I am baaaack...again. For those of you who have followed me from the beginning, you know that I am awesome at starting things (See my other blog, Fifty Shades of Awesome, my clean eating plan, my exercise plan....). I am not awesome at sticking with them.
I cannot believe we are in to the Christmas season already. Well, actually I can believe it because where I live its minus 25 in the mornings (without the windchill). This year we were smart and put the decorations up outside before it turned cold. Of course they are not on because none of us wants to go out to plug them in, but that's another story. My decorations are up, most of my shopping is done, I still have baking to do and of course the never ending wrapping. All and all not bad.
Christmas always was my favourite time of year. I love lights, I love to shop, I love Christmas music, I love to decorate, I love hot chocolate, gingerbread and Chinese food (don't ask). In short I love all things Christmas.
Or at least I did before I had kids.
When I was growing up, Christmas was amazing. I could never figure out though why my mom was so grouchy about it. "Bah Humbug" was a phrase I heard a lot as a kid, and not because we liked the movie. Yet despite all the grumblings, Christmas was always wonderful. Thanks Mom.
When I moved out on my own, my love for Christmas grew. I could not wait to have kids of my own to share the season with. I swore I would never hate Christmas like my parents did.
Well my friends, now I have kids and I hate Christmas.
Why, you ask? Let me enlighten you:
My Vision:
My kids and I snuggled up on the couch under a warm blanket watching Christmas cartoons/movies together.
Reality:
Older child crying because he wants to watch Octonauts, Younger child pouting because older child took her spot and her blankie on the couch. Me not being able to sit still long enough to even register what we are watching because the baby has decided to pull her self up on the tree, thereby knocking it over.
My Vision:
Putting on Christmas music, drinking hot chocolate and putting up the Christmas decorations as a family.
Reality:
Kids upset because they want to hear "Gangnam Style". Older child deciding that plyers are necessary to hold the lights while handing them to mommy, breaking the glass bulb in the process. Middle child crying because she burned her tongue on the hot chocolate. Baby eating the glass from the aforementioned broken bulb. Husband who doesn't give a rat's ass about Christmas decorations--he just wants his dinner.
My Vision:
My family and I braving the cold to head out to the mall, do some shopping, perhaps run into people we know then go out to a nice family dinner at a restaurant.
Reality:
Baby screaming almost the entire time because she is hungry/irritable/ bored. Middle child running away and into a store with breakable objects, Older child stealing a newspaper from said store because he knows "Mommy likes to read the paper" 30 min wait at the resturaunt with hyper, hungry grouchy kids.
My Vision:
Listening to Christmas music and spending some fun time with the kids baking cookies, or putting together gingerbread houses...
Reality:
Older two fighting over who gets to pour the flour and who gets to stir. Middle child sneezing into the dough. Older child deciding baking takes too long and "Is too hard" Baby fussing beacuse she wants to get in there and does not want to sit in the high chair watching all the action. Husband who eats the cookies right out of the oven then complains about his sore tongue. Kids bugging to hear "Gangnam Style" instead of Christmas carols.
"The Most Wonderful Time of The Year"? I think not. If Andy Williams were still alive I would punch him right in the face. And no Burl Ives, I will not have a "Holly Jolly Christmas." Go F@*$# yourself.
Bah Humbug.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Off We Go!!!!
We're off!! .......Like a heard of turtles.
That's what my mom used to say whenever we would go anywhere. Back then I would roll my eyes and wonder why my mom was so annoyed. Why was she so grouchy going on vacation? Didn't she want to go? Why was she yelling at us?
Now I know..and I'm so sorry, mom.
We are about to embark on a two week trip to southern Ontario. Its nothing we haven't done before. We travel south many times a year. However, each trip brings its share of arguing, frustration and exhaustion. Every trip we swear is the last one. We swear we are going to do things differently.
We always decide to do it again. And we always do the same things...
About a month before the trip:
Argue about whether or not we should go on the trip in the first place. Do we have enough reason to go? We just took a trip- should we take another one? Can we take our son out of school for that long?
Once we have decided that we are going, we move on:
Argue about calling the trip a "vacation." As far as I am concerned, anytime I leave my house, housework and cooking is a vacation. My husband doesn't take vacations. As he points out, it is a lot more work to look after the kids in a hotel then it is at home (That's because I do it most of the time at home...) He also feels he has a very strong work ethic so he is very quick to point out that our trips are "working vacations". He is doing work on the road (and it is harder to work on the road then it is at home..)
Next, we argue about telling our families about the trip. For some reason, our parents raise an eyebrow whenever we embark on a trip. They make subtle comments about how tired we will be, how expensive it is--they question our every move. I know its because they know how tiring and stressful it can be to travel with little ones. Ironically, our parents don't come to visit us often up here because "Its too far to travel".
So by this point in the process, our parents have been notified, eye brows raised and the trip rationalized. Now its on to the next phase:
Not speak about the trip again until about a week or so before the trip. Then it is time to:
Book the hotel. Find out the first hotel is full. Scramble to find a plan B. Message our friends (who are actually happy we are coming) and try to make plans with them. Try to come up with an itinerary for the trip. Feel guilty that we did not give our friends enough notice that we are coming.
Talk/Argue about what needs to be done before we leave. Things like cleaning the fridge, cleaning the house, getting oil changes, cleaning the van, kids haircuts, picking up odds and ends..etc. Not write anything down, or assign a person to take responsibility for each task, which leads us to..
Fight about who does more for the trip. Not speak for three days. Realize we forgot to book the dog for boarding and ask the neighbor to feed the cat. Pray the vet has room to board the dog. Realize we also forgot to notify the school. Fight about who is going to do that. (Neither one of us actually does it)
Now the trip is 3-4 days away. Getting down to the wire....
Fight and try to come up with an organized way to accomplish all that needs to be done. Convince husband to take kids for eight hours so I can clean and organize. Then feel overwhelmed at all that should be done and take a nap for five hours. Start the cleaning 20 min before extremely frazzled husband and tired hyper children return home. Yell at entire family for being in my way and not letting me get my work done.
Next day, give up and do nothing. Think about doing trip stuff, continue making plans with friends. Take kids for hair cuts, soccer games, doctor's appts, etc. Decide coming back to a dirty house is not the end of the world. Yell at husband for firing the cleaning service. Make husband do all the laundry...
