2013 - Page 6 of 18 - Forever In Mom Genes

Garfield Was Most Likely A Zombie Cat

Sep 09 2013

No matter what time I go to sleep, hauling myself out of bed in the morning is a struggle. If somebody could just invent an alarm that causes the bed to propel its sleepy occupant up and out in the general direction of the coffee pot. My husband on the other hand is a chipper early bird. He bounds out of bed, no alarm necessary. My children take after him. They are up at the crack of dawn…every….day. Earlier on weekends. Apparently sleeping until 9 am while your young children fiddle with the toaster and drive themselves to school isn’t allowed, so I’ve had to make adjustments. I force myself awake at 6:30. Sometimes when I’m lucky I manage to steal another 15 minutes of precious “awake-but -with-eyelids-closed” time. I may be physically standing and blinking and stumbling around at 6:30, but my brain doesn’t actually wake until around 8 am. That hour and half in between is called the “Mombie Zone.” Mombies are known to spill coffee and step on the dog, but they won’t eat you or anything. Unless you have peanut butter on your thumb and she mistakes your hand for a slice of toast. As a[…]

Sep 07 2013

I’m all for a healthy glow, but this…is ridiculous. (Niacin Flush recreated for you with the miracle of Photoshop) This is Niacin Flush. Never heard of it? Neither had I. It’s not dangerous, it’s just stupid looking. And uncomfortable — like that prickley heat you can get in the summer. In my ongoing quest to be a healthy person I resurrected my vitamin regiment. I take a Multi, Vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Vitamin D, B Complex and Omega 3. Quite the mitt-ful. I know that if I just ate a well balanced diet rich in vitamins and minerals I could probably ditch the synthetic supplements. I know. We’re working on it. In the meantime to keep my bones healthy (osteoporosis runs in my family) and to increase my energy, I take vitamins. A few weeks ago I heard about the benefits of Niacin— improved energy and mood, reduced bad cholesterol and reduced chance of cardiac related disease. I figured it couldn’t hurt to add it to the mix. Have I mentioned that I’m not a doctor? I’m also not a pharmacist or a naturopath. And I read way too much sh*t on the internet, obviously. Ever watchful of[…]

Sep 03 2013

Blogs across the cybersphere today are bursting with tales of parental pride and angst. The first day back at school brings sentimental reflection and tears—showers of maternal (and yes, some paternal) tears. I cry every single year on the first day of school. Happy tears, but also some from worry and that overwhelming sense of protectiveness and love that parents know so well. This year? No tears. Not one drop. When we got to school this morning, my son saw his friends lined up behind their new Grade five teacher and he said without a moment’s hesitation, “Bye mum!” as he ran off to join them, barely looking back. Was I sad about that? Hell no. The kid was excited to be back at school. No tears over here. In fact, I fist pumped. Then we went to find my daughter’s class. Grade two. I taught second grade for nearly a decade and I find it hard to reconcile the memories of the children I taught over the years, with the image of my seven year today. She is so different from them, yet exactly the same in many ways. My daughter’s teacher is perfect: young, energetic, gentle and[…]

Aug 29 2013

The “Mommy Wars” are ridiculous. Get a life ladies. Don’t judge, just parent. That said, I judged my head off the other day and I feel like a jerk. I was grocery shopping with my daughter when she stopped in her tracks and announced, “I gotta go!” “Just a sec, mummy just needs to grab a few more things.” I said absentmindedly. I continued shopping. I only had a dozen items on my list — all healthy things because this is what we’re doing now. This week anyway. I spotted a larger woman and her bedraggled husband in the aisle ahead of me and I was shocked at what they had in their cart — the junkiest food you can imagine. I made a snap judgement about them; based on their size, the way they were dressed and what they were buying. I made assumptions about their intelligence and I’m ashamed to even admit what else I thought. “Mummy, I have to go!” my daughter pleaded again. Whenever we shop at this particular grocery store she always has to go. I’m certain it’s because the toilet is on the second level and we need to[…]

Aug 20 2013

She did it and she couldn’t be more proud. And I couldn’t be more proud of her. And my niece too. I have been blessed with two strong little girls to love. Strong as in, determined and strong as in they could easily take me down in an arm wrestling competition without breaking a sweat. My niece is a competitive gymnast. An amazing one. My daughter looks up to her and mimics everything she does. From the way she wears her hair to the clothes she chooses, to the sport she dreams of doing one day. In fact, Avery keeps a photo of her cousin leaping across a balance beam on her dresser. “I do that too, right mummy?” she’ll say as she points to the picture. A few weeks ago when we were visiting my niece and family, Avery got her chance. She wore a leo that her cousin gave her under her clothes all day, waiting excitedly for 3:30 when we would be heading the the gym. Avery sat in the viewing room and watched as her cousin and her teammates finished their practice. Four hours a day, four days a week they train. I sat with[…]

Archive - 2013

Garfield Was Most Likely A Zombie Cat

Niacin Flush

The First Day of School — It Gets Easier

I Judged Harshly and I Am Ashamed

Gymnastics Gold