress and anxiety on long holiday weekends, it makes me think that perhaps we should lobby to have a few more thrown in annually for good measure.

Since a couple of us were slightly under the weather this weekend, we decided to opt out of some of our bigger plans of heading downtown, fighting the line-ups at the Experimental Farm, or hitting one of the capital's national museums and just lay low around the 'hood.

It was the best decision we've made in a long time. Here's a quick glimpse.

If Thing 3 in her Easter dress can't plaster a smile on your face, I doubt anything will.

I plan on showing this photo of Things 1 and 2 together to anyone who gives me the stereotypical "what were you thinking having them 18 months apart?" third degree. And, yes, I get that a lot.

The three Things. United in their solidarity.

The beauty of a little sister who looks up to her oldest brother is unimaginable.

My three Things - filling my heart with a joy I never could have believed possible.

April Fools

2010-04-01T21:32:00.005-04:00

The following is a guest post from a very talented and inspiring blogger. Please read her insightful and very serious reflection on April Fools from years past.

April Fools

I have a deep distrust of April Fools Day. I worry that the joke is always going to be on me.

Maybe it isn't true. Maybe my memory is playing tricks of time on me. Maybe it was the day before or the day after or even the next week. What I remember was that it was April 1st.

April 1st

I stood in front of the bathroom mirror taking my time adjusting my side ponytail like only a girl in grade six can. When I was satisfied I went downstairs and joined my parents and sister at the kitchen table. I think we eating pancakes. It was breakfast. Or maybe brunch. Maybe there wasn't even any food at all.

But the four of us were sitting there. And then the earth titled.

There was crying and yelling and tears and sadness. One of us left. Three remained.

Two years later

My mother, sister and I were heading downtown on the bus. I was sent ahead to by bus tickets from the corner store. Coming out the door, I saw them waiting for me on the other side of the street. The light changed green and I tore across the intersection to meet them.

A car coming from my left decided to keep driving. It ran a red light and into me.

I hit the hood. I rolled up onto the car and then flew fifteen feet in the air, landing on my back. Somehow, most likely the puffy ski jacket I was wearing that day, I manged to walk away. I was fine. Except for some bruises and a broken spirit.

April fools

I am cautious on April 1st. Ready for the worst. Ready for it to be over.

Graduation

2010-03-31T00:00:00.000-04:00

I'm not a very emotional person when it comes to my children's milestone achievements.

Unlike many, I didn't get all that weepy when I finished nursing my last child (although I thoroughly enjoyed nursing all three Things).

When holding a newborn and friends or family members ask me,

"Doesn't that make you want another one?"

The answer is always a resounding, "NO".

When, as babies, the three Things spoke their first words, took their first steps, peed on the potty for the first time, and got their first haircuts, I was not a hormonal wreck. I didn't cry or get nostalgic, I simply felt proud and was confident that things happen for a reason and all these goals were being reached, not to lament the loss of something in the past but to reach for future achievements and celebrate the inevitable.

And although I'm fighting this one, I think I possibly noticed a glimmer of something wet and shiny in the corner of my eye the other day when I disassembled this:

And placed two-year-old Thing 2 in her new big girl bed for the first time.

She handled the whole situation with grace and dignity, as she always does. She's slept in her bed two nights in a row and hasn't once gotten out to explore the new accessible world around her. I suspected she was ready to move into the bed a couple months ago . . . when she began climbing in and out of her crib with no problems.

So, there we have it friends. The crib that hosted all three Things for some crucially important months of sleep is no more. There are really no more "babies" around here and I am the mother to three little people who sleep in beds.

Bicycle Helmet Safety

2010-03-29T08:31:00.002-04:00

March's mild temperatures and beautiful spring-like weather have opened garage doors across the Capital. Adults and children alike have pumped up their tires, greased up their chains, donned biking attire and hit the open road.

What am I missing? Oh, right. BICYCLE HELMETS.

I am appalled at the number of Ottawa cyclers who do not wear helmets. It truly disgusts me. It is becoming a daily occurrence for me to deal with the following conversation:

"MOMMY!! That man is not wearing a bike helmet!" Thing 1 belts out at the top of his lungs.

"That is SO dangerous, mommy, he could really get hurt and could injure himself and do damage to his head," he adds.

Mental note - kid is actually taking in some of the information I throw at him.

"WHY isn't he wearing a helmet, mommy?" Thing 2 chimes in.

Pause. Deep breath.

"He should be wearing a helmet, shouldn't he?" I proclaim. "Sometimes grown-ups don't make the best decisions, and I think that not wearing a helmet was a poor decision for this man to make."

I struggle to remain diplomatic when what I really want to explain to my three children is that this man, and other adults like him who don't wear helmets, is a #$@*&% jerk who should know better. Who should wear a helmet for his own personal safety and well-being, as well as to be a role model for younger generations also hopping on their bikes and taking to the national capital's roads and streets.

The situation worsens as we see a young girl about eight years old at our neighbourhood park, riding down the bike path helmet-less.

"That girl should be wearing a helmet!!" the three Things exclaim in unison.

"Yes, she should," I tell them. "It is not safe for her to be riding her bike at the park without a helmet."

And since an adult - who I assumed was her father - was within ten metres of her I decided to toss some of the responsibility his way.

"It is also important that a parent checks your helmet for proper fit and makes sure it is on correctly," I add. "A parent or guardian should be making sure that little girl has a helmet to wear."

I work hard to instill in my three Things a sense of safety, a desire and responsibility in them to be careful, play safe, and to follow the rules. I don't appreciate when other members of society decide to throw caution to the wind and make their own decisions about safety. Every time you don't wear a helmet - and my children see you - you are causing them to question the reasons I ensure they wear a helmet every time they ride their bikes, use their skateboards, or jump on their scooters.

It is the law for anyone in Ottawa under the age of eighteen to wear a helmet. Accidents happen all the time, and absolutely no one is exempt from this. I remember with sadness the untimely death of Carl Gillis in 1996. Carl was a popular and well-known leader of Carleton University's student council when I was a student there in the mid nineties. He was athletic, smart, and well-liked. He was a fellow Nova Scotian and I looked up to him as a leader and role model. While roller-blading along Dow's Lake in 1996, he fell backwards on a bump in the path, hit his head, and subsequently died. You can read more on a bill that was proposed to make helmets mandatory for adults and on Carl's death here.

I think what this taught me was that this can happen to anyone. If it could happen to Carl, then it could happen to me. It may not be your fault if another cyclist or rollerblader swerves and hits you, but the potential most certainly exists for you to fall, and hit your head. Head injuries are not pretty (as a teacher and past skating coach, I have seen many), and they can create long-term brain damage, or in the worst scenario, death.

Please wear a bike helmet. Please ensure it fits properly. Wear it all the time. Set a good example for the children in your neighbourhood, and all across Canada, by being a responsible cycler.

hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator Blog Tour

2010-03-27T20:27:00.000-04:00

I don't usually participate in blog tours or promote products on my blog, mostly because I rarely come across a product I really love enough to discuss it openly here.

However . . . I am making an exception this time.

Having encountered the "baby years" with a grand total of three children, you can imagine how many times the dreaded cold has made itself comfortable in our home. No matter how careful I was, or what heroic steps I took, all three of my Things managed to succumb to colds and stuffy noses when they were infants. If you're a parent, you can undoubtedly relate.

There's no feeling like the panic of waking up in the middle of the night wondering if your baby can breathe properly, or listening to her struggle to get any into her tiny windpipe. The experienced developers at hydraSense® have designed a new product that provides quick and effective relief from a baby’s nasal congestion and helps avoid excessive crying and poor sleeping. Which is a huge benefit to mom *and* baby.

The hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator is a gentle and safe way to relieve baby’s nasal congestion quickly and effectively. The aspirator is easy to use and allows you to control how much suction is being used to remove mucus. The nasal tip is gently placed in your baby's nose, and then you inhale through the mouthpiece to draw out the mucus. I'll admit, it did sound a bit "gross" to me at first, but my curiosity got the best of me and I had to give it a try. It's truly easy to use. My daughter is two and I tried the Nasal Aspirator on her and it worked fabulously . . . until she yanked it out of her nose. It does say clearly on the box that it is for newborns and infants, and I am sure it works much better on younger babies!

If you don't believe me, check out this youtube link and see the Nasal Aspirator in action. Pretty cool.

As a chronic worrier, I would be filled with angst and frustration when my daughter had stuffy noses as a baby. With two older brothers in school picking up germs everywhere and bringing them home, she was often sick when she was an infant. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't sleep, and the bulb nasal aspirator we had at home never worked (although once Things 1 and 2 realized they could squirt water with it, it worked as an excellent water gun). I couldn't do anything to clear her nasal passageway and would basically sit up for hours every night holding her tiny head upright so she could get in as much air as possible.

Another product with which I was quite pleased was the hydraSense® Easydose®, which enables you to liquefy mucus prior to aspiration. It is a nasal solution composed of isotonic, undiluted, sterile, 100% natural-source desalinated seawater. It contains more than 70 trace elements and minerals naturally occurring in seawater and is preservative-free. The small doses allow you to put a couple drops of the solution in your child's nose - and this product is for older children too, so it worked well for four-year-old Thing 2 and six-year-old Thing 1.

My husband's cousin introduced me to the world of the neti pot last summer when I was suffering from allergies, and it really changed my way of thinking about noses and nasal care in general. I love the neti pot and use it often, so I was thrilled to find a similar nasal solution that was easy to use for my children.

For those interested, click here by April 10, 2010 to sign up for the Dolphins Club and download a coupon. Enter the code MC2010 under the online coupons tab, in order to get an $8 off coupon to be used towards the purchase of the hydraSense® Nasal Aspirator (Coupon itself expires December 31, 2010).

"I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central and received a Mom Central gift pack to thank me for taking the time to participate."

Cleared the First Hurdle

2010-03-26T11:29:00.008-04:00

I turned off the van and rotated my keys to release them from the ignition. I opened the door and stepped out and squinted in the bright morning sunshine, suddenly jolted awake by a crisp, cold March breeze. I shoved the keys in my jacket pocket and stood in the parking lot for a solid thirty seconds.

I walked.

I opened the huge doors to this large, mammoth building and cautiously granted myself permission to move inside.

People were busy working, some moving around from room to room, some walking down hallways and entering doorways. I nonchalantly stepped over to the sign marked "Reception". A woman in her fifties sat busily typing at her computer, oblivious to the bundle of nerves and hormones standing in front of her.

I shuffled my papers around to make some noise. She looked up. She made eye contact and gave me that once-over that seemed to demand, "what do you want?". I cleared my throat.

"I'd like to drop some paperwork off for HR," I somehow managed to blurt out.

I wasn't sure how I had summoned the courage to speak.

"There is a mailbox in the Client Services room. You can put it in there."

"Where is the Client Services room?" I heard myself asking, even though I knew very well where it was and had been there dozens of times in the past.

She pointed.

I took a deep breath which I hoped would provide me with enough emotional fuel to make it across the spacious foyer to the other side of the building. A couple of women dressed in appropriate work attire walked past me, their high heels clicking rhythmically across the unyielding, cold floor. I glimpsed my own white, scuffed Skechers and somehow felt inadequate. I felt hundreds of eyes on me as I squeak, squeak, squeaked my way to the Client Services room.

Hmmm, I thought. There was no one there to "serve" me. I immediately found the mail box labeled "Human Resources" and moved closer to it. I paused. I breathed. My heart began to beat quickly and my hands started to tremble ever-so-slightly. Anxiety. A feeling with which I am very familiar.

I yearned for somebody - anybody - to reach out to me. I ached for some lone School Board employee to place a gentle and reassuring hand on my shoulder and comfort me, to let me know that everything was going to be all right. To tell me they'd been in my position at some point, and that things turned out fine for their family, that everyone adjusted and was happy and healthy. As I began to feel I was drowning in my own narcissism, I stepped forward and did what I had come there to do.

I dropped my paperwork through the mail slot. It hit the bottom of the box with a resounding thud. I stared. I contemplated sticking my own hand through the 2 cm slot and pulling the envelope back out, or running back to Reception to beg the middle-aged receptionist who'd seemingly had no compassion for my emotional state to open the box so I could retrieve my paperwork. I would tell her I'd made a huge mistake, that I shouldn't have checked off the "returning to work" box at all. That I had meant to check off "resign" but in a moment of weakness had decided to go back to work after all.

Instead I just stood there for a few minutes. Incredulous that no one else entered the Client Services room while I was there, I took my time and gained my composure. I took deep breaths and walked out of the building, just as I had entered. I walked back to my van, I opened the door and sunk into the driver's side seat.

I placed the key in the ignition and I turned it gently clockwise, listening to the roar of my starting engine as I backed out of my parking spot.

Steering His Own Path

2010-03-21T20:42:00.000-04:00

A warm, spring-like breeze whipped across my face as I crooked my neck to turn around and see what all the commotion was about.

"DADDY'S COMIN' " Thing 3 screamed at the top of her very tiny, but surprisingly loud, two-year-old lungs. This was her regular 5:00 p.m. ritual. To ensure that everyone in a 500 yard radius knew that her father was returning home from work for the day.

I could see my husband's silhouette walking toward us in the western sunlight. (Western meaning he was coming from the west, not that we live in the west. Because we don't. We live in Eastern Ontario.)

I held my breath for a moment as I watched Thing 2 glance down the street and see his father walking toward him, halfway down the block. He looked at me, for encouragement, for direction, waiting for me to guide him and tell him what to do.

"You can do it," I said softly. I nodded, my non-verbal cue for him to give it a go.

He pushed several times with the tip of his left brown, velcroed, Geox sneaker and then ever-so-cautiously jerked that left foot onto the black, rectangular bike pedal. The bright green bike's handlebars wobbled like a Weeble for a brief second, and then my boy's strong, firm, four-year-old arms steadied them. His tiny legs began to pedal and he drifted down our crescent only looking up to meet his dad's face as it practically exploded with pride.

Things 1 and 3 sprinted down the street behind their two-wheelin' brother as fast as they could. My heart was melting, which somehow made their screams of "HE DID IT!!" and "WE LOVE YOU AND ARE SO PROUD OF YOU" somewhat inaudible.

His father's hug and approval and encouragement made the hours we had spent that afternoon, falling off the bike, getting back on the bike, kicking the bike, screaming at the bike . . . unequivocally and completely worth it.

You all know that I worry about Thing 2 because he is the middle child. And it's for that reason that I really revel in the little glories and successes my little man encounters. Like riding a two-wheeler bike, on his own, with no training wheels, at four-and-a-half years old. At an earlier age than his older brother had.

Yup, that's my boy.

A Crafty Mom Stamps

2010-03-18T10:22:00.003-04:00

You may notice a new button on the right sidebar of my blog - I have finally launched my stamping blog, A Crafty Mom Stamps. I had a fabulous Ottawa blogger do my header for me and I really love it - so I'm sending a big thank you out to Lynn from Diary of a Turtle Head. It suits me perfectly and is exactly what I was looking for.

I will be posting my stamping information, workshops, and cards on that site now in order to keep my business stuff separate from A Crafty Mom's Blog. I'd love it if you would take a look!

Guess What I Did Yesterday?

2010-03-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Nothing says spring like the fresh, airy scent of crisp sheets on your bed that have been dried in the breeze outside. I feel somehow better rested having slept on sheets dried in my own backyard. And while spring doesn't actually arrive for a few more days, the 3 Things and I couldn't help but soak up the beauty of the warmth and sunshine that made itself home in Ottawa over the past week or so.

Bikes, skateboards, scooters, and skinned knees are here - hopefully to stay - and I'd say everyone's mood has lifted, emerging from the dullness and dreariness that comes from February weather in the nation's capital.

Bring it on.

Those Life-Altering Moments

2010-03-15T20:31:00.000-04:00

I wrote the following post as my entry to Mabel’s Labels BlogHer ‘10 Contest. The contest requires that entrants write a blog post in response to the following hypothetical situation:

Electrical storms are going to wipe out the Internet (perhaps forever). You have one day left to write about your passions: what do you want to say to the blogosphere in 300 words or less?