Two days before the trip:
Decide when we want to leave on departure day--agree to be on the road early, like 7 or 8 am. Realize that means being in bed by 9 or 10 the night before departure day. That means having all the work done by 5pm the day before departure day. Agree that is what we will do.
Blog about all the work we have to do. Still don't actually do any work. Decide that if I start at 6 am the next day, I can get it all done in time.
Day before departure day:
Get up at 8am. Have coffee, breakfast and dawdle. Start work at 11 am. Realize as I clean one thing there are fifty more things that need cleaning. Feel frustrated and overwhelmed. Take a break (from the 30min of work I have done) Curse myself for pulling my three year old out of daycare. Curse husband again for firing the cleaning service.
Night before departure:
8pm: Start packing. Takes about 3 hours. Curse because the clothes I wanted to bring for the kids are dirty. 11pm: Curse myself for always leaving it to the last minute. Start loading the van. 2am: Go to bed.
Departure day:
Turn alarm off at 5am. Decide that leaving at 7am is too ambitious. Sleep until 8am. Argue about why we didn't start earlier preparing for the trip. Finish loading the van. Make a million trips to the bathroom. Make sure we can see the cat.
Give key to the neighbors. Load children and dog into van. Drop dog off at vet.
Stop at Tim Horton's--what is a road trip without timmies? Put movie on for kids.
10am: Actually leave our city for Southern Ontario--only three hours after we wanted to leave.
Approx 8-12 hours later: Arrive at our destination. Have a well meaning family member say "Gee you look tired." Wonder why?
Remind me again why trips are fun?
See you soon!!
That's what my mom used to say whenever we would go anywhere. Back then I would roll my eyes and wonder why my mom was so annoyed. Why was she so grouchy going on vacation? Didn't she want to go? Why was she yelling at us?
Now I know..and I'm so sorry, mom.
We are about to embark on a two week trip to southern Ontario. Its nothing we haven't done before. We travel south many times a year. However, each trip brings its share of arguing, frustration and exhaustion. Every trip we swear is the last one. We swear we are going to do things differently.
We always decide to do it again. And we always do the same things...
About a month before the trip:
Argue about whether or not we should go on the trip in the first place. Do we have enough reason to go? We just took a trip- should we take another one? Can we take our son out of school for that long?
Once we have decided that we are going, we move on:
Argue about calling the trip a "vacation." As far as I am concerned, anytime I leave my house, housework and cooking is a vacation. My husband doesn't take vacations. As he points out, it is a lot more work to look after the kids in a hotel then it is at home (That's because I do it most of the time at home...) He also feels he has a very strong work ethic so he is very quick to point out that our trips are "working vacations". He is doing work on the road (and it is harder to work on the road then it is at home..)
Next, we argue about telling our families about the trip. For some reason, our parents raise an eyebrow whenever we embark on a trip. They make subtle comments about how tired we will be, how expensive it is--they question our every move. I know its because they know how tiring and stressful it can be to travel with little ones. Ironically, our parents don't come to visit us often up here because "Its too far to travel".
So by this point in the process, our parents have been notified, eye brows raised and the trip rationalized. Now its on to the next phase:
Not speak about the trip again until about a week or so before the trip. Then it is time to:
Book the hotel. Find out the first hotel is full. Scramble to find a plan B. Message our friends (who are actually happy we are coming) and try to make plans with them. Try to come up with an itinerary for the trip. Feel guilty that we did not give our friends enough notice that we are coming.
Talk/Argue about what needs to be done before we leave. Things like cleaning the fridge, cleaning the house, getting oil changes, cleaning the van, kids haircuts, picking up odds and ends..etc. Not write anything down, or assign a person to take responsibility for each task, which leads us to..
Fight about who does more for the trip. Not speak for three days. Realize we forgot to book the dog for boarding and ask the neighbor to feed the cat. Pray the vet has room to board the dog. Realize we also forgot to notify the school. Fight about who is going to do that. (Neither one of us actually does it)
Now the trip is 3-4 days away. Getting down to the wire....
Fight and try to come up with an organized way to accomplish all that needs to be done. Convince husband to take kids for eight hours so I can clean and organize. Then feel overwhelmed at all that should be done and take a nap for five hours. Start the cleaning 20 min before extremely frazzled husband and tired hyper children return home. Yell at entire family for being in my way and not letting me get my work done.
Next day, give up and do nothing. Think about doing trip stuff, continue making plans with friends. Take kids for hair cuts, soccer games, doctor's appts, etc. Decide coming back to a dirty house is not the end of the world. Yell at husband for firing the cleaning service. Make husband do all the laundry...
Two days before the trip:
Decide when we want to leave on departure day--agree to be on the road early, like 7 or 8 am. Realize that means being in bed by 9 or 10 the night before departure day. That means having all the work done by 5pm the day before departure day. Agree that is what we will do.
Blog about all the work we have to do. Still don't actually do any work. Decide that if I start at 6 am the next day, I can get it all done in time.
Day before departure day:
Get up at 8am. Have coffee, breakfast and dawdle. Start work at 11 am. Realize as I clean one thing there are fifty more things that need cleaning. Feel frustrated and overwhelmed. Take a break (from the 30min of work I have done) Curse myself for pulling my three year old out of daycare. Curse husband again for firing the cleaning service.
Night before departure:
8pm: Start packing. Takes about 3 hours. Curse because the clothes I wanted to bring for the kids are dirty. 11pm: Curse myself for always leaving it to the last minute. Start loading the van. 2am: Go to bed.
Departure day:
Turn alarm off at 5am. Decide that leaving at 7am is too ambitious. Sleep until 8am. Argue about why we didn't start earlier preparing for the trip. Finish loading the van. Make a million trips to the bathroom. Make sure we can see the cat.
Give key to the neighbors. Load children and dog into van. Drop dog off at vet.
Stop at Tim Horton's--what is a road trip without timmies? Put movie on for kids.
10am: Actually leave our city for Southern Ontario--only three hours after we wanted to leave.
Approx 8-12 hours later: Arrive at our destination. Have a well meaning family member say "Gee you look tired." Wonder why?
