My family loves the snow...and I go along with it :)

My husband and my kids LOVE the snow.  It's hard to tell who's more excited when it snows my kids or my husband, they all get giddy and run around the house.  I go along with it because they all love it so much, but I could do without it :)  My husband loves to snowmobile and it's always been his thing to do with his friends.  Now that the girls are older we talked about getting a second snowmobile and a little snow coach that Phil could tow the girls in on the trails.  So my husband spent weeks on kijiji trying to find a good sled and coach.  Then we spent what felt like days at Royal Distributing getting all the gear we needed.  We tried to get everything ready for the beginning of December assuming we would get some snow.  Instead we waited and waited and waited for snow so we could get out there.  FINALLY this week there has been enough snow that we could get out on the trails.  I have not driven a snowmobile in years so I was a bit nervous and I did hit a couple bumps pretty fast which made for a good laugh but we had a great time as a family and my kids had a blast so for them I'll suit up and pretend I love the snow too :)

Hashtag Grateful

I don't use hashtags, I don't twitter so I don't really understand them.  I enjoy when people come up with clever ones and roll my eyes at #blessed when someone is tagging a picture of their fancy car.  But if I were to pick a hashtag to describe my week it would be grateful.

My niece and her husband have spent the last 2 weeks at Sick kids with their 3 month old daughter and 3 weeks before that at a couple other hospitals.  My girls pray for their cousin Marlena every day so we decided to make a little trip and go visit them so the girls could see their cousin and get a better understanding of what and who they had been praying for.  For Mia especially we wanted her to understand that there were other kids out there living a much different life than her and hopefully understand what it meant to be grateful.  It turned out to be a bigger moment for me as I saw all these kids and their parents.  Thinking about how much life can change quickly and having a sick child will just put a complete pause button on your life.  Some of those kids had been there a year or more living their life in a hospital.  Their birthday, Christmas all in a hospital.  My heart just broke more and more every room we passed and those sweet little faces and moms and dads who were keeping a smile on their face for their kids sake but falling apart on the inside.  I couldn't help but just cry out to God in gratitude for our healthy children.

Then this week we took our girls to the grocery store to do a big shop to drop off at the food bank.  Mia is a serious picky eater and it's hard to help a 4 year old understand wasting food and how many people don't have anything to eat.  She is understanding more through the sponsor child we write to in Kenya but she needs to know it happens in our community as well.  After we dropped everything off I was talking to the lady at the front and a girl came in asking for diapers and formula for her baby.  Again I was just so grateful.  Grateful that God provides for our family and that through us and many other people who donate God can provide for that young girl as well.

We want our girls to really understand helping others and that if we are blessed we need to pass that along and bless others, help people when they need it without question and without anything in return and the best way to do it is these teachable moments when we can lead by example.

Why do we use Facebook for debates?

I remember hearing as a kid that when you have a large get together for dinner whether friends or family don't talk about politics or religion.  These are two topics guaranteed to fire up debate and possible arguments because everyone's opinion can be so different.  I think discussion on both topics is important and healthy but perhaps we have to choose our audience.

Now these debates are taking place over Facebook.  I see them all the time and they turn into big long debates/arguments.  I've heard that the aftermath of some of these debates leads to people "unfriending" each other on Facebook yet they still have to see each other in real life on a regular basis....so whats the point?  I really have no idea.

Here's the problem, in my opinion, with Facebook being a forum for these conversations.  You have many friends, a lot of those friends don't know your other friends.  You may have really only acquaintances as your so called friends who don't really know you that well either.  So everyone commenting may not know your sense of humor, personality or tone, and all these friends may not know each others humor, personality or tone and many times people get misunderstood as we know from texts or emails.  Then the back and forth starts, i've seen it escalate and get down right rude.  People can get hurt, friendships could end or a friend is put in the middle of 2 other people who don't know each other but had a huge fight on your Facebook page.

I've seen many posts I would like to put my 2 cents in on but I avoid it because I don't want to get caught up or wrapped up in some debate.  I avoid any controversial topics or comments on my own status line so I don't start something.  I don't accept friend requests or send friend requests with people I don't really know.

