There is something about Christmas that gets me. I am not sure if it is the decorating, or the music, or the stories, or the movies, or the baking - okay I think it is all of it! I just love everything about this season (there is still a little magic for me) and normally I spend my holidays running around to make everyone else happy and not enjoying anything. The joy of having divorced parents, and then adding in-laws (thankfully my husbands parents are still together because I could never 4 celebrations). Sure some might think I am nuts, but for me I have lived my life going here and there for days on end that I don't think I ever got the chance to sit down and enjoy it, watch a great holiday themed movie or just hang with friends.
Well this year is different because most of our family has decided to up and leave us and the kids and take off to warmer places. Jealous? Yes I am! I am jealous that I am here in the cold and they are somewhere warm. I am also sad that they don't want to see their small grand kids open their gifts on Christmas morning. Pissed that we have had weeks of holiday celebrations where my kids have opened presents from them. Really, every weekend this month has been gift opening. My kids don't have the same excitement over Christmas morning now because they have all of these new toys already. And some that were coming from Santa were bought from them so my husband and I spent the last week frantically trying to find other toys. Sucks when most stores were out of stock on the items we wanted and they would not be restocking until after the holidays. Will never happen again, my kids will open those presents on Christmas morning or after, just like I did when I was a kid.
My mom and stepdad are coming here for traditional roast beef dinner tomorrow, Christmas Eve. They will enjoy our first year of our new traditions that I have not been able to do with my kids because we have always had to make sure everyone else was happy that we never thought about ourselves. We will eat a nice dinner, open one gift (Christmas pj's) and watch a Christmas movie (this year Santa Buddies for the kids). This year we learn that Christmas is for our kids, I want them to experience the magical excitement that I have always yearned for. And next year if the rest of my family decides they want to go back to the way it was before, they will learn that I am going to be selfish and make this for my kids. Sure they can celebrate with us, they are more than welcome to come on over of Christmas morning and witness the kids open their gifts. They can stay and enjoy a delicious turkey dinner with us. This year we are going to do it for ourselves, even though it is only the 4 of us, and my kids don't eat anything we are going to all cook the entire meal and enjoy it just the 4 of us! I am looking forward to spending the day cooking with my kids.
Sure I didn't get my outside decorations up. I didn't bake as much as I could have and I didn't get my holiday card done. OMG I know, how could I, designer of amazing cards not do one for myself. Long story short, I had photos taken of the family in October to use for my card, and the CD of those photos just arrived this week, so I ran out of time. At this point, sure I could still do a card but I am burnt out. I would rather have no card, then have something I don't love. There is always next year!
The past couple of months have been so busy with my business, Grace Announcements, I have received some amazing press and orders have been flowing like crazy. A product of mine that my great friend Candace at Name Your Tune sells was featured in a couple of major publications and it made for a CRAZY couple of weeks. The Grace Announcements family (thank goodness I got some more help just before the features came out) was working our butts off for a few weeks filling those orders and taking care of the normal holiday card rush. This year it was an amazing rush! You would all be blown away if I told you just how many orders were pumped out of here the first 2 weeks in December.
Even with all of the craziness and letdown I am ready to go. Food is bought, gifts are bought, some baking is done and I am feeling relaxed and ready to enjoy. If only I could get off the couch and wrap some presents... hmm there is always tomorrow night!
Happy Holidays everyone. I hope your holidays are filled with family and friends and you create some wonderful memories.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Crazy Mad Woman
I am a crazy mad woman right now! (some might say that I am like that all the time)
It is my busy season where I not only have all of my normal orders, but I also have holiday cards. It was a slow go, just like last year, not many people are in the mood for ordering holiday cards before Halloween so it always takes into November for things to get busy. All this is great for business but not so great for the rest.
I miss out on watching many of my favourite shows that I normally watch while working. I don't get out to see friends as much, not that I have many, but it is hard to be stuck in the house all the time. I have not been to the gym in a few weeks, and I am not sure when I might be able to get over, maybe the middle of December when I shut down for a few weeks.
My house is a mad house right now, there are piles of clothes that need to be folded, and even larger piles that need to be washed. Thankfully I have not had to send my son to school with dirty underwear! We have not been eating like I would normally want to, fast and easy is the way to go right now. I can make up for that in the new year when I work to lose the extra 10 pounds that I have gained over the holidays. I have a real sweet tooth.