Remind me again why trips are fun?
See you soon!!
Thursday, May 31, 2012
50 Awesome things....Part two
We have not been awesome this last week
We have had wild fires burning a little too close to home. My children have been wild, staying up way too late and super grouchy in the morning. I have had a cold with a wild cough that has kept me and my husband up at night.
But now the fire threat seems to have abated, my cold is on the mend, and my kids have been getting to bed earlier. It is a good time to count my blessings and spread some positivity.
Here is a continuation of my list of 50 awesome things about parenting kids-- in no particular order:
26. Watching Saturday morning cartoons in your bed: This is something I always dreamed about before I had kids. I had this fantasy of my family all cuddled and laughing together in bed on a weekend morning. Saturday cartoons are fun until the first child cries cause he is hungry, the middle child kicks daddy in the head...Older child and middle child fight over what show to watch...but for those 10 min where we are all happy and content, its awesome!
27. Baby sleeps or naps longer than usual: Gotta love having time to have that second or third cup of coffee...have time to write your blog....see #'s 11 and 18.
28. Child art: Ever notice how kid's pictures all look the same? Awesome. Also awesome: Kid's printing. Nothing says cute like a picture of you with a giant head, tiny sticky body and the word "M Om my" with backwards letters. Both awesome on paper. Less awesome on the wall.
29. Coloring: Relaxing for both you and the child--at least until the child bursts into tears because you can't draw the character they want or you color the butterfly the wrong color.
30. First "roll over": Awesome the first time baby rolls on to her tummy. Less awesome the third or fourth time when she cries because she doesn't like "tummy time" and forgets how to roll back.
31. First smiles.
32. First "babab....mama."
33. Watching kids play: I am always amazed at the worlds my kids create and the level of detail in their play. For example, the new favorite game in my house is "Restaurant" My son gets his apron, walks up to me or daddy and says "Good evening. I will be your server tonight"...Hmmm perhaps my family spends to much time in restaurants?
34. First steps.
35. The parenting "Sweet Spot": That magical time when all the kids in the house are sleeping or otherwise occupied and not getting into trouble...a five minute (That is usually how long it lasts) slice of heaven.
36. Having your child's teacher tell you she wished she had 28 students just like your child.
37. Having your middle child accept a little gift (like a sticker) then ask for one for her older brother..Having your son use his school rewards to choose a hair elastic for his sister because he thought she would like it.
38. Children's songs: Adorable the first time your kid sings you a song and gets the words mixed up....Less adorable the 500th time your child sings the same song and despite your corrections still messes up the words.
39. Dancing with your children...Until middle child slips on the toy that was supposed to be picked up two days ago resulting in a "hurt toe" which brings me to my next point:
40. Children learning the importance of not leaving toys on the floor for two days.
41. Holding your newborn for the first time.
42. Watching your children master a new skill--like when your daughter finally realizes that pedaling the tricycle is far more effective than sitting on it and crying until someone pushes.
43. Watching your children interact with their grandparents. Even better:
44. Convincing your children's grandparents to take your children for the night (or three).
45. Watching your child eat spaghetti--almost as awesome as hearing a child say "Spaghetti"
46. Hearing "Mommy I want to snuggle with you" when you are sitting on the couch. Less awesome: Hearing it when you are sitting on the toilet.
47. Remembering to lock the bathroom door and stealing 5 minutes to yourself.
48. Watching your children having fun and being carefree: There is something about children running and laughing that brings me back to my own childhood. Kids have fun doing everything. Of course they do...they don't have a house to clean, supper to make, laundry to do....but it sure is fun pretending I am that carefree.
49. First ultrasound picture.
50. Hugs and cuddles.
There you have it. 50 awesome things. Cheers to everyone who shares their life with children.
What are your awesome parenting moments? Please share on my facebook wall or in the comments section here.
Cheers!
We have had wild fires burning a little too close to home. My children have been wild, staying up way too late and super grouchy in the morning. I have had a cold with a wild cough that has kept me and my husband up at night.
But now the fire threat seems to have abated, my cold is on the mend, and my kids have been getting to bed earlier. It is a good time to count my blessings and spread some positivity.
Here is a continuation of my list of 50 awesome things about parenting kids-- in no particular order:
26. Watching Saturday morning cartoons in your bed: This is something I always dreamed about before I had kids. I had this fantasy of my family all cuddled and laughing together in bed on a weekend morning. Saturday cartoons are fun until the first child cries cause he is hungry, the middle child kicks daddy in the head...Older child and middle child fight over what show to watch...but for those 10 min where we are all happy and content, its awesome!
27. Baby sleeps or naps longer than usual: Gotta love having time to have that second or third cup of coffee...have time to write your blog....see #'s 11 and 18.
28. Child art: Ever notice how kid's pictures all look the same? Awesome. Also awesome: Kid's printing. Nothing says cute like a picture of you with a giant head, tiny sticky body and the word "M Om my" with backwards letters. Both awesome on paper. Less awesome on the wall.
29. Coloring: Relaxing for both you and the child--at least until the child bursts into tears because you can't draw the character they want or you color the butterfly the wrong color.
30. First "roll over": Awesome the first time baby rolls on to her tummy. Less awesome the third or fourth time when she cries because she doesn't like "tummy time" and forgets how to roll back.
31. First smiles.
32. First "babab....mama."
33. Watching kids play: I am always amazed at the worlds my kids create and the level of detail in their play. For example, the new favorite game in my house is "Restaurant" My son gets his apron, walks up to me or daddy and says "Good evening. I will be your server tonight"...Hmmm perhaps my family spends to much time in restaurants?
34. First steps.
35. The parenting "Sweet Spot": That magical time when all the kids in the house are sleeping or otherwise occupied and not getting into trouble...a five minute (That is usually how long it lasts) slice of heaven.
36. Having your child's teacher tell you she wished she had 28 students just like your child.
37. Having your middle child accept a little gift (like a sticker) then ask for one for her older brother..Having your son use his school rewards to choose a hair elastic for his sister because he thought she would like it.
38. Children's songs: Adorable the first time your kid sings you a song and gets the words mixed up....Less adorable the 500th time your child sings the same song and despite your corrections still messes up the words.
