Saturday, December 21, 2013

#NotYourAsianSidekick and Mommying

I stumbled upon this interview with Suey Park who wanted to start a conversation about Asian Americans and their struggle with fitting into the Western culture - or to be more ... [dangit, having a mommy-brain moment... that word describing language which is less formal, more conversational... along the lines of "vernacular"... but not that word... ack!!]... well, anyway, a less PC way of describing it could be "Whitewashed: To be or not to be, that is the Asian-American question."  (Please don't take me literally, it's not literally "the" question, but a huge one nonetheless).

I haven't read much more than the interview (click here) but it made me start thinking about the struggle as a mom to balance between the Western and Eastern cultures.  Rice with everything? Speak only Cantonese at home? Bowl hair cuts? Wok rules the kitchen? Those are just a few questions off the top of my head, not necessarily deep/feminist ones or ones which I personally struggle with, but some to get thoughts spinning in your mind hopefully.

Here's a clip of the interview to wet your interest:

What are you saying to those on Twitter who are claiming #NotYourAsianSidekick is generalizing white peoples’ attitudes in particular towards Asian American women? 
I think a lot of white people have a visceral reaction to the fact that they belong to a structural whiteness. But I think it shows us something really important, which is that fraction of discomfort is nothing compared to a lifetime of being racialized and put in a subordinate class of people in the U.S., so when it comes to that and I compare the two I really don’t feel bad at all.
I also think it’s really ironic that this hashtag was going on for days and that people couldn’t even learn enough to think about what it means to them in their own lives. Immediately I’ve become the cool Asian friend and all of my Facebook friends who thought I was really annoying for talking about racism, my feelings and my eating disorder are somehow now tokenizing me as a successful Asian American woman. I mean, how token is that?

Thursday, December 5, 2013

When tiredness and frustration get the better of me...

.... I did what I never thought I'd do: I grabbed my son by the shoulders, shook him a bit and said quietly but fiercely, "Be quiet!!!".

See, I got my daughter down to sleep and was looking forward to spending some time with my son as we cleaned up his toys.  He got all whiny and I was afraid his protestations would wake up his sister.  After the usual requests to whisper and be quieter met with more whining, I got frustrated.  It was coupled with lack of sleep and lack of productivity due to the two kids' lack of sleeping.  Seeing the end of the day coming down, looking forward to just kicking it back, if even for an hour, I let slip the control I've been holding on to for the last 10 hours.

So I shook my son.  Just a bit, but I shook him.  And I saw the stunned look on his face.  I saw the fear of me creeping in his eyes.  And I saw his mouth twist as he said "I want to play with Daddy!  I want to play with Daddy!!" - which was essentially saying, he didn't want to be with me anymore.

That really sucked on all kinds of levels. But I couldn't take time to recover what I lost between us as I had to rush him to our bedroom so his sister wouldn't wake up.  Being in a condo with 2 kids with 2 different bed times is tough!  It was in vain, though, as she awoke and sat up crying pretty hard.

And there went my hour of productivity.  My hour of kicking back?  Well, I didnt' really but I didnt' do anything productive either.  I just vegged.  Emotionally, I've just been worn out today. But I wanted to take some time to share this experience because I'm sure it happens to more parents than not, and it's not something we talk about.  It's not something to be proud of, to lose control, no matter how little and no matter how small the actual action.  I wish so much I could rewrite those 5 seconds instead of having to mend the emotional damage between us.  Call me oversensitive but I know my son, and I know something was lost when I shook him and shushed him.

Le sigh.  Tomorrow is another day.  May it be miles better than this one. =(

How about you?  Have you done anything you wish you could take back? Was there a moment between you and your child that hit you to the core?

Friday, November 29, 2013

Keeping track of all that food!

I really, really should copy and paste my post content into Gmail before saving here.  20 mins of precious kids-are-napping time gone down the tubes.  Anyway, here's my second go.

One thing I was wary of with Kristen starting solids was keeping track of which food was going to expire when.  It's recommended to keep food, while refrigerated, no longer than 3 days including the day the jar was opened or the food was made.  Pair that with mommy brain trying to keep track of everything else along with kids deciding to reject different foods on different days and it feels like a constant game of catch up - or toss-out, as it were, with the food, since we kept letting things go past the "baby best before" date.

I tried to keep on top of the dates with a decent enough tracking system when Derek started solids. I used the Post-It plastic tabs with the date opened or made written with a fine-tipped permanent marker. This was because we had so many around and I wasn't going to return to my office job! Once the jar or container was emptied, the Post-It would go I the fridge ready to be used again. I would mark out the previous day and write a new one, and usually could fit 5-6 dates this way. Once a tab was full it would be tossed.

We still have some tabs stuck on our fridge, waiting to be used again. Unfortunately they're no longer a la mode in our home as I've found an quicker to do, easier to see, less wasteful method of tracking baby's food. Behold! - the china marker. 

I stumbled upon this method when I wanted to write down the date of when I opened a jar of food but didn't have a marker on hand.  I didn't really like the tab system as much anyway.  I happened to have a china marker accidentally brought home from work so I used that to scribble on the date on the lid.


I soon realized that this works well with containers in general and have been marking my left overs too!  I love that I can write large enough so items at the back of the fridge can be read, and that I dont' need to create waste with the tabs (or with washi tape, which is another system I read up on).

I refined my system a bit when it came to labeling frozen food.  I would mark when the food was made and when it was frozen (as sometimes it's not the same day, and at least it's clear if it is or not).  So M = made when and F = frozen when.  M: Nov 26 F: Nov 27 would mean that whatever is in the container was made November 26 and frozen November 27.

What would I freeze food in? Baby Cubes! I can make 1-2 oz frozen cubes of food ready to be defrosted when meal time came.  Pop them out by running the bottom half of the Baby cube under warm-hot water for about 10-20 seconds.  WITH THE LID STILL ON, gently squeeze the bottom to see if the frozen cube would pop out.  If you don't keep the lid on, be prepared to catch the cube!

When I haven't finished the frozen food but need the Baby Cubes to store more food, I pop out the cubes as per above then store all the like food with the same date info into a freezing bag, marking all appropriate information on the bag.  So on one might read "Chicken puree, M Nov 17 F Nov 17".  This allows me to build up my inventory of healthy food for Kristen and also diversify the food portfolio!


That said, I haven't used this system to its fullest extent.  I'm a bit behind in building up my inventory.  But thankfully, I don't have to mentally keep track of everything and I'll know I have items on hand to use or take with me. =)

How about you?  What method do you use to track food? 

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

2.5 months and we're potty trained! *\0/* *\0/* *\0/* *\0/* *\0/*

Okay, that was supposed to be a host of cheer leaders at the end... did anyone get that?  You did? *\0/* =D

If you read my previous posts, you will remember that eons ago we started potty training.  Okay, not that long ago but it feels like it, only because we've had fairly good success with everything.  Derek has had his accidents, of course, but for the most part he's got it down.  Mind you, he's a toddler, so he knows the routine but still needs to be prompted and prodded.  Please hold down your wee-wee, please don't touch Mommy with your pee pee hands, flush the toilet first, don't play with the water...  We also have to help him on and off the big toilet and pull up his pants - he can't quite grasp how to get it over his little bum yet!  Overall though, we've got a potty trained 3-yr-old in our household.  *insert image of prancing parents joyfully tossing diapers in the air here*

Our new experiences are as follows:

1. Rushing to potty after waking.  This sometimes goes as smooth as butter.  Other times, he wakes up as if he's being attacked by the potty, blanket-kicking and all.

2. Remembering when to push fluids and when to stop them (no more 1.5 hrs before nap, 2 hours before bedtime).

3. Saying every 15 minutes "Let us know if you have to go potty!" and "Remember to keep underwear dry!" and "Let's try to catch the poo-poo today!"