My kids might watch a little more TV too, bad mommy, I know! But I do what I have to do. It is like fate that my daughter has all of the sudden taken a real liking to watching cartoons. She loves her DVD's, especially Mickey Mouse. Note to self, rent some more videos this weekend for next week as I have memorized every word in the one Mickey DVD we own.
I love creating holiday cards. I love seeing my customers come back each year, seeing how everyone has grown and any new additions. I love Christmas and everything that comes with it. If only I could find the time to decorate my house and bake some delicious cookies. And Christmas shopping, you would think after 4 years of this I would have learned that if I didn't start in the summer then I would be out there with all the other crazy people shopping the last week before Christmas!
To all of my family and friends, I still love ya, really I do! I just might not see you for a few weeks, but honestly I will come up for air and come back to the real world, and Twitter!! I really miss my Twitter time, a few minutes here or there is just not the same. I have so many great friends I have met on there and I am so busy I don't get the chance to chat with them right now.
Okay back to work for me, this post took 2.5 minutes away from some serious design time. And my son is home from school and I want to get a big hug and see how his day was.
It is my busy season where I not only have all of my normal orders, but I also have holiday cards. It was a slow go, just like last year, not many people are in the mood for ordering holiday cards before Halloween so it always takes into November for things to get busy. All this is great for business but not so great for the rest.
I miss out on watching many of my favourite shows that I normally watch while working. I don't get out to see friends as much, not that I have many, but it is hard to be stuck in the house all the time. I have not been to the gym in a few weeks, and I am not sure when I might be able to get over, maybe the middle of December when I shut down for a few weeks.
My house is a mad house right now, there are piles of clothes that need to be folded, and even larger piles that need to be washed. Thankfully I have not had to send my son to school with dirty underwear! We have not been eating like I would normally want to, fast and easy is the way to go right now. I can make up for that in the new year when I work to lose the extra 10 pounds that I have gained over the holidays. I have a real sweet tooth.
My kids might watch a little more TV too, bad mommy, I know! But I do what I have to do. It is like fate that my daughter has all of the sudden taken a real liking to watching cartoons. She loves her DVD's, especially Mickey Mouse. Note to self, rent some more videos this weekend for next week as I have memorized every word in the one Mickey DVD we own.
I love creating holiday cards. I love seeing my customers come back each year, seeing how everyone has grown and any new additions. I love Christmas and everything that comes with it. If only I could find the time to decorate my house and bake some delicious cookies. And Christmas shopping, you would think after 4 years of this I would have learned that if I didn't start in the summer then I would be out there with all the other crazy people shopping the last week before Christmas!
To all of my family and friends, I still love ya, really I do! I just might not see you for a few weeks, but honestly I will come up for air and come back to the real world, and Twitter!! I really miss my Twitter time, a few minutes here or there is just not the same. I have so many great friends I have met on there and I am so busy I don't get the chance to chat with them right now.
Okay back to work for me, this post took 2.5 minutes away from some serious design time. And my son is home from school and I want to get a big hug and see how his day was.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
It is a different kind of flu season this year
It is a different kind of flu season this year but I am not worried. It has been hard not to let the media get to me with fears of what might happen to us if we don't get our flu shot. We don't get the flu shot ever, so with all this H1N1 flu fear out there I did look for a moment about whether we should decide to get one this year. But because of the questions I still have over this new vaccine I knew I was more comfortable getting H1N1 then I was getting the vaccine.
Sure many of you are thinking I am nuts. How could I not care about my kids or put them at risk? I know many who have had H1N1, they got sick before the vaccine was available. Yes they felt horrible, they were as sick as can be for a few days, but after a day or two in bed, they are all better. Then there is the list of friends who got the shot and their family still managed to get sick, they got sick before the antibodies in the vaccine had a chance to take affect. They all are also fine now.
So what did I do to deal with the H1N1 hype in my home? I opened up my medicine cupboard in my kitchen and took inventory. The one loaded full of all of our stuff, I have the standards like Advil and Tylenol, but I also have a lot of other stuff that I swear by and have sworn by for years now. It is loaded with some homeopathic remedies that I have become a real believer in. Some I came across myself (and have shared here on my blog before) others were recommended to me by my holistic nutritionist or homeopath. I will get share the list of my favourites in a few :)
Don't get me wrong I still have and love my family doctor, but after having strep throat 5 times in 4 months (the 3rd was on our family vacation in Florida) I knew I needed to look at something else. After a visit to my homeopath and holistic nutritionist we realized there were other reasons for me being sick and antibiotics not working. I headed into my holistic natural store to get a few items to help my body. This is when I knew that I could help myself and my kids fight most illness.