39. Dancing with your children...Until middle child slips on the toy that was supposed to be picked up two days ago resulting in a "hurt toe" which brings me to my next point:
40. Children learning the importance of not leaving toys on the floor for two days.
41. Holding your newborn for the first time.
42. Watching your children master a new skill--like when your daughter finally realizes that pedaling the tricycle is far more effective than sitting on it and crying until someone pushes.
43. Watching your children interact with their grandparents. Even better:
44. Convincing your children's grandparents to take your children for the night (or three).
45. Watching your child eat spaghetti--almost as awesome as hearing a child say "Spaghetti"
46. Hearing "Mommy I want to snuggle with you" when you are sitting on the couch. Less awesome: Hearing it when you are sitting on the toilet.
47. Remembering to lock the bathroom door and stealing 5 minutes to yourself.
48. Watching your children having fun and being carefree: There is something about children running and laughing that brings me back to my own childhood. Kids have fun doing everything. Of course they do...they don't have a house to clean, supper to make, laundry to do....but it sure is fun pretending I am that carefree.
49. First ultrasound picture.
50. Hugs and cuddles.
There you have it. 50 awesome things. Cheers to everyone who shares their life with children.
What are your awesome parenting moments? Please share on my facebook wall or in the comments section here.
Cheers!
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Fire!!!
"Attention Attention...This is an emergency..."
Relax.
That is my son playing his new favorite game. Yep, you guessed it, "Emergency". His school did a lock down drill a couple of months ago. This sentence has been said around my house numerous times for the past month.
Its getting a little old.
You can imagine then, I was not terribly impressed with our city officials declaring a state of emergency. This forest fire is the biggest story to hit my city in recent years. I am a tad critical of how its been handled so far.
First off, though I want to thank the fire crews. My complaint is not with them. We are very lucky to have people willing to risk their lives for us and we owe them a debt of gratitude.
My complaint is about the local media and the flow of information. Now I will stress that I am not a journalist nor did I go to journalism school--but I am married to someone who did. I am wondering why I have to tune into Toronto media to find accurate reporting of our story.
I have a few thoughts for our mayor and local media personnel.
First off, you guys should know that the fastest way to spark panic in a community is to urge everyone to "Stay calm." You cannot tell us that a "State of Emergency" has been declared but it is no cause for panic. You especially should not say this on a day when the sky is orange and its raining ash. Furthermore, when you live in a community where there is only one remaining hwy out of town that is not affected by the fire, urging people to stay calm pretty much guarantees mass panic.
Secondly, you tell us to tune into your websites and news casts for the latest and fact based information...which you only update at 8am, and 2pm. You tell us not to believe "Joe Smith" on the street or facebook, but on one of the newspaper's website it was mistakenly posted that the fire was
much closer than it actually is. Perhaps you could check your facts and not print the very things you are telling us to ignore. Don't get me wrong, I am glad you are printing word for word the press release the MNR gives you. I am sure it takes a lot of work to come in on your weekend off and copy and paste an email you got to your website so thanks.
You will forgive me if I trust "Joe Smith" a little more than I trust you.
I am also wondering why I have to rely on Toronto media to tell me how big the fire is. I know, I know. The ministry of natural resources (MNR) reports that the fire is approx 40, 000 hectares. God forbid you should tell me how big that is in km (it is approx 80km long and 8km wide). Sorry but a 80km fire burning 30km from my house is a little disconcerting. I also want to thank the Toronto media for telling me I should pack my bags just in case, cause that is not something I would hear from my own local news.
Finally, I am resentful of the paternal, authoritarian approach to covering this story. The local DJs are sarcastic when telling the public not to believe any rumors from people on the street. My own city website tells me that the fire is "Not a 50km inferno heading for the city" (Actually its 80km....) I especially don't appreciate being told "The more time we spend correcting wrong information the less time we have to get the right information out there" True, I know it takes a long time to copy and paste a press release. Thanks for scolding me like a child, and making making me feel like I am over reacting in preparing to evacuate.
Perhaps you could use the time you have (since you only update fire situation at 8am and 2pm) to bring some analysis on the story.
Here are some suggestions for you (if any of you reading this know, please fill me in)
Tell me how fires are put out--what do the terms fire suppression, containment, mean in terms of forest fires? What do the terms "Contained," "Being Held" "Under Control" and "Not Under Control" mean--I can of course guess at these terms, but it would be nice to have fact based information here.
How fast does fire travel? This one apparently is moving 15-20 meters a minute--so is that 1km every 5 minutes? So it could potentially reach the city in what--20min? Could you perhaps post an updated map? Again, I know that you have links on your websites to the MNR website where I can find out all of this information but it would be great if I didn't have to research the story--I thought that was your job.
Perhaps you could go to the roadblock site (where all the other media is stationed) and interview someone involved with the fire? Like for example the MNR spokesperson? (If you are unsure of how to do that, ask the reporters from CBC cause they seem to know how to do it)
Time to put on your big boy underwear, local media. You are playing with the big boys now.
Guess I will keep checking Toronto stations and facebook for the latest updates. Now where did I put Joe Smith's number....
Relax.
That is my son playing his new favorite game. Yep, you guessed it, "Emergency". His school did a lock down drill a couple of months ago. This sentence has been said around my house numerous times for the past month.
Its getting a little old.
You can imagine then, I was not terribly impressed with our city officials declaring a state of emergency. This forest fire is the biggest story to hit my city in recent years. I am a tad critical of how its been handled so far.
First off, though I want to thank the fire crews. My complaint is not with them. We are very lucky to have people willing to risk their lives for us and we owe them a debt of gratitude.
My complaint is about the local media and the flow of information. Now I will stress that I am not a journalist nor did I go to journalism school--but I am married to someone who did. I am wondering why I have to tune into Toronto media to find accurate reporting of our story.
I have a few thoughts for our mayor and local media personnel.
First off, you guys should know that the fastest way to spark panic in a community is to urge everyone to "Stay calm." You cannot tell us that a "State of Emergency" has been declared but it is no cause for panic. You especially should not say this on a day when the sky is orange and its raining ash. Furthermore, when you live in a community where there is only one remaining hwy out of town that is not affected by the fire, urging people to stay calm pretty much guarantees mass panic.