4. Watching our soap supply deplete much quicker than before.

5. Potty calls 1.5 hrs after bedtime. =S

6. Remembering to take him to the washroom before leaving the home, 40 mins after leaving, and before going back home.  Can't kick it back and let the diaper do all the work!

7. Pack extra socks in the diaper activity and food bag.  Underwear lets pee travel all... the way... down.

8. Avoiding pee hands.  Derek likes to touch our face after holding down his wee-wee.  Uncool!

9. Cheering poop results like it's homecoming.

10. Exchanging diaper sales for extra laundry washes (but we don't mind!).

I'm sure there are more but that's enough to give a glimpse.  The main issues we ran into were poops in the potty (especially since we kicked off this whole training right after an episode of constipation) and night time nature calls.  I'll get into those over the next couple weeks.  Feel free to poke and prod me with questions about our experience; it was a bit of a blur so I can't remember things well enough to give a detailed report but questions trigger the memory. =)  We were also so busy I forgot to note things down in Derek's journal, which would have detailed things for us.

How about you?  What have you tried for potty training?  If you haven't started, what parts are you most wary of?  When are you thinking of trying?

Friday, November 15, 2013

Parents may be in hamster balls too!

Wow, so I got almost double the number of visits I usually do with the previous post about the differences of priorities & schedules between single/no-kid people and parents.  I started to cheer a bit until... I saw that a good number of people jumped the page, and the average time was pretty low.  =S  I really hope I didn't offend those of you who are single or don't have kids because the sentiment definitely does not apply to everyone and even if it did, it isn't usually to the extreme of the person who submitted the question.

What I do hope is that it creates some better understanding to single/no-kid peeps and some relief of guilt to parents.  We do want to meet with our friends but we only have so much energy and much of it is depleted by kids and home tasks, forcing us to be much more selective than we ever thought we would or want to be.  Some parents are more lax, others are more strict - similar to the different student types one would meet in high school or university.

Here's something that might help.  I'm not saying all parents are introverts but I think there is some overlap in how to interact with those who may seem more unavailable.  Even more so with actually introverted parents (like me!).  Enjoy!



Thursday, November 14, 2013

I love my single/no-kid friends, but...

Just a short post here.  I've somehow always been a bit ahead of my friends in stages of life (although they've always had better jobs than me!) but it wasn't until I was married for 5 years and having my first kid that I realized that was why some relationships were strained.  I found that my priorities were always a bit different which meant that my time was spent differently, a reality my friends were fairly puzzled by.  I wish I handled it better back then but ah well, it's in the past and I didn't fully understand what was going on either.

For those of you who are experiencing an adjustment with friends who don't have kids, particularly those who are still single, take a look at this "Dear Carolyn" response.  Sorry if you have trouble reading it as I didn't have the time to type it up!  If you can read it, I hope it helps give you the words, perspective and strength to work on your friendships and make them last.  Sadly, I think I'll need to let go (yes, it's been almost a decade and I had thought, until recently, I could resurrect things to "the ways they were") and work on current and new friendships.



How about you?  Are there friends beginning to drift because your schedule and priorities have changed since becoming a parent?  Have you had a chance to address it?  What have you done to accommodate or gain understanding from your friends?

It's been a long (long time) - shouldna left you (left you, left you....frikki frikki)

That "frikki frikki" was my attempt at transcripting beat boxing, haha.  But as Aaliyah says, If at first you don't succeed, dust yourself off and try again...."



I won't try the beat boxing thing again but I will attempt - yet again - to resurrect this blog.  I've had loads of ideas for posts but it's been hard to get to them.  Since potty training, we've been dealing with our toddler getting up and out of bed for up to 2 hours after we put him to bed.  Average is 1.5 hrs.  1.5 hours, my dear parents.  This means our 8:30 pm bed time, which is already later than preferred, is actually a teaser and we don't get to breathe a sigh of relief till almost 10pm!  Moreover, this is after "falling back" for Daylight Savings Time, so we're actually gaining an hour over his previous 11pm clocking out. =X

And then there's the baby's growth spurts, wonder months, teething and what-have-you.  Then there are the things that need to get done - dishes, de-cluttering, unpacking online order arrivals (huge props to parents who bring their kids in-store to buy clothes!!) - and simply being near brain dead once the kids are both finally asleep.  I don't have much juice flowing to put pen to paper (words to blog?) nearing midnight!

Part of it is also performance anxiety.  I want my blog to be read!  But who wants to read the ramblings of a zombie-like mom who's pretending to be alive and humourous?  Especially when that zombie state of mind rears the ugly neurotic head.  Was that funny?  It was funny before, maybe it isn't now... I changed this paragraph, the funniness level had dropped... Do I reveal this?  Will I sound like a horrible mother?  Housekeeper?  Wife?  Will readers move on because I haven't tried enough to catch their attention??

Thankfully, I've decided not to let my hangups get the best of me, especially after reading an article about the worst types of Facebook posts.  I actually found nothing really wrong about the types of posts listed.  Yeah, they're annoying but who says you have to read them all?  Or give them much mind?  Or that those people are even out to make you feel insecure by "bragging" about their incredible weekend?  Status updates are just that: updates, not mini-entertainment bits for your reading pleasure.  If you're that annoyed by someone's posts, I take it you're more annoyed by the person and an assessment of friendship needs to be had.

On that note, I'll just post what comes to my mind in my life as a mom.  I may not have fancy pictures or a sleek interface with cute fonts, I may not always post fantastic tips or have the best review.  I do hope, though, that my corner of the Internet world sheds a bit of light on some parent's otherwise rainy day and perchance contribute to the parenting community at some point, simply by being me.  If I annoy you, just surf on by to the next blog.  It'll sting a bit but I'll be alright.  Gosh, you'd think I'd have learned that enough times through high school already!

Okay, enough with the rambling.  I'll wrap up here and work on my next post, which is a general review of our potty training results since September.  =D  Till then, fellow parent, hug your kids tight and treat yourself to a glass of wine.  If you're having chardonnay, please bring some over!

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Potty training update is coming!

Sorry for keeping you in suspense but as you can imagine, we've been doing a lot of running to the washroom and it's been tough getting anything significant done.  The kitchen was in the third ring of chaos until Derek was able to go to Grandma's for a couple nights.  We thought that would happen sooner but then realized that Grandma needed training in how to maintain the training, so we used her day off to come over to our place and observe how it works.  Consistency is important with training!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some tips on how we're tackling baby stinky cloths and toilet-training toddler laundry.  Infant poop just ends up every where and stains almost anything it seems.  Kristen spit up a lot so I was cleaning milk vomit from her and my clothes.  Derek's recent learning is creating lots of stinky clothes but the reusable absorbency sheets we got shouldn't use fabric softener (which generally reduces absorbency of any material).  Aaaand he sometimes doesn't get the poopy in the potty, which makes me wish for Kristen's infant poops! =S Those are my issues; these are my solutions!

1. Buncha Farmer's stain remover.  After an initial rinse-off of the poop/milk, rub the stick over the affected area until foam builds up.  Rinse out the remover.  Repeat until the stain is not very noticeable (I usually only have to do this 2x in total).  Rub and foam one more time as a leave-in for the actual wash.

2. Baking Soda.  I soak smelly baby cloths in the sink with a liberal dusting of baking soda and enough cold water for me to swish the cloths around in.  I use baking soda in the "bleach" compartment of every wash cycle EXCEPT when I'm using vinegar for items that don't recommend fabric softener.  Let's not explode the budget-unfriendly washer!

3. Vinegar rinse* before washing for anything particularly smelly.

How about you? What tricks do you have for removing stains and smells?  What have you "lived with" because you couldn't find a workable solution?