I really could go on and on but I am not going to bore you. I will just get into my list of must haves in my home! Oh and no I am not sponsored by Boiron, they have no affiliation with me, I just love their stuff and it works really really well for us.
1. For flu season I think every household must have Oscillococcinum by Boiron. They also have a children's version.
2. Coughs are easily cleared up, and I mean easily, by using Stodal by Boiron. We have both the adult and kids version in our home at all time. My son and I are prone to getting nagging coughs that can keep us up at night and last for weeks if not months. Not anymore since we started using Stodal at the start of a cough, within a day or two our cough is gone.
3. Probiotics, we take these daily during cold and flu season.
4. Multi-vitamins, taken daily.
5. St.Francis Deep Immune. This is taken if we feel like we are coming down with something, if we are tired or have just been doing too much. I take this every day during the fall and spring.
6. Coryzalia (again by Boiron) for both children and adults. The moment one of us has a stuffed or runny nose I start on this. I usually only have to give 1-2 doses before all symptoms are gone, it works that well.
I was given a bunch of other items that I won at my gym, but I have yet to need them. So I can't say much.
If we do get sick we will do the normal, get lots of rest and stay home to risk spreading our germs to anyone else.
I also certainly don't recommend this for everyone, it just seems to work for us and I know there are many out there who should probably get the H1N1 vaccine. We are lucky, we are all healthy and have no other medical conditions. So for those of you that want to get the vaccine, or look at what they should do. Here are some great guidelines and links from the Government of Ontario.
What to Do When Your Child is Sick with Influenza
1. Treat your child’s fever
- Take off heavy clothing and blankets.
- Dress the child in lightweight clothing and keep the room temperature at 20°C (68°F).
- Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever and muscle pain in the dose recommended on the package (unless your doctor says otherwise).
Note : Do NOT give acetylsalicylic acid (ASA or Aspirin®), or any cold medicine that has ASA, to children or teenagers under the age of 18.
2. Treat your child’s other flu symptoms
- Encourage your child to get plenty of rest.
- Use salt-water nose drops to treat a stuffy nose.
- Ask your pharmacist about any over-the-counter medicines for cough.
3. Protect others from flu
- Keep your child at home until his/her fever has been absent for at least 24 hours and he or she is feeling well enough to resume normal activities. It’s important for your child to stay home if there’s fever so that the virus doesn’t spread to other children.
- Your child can return to school 24 hours after the fever has resolved and he/she is feeling well enough to get back to normal activities.
Here is a current list of flu clinics in Ontario: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ccom/flu/h1n1/public/clinics.aspx
If you think you or your kids might have H1N1 here is a link to the Ontario Ministry of Health Influenza Self Assessment Tool to help you assess if you can manage your symptoms at home. http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ccom/flu/h1n1/public/tools/assessment/default.aspx
Other useful information can be found at http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ccom/flu/
Note: I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central and received a Mom Central gift pack to thank me for taking the time to participate.
Sure many of you are thinking I am nuts. How could I not care about my kids or put them at risk? I know many who have had H1N1, they got sick before the vaccine was available. Yes they felt horrible, they were as sick as can be for a few days, but after a day or two in bed, they are all better. Then there is the list of friends who got the shot and their family still managed to get sick, they got sick before the antibodies in the vaccine had a chance to take affect. They all are also fine now.
So what did I do to deal with the H1N1 hype in my home? I opened up my medicine cupboard in my kitchen and took inventory. The one loaded full of all of our stuff, I have the standards like Advil and Tylenol, but I also have a lot of other stuff that I swear by and have sworn by for years now. It is loaded with some homeopathic remedies that I have become a real believer in. Some I came across myself (and have shared here on my blog before) others were recommended to me by my holistic nutritionist or homeopath. I will get share the list of my favourites in a few :)
Don't get me wrong I still have and love my family doctor, but after having strep throat 5 times in 4 months (the 3rd was on our family vacation in Florida) I knew I needed to look at something else. After a visit to my homeopath and holistic nutritionist we realized there were other reasons for me being sick and antibiotics not working. I headed into my holistic natural store to get a few items to help my body. This is when I knew that I could help myself and my kids fight most illness.