Secondly, you tell us to tune into your websites and news casts for the latest and fact based information...which you only update at 8am, and 2pm. You tell us not to believe "Joe Smith" on the street or facebook, but on one of the newspaper's website it was mistakenly posted that the fire was
much closer than it actually is. Perhaps you could check your facts and not print the very things you are telling us to ignore. Don't get me wrong, I am glad you are printing word for word the press release the MNR gives you. I am sure it takes a lot of work to come in on your weekend off and copy and paste an email you got to your website so thanks.
You will forgive me if I trust "Joe Smith" a little more than I trust you.
I am also wondering why I have to rely on Toronto media to tell me how big the fire is. I know, I know. The ministry of natural resources (MNR) reports that the fire is approx 40, 000 hectares. God forbid you should tell me how big that is in km (it is approx 80km long and 8km wide). Sorry but a 80km fire burning 30km from my house is a little disconcerting. I also want to thank the Toronto media for telling me I should pack my bags just in case, cause that is not something I would hear from my own local news.
Finally, I am resentful of the paternal, authoritarian approach to covering this story. The local DJs are sarcastic when telling the public not to believe any rumors from people on the street. My own city website tells me that the fire is "Not a 50km inferno heading for the city" (Actually its 80km....) I especially don't appreciate being told "The more time we spend correcting wrong information the less time we have to get the right information out there" True, I know it takes a long time to copy and paste a press release. Thanks for scolding me like a child, and making making me feel like I am over reacting in preparing to evacuate.
Perhaps you could use the time you have (since you only update fire situation at 8am and 2pm) to bring some analysis on the story.
Here are some suggestions for you (if any of you reading this know, please fill me in)
Tell me how fires are put out--what do the terms fire suppression, containment, mean in terms of forest fires? What do the terms "Contained," "Being Held" "Under Control" and "Not Under Control" mean--I can of course guess at these terms, but it would be nice to have fact based information here.
How fast does fire travel? This one apparently is moving 15-20 meters a minute--so is that 1km every 5 minutes? So it could potentially reach the city in what--20min? Could you perhaps post an updated map? Again, I know that you have links on your websites to the MNR website where I can find out all of this information but it would be great if I didn't have to research the story--I thought that was your job.
Perhaps you could go to the roadblock site (where all the other media is stationed) and interview someone involved with the fire? Like for example the MNR spokesperson? (If you are unsure of how to do that, ask the reporters from CBC cause they seem to know how to do it)
Time to put on your big boy underwear, local media. You are playing with the big boys now.
Guess I will keep checking Toronto stations and facebook for the latest updates. Now where did I put Joe Smith's number....
Monday, May 14, 2012
50 Awesome things...Part One
"Owwww! Wahhhhh!" This coming from my middle child.
"Shhhh! Stop crying!! Do you want mommy to take away your bear? Be quiet!" This coming from my oldest.
I am not sure what is going on in the room the two oldest now share. I have decided not to find out.
It could be worse. At least they are having fun sharing a room and they are bonding as brother and sister. That's my attempt at positivity. How was it? Yeah, I'm not buying it either. However, I have become concerned that anyone reading my blog might think that I don't really enjoy being a parent. Can't imagine why anyone would think that.....
In honor of mother's day, and for everyone out there who has kids in their lives, here are 50 awesome things about parenting kids (Well the first 25 `cause 50 would be long to read here and as my husband pointed out I tend to be "wordy").
Here they are in no particular order:
1. Cute things: The kids themselves my not be cute, but ever notice how cute the stuff that goes with the kids is? I'm talking little dresses, little suits and other little clothes (what is it about little clothes that makes them so cute?) tiny socks, little shoes.--My personal favorite, little adorable jammies. I haven't even mentioned the teddy bears, dolls, cars etc.
2. You get to feel smart (even when you are not): I have long lamented that my kids are smarter than me, but I can still explain to my three year old why we have elbows. The best part is my explanation does not have to be true or accurate, and they still think I am the smartest person in the world. If you are wondering, we have elbows so our arms can bend.
3. Bath time: I know bath time can be such a chore and I usually make my husband do it, but there is something funny about little children splashing around the tub with their hair all wild from the shampoo. Also adorable wrapped in the hooded towel--see #1.
4. You have an excuse to play with toys.
5. Sleeping angelic faces: I haven't seen that in a while, but when I see other people's sleeping cherubs I smile.
6. Bonding with complete strangers: Kids are great conversation starters. Either I am getting sympathetic looks from kindred spirits who have been there, or people stop to tell me how cute my kids are. Either way I am talking to adults.
7. Delight in the simple things: It doesn't take much to make my kids happy. I was cleaning out a closet the other day and found an old pair of swim goggles. My son wore those goggles everywhere we went for three days--he wore them on the playground, at the mall, at the restaurant--which brings me back to point #6.
8. Kids make great "Gofors": They go for the diapers, the wipes, my keys, my cup of water, etc. You can get them to get your stuff for you and they feel great cause they are "helping" you.
9. "I love you, mom"--need I say more?
10. You really earn your relaxation time: Okay. So I know most of you don't need a reason to relax and everyone earns their relaxation time. When you have kids or are around kids, the time to yourself is so much more appreciated because you really earned it.
11. You deserve the second or third cup of coffee--- Or a glass of wine (oops I almost wrote "whine" see what mommy brain has done to me?) No questions asked (see above)
12. Playing with your kids on a playground is better and cheaper than any gym membership you can buy. Which brings me to # 13:
13. Your kids keep you in shape: The baby makes a great weight for weight training, running after children is great cardio, running up and down the stairs 100 times a day builds endurance. My husband just bought new running shoes so he can keep up.
14. You have a reason to go see the new cartoon movie you want to see but are afraid to admit (or go without a kid...)
15. Birthday parties are fun: Especially when they are at someone else`s house and all you have to do is drop off your kid and pick them up. I will gladly buy a present for anyone willing to take my kid for a couple of hours.
16. You have an excuse to buy toys and hang out in a toy store--though most parents I know (myself included) only go to toy stores without the kids.
17. You can experiment with new recipes and your kids have to eat it cause they are too young to make something themselves ( I do love a captive audience...)
