I am going to try my best not to rant. I am simply sending a wish out into the world for the benefit of my son and other children growing up in "non-traditional families". I would love to see us all change our default setting away from families having a Dad, a Mom and siblings. In my work, I interact with children everyday and I make a point to never make assumptions about their home lives. You may think I am being oversensitive because I happen to be a single Mother, but truly this is not about me. This is about the fact that I don't believe children should have to correct preconceived ideas or justify their families to adults or other children. I received an email recently from the manager of my son's team. It was addressed to The Parents of ____. Now, this is a team my son has been a part of for five months now. Apart from his Grandma bringing him to one practice when I had a late meeting at work, I have taken him by myself to every pr...
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The universe is trying to send me a message. It has been trying for a while now but I have ignored it. The message became much clearer to me over the Christmas Break, however. Unfortunately, it took a trip to Emerg, twice daily trips to the local hospital for IV anti-biotics for a condition that usually happens to people who have a suppressed immune system (helloooo?!), and a cancelled trip to Disneyland to finally force me to hear the message. Since my not-so-fun wake up call, all signs have been pointing toward taking better care of myself. It's not like I have been completely unaware that I have not sufficiently been giving love to my mind and body for the last few years but how does one find the time for themselves as a working, 24/7, 365 days a year single Mum? Now however, I am well aware that the list of little health issues that have appeared for me as I approach my 40th birthday, are there to let me know that it is no longer a choice but...
I don't love shopping. I have always been the kind of shopper who waits until they desperately need something, goes into the store at the quietest possible time, goes straight to the needed item, picks one from the back that no one else has touched, barely looks at the price tag, takes it to the counter, pays, and then gets the heck out of there. Online shopping however, really does it for me. I can spend hours browsing through products from the comfort of my own couch, in my comfy sweatpants and stained tank top! I will invest time comparing prices, searching different websites, and reading reviews. Why is it such a different experience for me than in-store shopping? First of all, online shopping appeals to my introvert self. It does not require face to face communication with any other human beings! Wahoo, after a long day or week of patiently reminding 10 years to raise their hand before they share their idea. Ther...
Here I sit on a peaceful Saturday morning, sipping coffee and debating whether or not to brave frightening Costco on the weekend. I normally make it a Friday night stop, doing a cheap dinner and fairly calm shop without much fuss. Except that, as I wrote in a past post, during the summer my schedule goes out the window. So now I am faced with the decision between the need to get some things done and the fear of Saturday Costco. The first negative will be the parking lot. It isn't even that difficult to find a spot. The frustrating part is navigating a giant metal death machine through the shoppers who feel like they can walk here there and right down the centre of the road, just because they have an overflowing cart of bulk buys. Then there are the shoppers who will step out in front of the car without a second thought and shoot you a grumpy "I-just-spent-two-hours-in-weekend-Costco-I-dare-you-to-mess-with-me" look. ...
As I sit here waiting for my grumpy, over tired four year old to fall asleep, I can't help but think, "Thank goodness for 9am swimming lessons for the next two weeks!" Crazy right? There was a time in my life when 9am passed me by most days while I happily slumbered away my summer vacation and now I am grateful to have to set the alarm and be somewhere by 9am every morning? What is this about? As the school year creeps to an end each June, I long for the freedom that comes with no schedule. This summer has been different. Sometimes, the so called "lazy days of summer" have become challenging for us. I think my son has reached the point in his development, where it is easier to be out and busy with him, than it is to have a lazy day at home. As I have been pondering this idea today, it has crossed my mind that this is may be part of the reason parents over schedule their children with activities. We have heard a lot in the media...
Just Me and The Lil' Man: 10 Things I Have Learned From My Dad's Life and Death
My Dad should be turning 79 today. I can see the backyard party at my parent's house now. Hot dogs, Mum's homemade potato salad and a huge cake lit up with a ton of candles for the old fella. Unfortunately though, my Dad passed away 16 years ago and we won't be celebrating his day today. The thing that makes me saddest is that he will never meet his Grandchildren. He would have been the best Grandpa a kid could ever ask for. My son actually calls him "Papa" and talks as if he knows him, but that is a whole different post! I figure today is a great day to spend some time reflecting on how my Dad and his death shaped who I am today. He was so many things to everyone in our family. I know that there are many, many more things I learned from my Dad and his death then just ten, just get me started.... 1. Family is #1: My Dad used to call home on his lunch break everyday, just to see what we ...