I really could go on and on but I am not going to bore you. I will just get into my list of must haves in my home! Oh and no I am not sponsored by Boiron, they have no affiliation with me, I just love their stuff and it works really really well for us.
1. For flu season I think every household must have Oscillococcinum by Boiron. They also have a children's version.
2. Coughs are easily cleared up, and I mean easily, by using Stodal by Boiron. We have both the adult and kids version in our home at all time. My son and I are prone to getting nagging coughs that can keep us up at night and last for weeks if not months. Not anymore since we started using Stodal at the start of a cough, within a day or two our cough is gone.
3. Probiotics, we take these daily during cold and flu season.
4. Multi-vitamins, taken daily.
5. St.Francis Deep Immune. This is taken if we feel like we are coming down with something, if we are tired or have just been doing too much. I take this every day during the fall and spring.
6. Coryzalia (again by Boiron) for both children and adults. The moment one of us has a stuffed or runny nose I start on this. I usually only have to give 1-2 doses before all symptoms are gone, it works that well.
I was given a bunch of other items that I won at my gym, but I have yet to need them. So I can't say much.
If we do get sick we will do the normal, get lots of rest and stay home to risk spreading our germs to anyone else.
I also certainly don't recommend this for everyone, it just seems to work for us and I know there are many out there who should probably get the H1N1 vaccine. We are lucky, we are all healthy and have no other medical conditions. So for those of you that want to get the vaccine, or look at what they should do. Here are some great guidelines and links from the Government of Ontario.
What to Do When Your Child is Sick with Influenza
1. Treat your child’s fever
- Take off heavy clothing and blankets.
- Dress the child in lightweight clothing and keep the room temperature at 20°C (68°F).
- Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever and muscle pain in the dose recommended on the package (unless your doctor says otherwise).
Note : Do NOT give acetylsalicylic acid (ASA or Aspirin®), or any cold medicine that has ASA, to children or teenagers under the age of 18.
2. Treat your child’s other flu symptoms
- Encourage your child to get plenty of rest.
- Use salt-water nose drops to treat a stuffy nose.
- Ask your pharmacist about any over-the-counter medicines for cough.
3. Protect others from flu
- Keep your child at home until his/her fever has been absent for at least 24 hours and he or she is feeling well enough to resume normal activities. It’s important for your child to stay home if there’s fever so that the virus doesn’t spread to other children.
- Your child can return to school 24 hours after the fever has resolved and he/she is feeling well enough to get back to normal activities.
Here is a current list of flu clinics in Ontario: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ccom/flu/h1n1/public/clinics.aspx
If you think you or your kids might have H1N1 here is a link to the Ontario Ministry of Health Influenza Self Assessment Tool to help you assess if you can manage your symptoms at home. http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ccom/flu/h1n1/public/tools/assessment/default.aspx
Other useful information can be found at http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/ccom/flu/
Note: I wrote this post while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central and received a Mom Central gift pack to thank me for taking the time to participate.
Friday, October 16, 2009
A big day and thanks to all!
Yesterday was a big day for me! I was featured in a huge article (complete with multiple HUGE photos) in the Toronto Star. The article was about being a mom entrepreneur and the joys of managing kids and work at the same time. It was also the official 4th birthday of my business Grace Announcements. Yes the same day that this amazing article about me and the business I was celebrating 4 amazing years since the official launch of http://www.graceannouncements.com/
I was all excited to take my son to school so I could stop at the store and buy the paper. I bought the last 3 copies that they had and opened it up right there. I showed the lady at the customer service desk the page and told her that was me! I then rushed back to my car to try calling my husband. He didn't answer either line as he was on the phone talking to everyone about it. When I got home I showed it to him and started chatting to my great friend and fellow mom entrepreneur Candace Alper of Name Your Tune Cd's. She told me she saw it at 8am and started tweeting about it right away. For those that don't know anything about Twitter you really should check it out! I have met so many amazing people on there, and the support from them yesterday was outstanding. I thought a great way of thanking them would be to post each and everyone of their twitter links here. So here is my big group thank you to all the amazing people on Twitter for your kind words and for helping spread the word about the article. NameYourTuneCDs, YMCbuzz, CocktailDeeva, ottawamom, mumby, SharonDV, CLBuchananPhoto, fdnstudio, rmcf_chocolate, LaurieStJ, bitofmomsense, MOMmagRocks, amotherworld, Mom2Michael, littlemissmocha, nummiesbras, womenandwealth, cbadov, Ecomomwannabe, MrsLoulou, modernemotive, optimom, Journeywoman, moggitgirls, Clippopotamus, BOREDmommy, qt_pie1602, MMPerspectives, fathomco, WonderMoms, Justymae, pinkpandafabric, MeditatingMummy, saravallier, those2girls, caffeinated_mom, TorontoEMN, ouacajax, PartyMummy, kellidaisy, moeturner, RachealMc, Dogpaddling, JackiYo, YMCbookalicious, CanadianNanny, t_flindall, krrley, diaperdisco, twirliewhirlies, InspiredCoach, ladybugbows
You guys are all the best!