18. Kids provide a wealth of material for many hobbies: Scrap booking, sewing, photography, blogging....
19. Bubbles: I don`t care how old you are bubbles are fun. "Bubbles" is fun to say, and blowing bubbles is fun to do. Of course its even more fun watching kids blow them and chase them.
20. Hearing a child say "Spaghetti".
21. You have an excuse to stop and pet puppies--and talk to the owner of said puppy. Puppies too are great conversation starters.
22. Realizing your kids do listen to you: One of my proudest moments was when my son could not find his cherished blanket and my daughter said to him, "Open your eyes and look". Good job, my girl.
23. You get to love your bed and any time you manage to be alone in it so much more when you have kids.
24. You have a reason to take a nap--even more awesome if you take the nap cuddled with your child
25. Leftovers: You get to eat whatever your kids don`t finish. I no longer have to order my own fries or desert as I can usually share with my kids. Something that makes me think I am making healthy choices. Even when I am not.
So there you have it. The first 25 awesome things about being a parent. The other 25 will follow when I think of them. What are your awesome parenting things?
"Shhhh! Stop crying!! Do you want mommy to take away your bear? Be quiet!" This coming from my oldest.
I am not sure what is going on in the room the two oldest now share. I have decided not to find out.
It could be worse. At least they are having fun sharing a room and they are bonding as brother and sister. That's my attempt at positivity. How was it? Yeah, I'm not buying it either. However, I have become concerned that anyone reading my blog might think that I don't really enjoy being a parent. Can't imagine why anyone would think that.....
In honor of mother's day, and for everyone out there who has kids in their lives, here are 50 awesome things about parenting kids (Well the first 25 `cause 50 would be long to read here and as my husband pointed out I tend to be "wordy").
Here they are in no particular order:
1. Cute things: The kids themselves my not be cute, but ever notice how cute the stuff that goes with the kids is? I'm talking little dresses, little suits and other little clothes (what is it about little clothes that makes them so cute?) tiny socks, little shoes.--My personal favorite, little adorable jammies. I haven't even mentioned the teddy bears, dolls, cars etc.
2. You get to feel smart (even when you are not): I have long lamented that my kids are smarter than me, but I can still explain to my three year old why we have elbows. The best part is my explanation does not have to be true or accurate, and they still think I am the smartest person in the world. If you are wondering, we have elbows so our arms can bend.
3. Bath time: I know bath time can be such a chore and I usually make my husband do it, but there is something funny about little children splashing around the tub with their hair all wild from the shampoo. Also adorable wrapped in the hooded towel--see #1.
4. You have an excuse to play with toys.
5. Sleeping angelic faces: I haven't seen that in a while, but when I see other people's sleeping cherubs I smile.
6. Bonding with complete strangers: Kids are great conversation starters. Either I am getting sympathetic looks from kindred spirits who have been there, or people stop to tell me how cute my kids are. Either way I am talking to adults.
7. Delight in the simple things: It doesn't take much to make my kids happy. I was cleaning out a closet the other day and found an old pair of swim goggles. My son wore those goggles everywhere we went for three days--he wore them on the playground, at the mall, at the restaurant--which brings me back to point #6.
8. Kids make great "Gofors": They go for the diapers, the wipes, my keys, my cup of water, etc. You can get them to get your stuff for you and they feel great cause they are "helping" you.
9. "I love you, mom"--need I say more?
10. You really earn your relaxation time: Okay. So I know most of you don't need a reason to relax and everyone earns their relaxation time. When you have kids or are around kids, the time to yourself is so much more appreciated because you really earned it.
11. You deserve the second or third cup of coffee--- Or a glass of wine (oops I almost wrote "whine" see what mommy brain has done to me?) No questions asked (see above)
12. Playing with your kids on a playground is better and cheaper than any gym membership you can buy. Which brings me to # 13:
13. Your kids keep you in shape: The baby makes a great weight for weight training, running after children is great cardio, running up and down the stairs 100 times a day builds endurance. My husband just bought new running shoes so he can keep up.
14. You have a reason to go see the new cartoon movie you want to see but are afraid to admit (or go without a kid...)
15. Birthday parties are fun: Especially when they are at someone else`s house and all you have to do is drop off your kid and pick them up. I will gladly buy a present for anyone willing to take my kid for a couple of hours.
16. You have an excuse to buy toys and hang out in a toy store--though most parents I know (myself included) only go to toy stores without the kids.
17. You can experiment with new recipes and your kids have to eat it cause they are too young to make something themselves ( I do love a captive audience...)
18. Kids provide a wealth of material for many hobbies: Scrap booking, sewing, photography, blogging....
19. Bubbles: I don`t care how old you are bubbles are fun. "Bubbles" is fun to say, and blowing bubbles is fun to do. Of course its even more fun watching kids blow them and chase them.
20. Hearing a child say "Spaghetti".
21. You have an excuse to stop and pet puppies--and talk to the owner of said puppy. Puppies too are great conversation starters.
22. Realizing your kids do listen to you: One of my proudest moments was when my son could not find his cherished blanket and my daughter said to him, "Open your eyes and look". Good job, my girl.
23. You get to love your bed and any time you manage to be alone in it so much more when you have kids.
24. You have a reason to take a nap--even more awesome if you take the nap cuddled with your child
25. Leftovers: You get to eat whatever your kids don`t finish. I no longer have to order my own fries or desert as I can usually share with my kids. Something that makes me think I am making healthy choices. Even when I am not.
So there you have it. The first 25 awesome things about being a parent. The other 25 will follow when I think of them. What are your awesome parenting things?
Friday, May 11, 2012
Its Official!
Its Official. I am ruining my children's lives.
Yesterday, I posted a link to a blog on my facebook page. In case you missed it, I have posted the link on my blog page as well. The blog is "Good job and other things you shouldn't say or do unless you want to ruin your kid's life". When I read the post on yelling, I was inspired. Finally felt like I was not crazy for wanting to find a better way to communicate with my children other than yelling. Every time I yell at my kids, I feel like a failure--it is the equivalent of an adult temper tantrum. J.L. (the author of the blog) has inspired me to keep working on myself and strive for a "no yelling" household. Way to go J.L, Good job.