*I've read recently that vinegar may harm the plastic tubing and such in a washer.  I don't have any definitive info, just someone posting on a forum thread what their service person told them. Vinegar compounds differ from bleach and it's that composition which is incompatible with the plastic.  Others, of course, have been using vinegar rinses in their washers for years and haven't noticed any issues.  Just thought I'd note this so you'd be aware of the health of your washer!

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Adventures in Potty Training! - Morning Day 1

We got through it!  4 wet pairs and 1 pooed pair later, we're at nap time.  2 accidents happened after lunch when he was absorbed with colouring, no more than 5 minutes after a previous pee.  Quite a bit of pee at that!


5 underwear down (1 is in the sink), 20 more to go!






He caught one pee after being tucked into bed, then tried to huddle into a corner to poop. That was a bit trickier since we usually give him time to poop on his own, although we do try to get him onto the potty when he's more agreeable.  We let him have this one in the underwear to show how dirty things get (as per Lora's instruction in her e-book) and yep, we had to clean up his legs since the poop hung low and rubbed against his thighs as we walked to the washroom, and then the toilet seat when he sat down on the potty as we took off his pants.  Fun times!  Random sharing: It was the Batman underwear that got the poop.

So far, things are looking positive.  I dare not think about the actual reality of being diaper-free, only because it makes me a bit too giddy to be effective!  Stoic I must be to get us through the next 2 days.  Benny's been really great with the positivity, reminding Derek of what we're aiming for ("Keep the underwear dry!") and not losing his patience.  Thankfully, Derek hasn't been terribly whiny - and Benny's had coffee.  =D



He gets a gold star each time he does the action.  We'll be giving him a reward after his nap for completing at least one line, which is pretty easy since he will always be sitting on the potty!

Adventures in Potty Training! - Prep

Sooooooo we've arrived at Potty Training Weekend!  How fitting that it's during Labour Day weekend because it will definitely be laborious for us parents.  We've decided to try out the 3-day Potty Training by Lora Jensen.  Sounds intense but I figure go big or go home.  We (well, I) decided to download her e-book as an investment to at least help us wrap our minds around this training, even if we don't use her particular method.  I'm fairly convinced it will work, although we have a few factors working against us:

1. Derek had a major constipation problem that resolved only 2 days (Thurs) before our training day.
  We're concerned that his system may be thrown off by this recent bout and it may be another obstacle to deal with.

2. He stayed up really late the night before The Big One came out (Wed night).
  He didn't go to bed will 12:30am because he kept bouncing out to go potty.  He was trying sometimes and with his system so backed up, we couldn't ignore his "Potty!" calls.  Since then he's hopped out of bed for the littlest things, which he's never done before, making nap times and bed times rougher than usual.

3. As a result, he's also sleep-deprived.  =S

4. He had white carbs for dinner last night.
  He gets constipated with white carbs so we've switched everything to whole wheat.  We had pizza with neighbours and I didn't realize that the pie we requested for him wasn't whole wheat!  Benny usually handles his meal but was delayed at work so I was juggling Kristen and Derek and totally missed the non-whole wheat crust.  Boo me!  So Restoralax this morning to pre-emptively keep him regular.

5. We haven't wet-proofed his play area.
  Given the irregular nights we've been having because of his constipation, our plans to take out the foam mats and replace them with a rug got derailed.  Why no mats?  Because cleaning them is a pain and a half, and there are connecting pieces between the squares, and debris underneath.... so we'll have to do that this morning.  Speaking of which, we just finished the switch!  Pictures up soon. =)

Foam mats cleared out!
Rugs in!
Derek misunderstanding and bringing out his bucket of trains to go with his tracks that we put on the sofa during the transition. =P



These are the things we have done in preparation:

1. Buy and wash underwear - 25 pairs!
2. Buy and wash extra pajamas.
3. Fit mattress with absorbent Brolly sheets (http://www.brollysheets.com/; review of these to come after potty training!).
4. Print Thomas potty training reward chart.
5. Figure out which rewards to give when (almost all trains!).

Blue Brolly sheet on, red and green sheets waiting on the sidelines.
Aaaaand time's up.  Kristen needs to nap.  Benny's about to change Derek out of his last diaper.  Wish us luck!


Sunday, August 25, 2013

For seriously sleep-deprived parents...

... here is a great post by someone on FaceBook (Laura W.) with information on how to get assistance with your baby so you can get more sleep.
We need sleep to function and there's a lot depending on a new mother in the first few days, weeks and months postpartum.  Getting that sleep is always this issue, especially for those who do not have family nearby or friends able to help out.  Depression and anxiety is around the corner for the sleep-deprived but there are programs to help us get us (a bit more) on track.
I've simply cut and pasted this here rather than re-writing everything.  I wish this was more widely available so that I could make use of it myself but I know my situation isn't a bad one - if anything, it's pretty good, I just want more sleep in general!
Please forward this information to anyone you know, particularly those who are pregnant, especially with their first, or have given birth within the last 3 months.  They'll need this program the most!
I just wanted to post and let the ladies know about a program for those who may need it. In York Region, it's called 'Five Days, Five Nights'. I know that Toronto also offers this program as well. If you are suffering from anxiety, depression etc. or if you have previously experienced PPD/PPA/PPOCD, etc., speak to your Dr. or Midwife about this program.

You can stay in the hospital for five days and five nights to be monitored and to have some *sleep*. The studies show that if you are sleep deprived, isolated and without support, the postpartum time can be extremely difficult.  With sleep, going home doesn't seem as daunting and overwhelming - and in those first few days, it is so important for a new mother to be rested and know that she's alright.

Also, if you need it, a nurse with Public Health will follow you, come to your home to check up on you and baby and make sure you're doing ok. They can meet you outside the house and help you with 'getting out' if you need it.

There is also a program through Public Health that allows for a 'grandmother' type person to come and hold the baby and entertain an older sibling if needed so that you can rest, clean, cook etc once a week for up to two hours.

Please, speak to your health care provider if you are feeling anxious, angry, sad, sleepless for 'no apparent reason' etc. A healthy, happy mom makes great mom. It's a hard time and you don't have to be alone. 
In York Region there is a programme called 'Life With a Baby' that organizes get togethers *daily* if you need to get out and see real life people.

Remember, your baby will sleep again
... even though you feel like they will never sleep - especially when you need them to. They will stop crying. They will eat. Just think - they won't be this little forever... and the next stage may not be better - just different. You are doing a great job. And if you need any help... please don't be fearful to let someone - anyone - know.

Big hugs to all the Mammas that need it.

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

TIme flies, a long weekend goes by...

.... and then I get mastitis, in all its chills, sweats, and tender-areas glory.

And so it's been three weeks since I've posted.  I think that's a record!  Not one that I'm looking to beat, by any means.  In honour of breaking it, here is a post about - what else? - mastitis!

What is is? It is an inflammation of the breast tissue.  It can be bacterial OR non-bacterial.

How does it happen? Most typically it happens amongst breast-feeding moms, or more generally, lactating moms.  I came across a forum where one pregnant lady had it due to her colostrum*!  The milk ducts aren't cleared, the milk (or colostrum) sits there and irritates the breast tissue.

When does it happen? Usually in the first several weeks postpartum when the body is finding its rhythm for supplying milk to the newborn, especially in the first two week after the milk comes in due to engorgement.  It can happen at any time though; my personal experience is when my daughter began nursing less but my breasts were still producing the same volume of milk, so milk sat around and eventually led to irritation and (more!).

How is it prevented? By draining or nearly the breast of milk either with every feed or, if baby is drinking less, by pumping right after a feed.  This is also important to reduce the chances of engorgement.