I was all excited to take my son to school so I could stop at the store and buy the paper. I bought the last 3 copies that they had and opened it up right there. I showed the lady at the customer service desk the page and told her that was me! I then rushed back to my car to try calling my husband. He didn't answer either line as he was on the phone talking to everyone about it. When I got home I showed it to him and started chatting to my great friend and fellow mom entrepreneur Candace Alper of Name Your Tune Cd's. She told me she saw it at 8am and started tweeting about it right away. For those that don't know anything about Twitter you really should check it out! I have met so many amazing people on there, and the support from them yesterday was outstanding. I thought a great way of thanking them would be to post each and everyone of their twitter links here. So here is my big group thank you to all the amazing people on Twitter for your kind words and for helping spread the word about the article. NameYourTuneCDs, YMCbuzz, CocktailDeeva, ottawamom, mumby, SharonDV, CLBuchananPhoto, fdnstudio, rmcf_chocolate, LaurieStJ, bitofmomsense, MOMmagRocks, amotherworld, Mom2Michael, littlemissmocha, nummiesbras, womenandwealth, cbadov, Ecomomwannabe, MrsLoulou, modernemotive, optimom, Journeywoman, moggitgirls, Clippopotamus, BOREDmommy, qt_pie1602, MMPerspectives, fathomco, WonderMoms, Justymae, pinkpandafabric, MeditatingMummy, saravallier, those2girls, caffeinated_mom, TorontoEMN, ouacajax, PartyMummy, kellidaisy, moeturner, RachealMc, Dogpaddling, JackiYo, YMCbookalicious, CanadianNanny, t_flindall, krrley, diaperdisco, twirliewhirlies, InspiredCoach, ladybugbows
You guys are all the best!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Giving Thanks!
With the beginning of our Thanksgiving weekend I figured I would take a moment to give thanks to what matters most. I am thankful for:
1. An amazing husband who helps me every day and allows me to be the person I want to be. I would not be the woman I am without him! And he puts up with my crazy mood swings!! ;)
2. My two amazingly beautiful children who love me no matter what I do or say. For their hugs and kisses and for their laughter which can make any grey day seem bright.
3. My mom, who has been a great friend and even though we have had out tough times I still know that she is proud of the woman and mother I have grown up to be.
4. My dad, who has always made me aware of how much I mean to him and how much he loves me. And that we had a chance to dance together a couple of weeks ago at my big brothers wedding. We need to do that more!
5. The amazing friends that I have. Without your support and encouragement I think I would have folded many times over.
6. Twitter for giving me a social life again, oh and I can chat with real live adults during the day!
7. My amazing business which keeps me busy and feeling like I have purpose every day! I didn't now where it would go when I first started, and I am amazed most days at where it has gone.
8. My customers who allow me to share in their special moments and share their kind words about how much they love my work.
9. The amazing business women that I have meet over the years, and created some wonderful friendships with. You are my rocks!
10. My beautiful home that I have, it was a dream and now it is a reality. Thanks Hun!
11. My son's amazing teachers, I wish there was a way to thank them for how amazing they are and how much they genuinely love my son. Oh and they keep him busy and learning about binomial cubes all day.
12. Lululemon because they really do make my ass look great!!
13. Chocolate, it is my best friend and lover and it doesn't care that I give so much of myself to others. It never asks for anything in return!