The stench of dirt and sweat and summertime-induced grime overwhelmed me as I leaned forward to give the little girl a hug. Story time was over. I tucked her in.

Her huge, magnificent, brown eyes met mine and as our glances connected, she whispered.

"Sometimes my daddy touches me," she confided.

The rest spewed out like foul vomit. I wanted her to stop. I didn't want to to hear this. I peered around the dark, musty cabin to see if any of the other girls were awake, but it appeared that they had all successfully drifted off.

I wasn't even a counselor, I was a C.I.T. - a counselor-in-training. What did I know? I certainly didn't know how to deal with this . . . and yet I summoned some surreptitious inner strength and held the girl tight and told her I was sorry and that it was going to be okay.

Was this even the truth, I wondered?

I knew from my training what came next. I spoke to the camp staff, relayed the story, and watched like a bystander as they contacted Children Services. To this day, I don't know what happened to her. Perhaps she was removed from her home, assigned to foster custody, or placed with another family member.

Yet, I think of her often. I wonder where she is, and how she is doing as a grown woman. After all, she was seven at the time and I was sixteen, so she is only nine years my junior. If I could see her, I would thank her. Thank her for confiding in me, for trusting me, and for igniting in me a passion that would manifest itself for years to come. An appreciation of children, a desire to coach, to teach, to love, and to strive to make the world a better place.

Thing 1 Turns Six Years Old

2010-03-13T09:32:00.001-05:00

My oldest son, Thing 1, turned six years old yesterday.

I know how cliche this sounds, but where did the time go????

Thing 1, you have informed me that age six is officially the age one becomes a "big boy". Although you are slight in both frame and stature, I will definitely concede that you are my big boy. You are taller now and so many of your pants are quickly making their way up your shin bone. You are the big brother, willingly stepping in as a sibling role model for both Things 2 and 3.

And they both adore you. They look up to you. They emulate you. You are their whole world - and I know it won't always be like this for they will grow and get older and new people will enter their worlds - but for now they are completely content to "do what you do", and to spend as much time with you as possible. While you are sometimes less patient with your brother, it seems your sister has captured your heart for life. You always take her hand when walking down the street, pick up a discarded "baby" she has lost, and explain to her the ins and outs of any and all rules of our home. You tell the world emphatically, everywhere we go, "this is my little sister!".

It seems as you embark on boyhood you are leaving all remnants of being a little kid behind you. You are an expert bike rider now and you love to zoom up and down our street as fast you can - you have even started "off-road" biking and instilling fear in me every time you shout, "look mom, no hands!". After much wearing me down, I caved in and bought you a skateboard for your birthday. You are enthralled with skateboards, and snowboards for that matter. And no matter how mature you may be as you scoot down the street on your new skateboard, I personally think you look absolutely adorable in your new helmet, knee, and elbow pads.

You completed another year of skating lessons this year and were one of the best in your class. You played lots of hockey at the outdoor rink with Daddy this winter, and have informed us you are indeed ready for us to sign you up for hockey in the fall. You also completed your first round of swimming lessons in December, and are nearly swimming by yourself now. You love the water and could spend hours jumping in, splashing, and swimming around. We have enrolled you in T-ball for the spring, as it was your favourite sport last summer.

Like your mother, patience is not your strong suit. But I am in awe watching you mature this year and learn to spend more and more time on tasks like reading and writing. You're getting a fair amount of homework in Senior Kindergarten this year, and for the most part we are able to complete it with ease. You have blossomed into a real social butterfly, and have both a group of friends at school and in our neighbourhood. You are sensitive and passionate and creative, other traits of your also-Pisces-born mother. You are able to look at things and see what others do not. You are always the child to find a use for a toy that has never been attempted before. You create the games, and like to assign roles to others. While you enjoy television and video games at times, you are happiest running free and playing a game of your own creation. I have come to enjoy our afternoon board game championships, and will cherish these times for years to come.

In some ways you are a predictable six-year-old. You love Pokemon, Lego, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, GI Joe, sports, and jokes about poop. In other ways you are wise beyond your years, sharing a keen understanding of the world and how it works, the intricacies of relationships, and the importance of love and kindness.

I simply couldn't be more proud.

Happy Sixth Birthday, Thing 1. Thank you for making every single day spectacular for me.

Guest Post at Coffees and Commutes

2010-03-11T16:41:00.004-05:00

I wrote a post for my friend Christine, at her fabulous blog, Coffees and Commutes.

It's all about my decision to go back to work.

Now, go take a look, you won't regret it!

Muriel

2010-03-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Ten years ago today, March 11, my grandmother passed away.

She died of cancer, although her lifelong struggle had been with arthritis. She was absolutely one of the most fabulous human beings I have ever known, and will ever have the pleasure of knowing.

She grew up with two brothers, which is probably why she was as tough as nails. She never, ever, complained when she was sick or in pain. She took several knee replacement surgeries like others might handle a bad cold, and she was up walking on her crutches much sooner than any doctor could have predicted.

She gave gave new meaning to the words "comfort food" and always had a hot, steaming meal waiting on the table as you walked in her back door. Holidays are full of memories of hot milk cake, JB squares, Jam-Jam cookies and her ridiculously crunchy chocolate chip cookies. You never walked away from there hungry. When I worked away at a summer camp for several years, I looked forward to packages from her because I knew I would get a reprieve from hideous dining hall food for a few days. Even when I went away to university she never sent me on my way back to Ottawa without boxes full of goodies to take with me. I would beat my roommates off with a stick to keep them away from her home-baked treasures.

I remember when I was a young girl, my grandmother got her driver's license, and then purchased her very first car. It was an orange-yellowish mini and my very tall grandmother drove around town proudly in that little car, with the top of her dark brown hair just grazing the ceiling of the car. She would drive my sister and I around in the backseat while we giggled and laughed and had the time of our lives.

My grandmother was an extraordinary penpal. As I got older and moved away from home to live in Ottawa we wrote to each other on a regular basis. I looked forward to her letters with a girlish anticipation. She would share with me her small town gossip, stories about her dog (or my parents' crazy furniture-chewing-Airedale), updates about family members, and then would always end her note by reminding me what a wonderful person I was . . . and to not "work too hard".

Occasionally when I came home to visit she would take me out for my favourite East Coast meal - clams and chips. We would laugh and chat and comment about what other people were wearing and who was dating who and who was getting married and who was getting divorced. While the waitress wasn't looking, Nan would slip whatever food was leftover on her plate into her purse, so that she wouldn't offend the cook or anyone who worked there.

She never complained.

She taught me how to love others unconditionally. She taught me the true meaning of faith, and of courage. She taught me to laugh when times get tough, and she taught me to hold my head up high and to take on the world like I owned it. That cold March ten years ago was a very pivotal time in my life. You see, my grandmother was sick. My wedding was four months away. And unbenownst to the rest of my family at that time, I had just been accepted into the Faculty of Education at the University of Ottawa and was planning on quitting my job in marketing and public relations to pursue my passion to become a teacher.

In the hours before she died, I whispered in my grandmother's ear and told her my plan. It was not the right time to tell the rest of the family that I would be quitting an excellent and high-paying job to go back to school. But I told my grandmother, because I wanted her to know before she died that I had learned from her that I could become all that I wanted to.

And, today, I am a teacher.

Although she met my fiance several times, I will always feel a sadness that she did not get to meet my three Things. As I raise them I make sure to pass on the things that she taught me - to show them the beauty in places that so many are not willing to look. And on some Sundays as I sit through mass, I look around and sense that I can almost feel her presence there, watching over all of us.

It's been ten years, Nan, and you are dearly missed and always remembered.

Ten Years Ago

2010-03-09T10:00:00.001-05:00

She had just arrived home from work on Friday night when she received the call. Her fiance was away in California on business.

Her parents had been out of town at a conference in San Diego and had cut their trip short and returned to Nova Scotia on the advice of their family doctor. Her grandmother was back in the hospital, and things weren't looking promising.

"It's hard to say how long she has." The young woman's mother spoke calmly and evenly, although there was a hint of emotion in her voice.

"It's up to you when you come," her mother offered.

She made her decision in haste although knew deep in her gut - make that within her whole entire being - that it was the right one. She would leave immediately.

A couple hours later she was on a plane headed for Halifax. She would arrive in the wee hours of Saturday morning and would be picked up at the airport by her sister.

While on the plane the young woman had time to think, to ponder her emotions and begin the process of coming to terms with the immediacy of the situation confronting her. She wondered if her grandmother had made a mistake having such invasive surgery done in December. Had it made the cancer worse? Was she weaker now, powerless to fight off this horrendous disease that had started to overcome her?

Relief set in as she relaxed back into the comfy seat in the car on the two hour drive back to her parents' house. She felt oddly comforted by her close proximity to her sister - the fact that she was sitting next to her and sensing that she, too, was surely undergoing the same roller coaster of emotions.

After only several hours sleep, she awoke. Her head felt groggy from lack of sleep and her heart felt heavy and burdened with worry. She wanted to get to the hospital as soon as she could. The family ate breakfast and then traveled together by car to the small coastal town that had been home for so many years.

Even after being sufficiently warned, the young woman was not prepared for the sight that she witnessed as she entered her grandmother's hospital room. She was experiencing sensory overload - seeing her Nan so frail and tiny, so sick-looking and ill . . . the smells of starched sheets and antiseptic and antibacterial cleaning products . . . the sounds of gurneys and wheels turning and doors closing and metal clanging and water running.

She sucked in every tear as hard as she could, and bit her tongue to the point that it almost bled so that her grandmother would not see her cry. As she held her hand, the older woman opened her eyes and very briefly registered a flicker of recognition.

"Shannon's here . . . " she slurred, her voice drifting off as if in a dream.

Those were the last words anyone would hear her speak that day. She passed away peacefully and quietly that night, surrounded by family and those who loved her, a mere 12 hours after they had arrived at the hospital that morning.

To Be Continued

WW - The Last Scrapbook

2010-03-02T16:37:00.005-05:00

It may have taken me a long time to start the scrapbook for my third and last baby, but I plan to put just as much effort into it as I did for Things 1 and 2.

Learning . . . And Moving On

2010-03-01T19:34:00.005-05:00

At the end of the school year, as most of her students finished up grade four and mentally prepared themselves to enter the fifth grade in the fall, the keen and ambitious young teacher lost her job with the school at which she had been working. They were cutting a class at that location and she was declared "surplus".

Thankfully, she interviewed for a teaching position at another school and was hired immediately. She was to start in the fall. Little did she realize at the time of the interview that she would be "knocked up" by the time she would start her new job. As she opened the doors to her new classroom in September, she was already three months pregnant.

The teacher enjoyed her new school, met some wonderful colleagues, and encountered some special students who touched her heart. But things were never quite the same as they had been with her "first class".

The pregnant teacher gave birth to a bouncing baby boy in March. He was all she had dreamed of and more.

The following year, while she was still on leave from teaching, her original school contacted her and invited her to attend the graduation ceremony for that year's grade six students. They would be leaving their elementary school and attending middle school in the fall. The grade six students, were, of course, her now-older grade four class.

Unable to secure babysitting, the teacher dragged along her one-year-old little boy to the ceremony with her. As she neared the school's front door on that hot, sweltering June day, she felt the familiar queasiness of butterflies in her stomach that she had felt almost three years previous when she had entered the school for the very first time. Only on this occasion, instead of being nervous, she was excited. Full of anticipation and joy at seeing her students older and possibly more mature.

The teacher fielded the question her former colleagues directed at her upon seeing another gaping bulge in her midsection.

"Yes," she confirmed. "I am pregnant, *again*."

She was more than pleased that all her old students recognized her, and were thrilled to see her and her little boy. She was filled with joy and pride watching all her students walk across the stage. As they stepped down with their grade six certificate in hand, she felt this moment symbolized so much for many of them - success, perseverance, faith, hope, commitment. With the right tools and the right support, these kids could do anything they wanted.

The students, parents, and teachers mingled after the ceremony as refreshments and snacks were served. The new mother stood at the back, absorbing the scene around her and taking it all in. Just as she began to fear that she may have to leave the school with her hot and now very cranky toddler, a group moved towards her.

It was a man and a woman, and three very tall children. The woman, grinning from ear to ear, lunged forward to give the teacher a hug. Although no introductions were needed - the teacher had immediately recognized them - the woman asked the teacher a question.

"Do you remember us?" she inquired, in impeccable English. "I am Belle's mother."

"Of course I do," the teacher told her. "Your English sounds perfect now."

"I took some classes," Belle's mother informed her, "and I have a job now." She oozed with pride.

The teacher almost didn't recognize Belle, for it seemed as if she had grown about a foot and was now completely stunning. The young student smiled and shyly said hello to her former teacher.

Belle's mother went on to thank the teacher for all she had done for Belle and her family that year.

"You made a huge difference for Belle, and without you that year would have been much more difficult for her," she said. "I wish there was some way we could thank you."

As the two mothers continued chatting, talking about Belle, talking about the teacher's son, talking about life, the weather, politics, and the economy, the teacher hoped that Belle's mother might understand that it was actually she who wished she could thank them.

Learning - Part Three

2010-02-25T00:00:00.000-05:00

I don't think that's possible," she explained to her gregarious young students.

After she spoke, the wheels started turning. COULD they? Would it be possible? Would it be permitted by the school principal, by the board? Was it even considered an educational outing?

After much research, discussions, e-mails, and phone conversations the enthusiastic teacher came to the conclusion that, yes, the class had worked hard to earn that money and they could do with it whatever they liked.

Her stomach tossed and turned and did flip flops and she didn't sleep a wink that night in anticipation of telling the class the words that she knew they wanted to hear.

She and twenty-five grade four students were going to see a movie! At a movie theatre!

The timing would be perfect. Finding Nemo was opening in a couple weeks and there was a 12:10 p.m. showing that would enable the class to view the entire movie and return back to the school in time for dismissal so they could get on their buses. The students were beyond ecstatic. A frenzy enveloped the classroom over the next few weeks and the teacher watched in awe as the excitement grew within each of her students. At times she thought they just might explode.

She arrived at school on the morning of the planned movie outing. The school principal was waiting in the office for her. She examined his facial expressions and then felt something in the pit of her stomach . . . something that told her there was bad news to come.

"There's a problem with the bus you ordered, " he told her point blank.

"What kind of problem with the bus?" she asked, cautiously.

"Well, it seems as if it's not coming," he said.

This young teacher couldn't believe that all her hard work and planning - and far more importantly, her students' dreams to go see this movie were going to be flushed down the drain just because of a problem with the transportation department. She had permission slips and volunteers and expectations and most importantly an intense desire not to let her students down.

And so the teacher managed to find a drive to the movie theatre for all twenty-five students. In order for a student to be allowed to drive in a non-board vehicle they needed permission from a parent. So the kindest office administrator in all the world looked up twenty-five home phone numbers and helped that teacher telephone each and every one of her students' guardians that morning. By some miracle she managed to receive permission for every single student to be driven to the theatre. (But get these same parents to show up for a report card meeting? That she couldn't manage.)

The teacher chose Belle and two other students to ride with her in her tiny little Volkswagon. The other students rode with the school principal and the parent volunteers. When they arrived at the theatre, the teacher was greeted by two of her close friends who she had privately begged to come meet her that day in case something went wrong. While the teacher had grown and flourished and come a long way after a year of teaching, she was not bold enough to believe she could handle twenty-five students in a dark movie theatre on her own!

The teacher had added a chunk of her own savings to the movie fund so that there was ample money available for each student to to enjoy his/her own popcorn and drink. Within minutes, the teacher and her twenty-five students exhaled and relaxed back into their huge, movie-theatre seats. They had done it. Here they were . . . reaping the benefits of all their hard work. The young teacher couldn't help but smile to herself as she heard the boys a couple rows back giggling and making farting noises. She glanced knowingly at the little girls whispering among themselves, chattering so quickly only they could understand their seemingly foreign language. And as the lights dimmed and the music began to overwhelmingly take over the walls and the floor and the ceiling of that theatre, she stopped; not to watch the screen but to carefully analyze the faces and expressions of all the children around her.

