2015 - Page 9 of 10 - Forever In Mom Genes

A Look Inside the Ontario College of Teachers—from a teacher/parent perspective

Feb 17 2015

From a very young age I knew I wanted to be a teacher. Not because I enjoy organizing everything and everyone at all times. Okay partially because of that *sideways glance at my smirking husband* but mostly because of my grade three teacher. Mrs. MacDonald was kind and creative and funny. She loved children and she made learning so much fun. She made everything fun. I wanted to be just like her. So after university and a bit of globe trotting, I went to teacher’s college to become a real teacher—with a real classroom, brimming with real children. After ten terrific years in the classroom, I left my position as an elementary school teacher to stay home with our second child. She was born with special needs and one of her most special needs is well, me. I miss my classroom, but I don’t miss teaching. I teach every day, but now my class of 24 has become a class of two. My children are subjected to “Mrs. T’s Teachable Moments” on the daily. Sorry kids. It’s what I do. When my son entered grade two (four years ago), it felt strange. This was MY grade—the grade I taught for[…]

Feb 15 2015

I wrote a story recently about how one of Avery’s school friends shoed her away on the playground and hurt her little heart in the process. The very next day when we arrived at school, my friend Pat was there waiting at school drop off with this sweet calendar in hand for Avery to cheer her up. (Avery hung it beside her bed and adds a sticker every night before she goes to sleep to mark the days. Sweet AND educational. Gotta love that.) Then I shared a story with tips for including children with special needs in play dates. The next day this Facebook message appeared. A few private messages back and forth and bam! We have a very special play date on Avery’s new calendar. I’m not saying you have to be a mom to care about other people’s kids. My friend Ali loves my kids and takes a genuine interest. She has the cutest banter going with Sebastian. She is constantly threatening to “take him down” on the Wii playing field. He laughs and rolls his eyes and loves it. He loves her too. And so does Avery. When I told her Ali had invited[…]

Jan 31 2015

I’m not one to think the worst or to worry to excess. Oh wait, yes I am. So the call that my recent mammogram was abnormal really scared me. My doctor made the call herself to assure me that this kind of thing is very common. A shadow, an obstructed or blurred view, anything out of the norm, and they follow up. Caution is a good thing. I know this, but the timing couldn’t have been worse—just two days after our family lost a very special person to breast cancer. I tried not to worry myself sick and for the most part, I did okay. There’s a lot to be said for deep breathing and positive thoughts and losing yourself in tedious tasks. My aunt, even when facing the most stressful and scary circumstance imaginable, always tried to live in the moment. She taught me (and so many others) lessons about being positive and present before “mindfulness” became a buzzword. My appointment was scheduled for the day of my aunt’s Celebration of Life. Oddly ironic and terribly sad. Thankfully I was able to get on a cancellation list and got an appointment a week earlier. I teared up as the[…]

Jan 28 2015

One of the benefits of having a blog is being able to vent. I try not to hit “publish” on topics that are negative or mean spirited or just plain whiney. There’s already enough of that noise out there, I don’t want to add to it. So if you’re reading this, it would seem I found a nugget of positivity or a learning moment somewhere in here. Plus, how cute is this turtle picture? I just want to reach out and stroke him and say, “It’s okay scared turtle. Everything will be alright.” But then I remember…salmonella. So perhaps just soothing words of encouragement from a distance. Turtles may appear passive and even apathetic, but you should see them when they’re feeling amorous. The day we took the kids to “Reptilia” we got an eyeful. I tried to tell the kids that the turtles were just playing. True, if by “playing” we mean #turtleporn. I feel like a turtle some days. Not in a “Come back to my shell and party!” kind of way, but in a “retreat into my shell and hide” way. I’m not confrontational at all. I live in fear of hurting people’s feelings. I’ll often apologize[…]

Jan 26 2015

If you’ve ever spilled red wine on your lap (or heaven forbid, somebody else’s) you know how alarming it is. Know what else is alarming? When you cross your legs and knock over an end table, causing a glass of merlot to splash down onto your friend’s new cream carpet. It’s been over fifteen years and she’s still mad at me. Red wine spills are pretty scary, unless you know the “stain solution.” Watch this short video and I’ll share some stain removal hacks for dirty girls. Dirty like, avocado squashed into your pants or mustard on your collar… ahem. I’ll also reveal a dirty little secret I’ve been keeping for over a decade… For more information about OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover, Canada’s #1 trusted stain fighter inside and out, please visit www.oxiclean.ca or visit their Facebook Page. Find it nationally at Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart. This post was brought to you by OxiClean, however images and opinions are my own.

Archive - 2015

A Look Inside the Ontario College of Teachers—from a teacher/parent perspective

Friends Supporting My Kids—It Takes Village

When Your Mammogram Is Abnormal

Beware The Snapping Turtle

Red Wine and Grody Grout: Coming Clean About Getting Dirty