Inspired by the yelling post, I started checking out the site and J.L's other posts. My heart started to sink as I realized that I am indeed ruining my children's lives. I have some thoughts for you, J.L.. First I will admit that my thoughts and observations are mine alone, I have not researched nor do I have any empirical evidence or a mentor to support my parenting views.
But I do have kids. So while I found some your content inspiring, I would like to respectfully disagree with some of your posts.
I read your post on spitting with great interest, as this was a problem with my almost three year old daughter. You wrote that ( and I am paraphrasing) that basically a child spitting is not meant as an insult to the parent, the child is merely expression their frustration/anger. You wrote that the child is thinking something like “Excuse me Mom, I’m really angry right now. I feel like no one is caring about what’s going on for me. I don’t want to go to that party. I feel like I haven’t had enough time with you. You’ve been with the baby forever and now I’m supposed to just get in the car and I’m hungry and I want to play with you and I don’t give a shit about some friend turning four.” So they spit. You go on to give an example of how you might handle the situation :
My daughter is not allowed to spit anywhere in my home (except the toilet) that includes on me. If she spits on me, she gets a time out--during which she spits on the floor at least three times (She gets another thirty seconds added to the time out for each additional spit on the floor) I know your views on time outs-- but that's another blog-- After her time out, I hand her the cloth and she wipes out her own spit.
I have found that the less of a big deal I make about it, the less she does it. We haven't had a spitting incident in quite a while. I hope that I am teaching her that if she makes a mess (like spitting on the floor) she cleans it up. However justified she may be in spitting on me, I cannot live with someone who spits. I am sure that her future teachers, classmates, bosses and co workers will thank me.
I get that her spitting is a result of her inability to self regulate, that she is just expression frustration at whatever situation. I take it from your post that you then would skip the birthday party in order to play/spend time with the child.
That's all well and good, except....
That creates another problem. In my house I would then have a screaming child who is now spitting because she missed the birthday party. I do appreciate that kids need more time to calm down then I do and I can appreciate the the incident may not be over just because I want it to be--because I have things to do and places to go, but the reality is we do have places to go and things to do.
I hope that I am teaching my kids that sometimes they can put their own personal comfort/interests aside in order to do something else. Why? because in life, that's what we do. If you make a commitment to someone (like attending a birthday party) then you should do your best to see it through. Besides, birthday parties might be fun. That's not to say that I would force my child to go to or stay at a birthday party, but if my child has agreed to go (when the invitation came) then we go a least for a little while. Think about it. If you r.s.v.p'd yes to a wedding, would you change your mind at the last minute? I personally hate weddings, but I love my friends and family. I put my personal feelings/comforts aside to be there for my friends. Its the same with my kids and birthday parties. If they have agreed to go, they go cause that is what friends do. Sometimes they have to think of someone besides themselves. I am sure their future classmates/friends/ and coworkers will thank me.
I do enjoy your blog, J.L and I hope you don't mind that I linked on my page. For now I think we will have to agree to disagree. I am going to continue to ruin my children's lives and start saving now for all the therapy bills in the future. After all, that is what my mom did with me and I turned out okay. Just ask my therapist....
Yesterday, I posted a link to a blog on my facebook page. In case you missed it, I have posted the link on my blog page as well. The blog is "Good job and other things you shouldn't say or do unless you want to ruin your kid's life". When I read the post on yelling, I was inspired. Finally felt like I was not crazy for wanting to find a better way to communicate with my children other than yelling. Every time I yell at my kids, I feel like a failure--it is the equivalent of an adult temper tantrum. J.L. (the author of the blog) has inspired me to keep working on myself and strive for a "no yelling" household. Way to go J.L, Good job.
Inspired by the yelling post, I started checking out the site and J.L's other posts. My heart started to sink as I realized that I am indeed ruining my children's lives. I have some thoughts for you, J.L.. First I will admit that my thoughts and observations are mine alone, I have not researched nor do I have any empirical evidence or a mentor to support my parenting views.
But I do have kids. So while I found some your content inspiring, I would like to respectfully disagree with some of your posts.
I read your post on spitting with great interest, as this was a problem with my almost three year old daughter. You wrote that ( and I am paraphrasing) that basically a child spitting is not meant as an insult to the parent, the child is merely expression their frustration/anger. You wrote that the child is thinking something like “Excuse me Mom, I’m really angry right now. I feel like no one is caring about what’s going on for me. I don’t want to go to that party. I feel like I haven’t had enough time with you. You’ve been with the baby forever and now I’m supposed to just get in the car and I’m hungry and I want to play with you and I don’t give a shit about some friend turning four.” So they spit. You go on to give an example of how you might handle the situation :
My thoughts about a spitting child would be, Wow, she’s spitting. She must really be in pain. How can I help?I can tell you J.L I have a spitting child and my first thought is not "how can I help". Its actually "Ewww" I do not tolerate spitting my house. Here's why: When my daughter grows up and leaves my house spitting will not be tolerated in any setting she goes into. I seriously doubt that her future teachers, classmates, bosses and co workers will think about the anger/upset that motivated the spitting, and I can guarantee they will not respond the way you would. You also go on to suggest that the child be directed to spit either outside or "over here where I can easily wipe it up"
My actual response to them might be something like, “You’re sooo angry. So angry you’re spitting at me. I don’t like to be spit on but you can you push my hands or hit the sofa or scream. We’ll work through this together. But yes…get the anger out first.” Likely I’d say it in fewer words!
My daughter is not allowed to spit anywhere in my home (except the toilet) that includes on me. If she spits on me, she gets a time out--during which she spits on the floor at least three times (She gets another thirty seconds added to the time out for each additional spit on the floor) I know your views on time outs-- but that's another blog-- After her time out, I hand her the cloth and she wipes out her own spit.
I have found that the less of a big deal I make about it, the less she does it. We haven't had a spitting incident in quite a while. I hope that I am teaching her that if she makes a mess (like spitting on the floor) she cleans it up. However justified she may be in spitting on me, I cannot live with someone who spits. I am sure that her future teachers, classmates, bosses and co workers will thank me.
I get that her spitting is a result of her inability to self regulate, that she is just expression frustration at whatever situation. I take it from your post that you then would skip the birthday party in order to play/spend time with the child.