Her heart ached as she watched so many of these little people who had terrorized her last September, who had made her doubt her own abilities and even her choice to become an educator, shed tears down their soft, round cheeks as Nemo's mother was killed by the shark in the very first few minutes of the film.

Little did those students realize the impact this little orange clown fish named Nemo would have on the world of animated movies and pop culture in the weeks and years to come.

And little did that keen and ambitious young teacher realize the impact this event would have on her for the rest of her life.

WW - "Winter"

2010-02-24T07:56:00.001-05:00

Learning - Part Two

2010-02-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

That keen and ambitious young teacher made it her goal to make sure that the new Iranian student felt at home and became comfortable with her new classmates.

On day one they got down to the business of figuring out the one word in the English language that she needed to know immediately.

"Washroom"

And so, when she needed to be excused to go to the bathroom, the young girl (we will call her Belle) meekly raised her hand and whispered, "washroom?" with an air of uncertainty, to the teacher. And the teacher would give her an enthusiastic ear-to-ear grin and nod her head in approval so that Belle would know that she was pronouncing the word properly.

As the days gave way to weeks, Belle became more and more confident in speaking and began to learn more and more English words. One day while the teacher was painstakingly trying to demonstrate the joys of multiplication tables to the group of twenty-five students in her class, she glanced over and noticed that Belle had completed all her work way ahead of the rest of the kids. It soon became evident that Belle was extremely proficient in mathematics and was a whiz at long division. She soared through most of the grade four math curriculum in a couple of weeks.

The teacher, not one to miss out on a potential learning opportunity, put Belle in charge of tutoring some of the students who were struggling in math. Belle soon found herself highly respected by her peers and no longer being teased for her weakness in English.

As the snow melted and winter gave way to spring, the teacher decided that it was about time she and her class celebrate the fact that they had nearly survived an entire ten months together. She, with her first full-time class, and they, with an inexperienced teacher with very little expertise in curriculum and behaviour management but a heck of a lot of heart.

But field trips cost money, and the school had very little of that. The teacher, passionate for all things sweet, promptly decided that she and her grade four students were going to hold a bake sale. They would use the money they raised to go visit one of the national museums in the area. They would need enough money to pay for transportation and for a class museum pass.

And so they baked. They baked in the little kitchen across the hall from her classroom. The teacher baked at her home late at night. The teacher's mother-in-law baked for the sale. Some of the students baked for the sale, and a handful of parents baked for the sale. The class painted signs and made posters and there was not one metre of school property not adorned with "Grade Four Class Bake Sale" paraphernalia.

On the day of the bake sale the teacher opened her classroom doors at lunch time to a line up of students that reached all the way down the hall and then snaked itself up around the other side of the school. The bake sale was an overwhelming success. Those cookies and tarts and cakes and muffins and loaves and cupcakes earned those grade four students and their keen and ambitious young teacher nearly four hundred dollars.

And she knew the amount was correct, of course, for she had made sure it was Belle who counted all the coins and bills at the end of the sale.

The teacher took half of their savings and booked her class an educational trip to the national Museum of Nature. They took the bus downtown on one beautiful spring day and lined up in single file as they entered the building. They acted respectfully and they didn't yell or run or curse and they made that teacher overwhelmingly proud. For many of those students it was the first time they had stepped foot in a museum, and they had the time of their lives.

With the educational component of their fund-raising efforts covered, the teacher needed to figure out what to do with the second half of their money. So later that week she launched into a lesson on democracy and had her students vote on what the class would do with the rest of their earnings.

She was stunned by what they chose.

To be continued . . .

Learning - Part One

2010-02-22T00:00:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, in Canada's national capital, there was a keen and ambitious young teacher.

As a result of a stroke of luck and and an accompanying qualifying teaching degree, she found herself gainfully employed within a year of graduation. She was teaching grade four students in a lower-income inner-city school.

She had some apprehension before the first day of school, as she had done supply teaching at this school the previous year and had been smashed in the head with a basketball by one of the very "unique" and special students in a grade three class. During a math lesson.

It turns out her apprehension was merited. This school was tough. The students were merciless. She came to school some mornings completely terrified. By early October this group of nine-year-olds had gotten the best of her. She was ready to quit the job she had only weeks earlier been so thankful to have received.

One cold morning in November she decided it was time to turn things around. She sought help from some of the absolutely amazing, caring, and experienced teachers in the school. (Most of whom still work at this school today.) They were more than happy to assist her.

They opened up their vaults of experience and helped her learn how to handle this behaviour-challenged class. Within weeks the eager 20-something teacher had regained her composure and was back on top. She had those kids lined up silently in the hall. She had them quietly reading books in the library. She had instituted a reward system in the classroom for good behaviour which seemed to motivate every single one of them.

And before she knew it, she was learning about each and every one of them. She came to understand the complexities at home that fostered the students' "difficult" behaviour. That many of their parents were unemployed. Had drug and alcohol problems. Were not reachable for her to communicate with because they couldn't manage to pay for phone service. Could not afford lunch or snacks for their children. Which then led this young teacher to walk into the giant, gaping doors of Costco to buy her very first membership, just so she could purchase some bulk foods to keep in her desk and slip to the children who didn't have a lunch. Which most definitely garnered some eye-rolling from her husband.

In early November the teacher answered her classroom door when she heard an abrupt knock. She opened the door to see a mother and father and a small girl. The mother didn't speak a word of English, and neither did her daughter. The father spoke choppy English, and the teacher was able to understand from him that they had arrived in Ottawa from Iran the previous day and wanted to enroll their nine-year-old daughter in school. He didn't have a job, and they had three children. The mother had tears in her eyes as she peered into the brightly-coloured classroom full of hand-made art and sticker charts and word walls and dusty chalk and seemed fearful for her daughter. Against all "no touching" rules the young teacher put her arm around this woman to assure her that her little girl was in good hands, and would do just fine. The woman smiled knowingly at the teacher, and nodded her head as if she understood.

The father said, "thank you", and they left.

To be continued . . .

Hand-made Valentines a Success

2010-02-12T19:43:00.003-05:00

My Valentine's class last weekend went quite well! I had some lovely children register and we had a total of eight little crafters with us, keen to create their Valentine masterpieces. Each child was to make 20 Valentines - some of the younger crew didn't quite make it to 20, but I think everyone had a good time and there were a couple of very creative little stampers in our midst.

Creating your own Valentines is easy and usually cheaper than buying them at a store. (And a hand-made touch is always much nicer, in my opinion.)

I used regular card stock, but construction paper works just as well. I cut each card so it measured 4x8 inches - then folded them in half so I had 4-inch square, folded cards. To save on wasting extra paper, we didn't use envelopes, but I had the children close their cards with a cute Valentine sticker after they had signed their names.

We used a variety of Valentine stamps and craft ink to design the cards, and I had lots of embellishments laid out for the kids to use on their cardstock. . . foam and felt hearts, lots of punched out shapes, glitter, markers, crayons, ribbon, etc.

And, voila! Simple but gorgeous stamped cards to give out at school or to friends and family! Things 1 and 2 took their cards in to school today for their Valentine celebrations, and it was heart-warming to see the joy and happiness in their faces as they printed their name on each hand-made card.

I've had a lot of inquiries as to future classes, and yes, I will be holding more classes (for a variety of ages) and stamped projects are also a fabulous birthday party idea for boys or girls ages 5-12. Stay tuned for upcoming schedules!

Sick Kids and Mothers

2010-02-10T20:36:00.007-05:00

It appears it is nearly impossible to get through a winter without getting sick in this household. I get it. I have two kids in kindergarten . . . a breeding ground for germs. A dirty, sticky, germ-infested little haven where small people all share pencils, snacks, glue, and every other sort of magnet for parasites, viruses, and bacteria of all description.

My oldest son, my dearest, first-born Thing 1, still has tendencies to put "stuff" in his mouth. He'll often bite his nail, lick his thumb, or just graze something that he sees is dirty. He is predominately our (what I like to term) "plague carrier". In simple terms, he brings the germs home from school, and subsequently we all get sick.

2010 is no different than last year. In early January he contracted a mild stomach virus which trickled through our house over the course of three weeks, causing both my boys to miss a total of six days of school. And we no sooner bid the tummy bug farewell when we were smacked with a miserable cold. The kids came down with horrible coughs, mild fevers, and runny noses. Thing 2 - who always manages to get colds worse than anyone in the house - missed an additional three days of school from the aforementioned illness. While missing school is not a big deal in kindergarten, the transition back to school for my shy and withdrawn little four-year-old is a much bigger issue.

This past Saturday Thing 1 was having trouble getting to sleep. He tossed and turned for several hours, often crying out in pain. After a good two hours of him yelling and crying, I decided to take him into the Emergency Room of the nearest hospital (which is very close - less than five minutes). Although I am not typically a run-to-the-hospital type of mom and am usually more relaxed about my kids' illnesses, he was complaining of ear pain and I could tell there was going to be no peace in our future. I suffered from pretty severe ear infections as a kid, and I can vividly recall the searing pain one feels inside the ear. If you've never had one before - it's downright horrible.

So I packed up my sickie and drove to the ER. On Saturday. At midnight.

Can you see where this is going? If you do have to take a child to the ER at some point, I urge you NOT to do it on a Saturday night. At midnight. EVER.

The triage nurse took his temperature, weighed him, and took a deep breath before she gave me a sympathetic glance.

"The wait time is at least three hours," she said.

"Okay, thanks," I gulped.

While my gut instinct was to get the hell out of this place and run and never turn back, my five-year-old still grimacing in pain reminded me that as a parent it was my job to make the best decision for him. Within five minutes, we were called forward to see a nurse who administered some pain medication to Thing 1. I had already given him some Tylenol at home, and it hadn't seemed to help, and I think they then gave him some Advil. We were then ushered back into the endless black hole known as the ER Waiting Room.

I sat down, Thing 1 draped on my lap, and inspected the crowd. There were other children - one small baby about seven months old with a horrendous sounding cough - a number of elderly people, a handful of loud drunks, and, what I can only kindly refer to as a couple "weirdos". We no sooner got comfortable in our new setting when a paramedic wheeled in a 20-ish looking guy. This man was alert but his white t-shirt was covered in red blood - and he had extensive white bandages all over his head, blood leaking from some of them. Upon closer inspection I could see he had bruises on his face.

Thing 1, wide-eyed in amazement at the scene before him, looked at me and stated,

"I think he had a bad day skiing, mommy."

As I bit my own tongue to stifle my emerging giggles, the man's parents entered the waiting room and rushed over to their wheelchair-ridden son.

"What happened?"

"Are you okay?"

"Who did this?"

"Did you get a good look at the guy?"

"Are you going to press charges?"

The mother, clearly frantic with worry and angst, finally composed herself and bent over to give her son a big huge hug.

"You really had me worried," she said.

"I'm sorry, mom," the man offered.

Since we were sitting directly beside this group of people, I was soon able to learn that the man had been hit over the head with a beer bottle and, then, while he was still stunned from the impact, he was punched several times by a guy who had been at the same party as him. Over the course of the next few hours, I got the impression that the man was a very nice kid, who had innocently been at a party with his friends (his friends showed up at the emergency room shortly after his parents arrived) and gotten attacked.

If one of my good friends weren't an ER nurse, I might not believe stuff like this happened. But it does. All the time.

As I watched that mother take care of her injured son . . . wiping blood from his neck, wheeling him to and assisting him in the washroom, and fetching him water while never once allowing her hand to be disconnected from his, the realization struck me.

It never ends. A mother caring for her sick children, worrying, supporting them, loving them. Unconditionally.

After three hours and fifteen minutes of waiting in that spacious, yet packed room and never being seen by a doctor, I finally picked up my tired little boy and drove him home. I paid my $15 for parking and took him inside our house and slipped him into his cozy, warm bed. Alternating Tylenol and Advil over the next 12 hours seemed to help ease the pain, and we never did end up going back to the hospital.

When I woke up the next morning after a much-too-short sleep I thought not of the young man with the beer bottle gashes in his skull, but of his soft spoken mother and the connection I felt with her.

WW - The Valentine Edition

2010-02-03T10:26:00.000-05:00

Are y'all tired of the cards yet?

I'm planning on setting up a different section of my site for my craft and business stuff, so I won't bog down this area too much. (Anyone know somebody who could help me with that?)

But for now, I'm going to leave you with a few Valentine cards I've worked on this week.

This is a simple and clean card using Stampin' Up's With All My Heart stamp set and the new Sending Love DSP (Designer Series Paper) from the Occasions Mini Catalogue. I found the cute little rhinestone brad on sale at Michael's.

This card was made using a Valentine stamp I've had for nearly ten years. I embossed it with red embossing powder and then sponged some red ink around the sides. The white background is embossed with a template from my new Big Shot.

And this last card is my first foray into the world of vintage stamping. I have always been a bit afraid of the gorgeous "antiqued and distressed" look of so many vintage cards. But I gave it a try and realized it's not so intimidating after all. I'm really pleased with the look and am definitely up for trying this again.

All my cards are not listed in my etsy store, but if you are interested in buying any of the Valentine or other cards, you can contact me directly. All of the designs are usually in my flickr account.

January - The Summation

2010-01-31T18:16:00.005-05:00

Wow. January 31st already? You mean the first month of 2010 is already over? Behind me?

I think the end of the first month of the year is a good time to take a breather and sit back and review goals and New Year's Resolutions. And since a number of you have asked how I've done on a couple of my resolutions, I'll simply have to share my trials and tribulations over the past 31 days.

You might remember that at the end of my last post for 2009 I threw in some weighty New Year's Resolutions. I decided I was going to lose ten pounds. By the end of March. And then I decided that this was how I would be doing it.

How has it been going?

I am quite embarrassed to admit that I really hit the skids on this one. I felt like I was "gung ho" and ready for this, but when it came down to putting the Whole Body Action plan into reality, I fizzled. I found the restrictive diet much too difficult for me. I really, really love food and I truly enjoy cooking. I gravitate to warm, hearty comfort food when it's cold outside. I get tired, weak, and cranky as soon as I go a few hours without food, so the liquid part of the detox made me virtually useless.

And while I have not lost any weight over the past month, I have also not gained any. And I am definitely eating fewer treats and less sugar-laden junk than I was over the holidays. So I refuse to look at this as a complete failed attempt. Baby steps. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Regarding the exercise part of this regime? Well, I have no good excuses. It's winter in Ottawa, it's cold, the kids have been sick, I have a bad foot, I've been really busy . . . I could go on and on and on but the reality is simply that I haven't gotten around to doing it yet. And the truth is that I feel like a million bucks when I work out routinely, so I am continuing to push forward in hopes that regular exercise becomes a part of my daily routine very soon.

In better news, my commitment to joining Andrea from the Fishbowl's Shopping Embargo has faired far better than my new healthy body plan. Shopping this month was cut back to a bare minimum, and I didn't have that much difficulty sticking to the plan. It's really causing me to pause and reflect before giving in to the sudden urge to want to buy something.

"Do I want this?" or "Do I need this?" are questions I ask myself on a regular basis. And I have found myself becoming creative in my approach to both getting rid of stuff and seeking out new stuff. I made a significant chunk of change this month selling things we no longer needed on Kijiji, and I learned to ask friends and family for items that I need before running out to buy something. I ended up having a friend lend me a snowsuit for Thing 2, as I really didn't want to have to buy him a new one mid-season, knowing that Thing 1's current snowsuit (in excellent condition) will fit him next winter.

A couple of exceptions that arose were the fact that we needed a new lamp (ours broke, the living room was too darn dark) and the reality that I was coveting some new craft supplies. We found a very affordable lamp at a good price, and it is absolutely perfect for our living room, it matches everything beautifully and seems to pull the entire room together. And the craft supplies have been serving me well, as I have secured a few big orders for my hand-made cards this month!

I am still working on becoming a better listener. I think I am getting there. I try more frequently to stop what I am doing and listen to what the kids are telling me, no matter how mundane, ridiculous, or petty it may seem. Children love being heard, and especially love to know their parents are listening to them.