What are the symptoms? Not all symptoms will appear, nor will they appear at the same time but I'd (unprofessionally) say if you have at least 3 of these, have your breasts checked out.  Those with **'s are ones I experienced.
- Itchy area(s) of the breast**
- Tender area(s) of the breast, likely corresponding with the itchy areas**
-  Redness or red streaks, likely corresponding with itchy/tender area**
- Swelling of the breast(s)
- Foul-smelling milk/change in milk odour
- Thicker texture of milk
- Pus or blood with milk
- Chills and/or sweat**
- Fever**
- Nausea**

How is it treated? Here are some short answers to this:
- REST! Straight to bed, nurse the baby in bed, only get up to clean up yourself, answer nature's call or eat.
- Massage affected area of breasts to encourage milk flow and unplug the milk ducts
- Massages best done in a hot bath or shower, or after/with a warm compress to the breast
- Take Advil to help with the pain and fever
- Use a cold compress after feeding to relieve pain/swelling
- Dress warmly
- If you're experiencing chills, SEE THE DOCTOR A.S.A.P.  This most likely signals a bacterial infection for which you will need antibiotics (that are safe for the baby).  The sooner this is treated, the better, otherwise you may experience an relapse (which I did!).

Now it's getting late and I'm not sure what else to post but I hope that's enough for readers to go on.  For more - and more in-depth - information on mastitis and plugged ducts, please check out this link at KellyMom.  Very useful site on all things breastfeeding!

I will post my experience on mastitis soon.  Stay well mommies!


* Liquid produced by mothers in the first week or so postpartum that is not yet milk but just what the newborn needs.  Don't let older folks tell you it's "water" and not to feed it to the baby!

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Iron? What's an iron?

You mean that super stuff in spinach, right?

I was never super at laundry.  I got it done but when I was growing up, we never really got into the habit of sorting out and putting away our clothes.  We washed them, dried them - both in the machines of course! - then left them in the hamper to be folded, or more correctly, to be rifled through.  It would sit upstairs between the rooms and be approached in the morning for a socks, underwear, that missing t-shirt or those comfy jeans.  Even if they were folded by someone else, we would rarely claim our respective batches and just take what we needed for the day.  Horribly lazy, I know!

I'm sure if my mom or dad were reading this, they'd either be laughing at us pretty hard or hitting up another page to avoid painful memories.

Now that I'm a wife and a mom, you'd think I'd get into a better habit of getting it all done.  Um, not really!  What is really helpful to our household but not so much for me forming a habit is my husband's desire for tidiness and getting things done, so he gets to the laundry before I do.

I used to feel really bad about it but we've had a good number of discussions as we keep discovering and re-discovering what our respective strengths are.  I am good at cooking, he is good at cleaning.  I am good at making sure our clothes don't shrink, he is good with folding and sorting.  I am good at keeping the kids happy, he is good at keeping all of us on time.  Or at least, less late.  =P

I still have to keep fighting that shadow of shame that keeps lurking around my shoulder.  Can't I do better?  Can't I just get it all together?  Well, of course I can!  But I have to keep reminding myself that I would sacrifice other things in the process and we have both come to prioritize keeping our emotional and mental health rather than a really tidy home.  This doesn't mean I'm not striving to be better but I have to recognize my own boundaries and limitations (check out Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud).  I have to remember that while other people are great where I am not-so-great, I have my areas of awesomeness too.  And I'm reminded every time I'm rewarded with a super smile from one - or both! - of my kids, or I hear Derek sing out the entire Thomas & Friends Roll Call song (every word, although enunciation is a different issue!), or see Kristen reach out to hug her brother (maybe it was an arm spasm, who knows, but in my books it was a hug!).

How about you? What goals and expectations have you had to let go of?  What aspects of your home life, couple life and personal life are you prioritizing?  What advice would you have for other moms and dads to manage the chaos?

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Dissipating the brain fog

What, two in one day!  Yeah, that's me being really passionate about not leaving kids in the car for a food injection of any kind.  The previous post was a venting session, after which I realized I didn't provide any practical points.  So, here are some of my suggestions for parents when we're hunting for our own fueling to dissipate the brain fog, in no particular order.

1. Know where your drive-thrus are.  Inevitably you'll realize you didn't bring a lunch or didn't eat enough (my usual dilemma) or won't have time to make something when you get home.  Get to know your McD's and Harveys, Timmies and KFC's within a 10-minute diameter of your home and along usual routes to work/babysitters/grandma's/wherever.  There are also Starbucks drive-thrus, which I got to know well enough last summer (ugh that was an ordeal, but a story for another post).  If you have the Starbucks app, you should be able to find them, just please wait for a red light if you're driving or just pull over for a bit to check. =)

2. Know your power foods.  These are foods that are healthy, stave away the hunger and help keep your blood sugar at a decent level without needing a whole lot.   What I started doing was carrying around almonds with me.  They are a great source of protein and a handful can carry you through quite nicely.  Toss them in a Ziploc bag or store them in a small container.  Pop some Smarties in your mouth along with the almonds for a truly raw DIY choco-almond mix.  Other power foods are anything whole wheat or multi-grain, digestive cookies, bananas,  and nuts in general. Yogurt is great too but requires refridgeration.  If I'm fairly certain I'll be having it in the next 2 hours, I'll bring it with me.

3. Use instant in a pinch.  I haven't had to use these yet but I keep packs of Starbucks Via in my purse and baby bag.  They can be fairly discreet and in the summer there are ice coffee versions available (i.e. hot water not required, any temperature will do).  There are also the new Via Refreshers to try for those who don't want a caffeine jolt, just a pick-me-up.



Some tips on the above:

a) Our kids may want what we have/get so consider for at least 5 seconds how you'll handle that. Can you share your food or should you order something separately for them?  Will this spoil their next meal?  How much can you give them?  I can usually appease my son with a fry at a time if I have to.

b) If anything, we usually think about the kids' whining hunger pangs first, so when packing up their snack, pack something for yourself as well.

c) Have some bottles of water in the trunk for general hydration and for easy use of the instant drinks.  Or alternatively, for the caffeine-averse, keep some juice packs in the trunk.

How about you? Any tips and tricks to share?  How do you deal with emergency food needs on the go?

It's not worth the latte

We've already heard of the recent deaths from children being left in baking hot cars this summer and the "real" summer temps only just began three weeks ago.  As for parents forgetting their children in the car - it's a horrible possibility that haunts every parent, or at least this one.  When rushing from one place to another I'm actually more paranoid of leaving a child at a previous site than in the car but either way its the same: We're sleep-deprived, going about our day and focus on the details surrounding our little loved ones that sometimes we may forget about those little loved ones themselves.

It hasn't happened to me but I can imagine, just like this mom did with her 10-day-old while also caring for her 18-month-old.  Being in a fog already with a 6-month-old and a 31-month-old, I can't imagine being 10 days postpartum with another kid under two years who is unable to communicate sufficiently with words and may be feeling a tad out of sorts with a new being taking up its parental resources.

What I can't imagine, however, is how a parent in good conscience leave his or her child(ren) in the car while s/he runs inside to get food or coffee, like this father did.  He essentially traded his 9-month-old daughter for a subway sandwich (assumption made based upon his intention to buy food at Home Depot).  Isn't there a McDonald's close enough to drive-thru? Haven't we all had sufficient experiences with cars in the summer to know that even a brief run-in to a store allows for the car to heat up to an uncomfortable level, which we deal with by blasting the air conditioning?  Children in the back don't have that option, never mind that they don't have the keys to even turn on the air conditioner if they could.  If you'd like to see just how hot things can get, check out the experiment of this Hamilton reporter.  Let's just say that he wasn't allowed to stay the allotted 30 minutes of the experiment, and even then it was a questionable length of time.

