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The Backpack Pack Rat Strikes Again
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Happy Panda
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Pirates and Play Dates
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The Wonder of Wonderland
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Therapy As Play—Joyful Learning

The Backpack Pack Rat Strikes Again

  My girl loves herself a backpack. Or a purse. Or better yet, someone else’s purse. So if yours is pink or has a butterfly on it, you’d best keep one hand on your handbag at all times. In typical female fashion, she stuffs her bag full of completely unnecessary items. I wrote about her handbag hoarding tendencies here along with a list of the typical contents of her bag on any given day. Our backpack pack rat often comes home with things she’s collected at school: her teacher’s sunglasses, a classmate’s pencil case, somebody else’s journal, one sock belonging to some poor sockless child, sheets and sheets and sheets of paper, a creepy doll, a glue stick…and the list goes on. To be clear, she’s not stealing. She has no concept of it. She merely likes to collect items and is happy to dole out the goods to her friends and family. She also attempts to bring things from home to “share” at school. I’ve intercepted many household items stowed away in her backpack, destined for some epic Show and Tell session. I’ve retrieved her brother’s homework, water bottle and one of his Crocs before she made it out the door.[…]

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Happy Panda

This is my feeble attempt at a Wordless Wednesday post. I’ve tried to be all wordless before without much success. What can I say? (apparently a lot). Moving on… You’ve heard the expression “Sad Panda?”(originating from a South Park episode describing an unhappy, disappointed person). Well, my girl is almost always happy. Unless she’s not. But that’s rare and can usually be fixed with a hug or Goldfish crackers. Recently we went shopping for clip on earrings. My girlie girl loved choosing the most sparkly ones and then admiring herself in the mirror. She tried on dozens before she decided on the perfect pair. I give you…Happy Panda!

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Pirates and Play Dates

  When I write anything; whether it’s an email, a Facebook update, a letter, or a blog post, I try to keep it real. I want the person reading my words to hear my voice. I also want them to trust it. Recently a friend asked me about review blogs. “Are they for real?” she wanted to know. “I mean, people seem to love every single thing they get. How is that even possible?” The answer is…it’s not. When I’m asked to consider a product or service for review I only ever write about the ones I would recommend to a friend. I mean what I say and say what I mean. Fortunately I’ve been able to connect with some quality brands I love like Fisher-Price. Mom Central acts as the “middle man mom” between the brand (Fisher-Price) and the blogger (moi). They connect brands with bloggers who they believe align authentically with a brand’s message and products. Mom Central tries to ensure that toy testers receive Fisher-Price products that suit their age, gender and interests. This month we received a bounty of toys suited to my daughter’s developmental age, but apparently not all of them suited her current interests. This kid[…]

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The Wonder of Wonderland

Amusement parks are amusing to say the least; the expectations, the thrills, the not-knowing how the day will unfold. Canada’s Wonderland just north of Toronto is filled with wonders to explore and memories to be made. This is me, after such a day at the amusement park with my family.   Kidding. This is actually a photo from the Canada’s Wonderland website promoting their no scares-spared annual Halloween Haunt. If you enjoy having the bejesus scared out of you, check it out! There are all kinds of creepy things lying in wait including zombies and “psychotic clowns.” But, if you’re a ‘fraidy cat, STAAAAAY AWAAAAY (read in a spooky voice…but not too spooky. I want to be able to sleep tonight). Though you needn’t stay away from Wonderland completely. The haunt is only in effect at night on weekends in October. During the day, the park runs in its usual family friendly way so we you don’t need to be afraid. This is what I actually looked like after a recent trip to Wonderland with the family. See? Not scary at all. Except maybe for the weird way I’m sticking my hip out. And, how my husband’s hand is sort of hovering over our son’s[…]

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Therapy As Play—Joyful Learning

  When your child achieves a new milestone, it’s a true wonder. You think, “How are they doing this all by themselves?? Where’s my camera?!” Whether you share these pivotal moments; blog them, Instagram them, Facebook them, scrapbook them or simply hold them in your heart, they’re worth celebrating. My daughter started grade one this year. Though cognitively she is approximately age four, she’s holding her own with her peers. She relies less and less on her Educational Assistant (who we are so thankful for by the way) and she’s making decisions, following routines, and learning with increasing independence. From being warned that our child may never fully integrate into a class of her peers, to…this? I can’t express how thrilled we are. So how did she come this far? An initial diagnosis isn’t always the eventual reality. Sheer determination and moxy also factor in. Never underestimate moxy. It’s fierce.  Family and friends have also been instrumental by providing us with the support and confidence we’ve needed to see us through challenging times. My father-in-law refers to us as, “Team Thornbury.” He’s right. We are a team. We just need jerseys.  And finally, our community. If our child had been born[…]

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