And, finally have I started living more days as if they were my last? I am definitely enjoying life a little more. I am making the most of the little things. I am delighting in the beauty and innocence of the 3 Things each day. I started a book club with some new friends and have been reading a couple books a week. I have stopped watching television. I am trying to spend more time with the people I care about and to expend less energy on those who are not worth it.

So, I say, bring on February with it's groundhogs, longer days, Valentine festivities, Winterlude activities, and a birthday celebration for yours truly. I may not be ten pounds smaller but then there would be less of me to enjoy 2010's second month, right?

Valentine Stamp Class for Kids!

2010-01-28T11:28:00.005-05:00

I will be hosting a Children's Stamping Class on Saturday, February 6 at 1:00 pm. The kids will be trying their hand at home-made stamped Valentines!

The class is for kids ages 3-8. Kids who are between the ages of three and five will be making easier projects than the older children. I will take care of the children for the duration of the class, so feel free to drop them off and have a little time to yourself. If you are more comfortable staying for the class, you are more than welcome to!

Each child will create 20 hand-stamped Valentine cards for $20. I supply all materials. Hand-made cards are great for giving out at school, and are a huge hit with friends and family. They are perfect for teachers, too.

These are some simple Valentines Things 1 and 2 helped me make last year for their friends at school.

If you are interested in the class, please e-mail me personally at craftyshan at gmail dot com as soon as possible to reserve a spot.

I am also available for groups of four or larger to be booked at any time, and I do birthday parties as well (very popular with girls ages 6-12).

WW - Gettin' Crafty

2010-01-27T13:57:00.003-05:00

I've been working on a big card order over the past week or so and am loving my new Stampin' Up Medallion stamp. Here are a few simple and easy designs - it's such a versatile stamp, I absolutely adore it!

A big thank you goes out to my girl Beach Mama for teaching me how to take better pictures of my cards!!

Morning Message

2010-01-25T07:12:00.002-05:00

Every weekday morning when Things 1 and 2 wake up and get ready to go to kindergarten, they are greeted at the breakfast table with a "morning message". If you're a teacher, or you have children in kindergarten, you are likely very familiar with this concept already.

I use my Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center to write a new message each night before I go to bed, so the kids can read it when they get up in the morning. We sit and eat breakfast and read it together (they are 4 and 5, so not the strongest readers yet).

We go over the date, the year, and then we discuss the days of the week in French - both boys are in 50/50 French school so each alternate day is in French. I then leave a brief note about something we will be doing later that day, to give them something to look forward to after they come home from school. (Ya know, since they come home BEFORE lunch!!)

They usually start by trying to read the message on their own - or at least picking out and circling all the words they recognize. Before Christmas I focused on numbers and did a count down to December 25th - they loved the anticipation and excitement and were learning about counting and numbers along the way.

I really can't say enough wonderful things about the Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center. And this is not a product review, I just absolutely love it. I bought it about a year and a half ago and we use it every day - the kids practice their printing on it, I write them messages, they draw pictures. And it all erases off with no effort with the soft eraser that comes with the board. It's amazing!!

This is a very simple and easy activity to do with your preschooler or kindergartner each morning!

Happy Second Birthday to my Little Girl

2010-01-22T00:00:00.001-05:00

Two years ago today, my little princess, you arrived on the scene and were instantly given membership to our little club. And, if I may be frank, we've been just tickled pink to have you. I had been drowning in a sea of testosterone before you showed up and it's been an absolute pleasure having another female on board for the past 24 months.

Although, at two years old, femininity is not exactly your niche. As I feared, Things 1 and 2 have rubbed off on you a little bit. You like to get . . . . dirty.

You enjoy playing with trucks. You prefer boys' underwear to cute and frilly little girls panties and you continually sneak into your brothers' room each morning to discard the charming feminine ensemble I've dressed you in in favour of bo ys' clothing. You like hockey, sports, and balls of all kinds, and you can throw a left hook like the best of the boys in the ring.

But that is not to say that you don't have your "girly" side. You do gravitate towards pink and you occasionally get out of bed in the morning and demand you wear "tights, mommy". So we sit, cross-legged, on the floor of your room together and choose from all the bright, colourful pairs of warm knit tights the ones you will wear on that particular day.

2009 was the year of the "baby" for you. You fell deeply in love with all of them - crisp, new baby dolls with soft bald little heads, fluffy and adorable tiny bunnies, puppies, and kittens, and, yes, even real actual human babies. You are gentle and cautious around baby R, who we are lucky enough to have living across the street from us. You have been deeply infatuated with him ever since he was born last summer. I have a sneaking suspicion you would be honoured to show him the ropes of our 'hood as he gets older.

You, Thing 3, are shy and quiet in front of strangers. Friends and neighbours gush with delight over the cuteness of your soft whispering voice.

"Yes. I'd like a cookie," you say.

Which, ironically, becomes "I WANT A COOKIE" when we are alone at home with no captivating audience for you to entrance. Is it, again, your two older brothers who cause you to feel the need to make yourself heard while we're at home? Because you needn't fear, little one, I'm taking it all in.

This was definitely the year you became more comfortable with your language skills. It seemed like almost overnight you went from sounding out syllables, to speaking a few words, to piecing together sentences, to the non-stop verbal diarrhea with which I am now quite familiar.

You're a clever one, too. Your patience and concentration are lending themselves well to your creative play - working on puzzles, stacking blocks, colouring, painting, and drawing. You are fairly close to putting the whole alphabet together (and because I am your mother I am not one bit concerned when you leave half a dozen letters out!). You are crazy about music, singing, and dancing and I would be lying if I didn't say I think you've got some rhythm.

As the third child, and last in the birth order, you are experiencing many of life's precious experiences far sooner than you should. You ate peanut butter before any pediatrician would ever recommend it, you've had candy on Halloween (yes, the sticky kind), your oldest brother slipped you a stick of gum - it's gotten to the point that when a friend or family member starts with "is it okay for Thing 3 to have . . . ." I cut them off before they need to finish.

"Yup, she can have it, " I offer, gazing around to see if the secret you-gave-it-to-them-too-young police are around writing me a citation. You've ridden on the big rides, you've swam in the deep end, you've worn lipgloss, and I'm pretty sure you watched an entire Star Wars movie with your brothers. Oh yeah. And then there was that choking-hazard popcorn.

Your bright, blue, hypnotizing eyes are like a window to your soul. You are by far the most expressive child I have ever encountered. Looking at you in all your innocence I see the compassion you already bear, the love and joy you embody, the hurt you occasionally feel, and the awe and amazement you experience in every passing moment of each day.

I love watching the beautiful person you are becoming. To be actively involved every minute of your journey through life.

Just do me one small favour, okay?

Slow it down a little, would ya?

Happy Birthday, Thing 3!!

10 Great Websites for Young Children

2010-01-21T00:00:00.001-05:00

I have recently found myself scouring for new and innovative indoor, quiet activities with which to occupy my children. We have barely left the house in the past nearly three weeks due to some logistics, some fairly cold winter weather, and now a stomach bug trickling through the house. Things 2 and 3 are the final victims of its wrath and have been at home this week, leaving my kids-in-house-activities creativity kind of tapped.

We've done puzzles. We've read fourteen thousand books. Twice. We've played board games. We've played endless tournaments of Gobblet (the best game EVER). We've done crafts. Built forts. Constructed tunnels. Watched movies. Played Wii. Played Leapster.

Learned how to levitate.

Okay, you got me on that one.

As the boys get older they are becoming more and more interested in the computer. Thing 1 is nearly six now and Thing 2 is four. I don't mind them spending a little bit of time online as long as what they are doing is somewhat educational.

Before letting them haphazardly schlep their way around the world wide web, I wanted to do some research on friendly, fun, and safe children's websites. I've compiled a list of sites that I have personally been to and have used with either Thing 1 or Thing 2. Here, in no particular order, are our top ten:

1.StarFall - this is a fabulous learning website for kids ages 3-6. It teaches basic reading skills through the learning of phonics and letter recognition, and Thing 2 just loves it. He spent at least an hour doing it today! It is fun, easy to navigate, colourful, bright, and has fun rhymes and music.

2. CBC Kids - needs no introduction. If you have kids and you live in Canada, then you have undoubtedly sat through an enjoyable morning with Patti and her clan, watching children's favourites like Busytown Mysteries, SuperWhy, the Doodlebops and Lunar Jim. The site is set up well and is neat and tidy - and there is an entire Preschool section with games and activities for the younger crowd. Thing 1 adores the games on the main site - they offer snowboarding, BMX biking, hockey and tobogganing. Fun for any age (literally, I sneak on there myself sometimes!).

3. PBS Kids - another fun and educational site for children. There are loads of games to choose from, mostly in the preschool category, all based on popular children's show characters - Caillou, Clifford, Curious George, etc. There are lots of pictures and shapes to click on for pre-readers . . . this really helped Thing 2 before he started school. (And now he is starting to read - yay!)

4. Treehouse TV - very similar to the PBS kids site, and with some of the same TV characters. Thing 2 really loves this site, and so did Thing 1 for a couple years, but I have a few concerns. It is fairly jumbled on the home page and it is often really difficult to sift through the pages and pages of games to find what you want. It is almost overwhelming. The kids end up calling me in, frustrated, to find the game they want. Some of the Dora and Diego games are pretty cool, but they also hog a lot of computer resource too. They are ridiculously slow to load. I even had the laptop crash once. A simpler, more streamlined site would make Treehouse a little more appealing and user-friendly in my books.

5. Sesame Street - a great site for kids who are really into the Sesame Street characters. For some reason, mine are not. But the pages are very well set up - there is a "Muppets" section where you can click on any of your favourite SS dudes and VOILA - you're introduced to everything you've ever wanted to know about Elmo, including videos, games and a personal playlist!

6. Crayola - the makers of crayons, markers, and paint found in every kid's craft bin have put together an in depth and fabulous web site. I have always loved this site and often take ideas for crafts I do with the children from there. There is a "Fun and Games" section that is pretty neat - lots of colouring activities and some decent games for kids. I recommend the "Spouting Trout".

7. Nick Jr - this is like the twin sister of the Treehouse site - the American version. It is very similar except it is not as slow to load, and it is much easier to click on and choose games you want to play. There is even a great section that will take you right to the top five games. And you know Dora is right at the top of that list, right?

8. Learning Planet - this site is definitely for the older crowd (5+). It is a wonderful place to access interactive learning tools, activities and games - there is a lot of free stuff but for more detailed pages you need to become a member. And pay. There is an area for students, and one for teachers. The Alphabet Action and Monster Crossing games are two my boys enjoy - Monster Crossing takes a bit of addition and some reading skills, so I always sit and do it with them.

9. Fun With Spot - a fun and exciting experience if your children are Spot lovers like mine are! There are clean and easy to read tabs and labels all over this site. My kids particularly love to "Create a Spot Story" where they can build their own adventure and follow through their own story. The games are easy point and click activities with bright colours and music - and I'd say this is for younger kids but literally all three of mine enjoy this one!

10. Lego Club - Thing 1 has been a Lego Club member for some time now and also subscribes to the FREE magazine. He truly adores this site and would spend hours on it . . . if I let him. Thing 2 has more difficulty navigating the site and getting to the games - icons and labels are much smaller and more detailed, so this is probably a site for the 5 and over crowd. The boys love watching video clips of their favourite Lego adventures and even seeing some mega Lego constructions taking place. Just be careful your wee one doesn't click on the "Shop" icon if you step away from the computer for a moment!

If you are familiar with any other children's websites that you would like to recommend, I'd love to hear from you!

* I am not associated with or paid by any of these web sites. This is simply a list I composed on my own, based on my own opinions.

Wordless Wednesday - Baby No More

2010-01-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

Nope.

Definitely a big girl now. And turning two years old in two days.

The Eastern Grandparents Hit Ottawa

2010-01-18T14:29:00.004-05:00

The 3 Things were so lucky this past weekend to have had a lovely visit from their Nana and Grandad in Nova Scotia. They arrived on Friday night and we all made the trek out to the airport to watch planes take off and land for a little while before welcoming the grandparents to the nation's capital.

If you've ever been to the Ottawa International Airport, you know that it is just perfect for children. The inside is mammoth, offering sufficient space for little legs and feet to run at full speed to their heart's content. And, there is water. A huge fountain trickling down a colossal wall, to be exact. And to seal the deal? They sell SNACKS.

Yup, any kid's dream come true.

So we proved that seven people do fit quite comfortably in our mini-van and headed home for a relaxing weekend of visiting, playing games, eating delicious food, and just generally enjoying each others' company.

Nana and I took the boys to see Alvin and the Chipmunks (The Squeakquel). I found it down right hilarious and truly enjoyed myself, although my mother - who has seen the first movie - informs me that the original one is a bit better. But who can beat an afternoon staying seated for 90 consecutive minutes while enjoying hot, buttered popcorn? Yeah, that's right. No one!!

And so we were a bit sad to send Nana and Grandad back to the airport this afternoon so they could hit the skies and be on their way home to the East Coast.

But we'll keep this precious visit in our hearts until we can see them again!

Tips on Getting Rid of Your Stuff

2010-01-14T20:52:00.006-05:00

My post yesterday on how I gutted my basement and rid our home of unwanted possessions got me thinking about how I might be able to help others who are going through or considering this very process.

So, here you have it, A Crafty Mom's guide to purging your nonessential gear.

1. Sort through absolutely everything - leave no corner untouched. Try and get all the "stuff" together in one area. Get a friend or family member to help you because this is often the biggest part of the job.

2. Organize your clutter in groups - an ideal way is to make piles such as "to donate", "to sell", "to give away". Place each item in its respective group - and be realistic. Don't allow yourself to keep crap you don't need, don't use, and haven't touched for 10 years. Unless you REALLY might have another baby, keeping around cribs, exersaucers, high chairs, and car seats just wastes space in your storage area.

3. Set out a plan of attack for dealing with each pile - because I'm so busy I really can't get anything done unless I write it down. I make lists. I planned to do a little bit each day and slowly hack away at each pile over the course of two weeks until it was gone. Set a firm deadline and stick to it.

4. Take photos of the items you are listing - items in good condition I sold on Kijiji and things I wanted to give away I posted on Freecycle. Dusting/washing/wiping your item before you take a picture will help it look desirable in your ad. Kijiji and Freecycle are free sites so it costs you nothing to list your ad and place a photo with it.

5. List your items online - most importantly, be honest in your ad. If it has a scratch, say that. If it is like new, never used, say that. The more details you provide the less time you'll waste answering questions via e-mail. Posting a picture (or two) also is invaluable because potential buyers can view the item for themselves. Search for similar items to see what categories people are using and to give you a realistic idea of what price to charge.

6. Keep personal details to a minimum - If selling items from your home (like I did), think twice about adding your house address and phone number in the public ad. I only gave my name and home address out in the very final e-mail when I had a confirmed time that the buyer was coming to pick up. Unless the buyer was a woman (usually I felt comfortable trusting other moms of small children) I only allowed pick ups when my husband was home, so I didn't have strangers coming to the house when I was alone. (To murder and kill me.)

7. Do not delete your ad until after pick up occurs - I cannot stress this enough. Some people will not show up! Be prepared and be patient. I never deleted an ad until the item was on its way out my front door. In cases where I had multiple requests, I usually replied "item is pending pick up - if it falls through I will contact you". And in a couple cases, I actually made the sale by contacting the "next in line".

8. Monitor your e-mail carefully and reply promptly - I found replying immediately and watching my e-mail closely helped me stay on top of all the items. If you get behind things can spiral out of control. Even only with 10 items listed I had 100 e-mails a day just for my listings. Serious buyers respect someone who is kind, courteous, and prompt in their replies.

Follow these simple steps and pretty soon your basement will look like this!

We Purged . . . And it Felt Great!!

2010-01-13T20:10:00.003-05:00

Over the Christmas holidays, I actually managed to secure a few minutes to sort through our basement and start organizing the masses of endless boxes and "stuff" that have formed a barrier along one side of our house. We live in a small home, so an overabundance of stuff is not really conducive to our long time goal of one day achieving some sort of order in our lives (and, yes, of course that starts in one's basement).

