2013 - Page 12 of 18 - Forever In Mom Genes

Apparently I’m A Dinosaur…

May 12 2013

Call me a wet blanket, but I’m not a fan Hallmark holidays. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day… I can’t help but think they make those who are missing special people in their lives, feel left out. I don’t make a big deal of these holidays, but when you have children who want to celebrate Mother’s Day by making you feel special, how can you say no? Avery was over-the-moon excited to show me the present she made for me at school. She wasn’t exactly sure what “Mother’s Day” was and she *may* have wished me ‘Happy Birthday’ several times over the weekend. But when she presented me with the candle she made at school she couldn’t have been more proud and I knew this gift came straight from her little heart. The girl really does light up my life in so many ways… And my son, my sweet creative kid blew me away. Last year for my mom’s birthday, he and I wrote something for her — a mock animal project based on the elusive “Anne” grandma. This Anne-imal project was so much fun to work on together. Clearly he enjoyed it and remembered what to do since he[…]

May 09 2013

We all have stuff to deal with. But hopefully said “stuff” is spread out and doesn’t happen all at once….like when life’s little challenges rained upon us in one intense deluge. Over the past three weeks… Daughter’s pre-op meeting with anesthetist Daughter’s pre-op general exam Grandfather in hospital Daughter’s EEG to determine if seizure activity is still present (still waiting for results) Mom gets five minutes of work done Daughter’s dental surgery Daughter’s annual blood work to screen for potential blood disorder associated with genetic condition Daughter gets Strep Throat and ear drum bursts Mom talks to her doctor about her rising anxiety and wonders if she’ll feel calm, cool and collected ever again? Mom gets Strep Throat. Daughter’s annual 24-hour Holter monitor test to assess rhythm, mom too sick to go so husband steps in Daughter’s blood work comes back “abnormal”. Mom freaks out and imagines the worst Mom, son and daughter go to Sick Kids for new blood test. Son faints. Mom questions whether 3 pm is too early to start drinking? Contractor hired to fix post-flood kitchen bails and we’re left counter and ceiling-less Mom has weird allergic reaction and breaks out in hives Another issue[…]

May 02 2013

My husband and I are partners in every way. Well, except for banking—I “chequed” out of all the financial stuff years ago. Though I feign interest, he and I both know I’m thinking about Mad Men or what might be happening on Facebook while he’s explaining our bank statements. But that’s okay because I am in charge of other important things—like groceries. Somebody has to menu plan and use coupons. It bores him to tears, so I do it. Like I said, partners — each with specific roles and duties, like a well-oiled machine. Speaking of which, he deals with all things automotive, while I take care of the laundry. He’s actually banned from touching the dryer. The man has shrunk one too many pairs of my yoga pants. When it comes to parenting, we share duties equally. Sometimes we employ the “good cop, bad cop” routine. I’m always the good cop because I can’t stomach the bad cop shtick.When Avery was first diagnosed and we got a glimpse of what we might be dealing with, we realized that one parent would need to stay home full-time. We both knew it would be me. Not that my[…]

Apr 30 2013

If you think staying in a B&B seems slightly odd, you’re right. But always up for an adventure, my husband and I stayed at a B&B in Muskoka a few times. We loved the quaint setting and got to know the owners a little. How can you not? You’re sleeping down the hall from them and sharing their bathroom. Our first time at “Top House” was memorable. We got engaged that weekend. On one knee in the forest, outside the little cedar church where we would get married, my husband proposed. We spent the weekend poking around little shops, lounging on a patio over looking Lake Rosseau, exploring nature and enjoy hikes in the woods. One afternoon as we returned to the house after a long hike — punctuated by several periods of hot and heavy, er, nature appreciation — we were greeted by the owners. As one of them commented on our flushed and healthy complexions, their dog bolted toward us from the living room. He made a beeline for my husband, jumped up and started enthusiastically sniffing and licking him. My husband mumbled an explanation which to this day makes me laugh out loud EVERY time[…]

Apr 24 2013

Full disclosure I used to think (and even squawk out loud) that I didn’t understand the purpose of ride on cars. “Shouldn’t kids be exercising? Make them pedal for heaven’s sake! Are we raising a generation of lazy kids?!” I’m here to say that I was wrong and stand corrected. To make amends for my judgey ignorance, I invite any parent to whom I may have spouted off about this, to drive over me with their kids’ ride on vehicle. My daughter has been asking for one of these forEVER! She’s seen other kids riding them in the park and down our street and she’s been relentless. So this Christmas, look what Santa (aka my friends at Fisher-Price) delivered… It’s the Dora Jeep Wrangler in all it’s glory. To say my child was thrilled is an understatement. She couldn’t wait to get behind the wheel. However, Canadian winters are cold so we took our fun to our unfinished basement/indoor playground. At first she couldn’t steer. Like, at all. It was comical. I had to redirect her constantly until she started to understand the relationship between the steering wheel and where she wanted to go. It was like a light bulb[…]

Archive - 2013

Apparently I’m A Dinosaur…

When It Rains It Pours

Cross-Eyed Cats and Smelly Schnauzers

Life Is A Highway