With the latest attack on Paris it brings the debate up again.  People are changing their profile pictures to show support for France, people are mad that others are doing that because it ignores all the other attacks.  Everyone is pointing fingers at other religious groups...it goes on and on.  Maybe some people enjoy the banter or enjoy seeing everyone get fired up.

I decided to have those discussions at home with my husband or my friends when we get together.    For me Facebook is a place to keep up with my friends, many of whom who live far away.  I can see how their kids are growing or what's going on in their lives and they can see mine.  After I graduated university it was hard to keep in touch with all my friends, they got married, moved, changed their email address and then you just couldn't find them anymore.  Now I can have regular contact with my group of girlfriends that were an important part of my life and I really enjoy that.  My extended family can see updates on my family more than just once a year with the family Christmas card.  So let's keep it light, why make life more complicated and stressful than it needs to be.

Birth Trauma

I recently read an article about women and birth trauma.  This is from the experience of the mother who had a traumatic birth experience with their child that has had a significant impact on them.  They are told that if they are healthy and their child is healthy they should just be happy and move on.

Now let me clarify that this is in NO way a rant on doctors or nurses.  But let's be realistic, yes they work hard but not ALL of them have the best bedside manner.  I think even doctors and nurses can agree with that.

Most women have a birth plan, but you have to be prepared for the fact that nothing will go the way you planned it to go.  I had planned to go as long as I could without drugs.  I was going to walk, use the tub whatever I could before I just couldn't take it anymore and hopefully I could get to the actual delivery without them.  Then I tested positive for Strep B which meant whenever I went into labor I was going to be hooked up to an IV and monitor right away so no walking or tub for me.  That actually turned out to be the best thing for me.  Just 30 minutes after I was hooked up to the monitor Mia's heart rate plummeted.  My husband noticed on the monitor and left the room, next thing I knew my rooms was full of nurses and my OB.  I was on my side, they were giving me oxygen and and trying to find Mia's heart rate.  They got it back and my OB said she's not handling contractions well, let's do a C-section and get her out.  I was a bit frazzled from everything going on but I wanted everyone safe and healthy.  Before I knew it I was in the OR getting ready for a C-section and Mia arrived.  She has some initial lung issues from swallowing fluids before she was born.  But I am so thankful I had to be initially hooked up to that monitor or we may have never known what was going on.

Her birth was traumatic, when I was pregnant with Melody I was faced with either scheduling a c-section or trying for a natural birth again.  It was a decision that plagued me right up until a month before my due date and I chose a c-section.  I was just too scared to go down that road again of a natural birth when so many things could go wrong.

What happened next still upsets me to this day.  Mia was born they brought her over to see me and she left with my husband and nurse to get cleaned up more and I got stitched up and off to recovery for an hour.  Everyone held my first born before my.  There was no skin to skin time, I barely had a chance to look at her.  We had just been through this scary experience and she was gone and I was by myself.  I guess in my mind I thought she could at least be in recovery with me so I could hold her.

Finally I was wheeled back to my room where my husband and our families were waiting for me, all of them passing Mia around.  Finally I got to hold her and the nurse said I had to feed her right away.  Not really knowing that I should be standing up for myself more I just went along with it.  So again I didn't get to just hold and snuggle her and look at her I had to try and feed her with everyone watching and this stranger of a nurse touching me all over and not really thinking that perhaps I didn't want to be topless in front of my entire family.

It seemed like hours before everything settled down and I could just hold her.  But even 4 years later I'm still hurt by the experience.  Those first moments with your baby are what you dream about.

Thankfully my birth experience with Melody was much smoother.  Even though I went in to labor before my scheduled c-section I still had a c-section once I got there.  It was just me and Phil, I learned my lesson about a room full of family waiting.  I was in recovery alone but at least I was prepared for that.  When I got to my room Phil was waiting with Melody and I got to hold her and just stare at her.  My sweet nurse gave me some time with her and came back later to help me feed her.  I think with your second they give you a bit more space assuming you know what your doing.

 It takes a mutual respect and trust between mom and nursing/doctors.  I didn't feel comfortable just  handing either of my babies over to go and have tests done with neither Phil or I going with them.  When we said we were coming too or when I asked them to wait until my husband got back so he could go with her I was looked at as crazy and an inconvenience.  That's not fare at all.  This is my child, it should be supported that I don't want my hours hold baby going to another floor of the hospital for x-rays without one of us.