The Crafty Dad and I decided it was time to purge. To get down and dirty and roll up our sleeves and get rid of some of the things we no longer needed, used or wanted. So we started out with a really simple organizing system. We put everything in one pile and began sorting - one pile for things we would give away, one pile for things in good condition that we would sell, and another pile for garbage.

The good news was - we didn't have any garbage!! We had a big pile to sell and a good sized pile to give away. I sifted through the give-away pile and picked out things I wanted to give to friends and neighbours (much of it was kid stuff - clothes, snowsuits, toys, etc.) and then made another heap for Freecycle. I then took photos of all the items I wanted to sell online through Used Ottawa or Kijiji or to give away on Freecycle.

Over the course of a few days, I listed the items for which I sought new homes and began the onerous task of managing the plethora of e-mail that would be coming to me on a daily basis. I soon learned that "I'll come by to pick them up between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m." does not in any way, shape, or form equate to the supposed buyer actually showing up at that time.

This is REALLY annoying! I'm a prompt, on time person. I don't waste others' time and I would never just not show up somewhere and not call or e-mail to explain what happened. And, for the record, this never once happened with a Freecycle ad. The people showing up to pick up items I had listed on Freecycle were prompt, polite, intelligent, and thoughtful. And tremendously grateful. Several times I received thank you e-mails after the item had been collected and taken home. But a number of people I dealt with through Kijiji were just rude and . . . well, kinda selfish.

Not all of them, of course. I had a number of good encounters and some lovely and very grateful buyers. And the bottom line is that although it took a lot of grunt work, we have thoroughly purged our basement and have lots of extra space now! I guess I'd have to say that in the end it was all worth it.

And I'd probably do it again!

Kids in the Digital Era

2010-01-07T14:08:00.005-05:00

Although I am not a huge advocate of video games, and have never been a big fan of them, it does seem that they have somehow slithered into our home.

We have never been big "gamers" or video game players and never got caught up in the XBox/Playstation phenomenon. I never understood the appeal of video games, and I had certainly witnessed relationships upon which gaming had taken a toll.

Cue forward a few years and we now have a Nintendo Wii set up in our basement. I most definitely fell victim to claims that it was "fun for the entire family", was something my husband and I "could do together", and was an excellent way for a family to keep "fit and active" all at once. I walked into Future Shop with my "I'm a sucker" name tag prominently attached to my coat and later left the store with $300 worth of video game equipment.

That being said, the Wii has been a pretty fantastic game for our family. It is something we like to do together and for the most part, is fun and relaxing. Thing 1 and Thing 2 are old enough now to really enjoy the game and in the past month or so they have really gotten the hang of playing it together.

Which is also exceptionally exciting for me, because this now becomes an activity that my first two Things can do on their own.

Add to this the fact that Thing 1 has a Nintendo DS and Thing 2 is now the proud owner of a new Leapster 2, and I guess you could call us a family of "gamers".

And I don't feel like a particularly horrible mother for any of these facts, because I think the key to anything good in life is moderation. The Wii is basically shut down and not used for six months when the weather is nice . . . we spend all our time outside and not inside playing games. It wasn't until December when the snow hit - and then at Christmas when the kids received a few new games as gifts - that the consoles were plugged in and away we went.

Now it is January and that biting, icy Ottawa cold has arrived with a vengeance. Our outdoor time is limited, as frostbite is not something I am interested in inflicting upon the Things. We play games, we do homework, we engage in crafts, we dance, we sing, we play, but inevitably there is still some time leftover. Things 1 and 2 arrive home from kindergarten every day at 11:10 a.m. - that still leaves a lengthy chunk of time that I have to fill with activities. So I have started allowing them to play video games during their afternoon "quiet time", when Thing 3 is napping.

So here is my question to all of you moms out there who can relate. Do you allow your children to play video games? (I know in our circle of friends, and in our neighbourhood, the majority of the kids have a DS or a Leapster, and most families own a Wii or other type of game console - although I realize that not everyone has them.)

And more importantly, what restrictions do you place on playing these devices? Do you remove the privileges if they misbehave? Do you set time limits? I am pretty firm now and I set a timer so that the boys never play more than 60 minutes - but I still wonder sometimes if this is too long.

Thoughts? Experiences??

Little Miss Independence

2010-01-04T16:23:00.004-05:00

Thing 3 has embraced a few rather peculiar habits lately.

For the past couple of months, she has staunchly insisted upon dressing herself. Not bad, you may be saying to yourself, for a child not quite two-years-old yet. Yes, independence is grand. However, arriving late everywhere you are required to be over the course of a week eventually wreaks havoc in your life.

Our little sprite soon decided she had graduated from wearing her own apparel and was indeed in desperate need of her older brothers' ensembles. So every morning we dress her in a cute size 2T outfit that - before I have finished drinking my morning coffee - is discarded on the floor in her room. She makes her way into the boys' room and shuffles through their drawers until she finds something awkwardly too big for her. And then she puts it on.

And on any given day she will layer four or five t-shirts on top of one another. Pants are optional, of course.

She has also learned to forsake her diaper. She rips it off whenever and wherever she feels like it. I have feverishly tried to potty train her but my efforts are not yet being rewarded. I am cleaning up a lot of "child waste" from the floors. Earlier last month I purchased some little girl panties for her, assuming she was indeed ready to be among the other toilet users in our home.

But, really, who would put on pink Dora undies with white bows when you could wear your oldest brother's HULK underwear????

My Whole Body Action Plan

2010-01-02T10:00:00.004-05:00

Last spring I worked particularly hard to get in shape. I did the 30-Day Shred twice and ended up having some pretty great results. I was toned, fit, strong, and I felt incredible. I spent the summer and fall running and was more than pleased with how things were going. Right after Thanksgiving weekend I pulled something in my leg - and the weather became colder - so I stopped running.

And started snacking. On absolutely nothing healthy.

Suddenly it was November and I could hardly see straight as I became busy with holiday preparations and craft sales and baking and Christmas card-making. Under the misconception that I "deserved" it because I was a hard-working busy mom of three Things, I allowed myself treat after treat and high-caloric-and-fat-filled-gingerbread latte after another.

I paid no attention to what was going on until I noticed my jeans were all getting tight and becoming difficult to button. And then, yesterday, in the spirit of New Year's, I weighed myself.

Yowza. I have gained ten pounds!

My approach is that there is "no use crying over spilled milk", so I am going to forge ahead and make some changes. Starting Monday, of course.

By chance, I found this Whole Body Action Plan from Whole Living in my e-mail inbox a few days ago and have decided it looks like a plan I can follow.

The program claims, "Every day, beginning January 4, we'll learn new strategies for living a healthier lifestyle. We'll revamp our eating habits with a four-day detox program, clear our minds with stress-relief exercises, and energize our bodies with a workout that builds week after week to incorporate cardio, strength training, and flexibility".

After reading through it carefully, I think it suits me perfectly!

Days 1-3 are for preparing to cleanse and then days 4-7 are for a mild cleanse. I was skeptical, until I saw that the plan is fairly reasonable and that you can still eat some real food while doing it. (I tried a cleanse a few months ago that was quite harsh and made me feel pretty sick, so I didn't last more than a couple days.) The actual cleansing is only four days - I figure I should be able to handle that, right??

Along with following the Whole Body Action Plan I'll be starting the 30-Day Shred yet again. I don't have a treadmill or any other way of doing cardio inside, and working out 20 minutes a day to an exercise DVD was always something I was able to fit in my day. So until the weather eases up a bit I don't think I'll be hitting the snow-covered streets in my runners.

If you're joining me in a quest to get fit or be healthier in 2010, tell me about it! What are you doing? What are your goals? I wish you all the best of luck and invite you to join me as I will be updating at least once a week on my progress.

2010 Here We Come!

2009-12-30T20:06:00.007-05:00

I was all set to write a gargantuan and meaningful post reviewing 2009 and reflecting on the past twelve months.

But, if we're going to be honest here, 2009 kinda sucked for us. I blogged very little about the difficulties we faced in 2009, but they certainly existed and I'm going to be bold enough to go out on a limb and say that this year was one of the most challenging I've encountered yet. I neglected the blog a great deal over the past dozen months as I tend to feel sorry for myself and withdraw into my own world when life becomes too overwhelming for me.

I guess the silver lining here . . . the "lesson to be learned" . . . the perspective one might take while viewing the glass as half-full (which I often don't) would be that we are all stronger after a particularly vulnerable year. And that is absolutely true. I have become more resilient, better equipped to handle unexpected problems thrown my way, and - miraculously - more patient. I am learning to see the beauty and love and joy in my life exactly as it is in this moment in time, right now, TODAY. To stop thinking things will be "better" when we have more money, when we live in a bigger house, or my personal favourite, "when the kids are a little older" and to start believing that things are better NOW.

I started looking for a job this fall when money was tight in hopes of securing some type of employment that would give us benefits, as the Crafty Dad's current employer does not offer them. (This is a big deal when you have three children and need to pay for dental appointments, eye care, orthotics for a foot condition, etc.) I worried that employers would not take me seriously or would have a problem with the five year gap in my resume - even though it is jam packed with volunteer work and other accomplishments I have worked on while I have stayed home to raise my three Things over the past five (nearly six) years. After submitting numerous applications, following up, and waiting patiently for weeks, I received absolutely no interviews.

Not one.

I even contacted the school board to see if I could return to work in January. They suggested I apply to any opening spots that surfaced in December. I applied to a couple dozen - again, not even one single interview. I applied for communications and PR jobs (a field I worked in before I went into teaching), also with no leads and no luck. Perhaps I am naive, but I really thought my talent, my personality, my work experience, and my lengthy education background would have secured me a job . . . somewhere.

Instead of letting myself get discouraged or down, I decided that the preferred course of action for me to take was to view this as a sign that what I am doing right now is perhaps exactly what I am meant to be doing right now.

I've spent a number of the past few months worrying that I have been having a mid-life crisis. (This assumes, of course, that I will die shortly after age 70.) And while I don' t truly believe it is a mid-life crisis that I am experiencing, a lot of the research I have done lately leads me to believe I am going through an evolution shared by many mothers of young children . . . especially those who stay at home. I've experienced what I can only explain as a real loss of identity. Who am I? I am mother to three, wife to one, daughter to two, dog owner of one, sister to one . . . and so many things to a plethora of others. But I often feel my individuality seeping away, drifting off into the atmosphere of life, and I really don't know how to get it back.

So. As cliche as it may sound, my most significant and important New Year's Resolution for 2010 will be to find and realize myself as an individual again. As Shannon - the human being. I will always be mother and wife and daughter and sister, but I know there is more lurking within and I am confident I can bring it to the surface.

Here, in no particular order, are the rest of my resolutions for the upcoming year:

I am going to lose ten pounds. Not "I'll be healthier and more fit" in 2010, but a firm and concrete goal. I plan to do this by the end of March.

I have committed to joining the Fishbowl's Shopping Embargo for the next three months. Yes, that's right. Absolutely no shopping for the next three months.

I am going to become a better listener.

I am going to start living more days as if they were my last.

Starting today.

Alight at Night

2009-12-28T21:04:00.004-05:00

Last night we piled our three Things into our mini-van and headed south east towards the town of Morrisburg, Ontario. We went to see the famous Upper Canada Village's "Alight at Night" display. For those still trying to decide whether or not to make the trek - absolutely do it! It runs until Sunday night and is only an hour drive from Ottawa. There is lots to see and do there, for kids and adults of all ages.

The three Things really enjoyed the horse-drawn wagon ride through the village. The view of the lights across the water and throughout the village was absolutely spectacular. My shots don't do it justice as I am still such a beginner photographer. I really couldn't get good night shots without a tripod - which I didn't bring with me. It was a bit chilly, so my hands were shaky, making most of the shots with no flash too blurry.

When the cold began to hit us (and in all honesty, we chose a great night to be there, the weather was pretty decent for Ottawa in December) we stopped at the life-size gingerbread house for some home-made cookies and fresh hot chocolate. You can see a great view of the village lights behind the three Things and their dad.

Thing 1 was absolutely smitten with his hot chocolate in a "coffee cup" with a real Starbucks-type lid. He's been talking about his "drinking coffee" episode non-stop for the past 24 hours.

We were able to browse through the displays of contestants and award-winners of the Canadian Gingerbread Competition. Let me tell you . . . these were no trailer park gingerbread homes. These were the cream of the crop, upscale Bel-Air mansion gingerbread homes. They were really fantastic and the three Things offered to do some sampling - completely against the rules of the competition, of course!

This beautifully-lit church was jam packed full of guests joining in to sing Christmas carols. They had the music playing through speakers outside on a nearby skating rink, making the entire atmosphere just that much more festive and merry.

Upper Canada Village will definitely be making an annual appearance on our Christmas schedules for years to come. This is a fabulous activity for families with children of any age. One tip for moms of young children (maybe age two and younger) - bring a backpack or small sled for the little ones. The entire village was larger than we expected so 23-month-old Thing 3 had to be carried a fair bit as her walking on ice and snow skills are not expert yet, by any means.

Christmas - Less WAS More for Us

2009-12-27T11:00:00.001-05:00

I promised myself that this year Christmas would be a scaled back one. And I more than impressed myself by delivering just that. Even in the end I could feel myself succumbing to the materialism of Christmas and falling victim to the last minute television commercials telling me that I "needed this" and my children "needed that". But I stood firm in the decision we made as a family, and I am completely and totally satisfied with our Christmas holiday this year.

Each of the three Things received one gift from Santa and one gift each from us. They each had a modest stocking, and then the presents they received from family members. Any adult who received a gift from me opened something home-made. We kept the tree simple, the meals simple, and tried to keep the festivities focused on family and spending time together.

I had been a little bit worried about spending our first Christmas alone, with no extended family around, but it actually ended up being a blessing in disguise. The entire holiday was relaxed, stress-free, fun . . . and did I mention, RELAXED? There were no time pressures, no fighting, no bickering, no traveling in poor weather - just lots of time at home enjoying each other's company without the regular stresses that sometimes plague our ordinarily busy schedules.

We played Wii, we played board games, we read books, we danced, we ate cookies and cake, we drank rum and eggnog (okay, only the adults partook in that activity), and we laughed until we couldn't laugh anymore. We went to Christmas morning mass and celebrated the birth of Christ and all the beauty that surrounds it. I went to bed each night without a care in the world.

Of course, one of the highlights of the whole season was seeing the joy on the Things' faces when they opened their gifts from Santa (joy I was not very good at capturing in photos).

Thing 1 one with a real GI Joe toy (he received a whole set).

Thing 2 mastering his Leapster 2 early on in the day.

Thing 3 snuggling her new Baby Stella.

Happy Holidays to all my family, friends and loyal readers. Here's hoping this Christmas season has been as good to you as it has been to us.

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-23T21:17:00.005-05:00

This year marks my first ever Christmas alone in Ottawa with no extended family with whom to celebrate. My mother-in-law is out west, and my parents will be celebrating the big day with my sister and family in New Brunswick. We were hoping to be with them this year, but distance, weather, money, and career commitments all threw various monkey wrenches into the works.

But before you grab your tissues . . . don't go feeling too sorry for me.

The 3 Things, the Crafty Dad, and I will be spending a quiet, relaxing, and joy-filled Christmas day at home on our own this year. There will be no traveling, no (undue) stress, no time constraints, and no pressure to create a perfectly spectacular holiday meal. Yes, we will eat Christmas dinner, but because it will be just the five of us I will roast a simple chicken and prepare our favourite potatoes and veggies. It will be delicious, and I can be certain my three children will eat it.

We will spend Christmas Eve entertaining a few friends and their children, slurping back festive drinks, tasting delicious appetizers, and enjoying a bowl of hot, steaming taco soup before tucking our 3 Things into their beds so that visions of sugar plums may dance in their heads.

See? Not so bad at all. So while I will miss all our extended family, I am eternally grateful to have such a loving, caring family. I am blessed to have three fantastic, healthy, and vivacious children with whom to share every moment of my life; a husband who cares deeply for all of us and is an actively involved and amazing father; a good home to live in, food to eat at every single meal, and the prospect each and every day that, indeed, tomorrow will bring more of the same.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

The Perfect Christmas Tree

2009-12-16T06:44:00.004-05:00

Well, the holidays certainly bring with them the hustle and bustle that make all mommies' heads spin. And I am no exception. I daily think of fabulous and interesting blog posts that never materialize because I simply don't have enough hours in my day. Twenty-four are simply not cutting it, considering I must spend a portion of those sleeping.