That's all well and good, except....
That creates another problem. In my house I would then have a screaming child who is now spitting because she missed the birthday party. I do appreciate that kids need more time to calm down then I do and I can appreciate the the incident may not be over just because I want it to be--because I have things to do and places to go, but the reality is we do have places to go and things to do.
I hope that I am teaching my kids that sometimes they can put their own personal comfort/interests aside in order to do something else. Why? because in life, that's what we do. If you make a commitment to someone (like attending a birthday party) then you should do your best to see it through. Besides, birthday parties might be fun. That's not to say that I would force my child to go to or stay at a birthday party, but if my child has agreed to go (when the invitation came) then we go a least for a little while. Think about it. If you r.s.v.p'd yes to a wedding, would you change your mind at the last minute? I personally hate weddings, but I love my friends and family. I put my personal feelings/comforts aside to be there for my friends. Its the same with my kids and birthday parties. If they have agreed to go, they go cause that is what friends do. Sometimes they have to think of someone besides themselves. I am sure their future classmates/friends/ and coworkers will thank me.
I do enjoy your blog, J.L and I hope you don't mind that I linked on my page. For now I think we will have to agree to disagree. I am going to continue to ruin my children's lives and start saving now for all the therapy bills in the future. After all, that is what my mom did with me and I turned out okay. Just ask my therapist....
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Weary Travellers
Home where my thought's escaping
Home where my music's playing....
----Simon and Garfunkel
Whew!! What a great trip. We are just back from a week in southern Ontario. We did not get to see everyone we wanted to see, but we did catch up with great friends we have not seen for a long time.
It takes nerves of steel to pack up three children, load them into the van (We used to do it in a four door sedan) and drive 700 km--in one day. Before we had the van the trip was taking about 11 hours. Now we are back to about 8-9 hours. My poor kids have learned to hold their bladders.
For anyone thinking about doing this, I would like to share with you the top then things this trip has taught me. Here they are in no particular order:
1. Be prepared for the unexpected--You never know for example when a friend you haven't seen in six years will reappear in your life, spend the day with you, then sleep on your hotel room floor that night.
2. Be grateful for the amazing friends you have--The ones who are kind enough to meet you outside of Old Navy and point out that the shirt you thought was one of your best has baby vomit on it. The new bra you bought to go with the shirt does not fit resulting in something called "Muffin Boob". Be grateful for the friends who are kind enough to spend the whole day with you and pretend not to notice. Mostly be grateful you get to spend time with them.
3.Your children--especially the baby-- will decide that sleep is not necessary on vacation and 2 am is perfectly fine bedtime and 8am is still fine to get up, except when you have somewhere to be in the morning. Then the kids --again especially the baby-- will decide to sleep until 10 or 11am.
4. Getting your hair done while in the city is not a privilege, its a right. If that means your husband has to entertain the kids while waiting for you, so be it.
5. Feeding your kids slushies at a baseball game pretty much ruins your chances for a quiet-ish dinner with reasonably well behaved children. (It also ruins bedtime)
6. Letting your baby eat soft foods from a net on a stick looks disgusting, but does buy you enough time to eat your dinner and chat with family (The net is hard to clean, but hey, whatever doesn't kill you can only make you stronger, right?)
7. There will be no romantic time with your spouse--see point #3
8. No matter how many times your family has told you they checked behind the couch and under the bed of the hotel, you are guaranteed to leave something behind--for example the new plush rabbits the kids were super excited to bring on the trip.
9. Sometimes luck is on your side and on your return home you happen to come across the same rabbits for $5--way less then you paid for them and way cheaper then having the hotel ship them back
10. Finally be thankful that you get to go on vacation, spend time with your family, visit friends, eat in restaurants, and see your kids happy. Travel builds character and creates life long memories. What is your favorite childhood vacation?
Home where my music's playing....
----Simon and Garfunkel
Whew!! What a great trip. We are just back from a week in southern Ontario. We did not get to see everyone we wanted to see, but we did catch up with great friends we have not seen for a long time.
It takes nerves of steel to pack up three children, load them into the van (We used to do it in a four door sedan) and drive 700 km--in one day. Before we had the van the trip was taking about 11 hours. Now we are back to about 8-9 hours. My poor kids have learned to hold their bladders.
For anyone thinking about doing this, I would like to share with you the top then things this trip has taught me. Here they are in no particular order:
1. Be prepared for the unexpected--You never know for example when a friend you haven't seen in six years will reappear in your life, spend the day with you, then sleep on your hotel room floor that night.
2. Be grateful for the amazing friends you have--The ones who are kind enough to meet you outside of Old Navy and point out that the shirt you thought was one of your best has baby vomit on it. The new bra you bought to go with the shirt does not fit resulting in something called "Muffin Boob". Be grateful for the friends who are kind enough to spend the whole day with you and pretend not to notice. Mostly be grateful you get to spend time with them.
3.Your children--especially the baby-- will decide that sleep is not necessary on vacation and 2 am is perfectly fine bedtime and 8am is still fine to get up, except when you have somewhere to be in the morning. Then the kids --again especially the baby-- will decide to sleep until 10 or 11am.
4. Getting your hair done while in the city is not a privilege, its a right. If that means your husband has to entertain the kids while waiting for you, so be it.
5. Feeding your kids slushies at a baseball game pretty much ruins your chances for a quiet-ish dinner with reasonably well behaved children. (It also ruins bedtime)
6. Letting your baby eat soft foods from a net on a stick looks disgusting, but does buy you enough time to eat your dinner and chat with family (The net is hard to clean, but hey, whatever doesn't kill you can only make you stronger, right?)
7. There will be no romantic time with your spouse--see point #3
8. No matter how many times your family has told you they checked behind the couch and under the bed of the hotel, you are guaranteed to leave something behind--for example the new plush rabbits the kids were super excited to bring on the trip.
9. Sometimes luck is on your side and on your return home you happen to come across the same rabbits for $5--way less then you paid for them and way cheaper then having the hotel ship them back
10. Finally be thankful that you get to go on vacation, spend time with your family, visit friends, eat in restaurants, and see your kids happy. Travel builds character and creates life long memories. What is your favorite childhood vacation?
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