Summer holidays are knocking at the door. People often wonder how I keep six kids occupied during the summer months when school is out. While my kids love spending some time at summer camp, I was sure to make our home an entertaining place for kids – particularly the backyard.
My cousin has two little girls, both with unique needs. One was born with spina bfida and because she uses a wheelchair, has a visible disability. The other daughter has a special need that’s not visible – Type 1 Diabetes. So, in other words, my cousin is a very busy mother!
Halloween is upon us and one of the common complaints you hear about this holiday is that some trick-or-treaters are too old to be knocking on doors looking for goodies. To this, I say: Get over it. I have to admit, I have a long history of being afraid of teenagers.
We all remember bringing home that first baby and making sure the entire house and anyone in it was perfectly silent as the baby slept. We put notes on the front door telling people not to knock, we turned phone ringers off and then spoke in hushed tones, if we even spoke at all.
I was recently invited to an event hosted by the folks from GoodNites to have a bigger conversation around bed-wetting. It’s actually a topic that really interests me because I had a kid who really struggled with this – and I mean well into puberty.
I have to be honest, I always saw myself as a baby kind of a mama. When my Biggies were babies, I remember being at the park and seeing school aged kids and thinking how weird it must be to parent such big kids.
Most parents say that there was a particular age and stage in their child’s life that they enjoyed most. I’ve always identified as a “baby” person. If there is a newborn in the room, before a minute passes, that babe will be in my arms. I’m quite sure that every time I smell a newborn, I immediately ovulate. Right now I have kids between the
That time of year has hit again and while we’re busy getting kids organized for back to school, I’m reminding myself of some goals that will help all of us survive the season (and the year!) in a happy and successful way. Family Calendar Get it organized early. Make sure all information for every family member is in one central location. Certainly Daddy-o and I
I recently experienced something very new and different. For the first time in over 12 years, I had a night away from the kids with Daddy-o.
Yes. The first time in over 12 years.
March is birthday month in my life. March brings birthdays for both me and Mabel’s Labels. I also have a daughter with a birthday this month. I recently had a parent ask if I had any birthday party activity suggestions.
For all you social media types, I have to admit I was a little late to the party when it came to Instagram. For those who don’t know what Instagram is, it’s basically like Twitter but with photos – and it’s a favourite social networking site for teens and tweens.
Our family is going overseas for the holidays this year. I hate the thought of Santa having to turn up at our holiday destination because it means I have to lug oversized bags full of gifts both there and back. A family of eight has enough gear to drag around.
People often ask what it is like to feed half dozen kids. Feeding families can be a “thing” and many parents report that dinner time can be the most stressful time of the day.
For the last 2.5 years, Daddy-o has been a FIFO (Fly In, Fly Out) Father. His current client requires that he be onsite during the week so as such, he arrives home on Friday nights, then leaves again on Sunday evenings. I have not written about it because I was advised not to go public that I was ‘alone’ during the week. But since I
I recently celebrated my 16th wedding anniversary to Daddy-o. When I say “celebrated,” I actually just mean that we both “remembered.” It has been a busy sixteen years and I’d be lying if I said we’ve actually remembered all of our anniversaries.
Words are powerful. My dad was an English teacher and word junkie so we were always taught to use our words carefully. The lesson has stuck with me and I have found…
I have a busy house full of my kids, their friends, neighbourhood kids, and an assorted number of random drop-ins. I’d rather not sound like the meanest mommy on the block, so I have a few key phrases that allow me to say “NO WAY” to my kids, without using those exact words.
There are often discussions about what NOT to say to parents about their children with autism. I wrote about it myself – how some innocent questions and comments can actually be painful for a mama raising a child with autism. Although well meaning, some comments have the opposite of the intended effect.
Summer holidays are knocking at the door. People often wonder how I keep six kids occupied during the summer months when school is out. While my kids love spending some time at summer camp, I was sure to make our home an entertaining place for kids – particularly the backyard.
My cousin has two little girls, both with unique needs. One was born with spina bfida and because she uses a wheelchair, has a visible disability. The other daughter has a special need that’s not visible – Type 1 Diabetes. So, in other words, my cousin is a very busy mother!
Halloween is upon us and one of the common complaints you hear about this holiday is that some trick-or-treaters are too old to be knocking on doors looking for goodies. To this, I say: Get over it. I have to admit, I have a long history of being afraid of teenagers.
We all remember bringing home that first baby and making sure the entire house and anyone in it was perfectly silent as the baby slept. We put notes on the front door telling people not to knock, we turned phone ringers off and then spoke in hushed tones, if we even spoke at all.
I was recently invited to an event hosted by the folks from GoodNites to have a bigger conversation around bed-wetting. It’s actually a topic that really interests me because I had a kid who really struggled with this – and I mean well into puberty.
I have to be honest, I always saw myself as a baby kind of a mama. When my Biggies were babies, I remember being at the park and seeing school aged kids and thinking how weird it must be to parent such big kids.
Most parents say that there was a particular age and stage in their child’s life that they enjoyed most. I’ve always identified as a “baby” person. If there is a newborn in the room, before a minute passes, that babe will be in my arms. I’m quite sure that every time I smell a newborn, I immediately ovulate. Right now I have kids between the
That time of year has hit again and while we’re busy getting kids organized for back to school, I’m reminding myself of some goals that will help all of us survive the season (and the year!) in a happy and successful way. Family Calendar Get it organized early. Make sure all information for every family member is in one central location. Certainly Daddy-o and I
I recently experienced something very new and different. For the first time in over 12 years, I had a night away from the kids with Daddy-o.
Yes. The first time in over 12 years.
March is birthday month in my life. March brings birthdays for both me and Mabel’s Labels. I also have a daughter with a birthday this month. I recently had a parent ask if I had any birthday party activity suggestions.
For all you social media types, I have to admit I was a little late to the party when it came to Instagram. For those who don’t know what Instagram is, it’s basically like Twitter but with photos – and it’s a favourite social networking site for teens and tweens.
Our family is going overseas for the holidays this year. I hate the thought of Santa having to turn up at our holiday destination because it means I have to lug oversized bags full of gifts both there and back. A family of eight has enough gear to drag around.
People often ask what it is like to feed half dozen kids. Feeding families can be a “thing” and many parents report that dinner time can be the most stressful time of the day.
For the last 2.5 years, Daddy-o has been a FIFO (Fly In, Fly Out) Father. His current client requires that he be onsite during the week so as such, he arrives home on Friday nights, then leaves again on Sunday evenings. I have not written about it because I was advised not to go public that I was ‘alone’ during the week. But since I
I recently celebrated my 16th wedding anniversary to Daddy-o. When I say “celebrated,” I actually just mean that we both “remembered.” It has been a busy sixteen years and I’d be lying if I said we’ve actually remembered all of our anniversaries.
Words are powerful. My dad was an English teacher and word junkie so we were always taught to use our words carefully. The lesson has stuck with me and I have found…
I have a busy house full of my kids, their friends, neighbourhood kids, and an assorted number of random drop-ins. I’d rather not sound like the meanest mommy on the block, so I have a few key phrases that allow me to say “NO WAY” to my kids, without using those exact words.
There are often discussions about what NOT to say to parents about their children with autism. I wrote about it myself – how some innocent questions and comments can actually be painful for a mama raising a child with autism. Although well meaning, some comments have the opposite of the intended effect.
Kids Events and Fun Things To Do in Toronto, York Region, Peel, Durham, Halton, Simcoe County and Southern Ontario for Families.