So if I can't share with you every single detail of my holiday preparation and festivities, I will have to choose a few choice events with which I can dazzle you.

If we weren't busy enough this past weekend with myriad holiday parties, events and concerts to attend, Mr. Crafty Mom and I decided to pack up our 3 Things and head out into the woods to cut down our very own Christmas tree.

You know . . . cuz why not spend $45 on a tree you cut down yourself, with your own saw, in the middle of the wilderness, instead of driving less than two kilometres to IKEA where they were selling pre-cut trees for $20.

Okay, okay, because then we wouldn't have had the horse-drawn sleigh ride, the home-made cookies and hot chocolate in front of a bonfire, the experience of searching for and contemplating that *perfect* tree, *the* one that was meant for our living room this 2009 holiday season. The pure delight of watching my 23-month-old daughter sound asleep in our LL Bean Sonic Snow Tube while being pulled behind the horse-drawn sleigh. Enjoying the tranquil quietness and simplicity of life far outside the limits of our bustling city. Watching the pristine beauty of rows of evergreen trees as the skies above us open up and a blanket of creamy white, soft, velvety snow flakes descend from the heavens.

And from the Ikea parking lot I never would have experienced the joy in my heart as I observed my nearly two-year-old Thing 3 taking in the adventure around her.

Or witnessed Thing 1 plunging fearlessly backwards into a bed of snow to leave his mark on the world and create his own unique snow angel.

Or to see Thing 2 meticulously inspect each Christmas tree before deciding which species was best for us.

Nor could I have watched my little girl be transferred - sound asleep - from the comfort of her van car seat to our snow tube with her buddy beside her . . .

And to watch her stay asleep for the duration of the sleigh ride out into the forest.

Only to wake up later as we made the colossal decision and prepared to cut down our tree.

And that, my friends, is the story of how we found the perfect Christmas tree.

For those of you brave enough to try this yourself, do take note that a tree that may look small in the middle of a forest, will likely be ten times as large when you get it home in your living room.

Easy Preschool Christmas Craft

2009-12-09T11:01:00.002-05:00

I guess I'm lucky that my Things love crafts as much as I do. I'm pretty sure I had them brainwashed at an early age. And now I am trying to keep them busy this holiday season by doing small, easy crafts each day.

This Christmas tree is just drawn free-hand and cut out of card stock. You can also download templates at various children's crafts websites. I then gave the Things free reign to decorate their own little trees as they liked. And they grabbed the bingo daubers, stickers, markers, glitter, and ribbon and got right down to business.

Thing 2 was particularly pleased with his holiday creation.

*** Big huge congratulations to Capital Mom who won my Holiday Card Giveaway last week! Since she doesn't live very far from me, she had her cards delivered to her within 24 hours. How's that for good service? Thanks to everyone who participated!***

WW - Halloween Never Ends Around Here

2009-12-02T06:14:00.001-05:00

It Took Me a Year to go Manual

2009-11-30T07:00:00.000-05:00

A year after taking the plunge and buying our very first DSLR camera, I am finally taking a few pictures in manual setting. And they are . . . ALL RIGHT. Not fantastic, not perfect, not spectacular, but pretty good for a clueless photographer who really and truly doesn't know what she is doing.

I took a course last month at Henrys and although it was very informative, it was the entry level course on the Nikon D60 and I really do already know the camera well. I understand all the menu settings, all the buttons and how to use the preset "chid and pet", "portrait" and other settings. So it wasn't all that helpful for me, and they reminded me that you don't learn how to shoot in manual mode until the second course.

So I decided to save myself nearly $100 and read some good photography blogs and a couple good books (courtesy of my fabulous photographer friend Ben).

And although I am far from having any idea of how to use the settings properly for each shot, I do know what aperture, shutter speed, and ISO mean.

That's a good start, right?

Here are a few shots I took of Thing 1, who was more than happy to be a willing model for me.

And, yes, the last one is absolutely my favourite and probably the best photo I have ever taken in manual mode.

Holiday Cards Giveaway!

2009-11-29T13:56:00.004-05:00

I presume you realize that if I am having a holiday card giveaway on my blog that my craft sale was not all that successful.

It was relatively fun and I met some nice people, but I did not make millions, and to be truthful, I made just over what I actually paid for the table! So either my cards suck, or this event was just not my clientele.

That being said, I still had a fabulous time making these cards, as I always do, and since I have loads leftover I am happy to offer a set of five holiday cards (including envelopes) to my fabulous readers.

The best part?

You can choose your five favourite cards and I will send them to you! I'll also send you 10 holiday gift tags for some of your Christmas presents. Here are two of my favourite cards, and the full set is here for you to look through.

1. This contest is open to anyone in North America.
2. To enter, you need to leave a comment telling me what you like about hand-made cards.
3. For a second entry, follow my blog or tell me that you already follow me.
4. For a third entry, follow me on Twitter or tell me that you already follow me!
5. For a fourth entry, tweet the contest and tell me that you did it.

I will be drawing for the cards on Thursday, December 3rd at noon because I want to make sure the winner receives the cards well before Christmas!

Craft Sale Saturday

2009-11-27T07:01:00.005-05:00

This has been an extremely busy week for me - and, yes, every week in my life is busy with three Things running around underfoot, but this week has been exceptionally busy.

I have been preparing for my first real life craft sale! Here are the details - please try and stop by if you are in the Ottawa area! I'd love to see you.

I will be selling my hand-stamped cards at the Carp Cooperative Nursery School Christmas Craft and Bake Sale this Saturday, November 28th. The location is at 3774 Carp Road, Carp, and is open from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m.

Here are a few samples of my work, and there are much more here.

I had a number of people contact me looking to buy some cards. I have not had time to upload photos and stock my etsy store, so I will be selling whatever is left over from the craft sale as of Monday. Please contact me and I can deliver them, or you can come and browse through them if you like.

Laced Up

2009-11-21T18:25:00.001-05:00

Once upon a time, I used to be a figure skater. A real, honest-to-goodness figure skater who wore sparkly, sequent-laden lycra dresses and to this day still has scars on her body from an unfortunate run in with both another skater's ice pick and the boards.

Figure skating was a big part of my life as I grew up. I had patient and dedicated parents who drove my sister and I to and from various rinks all over the province of Nova Scotia. At all hours of the day - and most memorably - in the wee hours of the morning. I loved skating. It became a big part of me. It was a physical outlet and kept me in good shape. It was a creative outlet that allowed me to express myself and channel my artistic energies.

When I moved away from home to go to university in Ottawa, I was able to keep skating a little bit and was fortunate enough to score a great gig coaching. Thus, skating remained a part of my life for another ten years . . . and even helped pay my bills.

So, it should come as no great surprise that I was anxious for my own children to start learning to skate. I jumped the gun a little bit and enrolled Thing 1 in skating lessons a few years ago when he was only two years old. Although it went fairly well, unless you have a ridiculously coordinated toddler I recommend waiting until the child is three or four to register them for lessons. Your back muscles will thank you, because holding a toddler in the upright position under their armpits for 30 minutes wreaks havoc on your posterior.

After spending most of last year doing nothing, I decided it was definitely time to get Things 1 and 2 back on the ice and ready to hone their skating skills. They began taking skating lessons with the City of Ottawa in October and I'm completely impressed with their accomplishments thus far.

Last winter when we skated on our community outdoor skating rink, Thing 2 could barely stand up without being held. Today he skates circles around the other children in his group.

And Thing 1, a nervous and timid skater last winter, is skulling, gliding, skating on one foot and starting to skate backwards!!

It thrills me to have the kids truly excited about an activity in which they participate. They talk about skating lessons all week and wake up early every Saturday because they are so excited to hit the ice. And mommy is secretly pleased as punch that they are not in hockey yet, as she knows exactly the schedules and demands that come along with participation in hockey.

Thing 3 is such a good sport that she frequently comes to the rink to cheer her big brothers on. And mommy cannot wait to enroll her little girl in her first figure skating lessons.

Someday.

All Five Things Together

2009-11-16T22:17:00.003-05:00

It is so incredibly rare that the five of us are ever photographed together, that we basically have no family pictures at all. Having three young Things so close together in age literally leaves me breathless and constantly feeling like I am running behind a train trying to catch up. A family photo shoot has been on my mind since we had Thing 3 (almost TWO years ago now) and we finally had a chance to make my wish come true this weekend.

The very talented Anna from Anna Epp Photography joined us for a fun and relaxing morning of picture taking. I was so pleased that the entire morning was effortless and non-stressful. Other photographers in the past have been very hung up on posing and requiring that we sit still for minutes at a time - completely unreasonable for us with three children five and under. Anna takes a very natural approach and prefers to capture her shots while everyone is at ease and candid.

I'm completely happy with our photos! You can preview more shots from our family photo shoot at Anna's photography blog.

Get Ready for a Few Extra Minutes of Sleep

2009-11-13T19:20:00.004-05:00

Ever wish you could grab just 10 or 15 extra minutes to sleep each morning? Is your baby an early riser? When Thing 1 was a wee little thing in his crib, he liked to greet the mornings far too early for my liking. You know what I mean - like, *way* before the newspaper hits your doorstep. I used to wonder what I could do to just have him either a) sleep a bit longer so I didn't have to get up before dawn, or b) find some way to for him to remain happy and occupied in his crib for a good chunk of time.

A mom-to-mom chat with my good friend Kelly soon left me a changed woman. She offered me the gold nugget of parenting tips.

And I am about to offer this tip to you. Drum roll, please.

Find yourself a small container with some sort of clip or edge that will enable you to attach it to the edge of a crib. Those plastic cleaning containers work well (the ones that carry your cleaning bottles in it) although I found this composting container for a couple dollars at Zellers and really liked its sturdiness and size. It also happens to fit perfectly on our crib.

Each night after Thing 3 goes to sleep, I fill up her "crib bucket" with surprises for her to find when she wakes the next morning. I usually include a couple books, her favourite Little People . . . anything small and safe for her to play with on her own in her crib. In the picture below you can see I've also included her Auntie Steph's Monchichi, and our Playmobil pterodactyl.

Later in the evening, when I tuck her in as I embark on my own bedtime routine, I clip the bucket to the edge of her crib so it will be there waiting for her when she wakes up. In the morning, she opens her eyes and is pleasantly surprised by a bucket-full of goodies with which to amuse herself. She pulls out different toys and books each morning, keeping her occupied for a good 30 minutes or so before she begins to call out for me to come get her! I rotate the toys/books quite often, almost every night if I remember, because that seems to be key to keeping her excited about the bucket - the fact that there are different items in it each morning.

I try not to put the bucket in the crib with her at bedtime when she falls asleep, because it does seem to foster a little too much "playing" at bedtime and her crib is strewn with toys and books as she pulls all the items out. Be very careful which items you place inside the bucket - no sharp edges or dangerous toys of any kind. I never put in any books other than board books, as I wouldn't want Thing 3 to rip paper pages and potentially chew on them or choke. I sometimes put in several chunks of Lego, as she just loves putting four or five pieces of Lego together.

Yes, this little trick worked for all three Things. As babies, they grew to really look forward to their "buckets of fun" and ended up being very content and happy each morning as they woke up. Rarely did we ever hear fussing from our babies in the mornings, and to this day they are still all content and cheerful when they get up in the mornings.

I do not recommend adding the bucket to the crib of a younger infant. It is too dangerous until a baby is able to sit up on their own very well, hold toys, flip through the pages of a book, etc. I did not use the bucket for any of our children before they were at least nine or ten months old. And it is perfect for ages 15-20 months, when they are very curious and love reading books and are beginning to play with toys on their own.

So there you go . . . grab yourself a crib bucket, fill it up, and grab some zzzzs (or an early morning cup of coffee!) before your little one gets up.

Wordless Wednesday - Leaf Extravaganza

2009-11-11T06:31:00.004-05:00

Is it Christmas Card Time Already?

2009-11-09T20:13:00.005-05:00

I can hardly believe it is that time of year already. It seems like just yesterday it was summer and the Things and I were dipping our toes in the frigid Atlantic Ocean. But alas, reality has hit and Halloween is behind us (which wasn't very exciting around these parts as two of the Things were quite sick with bad colds, hence the lack of photos), signaling the green light for retailers round the globe to deck their halls, decorate their winter wonderlands, and inaugurate the never-ending rotation of Christmas advertisements that we will inevitably be forced to endure over the next seven weeks.

That being said - I do love the holidays! The festive season, the baking, the traditions, trimming the tree, late nights wrapping gifts and, of course, the Christmas cards. I am selling a few of my cards at a small craft fair here in Ottawa later this month, so I've been trying to come up with a variety of different styles that will suit everyone's needs. And I'm experimenting with some different "non-traditional" holiday colours, just to be different. A couple of the cards I made at a class a few weeks ago. My days are so busy lately, I really hope I can complete enough cards . . . and maybe even manage to make enough for us to send out this year!

How to Have a Birthday Party on a Budget

2009-10-26T14:23:00.007-04:00

Back in March I blogged that it was possible to throw a fun kids' birthday party and not break the bank. In keeping with that theme, I recently embarked on another birthday party adventure for one of my Things.

Yes, October signals the start of another birthday season here at the Thing household. All three things, their crafty mom and dad, and many of the grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles all have birthdays falling between October and March. Since Thing 1 had his first "real" birthday party when he turned four I felt that it was only fair that Thing 2 get a birthday party for his fourth birthday as well.

Using my previously-posted bullet points, I will now outline for you once again how it is entirely possible to have a fabulous birthday party on a budget.

1. Use home-made or online invitations. Although I had big dreams of hand-stamping stunning and adorable Halloween-themed birthday invitations, I had to succumb to the realities of life once again and toss that idea out with the trash. That being said, I did my invitations online through evite and I was able to put together something really cute and totally Halloween oriented. Evite is fabulous for organizing your whole party and makes it so easy to figure out how many kids are coming (not to mention it is ridiculously easy for parents to RSVP online). My luck being what it is, all ten kids replied that they were coming.

2. Make Your Own Cake. I am not a cake-making expert, I have never taken a cake-making course, nor do I have any innate sense of how to decorate a cake. But after purchasing a few birthay cakes from the Cake Shop around the corner from us, I knew that there had to be a more affordable way to end up with annual birthday cakes for three kids. (Not that the Cake Shop cakes aren't to die for - they are - and I can assure you when I am back at work and we are once again a two income family that I will be indulging in more cakes from them!) After attempting this back in March, I figured it was not going to be that hard to create a Halloween birthday cake.

I purchased a pumpkin cake mold for $8 at Bulk Barn. I figured with three kids, one of whom was born a couple days before Halloween, that I would certainly make back the cost of the cake mold in no time at all. And it doubles as a pumpkin-shaped chip bowl. Oh, yes it does.

I mean, it is seriously a simple cake but Thing 2 was flabbergasted and brimming with joy as I pulled it out and placed it before him as the "Happy Birthday" chorus hit the room. I whipped up a basic chocolate cake, iced it in chocolate icing, squirted on some orange icing and then stuck on a few candy pumpkins I'd also picked up at the Bulk Barn.

And, voila. A cake for $15 instead of $50.

3. Plan Party Activities That Don't Cost Money. I googled a bunch of Halloween party kids' games and literally found more than I could possibly have carried out in one afternoon. We played Pin the Mouth on the Jack-o-Lantern (self-explanatory), Bobbing for Marshmallows (where the kids each tried to suck a marshmallow out of a bin of water using a straw), Who's the Ghost (where the kids all close their eyes while one child is pulled out and covered in a white sheet - they all then open their eyes and have to guess who the ghost is!), Simon Says, and a few other simple games. Since the party was a Halloween costume party, we held a Costume Parade and handed out awards to each of the participants (which were hand-made and decorated by Thing 1 and Thing 2).

