• 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…

  • special needs

    And then She Lost It…

    October 27, 2011 - By 

    If you are a parent to a child with special needs, then odds are you are familiar with this level of exhaustion. Dog Tired. Yup, that’s me this morning. And every morning lately. But this morning, well it was epic in its bleary-eyed beauty. This morning, before I could find the Visine eye drops my charming child turned to me and said:”wow, are your eyes ever red.” And yes they were. Because I am tired, the kind of tired that comes from shivering for a week without a furnace. The kind of tired that is show week for oldest daughter,…

  • family

    Are Little Girl’s Halloween Costumes Too Sexy?

    October 26, 2011 - By 

     My seven-year-old thinks outside the box. She is mostly a hands on kind of gal. While my ten-year-old was dreaming of princesses at her age, my youngest well she was climbing trees and sliding into home plate ripping holes in all her jeans. I love their differences and think it’s kind of great to have a kid who doesn’t care to be a pretty pink princess. This year she is Batman. She loves her costume and has worn it every day after school for the past week. On the weekend she showed the furnace repair guy that she was Batman and…

  • family

    Free Lunch: Healthy Choices Lunch Steamers Steam and Win -giveaway – CLOSED

    October 25, 2011 - By 

    I have been fortunate enough to attend two conferences recently. I was named one of the 200 Most Connected Women in Canada and, for the second year in a row, took part in the She’s Connected conference in Toronto. I also bought a ticket to Blissdom Canada for the first time ever which solidified in my mind the need for a whole wardrobe makeover. Not a frumpy affair. I have gained a lot of insights into blogging as a business and I will share more of that with you soon. These events always come with samples and swag and so…

  • Uncategorized

    Toopy and Binoo: Live Theatrical Debut Review

    October 23, 2011 - By 

    What a treat for my family to be able to see Toopy and Binoo for the first time ever live on stage. We have been big fans of this sweet and imaginative preschool show on Treehouse for many years. While my kids are no longer preschoolers, they love a live show, so we couldn’t resist this one. Sunday afternoon at Centennial Hall, Toopy and his silent playmate Binoo had the toddlers and preschoolers dancing in the aisles as they traveled through imaginary worlds from the comfort of their couch.  There’s nothing quite like the magic of live theatre reflected on…