"But I keep the car running," some might say.  "The air conditioner is on so I can run in for a few minutes."

So let me get this straight.  You have left your precious cargo, which either you or your spouse or someone carried for 9 months in the womb, then nursed to thrive and survive in this world, in a car with the keys in the ignition, running, for some passerby to swoop up?  A car thief isn't going to politely leave your kids on the sidewalk, and even if they did, that action is still a better testimony for the thief than the parent.

I remember working at Starbucks where this particular location was at the end of a strip mall.  Parking was decent but we still got those uber-impatient people who would park right outside the door and run in to get their coffee.  I'm sorry, I don't care what rush you're in, that's just plain rude.  Not every customer will be able to do that and you're blocking the road that's supposed to allow 2-way parking while creating a blind corner for other drivers to turn into or turn from.  I don't understand how your bad time management must become an inconvenience and hazard to pure strangers.

That's just getting me started.  What really makes my blood boil are those parents who park their cars right outside the door and dart inside to grab their latte leaving their kids inside.  Car running or not, summer or winter, spring or fall, you've just traded your the safety of your kid(s) for your drink.  Is it really that necessary?  Not the caffeine jolt, the abandonment of children for the caffeine jolt.  If said jolt is truly needed, sacrifice taste for a Timmies coffee or McD's (Higgins & Burke ain't that bad!).  And if you know me, that's a big thing to say!  I love my Starbucks but I love my kids more.

Just please, don't leave your kids in the car.  Should anything, God forbid, happen to your children while your "run in real quick", you'll never forgive yourself and lattes will never taste the same again.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Proper Childcare: Your kids are worth it

If you haven't heard the news already, a child died while in the care of a daycare run out a home in Vaughan, Ontario.  Initial investigations easily show that the home care was in violation of overcrowding and was not licensed.  The story can be read here.

Having worked in a field regarding the welfare of children, I may seem hyper-vigilant to the average person about keeping my child safe in general.  This isn't to say I don't have my moments ("Yes, let the kids play tag on a granite floor!") but I am inwardly so paranoid about certain situations that I do take extra measures to ensure my kids are okay.

For example, whenever I put the kids into the car, I leave their door(s) open until I've packed up everything else and have only to get into the car myself.  My fear: If something were to happen to me before I got into the car, would anyone know my kids were inside?  They may just try to help me out but in the chaos of everything not bother to look into the car.  This doesn't eliminate the possibility but it sure does increase the chances of my kids being looked after were calamity to come upon me.  Small chances, I know, but it's a small bit to do to prevent my children potentially dying from heat in the summer or being left for who knows how long.

But back to child care.  There are so many things to look after as a parent that verifying that the daycare with open spots is sound feels like a fence keeping one from moving on with the next stage of life.  However, given the recent tragedy and the scare of escaped toddlers in Markham two years ago, due diligence is more than just ticking off boxes on a checklist but a matter of life and death - the life and death of the life one helped bring into this world and nurture to become a thriving being and will hopefully become a vibrant person giving back to society, and just being another amazing gift God has given to a family to enjoy.

It's a bit of chicken and egg, I guess: Need to find daycare so I can work, but need to work to afford daycare and our life in general, but I can't work if I don't have someone to watch my kids...... I'm caught in that crossfire myself.  At this moment, though, I'd rather stay home than place my kids in the care of someone I only sort of know and only sort of trust because their place looks kid-friendly enough and all the other kids there are smiling.  Okay, it's not that simple, but given all the unlicensed day cares still running, we have to assume that parents are not digging deep enough to see if the facilities are set up to handle taking charge of little ones, never mind that many little ones.

I don't think I'm making myself very clear as I'm pretty tired right now, and I'm probably upsetting a good bunch of people, but I hope this post has left enough of a seed for parents ask themselves whether they are doing enough to ensure their children are cared for while they are at work.  Skimming over hard questions is not worth a child getting hurt or worse, dead.  It doesn't matter if you know them or how long they've been running things.  There's a reason why licenses expire and checks are made.  Aren't reviews done at a workplace too of those with greater seniority? Longevity doesn't automatically mean trustworthy.  And if you know the person, due diligence can be awkward, but how much worse would the relationship be if something were to go wrong while your child was in his/her care?

If you're not sure what to look for, I'd say check out "my Plan to Protect Pocket Guide" for a starting point.  Yes, it's more about abuse prevention but it will help parents consider factors such as adult-child ratios, washroom procedures, emergency policies, etc.

If you're still not convinced about looking deeper into a facility's soundness (is that a word?), consider how much time may be spent when looking for a new car or buying a home or purchasing new furniture.  The same amount of time and effort should be put into researching child care, if not more!

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Just checking in. Sorry it's been awhile!

My wonderful husband booked a one-night stay at White Oaks (Niagara-on-the-Lake) through TravelZoo for my birthday and I sort of lost my rhythm in preparation for that and afterwards as well.  Kristen came with us, of course, and we weren't able to enjoy all the sights and eats as fully as we normally would but hey, that's what happens when you have kids right?  The fact that we were able to get away for a night - after a month from our long-awaited 2-night vacation! - was a feat in and of itself.  No complaints at all here!

But that left me a bit thrown schedule-wise and in some ways I feel I haven't gotten back on my feet quite yet.  Coming back was like trying to play catch-up instead of enjoying the remnants of relaxation.  As such, I felt it would be irresponsible to blog while there was still much to do!  And to be honest, I'm really not motivated to do chores.  Long story short, I was never trained or disciplined to do them when younger but I can do them fairly well once I get going.  Not an excuse, just stating the fact.  I've been trying to work on that ever since we got our own place but there was always something that stalled be.  Again, not an excuse, as others would just see that as a difficulty thrown into the mix rather than being thrown for a loop, but just stating that this is where I am.  I'm trying to plow through though but honestly, it's not that easy being your own cheering team!  Husband is great but being one of those "Duh just get the job done! Isn't the tidiness reward enough??" people, he doesn't quite know how to get me clicking.

Anyhoo, this wasn't supposed to be a session to simply spill my guts (though some of you may have enjoyed that!  I'd love to hear from some empathizers....), just to check in and say hello!  I haven't forgotten to post things and will hopefully do so soon.  Tomorrow will hopefully be a day with pockets of time.  OH!! One exciting thing is that I'll be getting my hair cut tomorrow!  I'm a bit nervous as I've never been to this place but I had $30 Groupon bucks to apply towards this deal so why not?  I'll post back to let you know if I was able to find a satisfactory wash-and-go-yet-still-styleable cut for my oily-prone fine straight hair.  =D

Friday, June 28, 2013

Teething, our next chapter

Never mind the solid food bit, I know teething is coming down the timeline for our little Kristen as well.  As a result from a net surfing something else altogether, I came across this mom's post for a natural teething remedy.  I'm looking forward to trying this out!

All you'll need are the following (taken directly from mommypotamus):

Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, or for a milder flavor 1 tablespoon olive and 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 2 drops clove bud* essential oil
For the full post, please click here.


*I was actually researching cloves stemming from someone's FaceBook post about a natural mosquito repellant.  I didn't know what cloves were and had only heard about garlic cloves.  Cloves are really neat and useful!  For the mosquito repellant, please click here.  It's not the same post but it's along the same lines and actually has 3 versions for different uses.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Travelling Tuesday - or not?? STROLLER RECALL!

Sorry for the lack of posts and this lazy one.  I've had naps instead of actual sleep the last few nights so I end up a bit of a zombie in the evenings.  Here is an important post, however, and please pass this on to your other parent friends whether they have this stroller or not because they may be considering this purchase.