14. Nap time, because it takes the crabby little girl and brings back my wonderful happy little girl.
15. Professional photographers who help show me the real me and how beautiful I am, instead of the me I see when I look in the mirror.
16. Spanx which help hide the muffin top that I have gained from slacking off at the gym over the summer.
17. A husband who works hard every day (even if it is now from home too) so that I can treat myself to some Lululemon from time to time!
18. To Butterball for selling a pre-stuffed cook from frozen turkey so I can still have a great dinner without all the work. I love Martha Stewart, but I have come to the realization that I am not her!
19. For the large floor space in my bedroom so when I "forget" to fold the laundry it has somewhere to go and I can still walk around.
20. For the need to go to the bathroom, because without it I would never get a chance to read. ;) And to 2 of my favourite authors - Kathy Buckworth & Alyson Shafer - for making me laugh and helping me realize that I am not a bad parent. I won't ruin my kids, and it is okay to love my iPhone as much as them. (Sorry Kathy I switched over to the dark side! ;))
I guess some of this might seem crazy, I guess what I should be most thankful for is my amazing family, the roof over my head, my health, and that I can put food on my table. Those are the things that matter most - without them the rest really wouldn't matter the same.
1. An amazing husband who helps me every day and allows me to be the person I want to be. I would not be the woman I am without him! And he puts up with my crazy mood swings!! ;)
2. My two amazingly beautiful children who love me no matter what I do or say. For their hugs and kisses and for their laughter which can make any grey day seem bright.
3. My mom, who has been a great friend and even though we have had out tough times I still know that she is proud of the woman and mother I have grown up to be.
4. My dad, who has always made me aware of how much I mean to him and how much he loves me. And that we had a chance to dance together a couple of weeks ago at my big brothers wedding. We need to do that more!
5. The amazing friends that I have. Without your support and encouragement I think I would have folded many times over.
6. Twitter for giving me a social life again, oh and I can chat with real live adults during the day!
7. My amazing business which keeps me busy and feeling like I have purpose every day! I didn't now where it would go when I first started, and I am amazed most days at where it has gone.
8. My customers who allow me to share in their special moments and share their kind words about how much they love my work.
9. The amazing business women that I have meet over the years, and created some wonderful friendships with. You are my rocks!
10. My beautiful home that I have, it was a dream and now it is a reality. Thanks Hun!
11. My son's amazing teachers, I wish there was a way to thank them for how amazing they are and how much they genuinely love my son. Oh and they keep him busy and learning about binomial cubes all day.
12. Lululemon because they really do make my ass look great!!
13. Chocolate, it is my best friend and lover and it doesn't care that I give so much of myself to others. It never asks for anything in return!
14. Nap time, because it takes the crabby little girl and brings back my wonderful happy little girl.
15. Professional photographers who help show me the real me and how beautiful I am, instead of the me I see when I look in the mirror.
16. Spanx which help hide the muffin top that I have gained from slacking off at the gym over the summer.
17. A husband who works hard every day (even if it is now from home too) so that I can treat myself to some Lululemon from time to time!
18. To Butterball for selling a pre-stuffed cook from frozen turkey so I can still have a great dinner without all the work. I love Martha Stewart, but I have come to the realization that I am not her!
19. For the large floor space in my bedroom so when I "forget" to fold the laundry it has somewhere to go and I can still walk around.
20. For the need to go to the bathroom, because without it I would never get a chance to read. ;) And to 2 of my favourite authors - Kathy Buckworth & Alyson Shafer - for making me laugh and helping me realize that I am not a bad parent. I won't ruin my kids, and it is okay to love my iPhone as much as them. (Sorry Kathy I switched over to the dark side! ;))
I guess some of this might seem crazy, I guess what I should be most thankful for is my amazing family, the roof over my head, my health, and that I can put food on my table. Those are the things that matter most - without them the rest really wouldn't matter the same.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
My son is being picked on...
It makes me sad to think about my poor little guy, who is still so small to me being picked on at school. He came home and told me a week ago that kids were being mean to him at recess. I didn't say or do much about it because he acted like he could care less. Well every morning this week he has cried when it came time for us to give him a hug and say goodbye. At first we thought it was just the reality of being back at school. Not being home all day to play like his little sister does. Or that he is at school all day now, no more only going for 3 hours and then coming home, he is there for 7 long hours.
