"Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where my cocktail is?"
Oh, here it is. Right beside my lounge chair. I guess I was lost in the solitude and misplaced my glass for a moment. Ahh, sweet serenity.
Summer is so close we can almost taste it. And of course, serenity is rare when you have young children. At least you can enjoy a berry tasty cocktail while imagining yourself in a peacefully silent oasis, after you unload the dishwasher, return eleven emails, start dinner, make lunches for tomorrow, fold the laundry...
I have common sense - most days. I also have media. But I don’t necessarily use both simultaneously. Take last weekend, for example: my 13-year-old son likes Emma Watson (doesn’t EVERY teenage boy?), so when I saw one of her movies was added to Netflix, we settled in to watch it together.
The Netflix blurb described “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” as your basic quirky teenage coming-of-age tale.
Before kids, I traveled a lot. I combed beaches in Thailand, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Jamaica, Mexico, St. Kitts, and other exotic locations. I have the sun spots to prove it. I have plenty of destinations left on my sandy bucket list, but as a family of four, they’ll have to wait because exotic costs a lot of clams.
When I was thirteen, I saw the made for TV movie The Day After. My parents clearly had no idea that the anxiety caused by this movie would stick with me FOR DECADES!!! The film was "provocative, apocalyptic, and gut-wrenching."
People really get their knickers in a knot about New Year Resolutions.
“Resolutions set us up to fail!” they cry. “Don’t shame me into making changes!” they exclaim. “I refuse to be pressured into announcing silly resolutions that never work anyway.” they state through gritted teeth.
Our daughter has developmental delays, Epilepsy and other medical issues, so the thought of flying her to a tropical island rife with germs, and food borne illnesses freaks me out. But worrying about what “could” happen is no longer an option because life is happening right now. Worry has been given its walking papers, and in its place are plane tickets!
I’ve come to believe that it IS possible to have a safe and relaxing family holiday if we do the research and prepare properly.
Over the past few years, I lost my mojo and gained 20 pounds in its place. With a family reunion coming up this spring, I want to get back in shape, feel energized, and get my mojo back. I’m still in shape. Well, “a” shape, anyway. Think ‘soft pear.’ My clothes don’t fit and I’m tired all the time. I’m frustrated with myself for letting it get to this point.
As temperatures begin to drop and #leafyboots becomes a trending hashtag, our thoughts turn to cozy nights in with friends and family. Fall is the perfect time to host a dinner party. It's the culinary sweet spot nestled quietly between busy summer days and the falalala-frenzy of the holiday season.
Despite the doctors who told us there was nothing wrong, we knew. Parents always know. We feel it in our gut. Mother’s instinct—it’s real and it’s powerful.
Though her birth was remarkably unremarkable, when she was a few months old, we started having concerns. Our already tiny baby girl was losing weight and the milestones that mark healthy development were never achieved.
This is a personal story about the luck of the draw. Or the shitty dumb-luck of the draw if you happen to pull the cancer straw.
Obviously some cancers are worse than others, but there’s no such thing as a silly, light-hearted, "cute" cancer. If you pull the straw that results in the words, “Your biopsy came back positive,” you and the people who love you are in for shit show.
I'm always interested in hearing how people choose their baby's names. Did you choose that name because you’ve always loved it? Or maybe you heard it in a song once? Is it a family name, or perhaps it just has a nice ring to it?
I have some questions for you. Always with the questions. Enquiring minds…
If the idea of pulling together a creative costume makes your skin crawl, have no fear. Creating a unique costume is like a dance and I'll show you the steps. Your hilarious Monster Mash-Up costume will be the talk of the town!
You gotta have friends. It’s the way we humans roll. Kids, especially, need somebody to talk to, a friend to snuggle up with when they're not feeling well, a friend to whisper secrets to in the dark...someone to just be there. Having a friend and confidante, whether it’s the family pet or a favourite doll, can help boost a child’s confidence when they need it most.
As a social media manager and writer with many years of online experience — dog years, of course, because everyone knows one internet year equals seven in real life — I’m well equipped to ensure that my son begins creating his digital footprint safely. At thirteen, he’s already legit next level obvi (teen speak) tech-savvy, so it's only a matter of time before he's showing me what to do. But for now, I’m teaching him to surf safely like it’s my job. Because it is.
I spent countless hours this week searching for back-to-school shoes—indoor, outdoor, ballet, basketball, white soled gym shoes, cross country runners, and even special shoelaces for a child of mine who still finds lace tying trying.
One day you're as thick as thieves. She can always make you laugh. You share a similar outlook on life and your relationship is the "I'll always have your back" kind. And then she starts dating...him. You really like him at first. He's funny and charming. Incredibly charming. But as you get to know him, there's just something off, but you can't quite put your finger on it.
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Actually this depends on which side of the Grass Wars you're on. Yes, I'm talking lawns. You thought the Mommy Wars were ridiculous? Lawn brawls are equally ludicrous.
My daughter was born with special needs that make her uniquely unique. She has more self-confidence in her little finger than most of us have from head to toe. She isn’t afraid to be herself. Partly because of her chromosome deletion disorder, and partly because she has the heart of a lion. My daughter doesn't worry or judge or hate. She only loves—herself and the people in her life. How wonderful to live like that.