Please follow this link to the Baby Gizmo post but in sum, Kolcraft is recalling 96,000 strollers due to a potential projectile hazard.

"Hazard: The inner tube of the tire on the Jeep Liberty stroller made by Kolcraft can rupture causing the wheel rim to fracture and fly off as a projectile, posing a risk of bodily injury and property damage."  ~Hollie Schultz @ Baby Gizmo

If you haven't been by the Baby Gizmo site before it's worth taking a surf through.  If I ever wonder about a baby product, I check out Hollie's reviews first, especially her videos.  It was her review of the Britax B-Ready that convinced me to get it (after which I still did a lengthy comparison research myself but couldn't convert myself to love another stroller!).  So far no recalls, or at least none that I know of...!!

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Foody Thingies: Nuby infant spoons

Kristen will be starting solids soon (although I think she can start now and I'm delaying because nursing is so much simpler than solids!) so I've started gathering supplies.  The spoons we used for Derek are worn and a tad smelly as the soft plastic has retained some food odours.  I loved them, the Tommee Tippee explora heat sensing spoons, but thought I'd give the Nuby ones I try because they have a smaller tip.

I broke them out of the package to wash them and waited to see how the tips would change colour.  I'm a nerd for science-y things. =P  I waited... waited... turned the water higher... higher... then the highest heat setting we had and still, no change!  Finally the coloured area started changing to white, but not after I'd been running the hottest tap water setting for 5 seconds over the spoons!  Below is a picture of the spoons after they've changed colour.


Here is the package they come in, advertising the change in tip colour if the food is too hot.


And finally, the back with instructions.  It notes that to detect if the food is too hot, stir the spoon around in the food then check to see if the tip has changed.


Maybe I'm spoiled by Tommee Tippee but I expected it to change not long after it makes contact with the food, not after I've been stirring for 15 seconds.  Regardless, it took a much higher temperature than I would allow for even my food to change, let alone for a baby!

Thankfully they weren't that much and I do prefer the longer handle... which leads me to remember that one of the great features of the Tommee spoons is that they are designed such that the bowl of the spoon doesn't touch the table when it's laid down.  Le sigh... I'll use these in the beginning and have them around but it seems we'll be going back to Tommee again!  I'll spew my love for this brand at another date.  =)

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Random thoughts

So I'm a nerd over numbers.  Yes, I've been stalking my analytics reports (yes, I use Google Analytics for my blog!!) and it's been so interesting to see what's being read and what's being tossed.

I thought my makeup post would garner a load of hits but surprisingly, the wardrobe ones have caught the most attention.  Maybe more mommies think like me? - that I have to get dressed but I don't have to wear makeup, I'd like my outfit not to reflect the fogginess of my mommy brain, and I have no clue how I'm supposed to work with this body that keeps changing sizes and shape every two months!

Another one is the Britax post but I don't know if that's because people were doing actual research on the stroller or because it came up accidentally during the "Free Ride" event.  Not as many people hung around that post.  Maybe I need to clean it up a little, since it was essentially based off an email to friends. =P

Ah well.  We'll see what happens.  If you are reading my posts though it'd be nice to hear from you.  Even just a quick email letting me know what you enjoyed would be great!  No obligation to keep reading the blog, although that'd be nice, because I can't tell anyway.  I won't bug you for more info, I promise, unless you let me know I can pester you with questions.  =)  Thanks for reading!

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Healthy Thursdays: To Kegel or Not To Kegel?

That is the prenatal and post-partum question, apparently.  Although before this article, it wasn't a question at all.  Doing Kegels for pregnant women is like eating vegetables for the general public: You know you should but you keep forgetting.  Now, Katy Bowman is telling us that not only is it not necessary, it can actually be harmful!

In a nutshell, continually contracting or tightening a muscle doesn't actually make it stronger and in fact, it can make it weaker.  What helps strengthen is working on opposing muscles to balance things out and give support to the pelvic area overall (I hope that's right!).  Enter in squats: Harder to do, not as fun and not as inconspicuous.

The results, however, are much more rewarding.  Squats help build your core as well which assist in keeping balance (something every pregnant woman needs more of!).  I found it also helped my breathing (branch benefit from working out the core) and mindfulness of my body.  Thanks to my working at Starbucks, especially to working the "lobby" position, I had ample opportunity to do squats as I always squatted to grab things below my waist, intentionally pushing up with my glutes and my quads.  Carrying around a toddler will help do that too!

Okay, so enough of my squawking, read the article and judge for yourself.  =)

http://breakingmuscle.com/womens-fitness/stop-doing-kegels-real-pelvic-floor-advice-women-and-men

How about you? Did/do you do Kegels regularly?  Did/have you found them useful?  Can you compare their effectiveness to squats?

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Wardrobe Wednesdays: Layering

FLast week I mentioned H&M being one of my preferred stores for inexpensive yet stylish shirts which allow me to nurse without fumbling about too much.  The next day, I stumbled across a $7 shirt sale of semi-opaque, texture-patterned layering t-shirts!  They are perfect to go over tank tops that don't cover the wide nursing bra straps enough with a neck hole flexible enough to allow nursing access (although to keep from disfiguring the shirt too much while I'm out I pull it up if Kristen isn't fussing much).

As with all cheap things I find which will get a lot of use, I scooped these up in multiple colours after trying them on and settling on a flattering (enough) size.  I got one in black, grey-blue, peach, and white.  The only 2 things I don't like about them is that a) they are hang-dry; and b) they have those annoying straps to help keep the shirt's shape when hanging.  Since these will be stuffed - I mean, nicely folded into a drawer, I'll cut them off and save myself the embarrassment of having them flap around (or just the plain annoyance of them tickling me as I go about my day!).

As it's late right now, I can't take a good picture of them so I'll do that when it's day light.  Or, you could just go to your nearest H&M store and check these out for yourself. At $7 a pop, they may not be around much longer!




A bit more about layering: I find this to be a great way of looking less frumpy and a bit more stylish, if done well enough.  It also allows for me to extend the mileage of my separates into other seasons and maximize my wardrobe as I mix and match various combinations.  Right now these shirts are going over tank tops but come fall (or cooler summer days, which we've gotten a good dose of already!), I'll switch the tanks for some long sleeve t-shirts instead.

How about you?  Do you have any tricks for dressing easily without looking (too) frazzled?  Any items in your closet you find flatters your post-partum shape?

Monday, June 17, 2013

Makeup Monday: Looking Less Dead

I know some people wonder why some moms even bother with makeup since it takes time and is an extra cost to the myriad of things which need to be purchased.  The way I see it, I would spend money on other things for leisure, such as a magazine or a book, a coffee out, movies, what-have-you.  Makeup does the double-duty of being my hobby and making me, as the title states, look less dead.  I know I won't look fabulous but I don't want to scare people with my I-got-5-hours-of-sleep-taken-in-2-different-night-shifts face!

I was really into makeup before I had my kids though so the learning curve isn't so great for me.  If anything, my learning curve has been to scale down my routine.  I've built it back up a bit over the last 2 months as I've been figuring out some tricks on how to look a bit more awake without taking up too much time.  As a comparison, I used to spend about 10 minutes along in creating a look for my eyes (I'm all about the colour and making a statement with eyeshadows!) so this is a big change for me.

So over the next few weeks, I'd like to make some recommendations of products which I've found to be helpful in lifting up my face a bit as I get out the door.  For today, I'll just go over my most basic routine and get into products starting next week.  If you can't process much reading right now, skip to the bottom for a straight-forward listed routine.

I usually apply any makeup after breakfast, having given time for my moisturizer to absorb.  Since my skin gets oily and darkens most foundations in any form, I apply a primer to create a barrier between my skin and the foundation.  I then dot on a bit of concealer under my eyes and apply a powder foundation with a stippling/skunk brush lightly over all my face.  I fill in my eyebrows with a brow pencil, then smudge a multi-tasking cream product over my eyes and blend it over my cheeks.  I swipe one some lipstick or lip gloss and I'm done!