4. Keep food and decorations inexpensive. We decided to have an afternoon party, from 1:00 - 3:30, freeing me from having to offer up lunch food to a huge group of kids in my very small home. We served basic snacks, choice of two drinks, and the birthday cake.

Most of the decorations for the party I already had on hand from Halloweens past or from my teaching supplies, and everything else I bought came to less than $20 . . . streamers, a few helium balloons, etc. The best money I spent by far was $2.00 for a bag of "spider web" stuff and plastic spiders. This stuff looks spectacular and really cool - it stretches like crazy and is easy to stick to anything. It was ALL over the house - filled our whole basement, over several sections of our living and dining rooms, and what I had left I stretched across the front of the house near our entryway.

5. Don't go crazy on the loot bags. Keep it simple. Don't send home a lot of crap with the kids. Although I didn't get a photo of the bags I sent home this time around, I used plain cellophane bags and stuck in one box of Smarties, a Halloween pencil and eraser, a skull ring and a deck of tiny Halloween pumpkin playing cards . . . all the kids seemed thrilled (but then again, perhaps they are not old enough yet to complain about the loot bags!).

See? All in all, totally possible to throw your little one a birthday party and stay on a budget!

Inauguration

2009-10-23T22:30:00.004-04:00

Thing 1 was inaugurated the other night.

Yes, our oldest little man was officially sworn in as a Beaver. It seems like just yesterday we were dealing with separation anxiety and preschool, and suddenly time has shifted at an alarming speed and it's like I blinked my eyes and suddenly, out of nowhere, my oldest son is a Beaver?? Wearing a handsome little uniform and being sworn by a Scouting official with his "brown tail".

Check out the torches and all the official paraphernalia . . . pretty cool. These guys are pretty tough, they even stuck it out on a cold, wet weeknight in Ottawa's west end.

And a little over three decades ago his daddy was participating in his very own swearing in ceremony. In the exact same Beaver colony, at the exact same location.

So. Thankful.

2009-10-12T22:23:00.005-04:00

I really cannot imagine anything in the world more perfect than spending a crisp, cool Thanksgiving weekend eating, drinking, laughing, hiking, running, playing . . . and simply *being* with family. We spent a fabulous weekend in Oakville with my husband's cousins and family, and were sad to head home today to face a regular old week of life and responsibilities again.

For tonight, I remain eternally thankful for all that I have in my life.

I am truly blessed.

For a look at our entire weekend, check out the Things here.

Unleashing Creativity

2009-10-07T21:26:00.000-04:00

I am slowly learning that the "fly by the seat of your pants"-type attitude I have been taking over the past five years with respect to the general passing of time in our home, is, quite simply, not cutting it anymore. Staying home full-time with three young children (who have all been home for the majority of the day up until now) is challenging and trying, on the best of days. I guess with no yearly bonus coming my way, I figured one way to reward myself would be to allow myself the flexibility of doing whatever we felt like doing, whenever we wanted to do it.

But this fall the Things and I are being forced into setting out for ourselves some type of an actual schedule.

With the boys arriving home from school just after 11:00 a.m. each morning (yes, I know . . . I know, that just doesn't seem right, does it?) that still leaves me with a large chunk of the day to wrestle with all 3 Things.

After a few days of directionless chaos, this mommy decided to join the esteemed ranks of the organized parents all over the world and schedule some of her offspring's time.

Fridays, as of roughly a month ago, are now Fun Fridays at our house. Thing 3 goes to visit her grandmother, affording me some alone time after school with Things 1 and 2. So far we have done lunch dates and visited several of the spectacular museums the nation's capital has to offer. The boys love having a special day alone with their mom, and I love having the flexibility to be able to go out and take part in cultural and educational activities without being restrained by Thing 3's afternoon nap time.

One afternoon a week is designated as Craft Time. While I'm fortunate to have two very creative young lads in my midst, I hope to have some sort of organized craft for us all to work on together, at least once a week.

Finger-painting was met with huge success. I don't think we had taken the finger paints out since last spring when the weather was colder, so these two were like a couple of eager beavers building their first dam when I let them loose.

So it seems we're all adjusting to the new fall scheduling just fine. I realize that before I know it I will be back at work and this time I have with my children every single day will be drastically shorter, so I'm trying to stay a little more focused, and make every single moment count.

CIBC Run for the Cure

2009-10-04T20:44:00.003-04:00

Today I ran with 20,000 other people in Ottawa (and thousands more than that across Canada) to help find a cure for breast cancer. I have run this race several times before and I am always is awe of what a moving and overwhelming experience it is to be running with so many other passionate people all fighting for the same cause.

I ran with my friend Kelly . . . and by some stroke of luck we ran at exactly the same pace and we both finished the five km run somewhere between 26 and 27 minutes.

I ran the race in memory of a caring, intelligent and very inspiring woman named Marilyn Large, who I knew from the moment I was born until she passed away three years ago. She left a mark on my life - and that of so many others - and I never walk into a crowded room full of people or a situation that makes me nervous and not remember her words of wisdom to me.

"Always walk with your head up and shoulders back, Shannon. Good posture exudes good confidence."

And it was with my shoulders back and head up that I remembered her today, and ran for her and so many other women who are fighting this disease today.

Thing 2 woke up early this morning to see his mommy off before she left for her run. He's not much of a morning person, in case you couldn't gather that from the photo.

And I would be remiss if I didn't give credit to my very loyal running partner, Rudy. While cocker spaniels come from an ancestry of bird dogs, don't let anyone tell you that a 31 pound cocker can't run a good 5K several times a week. This guy has been running with me regularly since last spring and has not lagged behind me one single time. I may bring him with me to run the race next fall, because I did see a lot of participants running with their dogs today.

Huge thanks to all my friends and relatives who supported me in the run today. It is much appreciated and went to such a tremendously good cause.

One a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

2009-09-30T22:23:00.000-04:00

We gathered up our 3 Things a couple weekends ago and headed south to the ever-popular Mountain Orchards to pick and gather ourselves some juicy, sweet apples.

We made the trip with our friends (who also happen to be our neighbours . . . how cool is that?) and we all had a fabulous time. It ended up being pretty darn hot (at least 25 degrees for sure) and we all broke a sweat trudging through the fields and climbing up trees in search of the perfect red one.

Take a peek at the 3 Things reaching new heights. The shot was so perfect I did have to let go of the ladder in order to take a picture. No Thing was harmed in the taking of this photo.

Thing 3 had a very bad habit of taking one bite and then throwing the rest of the apple in the bag. She's kinda too cute to stay angry with for long.

Thing 2 proved to be an expert apple-picker for a very inexperienced three-year-old. He picked out the very smoothest, reddest, most blemish-free apples . . . and then ate them.

Thing 1 came pretty close to the earth's atmosphere when six foot many inches D.J. lifted him up in a tree.

Yes, I have concluded that a day at the apple orchard on a beautifully gorgeous sunny Sunday, with lovely friends, and wide open spaces through which your children can run wild - and wait - did I mention the trees??? Trees for them to climb every way you turned your head. Yes, this was definitely a fantastic way to spend a day.

Mountain Orchards is famous for their apple cider donuts. So famous that at least a dozen people randomly spoke to me about them. And, since there is no moss growing one me, I did indeed wait over 30 minutes in this painfully long line for a taste of the greasy apple goodness.

They were so delicious, in fact, that I never stopped eating long enough to snap a photo of them.

Are you, too, stuck with dozens of apples coming out your ying-yang? I suggested a list of apple recipes to try on A Crafty Mom Cooks. I've made a few of them and so far the applesauce is by far a family favourite.

Back in the Saddle

2009-09-26T20:53:00.004-04:00

While it's been what seems like an eternity since I last blogged, I figure there's really no better way to get back into it than to dive in head first.

And dive in we have.

We are all settling into a very new fall routine. Thing 1 is in Senior Kindergarten this year, while Thing 2 has started his first year of public school and is in Junior Kindergarten. The brothers take the bus together each morning and attend school for half a day, returning home on the bus before lunch time.

Let me clarify. This "half day" connotation is a bit strong in my opinion. My kids get on the bus at 8:00 a.m. (which truly feels like dawn for a family who has not needed to get up and be anywhere at 8:00 a.m. for the past five years) and then come home and make their way down the steps of the big yellow school bus at 11:00 a.m. That is THREE hours . . . not a significantly long time for a busy mom to accomplish any number of items off her to-do list. With an extremely active 20-month-old little girl at her side.

But in all seriousness, it is an unquestionably easier schedule for me to handle than what I had to deal with last year. The boys go to school in the morning, I have some alone time with Thing 3 every day, they return home in plenty of time for us to all eat lunch together (and not so rushed each day, like it was last year), and we all have some down time in the afternoon while Thing 3 takes her nap. As she is a bit older now, she is flexible enough to nap a bit later in the day, so it's even possible for me to take the kids out for a couple hours after school before she needs to rest.

The boys seem to be doing very well - I couldn't ask for a better beginning to the school year. I was nervous with Thing 2 starting school so young - he is only three years old and does not turn four until later in October - but he has exceeded all my expectations and is adjusting to his new routine like a true champion.

That's not to say that we aren't tired. The boys are EXHAUSTED by the end of the day and after nearly a month of school are still not entirely used to getting up so early. I am continually nudging bedtime back a bit more each night, and they are out cold like wet noodles the minute I turn the light off in their room.

And after spewing on about my beliefs on the importance of not over-scheduling young children in extra-curricular activities, it seems as if the boys are this fall enrolled in swimming lessons on Monday nights and Thing 1 has started Beavers on Wednesdays. Am I hypocrite? Yeah, maybe. But so far, so good, and I have to admit to liking having a couple evening activities that really help pass the time a little faster as the colder weather approaches and the evenings get shorter and darker.

So, I introduce to you after a long summer hiatus, Thing 1 and Thing 2, on the first day of school on their way to the bus stop.

The perfect "first day of school" shot was interrupted by the Things complaining that the sun was in their eyes.

As things have worked out, we tend to walk to the bus stop as a family of five because Daddy catches his bus downtown at the exact same time that the school bus comes.

I'm sure this will get pretty old, pretty fast when the snow hits in January, but for now we quite enjoy our little morning excursions.

A Summer Update

2009-07-12T12:00:00.000-04:00

You all may have noticed that I have been ridden with another case of "neglectful blogging". While extremely rewarding and a fabulous release for creative energy, blogging is also immensely time-consuming. And while often that is exactly how I choose to spend the very little free time I have, lately I have been choosing to keep myself busy in other, more relaxing and self-reflective ways.

I suspect I will be blogging very little over the course of the summer, as we have a variety of visits/trips/outings coming up in the next few weeks and I am truly enjoying my family, reading books, kicking my feet up, and watching a little trashy television. Perhaps a self-imposed blogging break is exactly what I needed.

In the meantime, here is a quick glimpse into some of the fun we've been having over the past month. My groovy sister and her family came to visit us for a while and we all just had the best time. She brought her two adorable children, her deadly-caesar-mixing husband . . . and LOBSTER.

What more can a girl ask for?

Let's Talk Preschool, Toy Testing, and Weddings

2009-06-14T22:00:00.001-04:00

The past couple weeks have been incredibly busy. I don't know where the time goes anymore, it seems I wake up and seemingly seconds later I am heading to bed again for another night's sleep, wondering where the day went and why my to-do list has grown instead of getting smaller.

Again.

Thing 2 finished up preschool last week, and as vice president I was a big part of the year-end clean up and toy disinfecting movement. I can hardly believe I have now had two boys complete a year of preschool each, and am so completely and utterly pleased with our co-operative preschool that I have indeed agreed to stay on as vice president next year.

Even though I likely won't have a child attending the school in the fall. Huh. How's that for dedication? There is a possibility that Thing 3 could attend in the new year, as she turns two in January, but I am not sure if she (or I) would be ready for that as at this point I still think of her as my baby.

Except that this nearly-17-month-old ball of fire has recently become a true force with which to be reckoned. She does not stop moving. She climbs everything. Twice. Or three times. In an instant that I have blinked, dared to steal a moment alone in the bathroom, or focused my attention on another sibling, she is IN a sink, ON a table, HOVERING over a chair or SCALING her brothers' bunk bed ladder. My days are suddenly just a tad more tiring, and I am able to accomplish less and less during her waking moments. You'd think one would be an expert after three kids, but not I, no - I wipe my slate clean with each new babe I bring into the world - and with that includes the erasing of all previous memories of preceding Things' baby and toddler phases.

And, just in case I wasn't busy enough, it is toy testing season again and we have been inundated with a sea of Playmobil, books, monster trucks and Power Rangers. Although I swore to be more on the ball this year and really "on top of my game", I still seem to leave the report writing to the last minute. I completed three last week and had (once again) forgotten how time-consuming and intelligence-intensive they were. Regardless of how long it takes my brain-dead self to write the reviews . . . and locate 52, 987 teeny tiny pieces of a Playmobil ship to return to their original box . . . I still feel strongly that this is a wonderful experience for both the Things and I. I mean, they get to play with toys to their hearts' content and I get to observe and participate in a variety of types of fun and play as well.

And last, but not least, I wanted to briefly post about our weekend away last week. The Things' daddy, Thing 3, and my mother-in-law and I drove to Toronto for a family wedding. My gracious and generous mother offered to fly up to Ottawa from Nova Scotia for the weekend to watch the older two Things while we were away.

I really thought she was insane - or joking - but I took her up on it anyway.

She flew up on Thursday and we left on Friday morning, not arriving back until Sunday night. I was a little nervous. A tad apprehensive. And at times, even extremely worried. I had not left Things 1 and 2 for any more than a couple hours with anyone other than their father since they were born. Thing 1 still shows signs of separation anxiety lately and Thing 2 had been bucking the "terrible twos" trend and showing us just how hellish being three could be - and I just couldn't imagine how the weekend was going to transpire.

Over all, it went pretty well. The biggest and most exciting news was that neither boy missed their mommy very much. There were no tears shed and that I was not expecting at all. They had a blast with their Nana and enjoyed the entire weekend.

She . . . got Thing 1 to school, packed his lunch, got him off the bus, took them to a restaurant (not once, but TWICE . . . IN PUBLIC), chauffered Thing 1 to a t-ball tournament, watched the entire game while entertaining Thing 2, stayed afterwards for the carnival that was set up at the field, took them to a toy store with no one needing to be carted away on a stretcher, drove them across the entire city to see a movie, got lost on said movie trip and had to stop at a gas station with two cranky kids and ask for directions, wiped bums, made snacks, made friends with complete strangers at our neighbourhood park, endured what I can only assume must have been hours and hours of Pokemon-based discussions and faked genuine interest in the roles each Pokemon has, AND fed and walked our dog.

Is she a super-hero, or what? I know, I owe her big.

Our weekend away was fantastic. Paul was the best man in the wedding and it was just amazing. It was wonderful to spend time with relatives from all over - especially those crazy Irish - and to celebrate in a wedding for two special people for whom we care so much.

I'll sign off with some photos from the wedding. I came home with very few pictures, and absolutely none from the church ceremony. I was taking care of Thing 3 much of the weekend, and was only without her for the reception and dinner part of the evening on the Saturday night. But someone did get one of she and I together at the church. And, yes, that is the same dress she wore to a wedding almost one year ago. (As is mine. We have no shame.)

Edward Scissorhands Beware

2009-06-05T00:00:00.000-04:00

Thing 2 was in an unprecedented pleasant and agreeable mood the other night. Carpe Diem, right? I seized the opportunity to quickly and painlessly trim his bangs. How hard could it be? I've seen hair stylists do it at salons . . . zip zip snip - and voila, straight, even bangs.

Now I know what they mean when they say "don't try this at home".

If you follow my blog or you know me personally, you know that Thing 2 had very little hair at all and was actually practically bald until his third birthday. He still doesn't boast a head full of luscious locks, but the front strands were definitely getting long and straggly.

Before Edward Scissorhands (aka Crafty Mom) hacked away at her precious middle child.

After. Excuse the giant bruise on his forehead. No need to call social services.

14 hours after the "incident", after I rushed him to a nearby children's hair salon.

Lesson learned. I'm so sorry my patient little man! Thanks for not hating me, and for your sweet comment at bedtime last night.

