2011 - Page 9 of 14 - Forever In Mom Genes

In and Out

May 04 2011

Tomorrow Avery is having surgery. It’s a simple procedure. In and out, literally – ear tubes in, adenoids out. Nothing to worry about, but try telling that to my queasy stomach and racing mind. Any time a child goes under, there are risks. And when your child has a medical file as thick as a telephone book, the risks increase. So….cue my rising blood pressure. The doctor mentioned giving Avery a little morphine if necessary. If she doesn’t need it, can I have it? Today I’m at home alone. The kids are at school and I’ve been busy doing really important things to keep distracted. Like: I organized my sock drawer. Its disorder has been bothering me for awhile. I find it unnerving when socks aren’t paired and sorted by colour and function (dress vs. sport). Holy OCD. I made this new Twitter avatar in honour of “Star Wars – May the 4th Be With You Day.” I made toast. I went to the bank and actually used the teller wicket. I haven’t done that for years. The woman ahead of me was having issues and taking forever. She turned to apologize saying, “Sorry for holding everybody up.” I suggested she[…]

Apr 27 2011

How long is it acceptable for your child to believe in the Tooth Fairy? My son is nearly eight and fully believes a magical winged creature breaks and enters into our home to purchase his grungy teeth to add to her toothy collection. It’s a bizarre concept right? Yesterday my son had four teeth extracted. Poor kid has been cursed with his mother’s toothy grin – too many teeth, not enough jaw. The dentist has a plan to make room for incomers to minimize the impending overcrowding. My boy was a little nervous, but the anticipation of the Tooth Fairy’s bounty overshadowed his fear. Last night, after examining his tiny teeth for the umpteenth time, he carefully stowed them inside his tooth keeper and tucked it under his pillow. A few hours later, an extremely tired Tooth Fairy tippy toed (loudly) into his dark bedroom. I deftly (not even close) removed the tooth keeper and promptly dropped it on the floor. After retrieving the tooth case from under the bed, I stood up ready to make my escape but cracked my head on the underside of the bunk bed. FYI, the Tooth Fairy has a mouth on her[…]

Her Voice

Apr 22 2011

Avery uses two-three word phrases and a wide variety of ASL signs to communicate, but often struggles to get her message across. Just imagine the frustration of having something to say, but not being able to say it. My son’s (awesome) teacher sent me the link to this amazing video. I defy anyone to watch it without getting emotional when the father in the clip speaks about his daughter who until recently, has been silenced by Autism. Avery is not Autistic, but as the parent of a unique child, I related to similar challenges. We should never assume to know what our children can or cannot do. A child’s voice may be faint, but this doesn’t mean they don’t have something important to say. Perhaps they will live life in a whisper, but perhaps one day their voice will ring out strong and clear for all to hear. If you have a few minutes, it’s worth listening to Carly Fleishmann’s unique voice.

Apr 16 2011

I haven’t exactly been sticking to the training schedule for the 10 km race my husband and I signed up for. Correction: HE signed us up for. Seriously, why is running (unless you’re late for a spa appointment or being chased by an angry squirrel) ever necessary?? Oh right. My butt. That’s why. * Artist: DS

Apr 15 2011

Forget the babbling brook, I’m a rambling river. I’m not sure why I feel compelled to tell people everything. Maybe it’s the need to vent, to seek feedback, validation, advice, a laugh. Who knows? But if loose lips sink ships, I should really have my own personal Coast Guard. I may over-share on a regular basis within my social network (and the occasional innocent bystander at the grocery check-out) but I am able to curtail my TMI tendencies when it comes to my kids. Children hang on our every word. WHAT we say and HOW we say it—it’s our job to try to insulate our kids from worry, horror, despair, and unthinkable sadness. We can’t completely shelter our children from the harsh realities of life. But if possible we can try to shield them from the really scary sh*t so they can feel safe and secure for as long as possible. This is why I chose initially not to tell my son that Zack passed away. The boys never met in person, but my son knew about Zack and his family. He knew Zack was Avery’s friend. He heard me speak about Zack’s parents. He knew[…]

Archive - 2011

In and Out

The Truth Fairy

Her Voice

Gotta Run

Difficult Conversations With My Child