I actually usually apply any lip product in the elevator or the car as I don't need a mirror so much for it, and if I forget it, it's not too big a deal.  There are modifications to the routine - to me, makeup is my way of artistic expression so things are flexible - and what I add or do depends on my time or number of active brain cells that day.  So for example, I'll curl my lashes and add mascara, or I'll buff in a highlighter, or I'll use a more colourful powder blush.  I actually do those more often now as I'm getting faster at my routine (or perhaps getting less picky at how things look? =P).

Okay, so here's a summary of what I do:

1. Apply primer.
2. Dot and blend concealer under eyes.
3. Apply light layer of powder foundation.
4. Fill in brows.
5. Smudge multi-tasking cream product over eyes.
6. Blend same cream product over cheeks.
7. Swipe on lipstick or gloss.

And that's it!  If you haven't before, give it a try one time when the baby's sleeping and see how just a little bit can pick you up.  I'm not saying we can't look beautiful without makeup but let's be honest, over-tired mommies don't always look that great!  These can help you on those no-so-great days.  =)  Or just when you want to play around with some makeup.

How about you?  What do you do to look a bit more polished and together before stepping out the door?

Singing the Future

Sorry this one's so late!  Got caught up with other things last night.

One suggestion almost everyone makes to help soothe babies is singing but what I realized when I first started singing to Derek, I was singing more to myself than to him.  Not in a selfish way, more like a I-need-to-be-reminded-to-keep-my-sanity way, especially at 3 am!  So I chose songs that had messages I wanted to impart to him and would remind me as to why I'm committing myself to less sleep and playing a continuous game of Guess the Wail (or Guess the Babble during happier times!).  They would keep me focused as to how I'm parenting, who I'm parenting and remind me to make wise decisions during tough times that will lay down a solid parenting foundation for future days that will hold other joys and struggles.

The songs I chose are Christian-based but you can use any song that will help soothe you as you soothe your baby.  Mine are the following:

This Little Light Of Mine (learn the song and lyrics here; fun gospel version here)
I chose this song because I wanted to remind myself to raise up a child who would be a light wherever he goes, prayerfully a light within God's church as he grows, and that he is my little light, reminding me of the blessing and opportunity God have given me to partake in creation by giving birth to life.  It also has 2 other verses to make it fun during more active times ("Hide it under a bush - oh no!" "Won't let Satan blow it out" with the option of a light blowing* into the face instead of saying "blow").

Beautiful (learn the song and lyrics here; my awesomely talented brother plays an acoustic medley with other songs here)
This song was chosen mainly for the line, "Jesus makes beautiful things of my life", which He has in the little lives he has blessed me with.  It reminds me in those wee dark hours that I have been charged to take care of this beautiful creation and not to harm it, as a fatigued and frustrated may stray to do.

I Cast All My Cares Upon You (learn the song and lyrics here - this is the series I sang with decades ago!)
I blend this song with "Beautiful" as they're both in 6/8 time.  It also keeps me from getting to bored and falling asleep!  This was especially helpful when Derek was crying and not falling asleep for who knows what reason - he's changed, fed and burped, so why won't he just sleep?  I'm comforted to know that God is watching over me and watching over Derek, and that I can lean on Him when I'm feeling so tired.  I can cast my worries about this crying child into His hands and know He'll be working with me to figure things out!

So if you're feeling at the end of your rope sometimes while caring for your little one, try picking up one of these songs, singing as you change a diaper or bathe a wriggling body or wait for a tantrum to let up, not necessarily to calm them down, although we hope it will, but to help calm you down and re-focus your purpose in parenting. Of course, no need to finish the song at their expense (I used to feel obligated to finish the song before I moved on to my next action, lol) but if you're feeling frayed, keep singing till you feel a bit calmer and more ready to handle the situation.  We'll never have it all together but anything that helps us be a bit better helps, right?  And the more you sing your repertoire, the more your child will become familiar with it which can help with bonding, his/her speech building, musicality, etc.  It's tons of fun especially when toddler months hit and sing-alongs begin!

How about you? What tricks or methods do you employ to keep yourself sane?  If you were to choose a song, which would it be and why?

Friday, June 14, 2013

Toddler Science Fun!

Dare I hope that the numbers I see from my blog stats are due to people checking in for a new post? =D

Sorry for the late posting but I honestly couldn't keep my brain going for a decent post.  I was also looking up something for a "Fun Friday" post and found that my ideas may be a bit much for some readers to take in so until you get the feel of who I am and what humour I have, we'll keep those for another Friday.

So for today, I was looking up toddler science projects I could do with my son.  I'm considering home schooling so I'm going to try a relaxed version from July to December to see how he takes to is and how I can keep it up.  I'm hoping that his desire to learn will inspire the teacher in me to be disciplined in creating fun lessons!  As you can see from this blog, I am not the most disciplined person, but I am trying. =)

On to the meat of the post (finally!).  I found a page that has a bunch of ideas but the one I like most is the "Cloud in a Jar".  Using shaving cream, food colouring, water all in a jar, a simple explanation is given of how rain happens.  You can find that particular project here.  For more ideas, visit this page.

As I haven't tried this out myself I can't really tell you how it goes but I think this will keep a toddler interested for 10-15 minutes at a time, possibly for a week!  Different coloured clouds allow for artistic expression as well, then posting pictures of their creations.  I'm really looking forward to this!

How about you? Is there a project you'd like to try?  Have you already done one of these with your kid(s)?  Are there any you'd like to suggest?  Please share!

Thursday, June 13, 2013

Reminders of Aging...

Looking at yesterday's post, it wasn't really that short of a post, haha.  Today's will be.  Just finished watching a bit of Avengers on Blu-Ray and I'm feeling pretty off,  like slightly motion-sickness off.  I felt this when watching Life of Pi but I think it's my eyes straining to keep up with the detail in HD that's causing me to feel a bit sick afterwards, especially if there's a lot of action.

With that, I'll just leave you with my reflection that I'm accepting my body's adjustment to another year added to my life.  I may have to keep action movies to SD and "waste" HD on slower-paced movies!  =P

Oh, and today was for "Healthy Thursday", in case anyone's actually keeping track.  It is healthy for my emotional health to accept aging gracefully!  And on that note, off to bed I go.



How about you?  What have you noticed about your body adjusting to growing older?  What have you been able to accept gracefully?  What are you still working on?

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Wardrobe Wishes

Sorry, this will be a short post!  I almost forgot to post and was about to head to bed when I remembered so to respect my need for sleep and my commitment to post daily, I'll put up a short blurb today.

One delight that's been taken away when I roam around a mall is the possibility of buying much of anything due to a) my new and ever-changing body shape, and b) the unlikelihood of nice clothing surviving a day without having some form of food, pre- or post-digested, on it.  Perhaps, though, it's a blessing in disguise: now I can look at clothes wistfully without having to crunch numbers about whether I can afford it!  Makes window shopping a lot easier, in a sense.

What's become my best fabric friend, however, is jersey or anything stretchy.  I do have some Thyme Maternity shirts and while they are more stylish than Motherhood/Destination Maternity, now that I'm more than 8-weeks post-partum I find that they look more mumsy than I'd prefer.  I can't say that wearing jersey on a roly-poly figure is miles better but I feel more... normal, for lack of a better word (which I kind of hate using but I'm not going to get into a debate about what's normal for a woman to feel and beg you to understand what I mean without splitting hairs).