Well I decided when I picked him up to say something to one of his teachers. She told me that she noticed a couple days in he got all timid and upset when it was announced it was recess time, and this has gone on since (besides today). My heart dropped, I knew that when he said kids were being mean to him it was real. That there are kids who are being mean to my baby boy, my sweet guy is being hurt and I am feeling lost on how to help him.
I know I need to tell him to be strong, but I can't tell him to fight back like my husband thinks. I don't really want my 5 year old getting kicked out of school! Ignoring doesn't work. I feel like I need a book on how to deal with this, so that I can refer back to it for tips. There must be a book for this, there is a book for anything, right? Okay I don't really need another book. I just need to help him, and if I am having trouble with this what am I going to do 5 or 10 years from now when he is 10 and 15!
Well I decided when I picked him up to say something to one of his teachers. She told me that she noticed a couple days in he got all timid and upset when it was announced it was recess time, and this has gone on since (besides today). My heart dropped, I knew that when he said kids were being mean to him it was real. That there are kids who are being mean to my baby boy, my sweet guy is being hurt and I am feeling lost on how to help him.
I know I need to tell him to be strong, but I can't tell him to fight back like my husband thinks. I don't really want my 5 year old getting kicked out of school! Ignoring doesn't work. I feel like I need a book on how to deal with this, so that I can refer back to it for tips. There must be a book for this, there is a book for anything, right? Okay I don't really need another book. I just need to help him, and if I am having trouble with this what am I going to do 5 or 10 years from now when he is 10 and 15!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Where did the summer go?
I sit here at my computer, it is a Sunday evening at 9pm and it is dark outside. Really dark, like you know summer is coming to an end. We really have not had much of a summer this year, the weather has been really crappy and when it was nice it would be hot during the day and cold in the evening. Never once was there a night when you wanted to sit out and chat with friends. Anytime we tried we were dressed like it was winter and drinking tea instead of martini's! I can remember one night a month ago when I decided to go an unpack my Uggs from their box and put them on. Yes I had always said that I would not wear them in the summer, that I thought that was foolish. But when it is down right cold out my feet wanted warmth. And since I was practically wearing a winter jacket I felt that it only made sense to wear my warm boots too.
I reflect on this summer and wonder where it went. I am sure any of my readers who are still around have wondered where I went! Yes I know I am slacking... but in my defense I have been so overly busy that I don't think I had any real downtime this summer to just kick back and relax. Probably my own fault as I have become a self proclaimed workaholic. I realized this when my husband and I were driving back from my mom's place after picking up the kids. She lives 3 hours north in a beautiful place called cottage country. She was a great "Hamma" as my kids call her and took the kids for 5 days to enjoy the lake. After about an hour in the car I looked at my husband and told him that I could not stop thinking about how I could be working while we were driving and that was a good 4 hours of work time that I will never get back. Yes folks I think I need a 2 step program for this.
My husband and I went away for a few days to Chicago to enjoy the beautiful city and see Pearl Jam in concert. I brought my laptop with me so I could work in my spare time, you know the hour on the plane, the waiting at the airport, and the hour or so early in the morning when my husband is still sleeping because guess what - I can no longer sleep in. Even if I stay awake until 3am which we did for 3 nights straight I can't sleep in. Oh how I wish I could, sleep and me are best friends and I really need it, a good solid 8 hours of it. I am not cut out for the party life anymore. I am old... and okay with it...
So back to my summer. I hired a mothers helper to come and take care of my kids while I worked. I wanted them to be able to have fun and I wanted to be able to work. Well it was a good thing I did because this summer has been soooo busy. Not the normal couple orders here and there so I can enjoy the warm weather. I have had to work each and every day, and evening and play catch up most weekends. I realized I work a lot when I overheard my son tell Kalina, our helper that all his mommy does is work. I tried to force myself to step back more and spend quality time with them instead of looking at my Blackberry or bringing my laptop outside with me. There were some weekends where I didn't even turn on my computer! That is the way it is supposed to be, and that is the way it will be now. My kids are growing up so fast, my son turned 5 a week ago. The baby that helped me start Grace Announcements. And my youngest, the baby is not a baby anymore, she is 2.5. I don't want to miss them grow up because I was too busy working.
