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It’s Back to School – Why I Think I Might Switch My Daughter to Catholic High School #BTS
So here’s the thing. I’ve been agonizing all summer over a big change for my older daughter. She graduated from grade eight in June. Her year was not great. But let’s face it I’ve been feeling like public school has been letting me and my children down for years now. When my husband and I adopted our kids, we agreed on a lot of things. We agreed on French immersion and we agreed on names and RESPs for saving and he clearly, a Catholic kid, said NO to Catholic education. Interesting, right? He had some considerable strong feelings about that. I didn’t really have a massive concern either way about…
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Painting a Room – 5 Steps to a Better Experience #ColourMeHappy
I have partnered with Sherwin Williams to colour our space beautiful and make it ours. We have been here 1 1/2 years in our new house and we love it. We redid two closets and completely outfitted my home office. But now it’s time to make our house a home. We are tackling cosmetic home renovations here at my house. This week while the kids are at camp we are going to start painting a room. First up is my daughter Payton’s room. Painting a room is one of the easiest ways to completely change the feel of the space. And while it’s the cheapest and easiest, it requires a little…
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Pet-Sitting Charles #WordlessWednesday #ldnont
My kids started a pet-sitting business this summer. It just sort of evolved out of several requests for pet-sitters from friends of mine, some neighbours, and other bloggers. So this is one of the girl’s last jobs before they went to camp. This is one of my friend’s guinea pigs. His name is Charles. But Ainsley dubbed him Prince Charles. And this is how we pet sit. Lot of love for the pets. And if you are interested, and in my area of London, you can email me or PM me for more information about their rates. inkscrblr@rogers.com.
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Adoption and End of School Year – Buckle Up, It’s Going to Be a Bumpy Ride #adoption
OH MAN! I have been sitting on this one for a bit so it’s likely to all come out in a big incoherent mess. But here it is. Life as an adoptee, or an adoptive parent at the end of the school year can be a mess of conflicting emotions. I get it. I do. It is hard and sloppy and somehow this is usually where I find my zen because when the kids come completely unhinged I shove aside most things and retreat to inner calm with purpose because they require it. I am not quite there yet this year, but I will eventually get there. Here’s what’s happening.…
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Graduation Trip Safety – Tips to Save Your Sanity
Graduation Trip Safety – Tips to Save Your Sanity Your child is going on a graduation trip without you! AAAAHHH! Of course, you’re going to be nervous, but there are a few ways you can increase the safety factor and feel better about your child being out in the world without you. A Graduation Trip Doesn’t Have to Make Your Hair Fall Out You don’t want to be a nervous wreck while your child is off in the great big world on their graduation trip. You want to feel good about your child having a great time. You don’t want to be eaten alive with fear! Cell Phone If for…
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Play ON with Playtex Sport Combo Packs – Preparing Your daughter for Her Period #PlayOnContest #PlayOnCa
At our house the activity rarely stops. I have sporty girls. This week my youngest will compete at a track and field meet, swim at swimming lessons, ride her horse at Sari therapy riding program, mentor little ninjas at martial arts and then she will spar, and do her own martial arts lessons. And she will run her little heart out playing with kids in our neighbourhood. And that’s just my one daughter, 11. My older daughter, 13, does most of that, with exception of the therapeutic horseback riding and she acts and sings and dances with a local theatre troupe. My girls and I have been having period conversations…
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My Explorer – Kennedy Space Center #Travel #WordlessWednesday
It was almost four years ago now when we travelled to Florida for my oldest daughter’s tenth birthday. We wanted, or needed, a vacation at end of the school year, which is always challenging when you have children with special needs. But this time we planned something different. Ten felt like a huge occasion and we wanted to celebrate it while inspiring our daughters to learn. So we took a full day and spent it exploring Kennedy Space Center. We dined with an astronaut and both of my kids were curious and peppered him with questions. It was one of the coolest things we have ever done as a family…
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Face Time and Weird Conversations You Never Dreamed You’d Have #Teens #tweens
This is another entry in the ongoing teen/tween mama diaries. Life is never dull with teens and cell phones. Raising digital kids is a special kind of universe. I heart my beautiful kids. But they also drive me around the bend regularly and sometimes on purpose, I think. I strive to not be mental from it, and yet there are days when I look in the mirror and think who is that frizzy-haired, wild eyed maniac mom looking back at me. Then I realize it’s me and start thinking up ways that I can get back at them when they are dating or getting married. My husband already has started…
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Five Indoor Chores Most Kids Can Do and a Reward Chart Printable
Indoor chores are simple for any age. If your children are old enough to stand at the sink then they are also old enough to learn to help. There are many small simple indoor chores even toddlers can help with daily. The trick is making any job fun and encouraging them along the way. We have a few rules at our house. One of them is that we all strive to be respectful. That is a work in progress some days, because my kids are now 11 and 13 and they often argue a lot. But even when they do that we are clear that when someone hurts another person’s feelings…
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Perplexing Childhood Anxiety Symptoms – Part 2 of a Series
For years we struggled trying to figure out why my daughter worried so much. And why she had so many stomach aches and headaches too. Then, when it became such a big factor that it interfered with her getting to school, we had to take action. Childhood anxiety is a challenge but it can be manageable with support and sometimes medications too. Here’s part 2 in my childhood anxiety series – on Childhood Anxiety Symptoms. A Bit About Our Daughter We have a daughter with Generalized anxiety disorder. I started talking about her anxiety disorder several years ago when I wrote a piece for Today’s Parent. You can read…