"It doesn't look that bad, mommy, I like it flat across my forehead like that."

WW - Neglected?

2009-06-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

Easy Toddler Masks

2009-06-02T00:00:00.005-04:00

As the end of the school year begins to close in on us, I can hardly believe ten months have passed during which Thing 1 has been in junior kindergarten every single afternoon. Over the course of the past year, I have grown to truly appreciate the one-on-one time I spend with Thing 2 each afternoon between 12:15 and 3:15.

He is very accommodating and always gives me about an hour to "get things done" - to work out, chop food for supper, tidy up, or spend time online. The rest of the time I try to devote to him. He goes in and out of craft phases, although lately he has been anxious for our time alone so we can create something new together.

I stumbled upon a site at which I found great templates to print out and create toddler masks.

I tried a variety of techniques, all of which totally failed before I finally tried this one from Enchanted Learning. The masks are easy to print out and fit on a little one's face perfectly. My printer was having a difficult time spitting out my card stock, so instead I printed the mask template out on regular paper and then traced it on card stock. Cut it out, fasten an elastic around the back and VOILA! Happiness in two seconds.

I was then required to make one for his brother - which was a lion's face - but it met an untimely demise at the fate of Thing 3's strong little fingers.

The mask Thing 2 is modeling is called "Robot". After I took the photos he decorated it and added some glitter to really make things funky.

Single Mommy Survives Her Weekend

2009-06-01T13:30:00.000-04:00

I spent my first weekend at home by myself this weekend. Well, let's use that term "myself" loosely here . . . what I mean is my husband (aka the Things' daddy) left to go to Toronto this weekend for his cousin's bachelor party. He left Friday at supper time and arrived back last night before the Things went to bed. While it's not that I'm not used to him traveling . . . he traveled for weeks and weeks when Thing 2 was a little wee babe and somehow we made it through that . . . it has certainly been a long time since daddy embarked on his own weekend adventure.

Sans "us".

While I wasn't overly anxious about the whole situation, I harboured some minor fears that at any point things could go very, very wrong. I've been there, done that, and while I do know that every day is an adventure, I am grateful for the days that are not. Thankfully things turned out just fine.

We visited some fabulous friends, ate some Swiss Chalet, logged an inordinate amount of park-time, rolled down a wet hill with our grass-smelling-and-stained-damp clothing, kicked some Indiana Jones' butt on the Wii, burst into an impromptu dance party and became confident we could also kick some butt on "So You Think You Can Dance", devoured endless pancakes (and endless cups of coffee), and played hide and seek in the rain.

To be completely honest, if I learned anything from this weekend it is that the simplest and most basic way to keep your children completely and utterly happy is to spend every single waking minute with them and give them your constant, undying attention.

Obviously this is not feasible long term because as parents we have other responsibilities such as feeding, clothing, and caring for our children. It is also encumbent upon us to provide a decent living space that is clean and rid of filth, to pay bills, earn a living, to ensure the grass miraculously stays below waist-level in our yard, and to carry out a variety of mundane yet crucially important tasks on a daily basis.

But if we didn't have to do these things, and were able to shirk responsibility for a short time just as I was this weekend . . . I'm pretty sure kids around the globe would be happy round the clock.

30 Days and Counting Shred

2009-05-28T14:00:00.000-04:00

I've had a few inquiries from readers as to whether or not I have had any success with Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I mentioned back in April that I was committed to giving it a try and sticking with the program. And, remarkably, I did.

Kind of.In all honesty, I didn't follow the program for 30 consecutive days. Due to several pretty nasty illnesses in the past two months, I had to stop over the course of a couple weeks. But when I was well, I worked out every day. I found it a bit monotonous to do the Shred workout every day, so I typically did 3-4 days of the DVD followed by a day of running. I am still doing it, as I don't feel like I am "finished" yet so my plan is to continue on doing it 3-4 times a week for at least another couple months.

Yes, the workout is fairly intense.

The first day I did it I was sore beyond any pain I could imagine . . . I could barely muster up the strength to haul my Lulu's up over my ankles and slap on my running shoes on the second day, but somehow I powered through it and did it. After a week, I was not finding Level 1 leaving me feeling like I was a 95 year old geriatric who had just run a marathon in 45 degree (Celsius) heat with a 250 pound barrel strapped to her back anymore. Levels 2 and 3 are certainly jam-packed with energy-zapping and muscle-burning lunges, squats and push ups (don't even think about wimping out and resorting to doing the push ups from your knees, because Jillian will yell at you) and I still cringe when I hear the terms "plank" or "pike", but what can I say . . . the results are pretty amazing and they speak for themselves.

I can't seem to find a "before" shot, but here is a pretty good "after" photo.

All right, all right.

So Jillian is a teeny tiny bit smaller than me *and* phenomenally fit - but I still experienced some pretty decent results with this DVD. My original goal was to be "firmer" by the time I was to attend an out-of-town wedding next weekend (June 6), and I am comfortable I will feel pretty good in whatever I decide to wear. I haven't lost a pound, but that wasn't primarily my goal as my long-term love affair with food and cooking basically precludes that from ever happening.

WW - Why Can't All Days Be Like This?

2009-05-27T08:20:00.001-04:00

Walking in Asia

2009-05-24T19:42:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend, as we lamented the loss of Thing 3's "baby phase" and watched her scale her big brother's ladder and climb up to the top bunk of his bunk bed, we were all trying to remember at exactly what age Thing 1 and Thing 2 started walking.

I joked that they were both ridiculously premature walkers, and that both times I was not quite ready for their new found independence. I explained that I remembered that both boys walked at the same respective age . . . shortly after they turned ten months.

Thing 1 dared to contradict me, suggesting that he had indeed taken his first steps much earlier than the ripe old age of ten months.

"I walked as soon as I got out of China, mommy," he said, with a mischievous sparkle in his eye.

"CHINA?" I cried, trying to ascertain when my five year old thought he had ever been to Asia.

My face must have exhibited my dumb-foundedness because with a look of complete and utter seriousness, my son pointed to the zipper area of my capri pants.

"When I came out of your CHINA, I said!"

Right.

Got it.

PSF - The World Outside My Window

2009-05-21T21:45:00.004-04:00

Why is it that the pictures that bring you the most joy often come from the most mundane of sources and inspiration? I took these yesterday as I gathered the kids up outside to go pick up Thing 1 at the bus stop after school.

The brothers have taught Thing 3 well. Yes, that is her delicate, girly finger shoved right up her nostril.

Pink and blossoms go together almost as well as chocolate and ice cream.

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

You always trust your gut

2009-05-21T20:30:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, as we do every day that it is nice after school, we prepared ourselves to head to the park just down the street from our house. The kids gulped back their sliced fruit, eager with anticipation for what was to come. Things 1 and 2 raced out the front door, donned their bicycle helmets (hey, I've instilled safety first in these boys!), and raced down the street. I struggled to keep up with my two speedy cyclists as I barreled down the road with two one-year-olds in our red Radio Flyer wagon.

The park, a mere two hundred metres from our house, is a complete ray of beauty in our busy neighbourhood. It is wide, open, hilly, grassy and bursting with various areas in which to play. There are two sets of swings, one for older children, one for babies and toddlers, and two climbing play structures with slides. There are trees and paths for hide-and-seek, a gigantic hill for tobogganing in the winter, and paved paths for rollerblading or biking. It's a serene little piece of existence nestled in this mostly peaceful community.

As the Things and I closed in on the edge of the park, I abruptly noticed a strange man sitting on one of the benches beside the large play structure. I didn't recognize him, and I didn't know him. (And I am *that* nosy and chatty mother in the neighbourhood who knows everyone, chats to everyone, is up on all the gossip, and is aware at every moment of her park visit which child belongs to which parent or provider.)

My eyes did a quick scan of the park to see if the man was accompanied by any children.

He wasn't.

He had a small coffee cup sitting next to him on the bench. He was also smoking. This made me uncomfortable, as the Things have basically never seen anyone smoking before. (I'm not sure why that is, I think it's just the way circumstances have worked out for them at this young age and in today's more health-conscious society.) His clothing looked worn and slightly ragged . . . largely uncharacteristic for this middle-income neighbourhood.

I instantly resented that he was taking a small piece of innocence away from my park. My safe haven. Our sanctuary.

I refused to make eye contact with him. I couldn't bring myself to do it. I instantly, with my whole entire being, didn't trust him. I wouldn't - couldn't - shouldn't give him the benefit of the doubt on the very same afternoon that I had just learned that a man and a woman had been arrested for the murder of Tori Stafford. But that police had still not found her body.

Has our society evolved to the point that I cannot possibly fathom that this man is just out on a beautiful, sunny afternoon enjoying the natural beauty of our local park? Am I so tainted with negativity, skeptism, and fear that I automatically passed judgment and assumed he had bad intentions? That he was watching my children, preying on them, searching for clues to identify us and try to decipher where we live, which house is ours, which car is ours, what time do we go to sleep . . . at what times of day we are most vulnerable?

Yes, it has. If it happened to Tori Stafford, then I'm afraid it could happen to any of our children. And the only way to be vigilent and feel confident that we are doing our ultimate best as mothers to protect our young is to be suspicious, doubtful, untrusting - and to make others earn our trust. To make others work for it.

And so, yesterday afternoon I left our neighbourhood park with a heavy heart. I stayed glued to my children's sides the entire time the man sat on the bench, not allowing them to run free and play until he had left, walked to the edge of the park and was safely out of my line of vision. If he was just a man taking a break in his day, stopping for a moment to pause this insanity that we call life and enjoy a cup of coffee and a cigarrette, then I apologize.

But my gut told me something else, and once you become a mom, you always trust your gut.

Creative Juices Returning?

2009-05-19T15:47:00.002-04:00

It appears as if some of the creativity that was completely and utterly extracted from my being each time I gave birth is slowly being restored. Although in very small and non-threatening spurts, my creativity is emerging, one small project at a time.

I only wish the brain cells and the body could return back to pre-baby state so easily.

Nonetheless, I have managed to whip up another baby blanket for a friend who is pregnant and will soon be expecting her first baby. She chose the selfish route of choosing not to find out the baby's gender. At which time she earned herself a very bland and plain YELLOW baby blanket. Because I simply do not knit fast enough to whip up both a pink and a blue one in order to have both on hand.

So, yellow (with speckles of blue and pink just to tease me) it is.

I made this card for my mother-in-law for Mother's Day. I'm finding myself really drawn to colour and especially watercolour. I've been experimenting with various shades and different ways to colour stamped images. This basket and flowers image was actually coloured with my watercolour pencils and then I used a paintbrush to blend and darken where I chose.

Simple, but I thought it really added a nice touch.

Every day is an adventure

2009-05-15T10:00:00.000-04:00

Although every day is an adventure around here, Tuesdays are our "busy" day.

As if getting three kids up and ready in the morning isn't a daunting enough task on its own, on every second day of the week I pile them all in the van to drive Thing 2 to preschool for 9:00 a.m. This also includes bringing the little boy that I take care of each day.

First on the agenda, we drive Thing 2 to preschool, where I circle the block until I get the parking spot right in front of the fenced-in play area so that I don't have to unbuckle everybody and take all the children out of the van to drop him off. I take Thing 2 to the fence, open the gate, and hand him over to his teachers, only feet from my van.

If it rains and the children are inside on Tuesdays, I'm screwed. 'Nuff said.

I then take the remaining three children down the street to our Tuesday morning playgroup, which thankfully runs at the exact same time. Playgroup is always hectic but fun. And by "fun" I mean there is real adult conversation to have with other mothers whose lives are as insane as mine. The *get* me. We drink coffee, wipe noses and bums, brush off crumbs, and kiss bruised knees.

I then need to corral two one-year-olds and a five-year-old back into our van and head back to preschool to collect Thing 2. Timing is crucial here. If we are late by only a minute, it wreaks havoc on our lunchtime routine and my ability to get Thing 1to the bus stop for afternoon kindergarten on time.

Thing 2's class is inside at the end of the day, which translates into me being required to unbuckle and haul three bodies up the steps and inside the school to pick up my boy. Today, just to shake things up and be different, I chose to carry the little boy I watch on my back in my backpack, hold Thing 3 in my arms, and thankfully - because he can - I let Thing 1 walk on his own. Somehow we make it inside the preschool building.

I then proceed to nod and laugh at all the seemingly original "looks like you've really got your hands full" and "are they all YOURS?" comments. I exchange pleasantries with a few of the preschool moms with whom I've formed a bond over the past nine months, and then Thing 2 is released from his class. He informs me that there is artwork of his that I need to pick up.

While I am not one to stifle a child's creativity, it is beyond what I can cope with to herd four kids *and* a wet, dripping piece of rainbow-coloured paper out to my van. Yet I am a mother, and so I do it anyway.

I threaten Things 1 and 2 with their lives (or loss of toys, food, air, or any other bartering tool I need to use) if they don't head straight to the van and climb in. Having a child run into the street or veer off in the wrong direction would be catostrophic at this point. And returning home with all four is of crucial importance, and, really, is expected of me.

We make it. We get in, I buckle everybody up and climb into the driver's seat. I let out a gargantuan sigh of relief for this is when I truly believe the worst part is behind me and that I have, indeed, "won" today.

We drive home and I quickly run through my head all the things I must quickly do when we arrive at the house. I need to feed four children and get Thing 1 ready to head to the bus stop for school in less than 30 minutes. I visualize getting lunch ready and cross off little check marks on my imaginary "to-do" list in my head as I sit at a red light, waiting to turn left.

I am jolted back into reality as I hear a siren blaring and see flashing red lights behind me. I wonder what idiot is speeding on Woodroffe and getting pulled over. I look around. There are no other cars around. And it is a good thirty seconds before it all sinks in. The police car wants ME to pull over.

I quickly pull over, stop the van, and explore all the possible reasons a police car has just pulled me over. Speeding? No. Ran a red light? No. Too many kids in the van? No. Kids not secure in car seats? No.

As I begin to hyperventilate and try to answer the "what is going on, Mommy" from the back seat, I roll down my window. A young, male police officer peers menacingly into my front seat.

He hears noise in the back, and looks around to glance over my shoulder.

"Are they all yours?"

"Uh, no, " I sputter, trying to relinquish the gag reflex causing me to feel like I might throw up.

I can't fathom that the reason he pulled me over is to ask me if I gave birth to all four rug rats in the van. He is slow to offer any useful information.

"I noticed your registration sticker on your license plate is overdue, " he tells me.

Realizing there must be some misunderstanding and that I must have forgot to put my new stickers on back in February, some of the tension is released from my neck and shoulders.

"I forgot to put the sticker on I guess, " I explain.

"Nope. I already ran you through the computer and you didn't renew your registration, miss."

I am briefly not thankful for this age of technology, where a police officer knows half my life history just by pulling my van's file up on his computer.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, " I say, grasping at straws and waiting for a brilliant explanation to spew from my lips. I look down at my dirty, over-sized t-shirt and realize I am not even wearing the right attire to try to use my sexuality or my ample, lactating breasts to win over my officer friend and have him show me some compassion.

"I can see how you might be busy and may have forgotten to renew your registration this year, " he offers. "I rarely do this . . . but I'm going to let you off with a warning."

Sniffling emerges from the back of the van. Thing 1 asks, "Mommy, are you going to jail?".

He pauses as the day's scenario obviously unfolds in his own mind, then asks, "are we going to get to see a real jail?".

Right on cue, Thing 3 starts crying loudly. It is lunch time after all. Officer Forgiveness offers to "watch the other children" while I "attend to the baby". It's at this moment I realize the poor soul doesn't have kids of his own.

"She's fine, " I tell him.

He writes up a warning and hands it to me, suggesting I go renew my registration TODAY. Which I obviously promise to do.

"Thank you, officer, " I say, smiling my thankful you-just-saved-my-day smile, "I really appreciate this and I promise it won't happen again."

As I drive away I am hopeful that in the two km between the spot where I was stopped and my house I will not run into another police car, because my van still bears the delinquent stickers.

Yes, every day is an adventure around here, and Tuesdays are still my "busy" day.