I did have some fun though. I can remember many days or nights with friends, enjoying the poor excuse for a summer we had. We didn't care, we all sat and ate and drank and had fun. I think my kids had fun too, because most days they didn't want to leave the house and their friends to go anywhere. We still don't have fences so it is like one big huge playground in our backyard. We have play structure, another has a trampoline, a few with small pools or sprinklers for those few hot days, and lots of kids to play with - who would want to leave that? I can even laugh now about the time I got on the trampoline and bounced a few kids, I thought I was having a heart attack, but after eating a few Tums my girlfriend gave me I learned it was just indigestion! Then there were the cart wheels, oh how I hurt my groin doing that. It is okay because my other girlfriend did too, in the exact same spot!! We were just talking about those tonight, and how we are going to try to perfect them.
So in all the work and crazy partying you can see why I have not been on here posting. I promise now that the summer is over, my son goes to school full time in 2 days, and it is back to schedules and more work I will try my best to post regularly again. Heck I could post every day for the next couple of months just to catch up on all my summer stories and adventures. Maybe I will, or maybe I will just do as I always do. Blog about all the craziness that is my life! Enjoy the last day or your summer break :)
I reflect on this summer and wonder where it went. I am sure any of my readers who are still around have wondered where I went! Yes I know I am slacking... but in my defense I have been so overly busy that I don't think I had any real downtime this summer to just kick back and relax. Probably my own fault as I have become a self proclaimed workaholic. I realized this when my husband and I were driving back from my mom's place after picking up the kids. She lives 3 hours north in a beautiful place called cottage country. She was a great "Hamma" as my kids call her and took the kids for 5 days to enjoy the lake. After about an hour in the car I looked at my husband and told him that I could not stop thinking about how I could be working while we were driving and that was a good 4 hours of work time that I will never get back. Yes folks I think I need a 2 step program for this.
My husband and I went away for a few days to Chicago to enjoy the beautiful city and see Pearl Jam in concert. I brought my laptop with me so I could work in my spare time, you know the hour on the plane, the waiting at the airport, and the hour or so early in the morning when my husband is still sleeping because guess what - I can no longer sleep in. Even if I stay awake until 3am which we did for 3 nights straight I can't sleep in. Oh how I wish I could, sleep and me are best friends and I really need it, a good solid 8 hours of it. I am not cut out for the party life anymore. I am old... and okay with it...
So back to my summer. I hired a mothers helper to come and take care of my kids while I worked. I wanted them to be able to have fun and I wanted to be able to work. Well it was a good thing I did because this summer has been soooo busy. Not the normal couple orders here and there so I can enjoy the warm weather. I have had to work each and every day, and evening and play catch up most weekends. I realized I work a lot when I overheard my son tell Kalina, our helper that all his mommy does is work. I tried to force myself to step back more and spend quality time with them instead of looking at my Blackberry or bringing my laptop outside with me. There were some weekends where I didn't even turn on my computer! That is the way it is supposed to be, and that is the way it will be now. My kids are growing up so fast, my son turned 5 a week ago. The baby that helped me start Grace Announcements. And my youngest, the baby is not a baby anymore, she is 2.5. I don't want to miss them grow up because I was too busy working.
I did have some fun though. I can remember many days or nights with friends, enjoying the poor excuse for a summer we had. We didn't care, we all sat and ate and drank and had fun. I think my kids had fun too, because most days they didn't want to leave the house and their friends to go anywhere. We still don't have fences so it is like one big huge playground in our backyard. We have play structure, another has a trampoline, a few with small pools or sprinklers for those few hot days, and lots of kids to play with - who would want to leave that? I can even laugh now about the time I got on the trampoline and bounced a few kids, I thought I was having a heart attack, but after eating a few Tums my girlfriend gave me I learned it was just indigestion! Then there were the cart wheels, oh how I hurt my groin doing that. It is okay because my other girlfriend did too, in the exact same spot!! We were just talking about those tonight, and how we are going to try to perfect them.
So in all the work and crazy partying you can see why I have not been on here posting. I promise now that the summer is over, my son goes to school full time in 2 days, and it is back to schedules and more work I will try my best to post regularly again. Heck I could post every day for the next couple of months just to catch up on all my summer stories and adventures. Maybe I will, or maybe I will just do as I always do. Blog about all the craziness that is my life! Enjoy the last day or your summer break :)
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