I could totally relate to all the stories women wrote about birth trauma, it's not always in the way your delivery goes but even just the after care you receive and how you are treated post birth.  I hope more women talk about this and help other women who are pregnant understand how they should be treated and to have a voice during and after their birth.  This is supposed to be such a beautiful experience but gets ruined for so many.

2 the magic number

2 seems to be the magic number when it comes to your kids.  All of a sudden when your little one turns 2 they are supposed to grow up overnight and they aren't your baby anymore.  When someone asks how old your kid is and you say 2 then the questions start, "oh are you potty training? are they in their big kid bed yet?"  Why do we have to rush everything and make them grow up so fast.  I can see with your first child giving in to all the advice and books advising you what to do at certain ages.

I'm glad with both my girls i'm not rushing things.  I started potty training Mia when she was 2 1/2 because she was finally giving me the signal that she was totally ready and it was a faster and more successful process by letting her lead the way.  Once she was potty trained we let the soother go and she moved to her big kid bed.  Is she less advanced because I waited awhile to make these transitions?  Not at all.

Melody turned 2 August 1.  I'm having a really hard time with letting go of her being the baby.  I'm sure she would love a big kid bed but in her crib she stays my baby a bit longer.  Plus in a bed I think she would never go to sleep, she'd be running all over the house and mommy doesn't need that headache.  I want to soak up these years because it goes by so fast.....stop growing up!

The Regurgitator was robbed!!!

I know I'm a couple weeks late on commenting on the finale of America's Got Talent but we watch everything on our PVR so we area usually a few days late on shows, but we get to skip the commercials :)

I never thought I would root for someone called The Professional Regurgitator and I didn't really want to see his tricks until my husband promised me it wasn't gross just crazy...and he was right!  Some of the magicians tricks if you watch it back enough you can see their loopholes, I have no idea how the mentalist guy did what he did but it's interesting he always used the judges and no one else.  I honestly don't think they should have singers or bands on there, they have their own shows, this should really be about weird and wacky talents that don't have an outlet anywhere else.

That's what made The Professional Regurgitator so amazing.  I honestly have no idea how he can swallow 5 tacs and a magnet, move his stomach around and make sure only 4 tacs make it to the magnet and then bring the magnet back up.  I fear for his health but the fact that you just can't figure out how he does it was a winning quality.

We felt robbed for watching an entire season and see the vantriloquist win, we've seen that before and a vantriloquist already won Britain's Got Talent, no offense to his talent.

Anyway enough people saw the Professional Regurgiator that I'm sure he's got a future somewhere!

Here's one of his crazy tricks!

First 2 weeks of school

We are in our second week of homeschooling and what an adventure already.  I am facing some challenges with my little ones.  First is a schedule.  We never really lived by a schedule other than naps in the afternoon.  My two do not like eating breakfast right away when they wake up.  So trying to get them up and eat so that we can start school is a challenge.  I am finding that muffins and a smoothie are the way to go because they can bring it with them (we do school in the basement, thankfully it's a walk out so still bright).  So we seem to start around 9:30 and end at noon.  That's about all they can handle right now.  As they get older and we have more to cover I know that getting started earlier will be key to still finishing by lunch.

We start with Oh Canada and the Lords Prayer.  We do calendar time and the weather and we are learning the days of the week song (tune of the Adam's Family). 

I found a homeschooling mom who created her own curriculum that I bought online and printed and it's working great.  It covers a new letter each week and all the activities coordinate with that letter, like B for butterfly.  I also include work from Comprehensive Curriculum of Basic Skills that I got at Costco for Pre-K.  My character building comes from Kids of Integrity by Focus on the Family.  We are focusing on respect right now and created a chart for our living room/dining room that is a good tool to take the kids to look at when they need a reminder.  And yes even mom and dad need a reminder which Mia is quick to point out. 

Yesterday I told them about Paul from Ghana who we sponsor through World Vision.  We have his picture up and wrote him a letter.  I think talking about him and how different his life is from ours is important for our girls to understand how blessed they are.  Now they can understand why I tell them not to leave the water running and being wasteful.

It is a lot of fun to see those light bulb moments when they really get something and their memories are amazing, if only mine was like that!