Items I've found useful, even as I'm still nursing, are basics from H&M and stretchy tops from Joe Fresh.  They can usually get me looking somewhat stylish without seeming like I'm trying too hard.  And they're not hard on the wallet too.  As a result, I have tank tops in at least half the colours offered at H&M. =P Some thin long-sleeve T-shirts from Joe Fresh are serving as home/night clothes, due to them being a little thinner and therefore more see-through than I'm comfortable with.  I did layer them under other shirts during colder days.  I've found them incredibly useful and wish I had more!

How about you? Have you had any clothing finds which make you feel more comfortable post-partum and while nursing?  Do you still keep pants of smaller sizes hoping you'll fit into them soon?

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Exiting the home with two or more kids

Travelling and Toys will be topics of discussion for Tuesdays.  For this week, it'll be travelling.

So I have barely made it out of the home with both my kids in tow, by myself.  It's been 5 months since Kristen was born and I still haven't really mustered up the energy to do so!  Mind you, Derek hasn't been pooping well so sticking around home has been our M.O. lately.  Today may be a different day, however, as he has pooped two days in a row allowing for him to be more comfortable and therefore, more agreeable.

One thing I was waiting for was Kristen's eating and napping schedule to be more apparent before stepping out with both of them.  It has now so I'm waiting for the best combination of weather, my energy and my wake-up time to head out the door.  I did try it once in the winter time with a post-partum doula, Shawna (who was awesome, by the way, and I would totally recommend her if you're looking for pre-natal, birthing or post-partum help) but it wasn't the greatest weather given it was in early March and that I chose to take a shorter route that ended up being fairly icy.  Not the best when wearing an infant in near-freezing temperatures and a toddler who's never walked on ice!  But I made it with Shawna's help and since then have made it down to the condo play room but that's about it.

We'll see how today's possibility goes.  And by today I really mean tomorrow since I'm timing the posting of this... post.  Publishing!  That's what I mean.  =P  So yah, I'm actually typing this Monday night for a Tuesday posting.  Mondays are supposed to be makeup and hair (oh vanities!) but I kinda missed that so I'll have to put something up next week.  Anyhoo, I'm mainly trying to get myself to post every day.  More substantial posts will be coming, I promise!

In the mean time... any other parents out there delaying a multi-kid outing?  How are you dealing with it and when do you plan to venture out with 2+ little ones?  For those who already have, please share your experiences with us!  Doesn't matter if they were "bad" ones, it'll give us all a good laugh and hopefully help us prepare for the worst, or at least some of it.  =P

  
Derek and Kristen after 6 weeks of being siblings

Sunday, June 9, 2013

I have no clue how those mommy bloggers do it!

Okay, so even with setting up timed posts I'm really bad at maintaining a blog.  I'm trying to find ways to be more motivated to posting - I mean, I want to post, but at the end of the day I feel like I only have enough brain cells to be passive (e.g. watch tv, paint my nails, etc) instead of put down in writing (typing?) all the ideas and thoughts I'd like to share.

Hopefully this angle will work.  I'm going to try a theme for each day of the week.  I'll unfold them as I go along.  For today, Sunday, we'll have "Silly and Spiritual", which will not necessarily be overlapping themes, more like I wanted to use some alliteration to keep things somewhat memorable and catchy. =P  So Sunday posts may have something silly, or spiritual, or one of each, or something that encompasses both.

Okay, so enough explaining!  I really do complicate simple things, don't I?  =P  Here's a "spiritual" post that I've already posted on Facebook but would love to get the message out of Christian and his mom... whose name I've forgotten!  How horrible.  But I think she'd say it's more important to know of her son than her... not that she's any less important as she's doing such a great job of raising him! (*just found that it's Lacey Buchanan.  She also has a blog, http://christianbuchanan.blogspot.ca/).

Here's what I posted on Facebook, and the corresponding video.  If you cry at tear-jerker movies, grab a box of tissue and hug your kids close.  And as Lacey says in her blog, praise God for the child, the life, that you have been gifted with.

As glad as I am that my two children formed well in the womb, my mind always wanders to "What if?", hope I would have the mental and emotional stamina to deal with the other possibilities, and my heart goes out to those whose children came out differently. Watch this video and reflect on how you may treat cute babies vs not as cute, girl vs boy, "good"/easy-going vs "naughty"/active, and remember that no matter what, each of us are made in the image of God and are worthy, valuable and beautiful to Him and, therefore, to us.



How About You? Have you met any extraordinary moms?  Are you dealing with an extraordinary situation?  Have you caught yourself treating some kids differently because they aren't what you would prefer or hold as ideal?

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Back Aches Be Gone! Keeping a Neutral Spine

Okay, this won't get rid of your back aches, at least not like a good RMT session can, but they can help you prevent them from getting worse or, after a good RMT session, prevent them from becoming anything more than an annoyance.  It's a huge reason why I've had little back issues with my second pregnancy despite being much more active.  I didn't employ it enough while pregnant with Derek but between working at Starbucks and caring for a 25-lb toddler, I didn't dare not do it! 

Here's a video that explains neutral spine for pilates & yoga.  I'd say the latter half (about the pelvic tilt) is more helpful but it doesn't hurt to get a full idea of what neutral spine is.  I tried to maintain it while walking and especially while carrying something on the heavier side during the first pregnancy but I've done it so much now that it's like breathing.

This article explains neutral spine while standing and while in motion.  Hopefully the video helps this article make better sense (just because it helps with a visual).

Hope it helps any back issues you may have, even just a bit!  Some motivation: You'll look taller just from drawing your back up straight.  By this I mean more of having a taller presence, not actual inches gained, but it does great for confidence when high heels aren't exactly our friends!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

My Beloved Britax

If you're wondering about the Britax, I personally love it.  Benny's pretty hooked on it too.  Mind you we haven't really tried out other strollers but just on the points of difference, we love it.  I can share tricks with putting it away and such too, haha.  =P  We tried the 2nd seat with Derek's cousin and it worked pretty well.

So the differences between the Britax B-Ready and other strollers are:

- ease of handling (can be done with one hand)
- height-adjusting handle bar
- big all-access (front, sides and back!) storage
- big canopy
- one-handed smooth recline (i.e. can be done while holding another kid/food/bag without any clicking to keep baby sleeping)
- one-step brake (great for flip-flop season and to preserve leather winter boots)
- reversible seat (rear- or forward-facing)
- one-handed removable belly bar
- great shocks
- quiet peek-a-boo cover
- 2nd-seat option
- rear tire splash guards
- easy-to-adjust straps (no fumbling if bb is sleeping or whining)

These may seem small but when you're handling a kid, they become really nice things to have. The way I see it, the stroller is heavy but it helped strengthen my core a lot. There is also a good way and bad way to load a stroller, plus you can remove the seat before loading the chastity which is what I always did. Only takes 5-10 more seconds taking it off or putting it on. I put it in the passenger seat. When my husband, Benny, is around, he'll lift the whole thing into the trunk.

Here is a review for the stroller: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfG2IfKyKtc

2012 updated stroller: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iveu5Z3Zgwc
- the wheels seem to be the biggest difference but even w our older model, the shock system is awesome.  Love it for when Derek is napping.

And in doubles mode:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qeNTjNoEwE

Btw, I love Baby Gizmo.  Reviews on pretty much everything!!

Just a reminder too:  If you're thinking about getting this cheaper from the States, the car seat will be void in Canada as it will not have the verifying sticker needed.  Get the 2nd seat instead (if the deal is offered in the US too) if there's a good chance you'll be using it.  We got a used infant seat already so we opted for the 2nd seat when we got the deal.  =)

If weight really is a factor for you then choose the other ones. Take a look at the baby gizmo YouTube reviews for the ones you're interested in before you decide tho, and make sure the one you're watching is for the current model.