• family

    Do You Know How To Save a Life?: Red Cross CPR Tweetup

    November 17, 2011 - By 

    Do you know how to save a life? If not, why not? If so, then I am guessing you have at one time or other been involved in  a Red Cross CPR course like this one shown above. This is our fabulous host and instructor Kris (blue shirt) demonstrating proper technique if an adult is choking. (The choking victim is Jen Mayville (or @jmayville) and she was a gracious and wonderfully funny host too.Remember five back blows then bend standing adult victim over and five chest thrusts. And then just like in the movies your victim should cough out that…

  • Parenting

    Our Story: Part Two: Becoming a Family

    November 14, 2011 - By 

    This is part two of our story on how we became a family through adoption. November is National Adoption Awareness Month and I encourage you now, this month, to ask the questions you have been wanting to know. Also if you have ever thought about changing the life of a child by becoming a foster care provider, then pick up the phone and call your local Children’s Aid Society. When we really were ready to pursue adoption, we knew nothing was going to stop us. But which type of adoption and where did we go and how best to approach…

  • family

    Barbie Girls: #BarbieICanBe

    November 13, 2011 - By 

    I’m a Barbie girl. Er, well now a Barbie Mom. I grew up on Barbies. They were some of my first toys, my favourite toys and I collected them by the dozens. Barbie campers. Barbie cruise ships, Barbie cars, Barbie clothes by the case. Kelly, Skipper, Midge and yes, even Ken. I loved those dolls. The singular smell of a new Barbie still has the power to send me back to the 1970s where Barbie was, in my room, master of her world. Not mistress. She danced and dreamed and charged forward through space and captained boats and then came home to…

  • family

    Friday Finds and a Santa Claus Parade

    November 11, 2011 - By 

    It’s time once again for London’s Santa Claus parade. This is my family at the parade last year. The year before that I think it poured rain and I took no pictures but hid under an awning and shivered. Saturday night Santa Claus will make his way down Dundas Street as usual. The night parade starts at 6 p.m. London Transit is offering free bus rides to those headed to the parade. TheMet will be open serving hot chocolate and having a bake sale. Don’t forget a can of non perishable food and mail carriers always take the letters to Santa…

  • Giveaways

    Invisalignteen and a $7,000 Smile Contest #Giveaway

    November 8, 2011 - By 

    True story: I had braces when I was about 12. On the upper teeth only – which was more than enough. I had quite an overbite for most of my childhood and I also had eye teeth that stuck out of alignment with the rest of my top teeth. It was a super costly and painful period of time. I remember being outfitted with the braces and having them cemented on to my teeth. I still don’t like that idea. Anyways every month I would walk after school to the orthodontist and have those cute little elastics changed and the…

  • infertility - Parenting - parenting

    National Adoption Awareness Month Series – Our Story Part 1- and a #Giveaway

    November 7, 2011 - By 

    We are a family formed by adoption and most of my readers know that I often write and blog about child welfare and adoption issues. November is National Adoption Awareness Month. I have a series of posts on adoption scheduled to happen each Monday of this month. This is the first of those posts and lucky for all of you, Jockey has reached out to me to offer one special reader a giveaway. So read to the end and follow the directions. This is our story: One decade ago we became parents. Hard to imagine it has been that long.…

  • FASD - special needs

    The Fine Art Of Finding A Babysitter When Your Child Has Special Needs

    November 5, 2011 - By 

    I found a new babysitter/ respite worker. Happy clapping. See for your average family finding a sitter might be hard enough, but we are far from average. My little one has special needs. So it was never even remotely possible that we could hire the teenager next door. Or the granny across the road. My little one would chew her up and spit her out while laughing maniacally or raging and trying to tap dance on the stove. We had a wonderful student from university for a few years. She was fabulous and grew to love our daughter as if…

  • Parenting

    Happy Halloween and Moments That Fly Too Fast

    October 31, 2011 - By 

    Tonight my kids will dress up and go out like so many legions of little goblins, Mario bros. characters and Disney princesses. This year I will probably be the one at home handing the surprises out to those who venture to our door.   Kindersurprises this year will be a big hit, I imagine. But this year I can’t help thinking where has the time gone? I also can’t help remembering Halloween adventures in the past. Halloween Themes My kids are now ten and seven. I love them madly still – most of the time – even when girly girl…

  • family

    Sending Virtual Comfort and Hanes

    October 29, 2011 - By 

    Every woman knows someone who has been touched by cancer. And if you know someone right now struggling with the incredible challenge of a health care battle that is so emotionally and physically draining you know it’s not always easy to find the words that say what you mean in light of the terrible daily reality. There are cards and presents and flowers. And they all have their place. Nothing is as meaningful or helpful to a family dealing with cancer as real acts of support such as offering child care, or bringing food or driving a loved one to their doctor’s…