OM(f)G!

What a day. It started off early in the morning, with Mason coming in to our room, telling us that he just puked. Well....you can't really wake me when I'm exhausted, so I heard " mummy, my jammie are wet" so I said " so? go put new ones on" and rolled back over. Thankfully, husband jumped up to assess the situation and found poor little Mason had gotten sick all over himself, in his new sleeping bag. At least the sleeping bag contained it...ick. I kept him home from school for obvious reasons, and the poor little man slept until around 10am and I let him stay in his room in bed till he was ready to come out, which ended up being around 1pm.

I babysit my friend's kiddo twice a week {Hi D...I know you're sipping your coffee as you read this!!} and today was ...exhausting to say the least. K and Manning were at each other's throats all day, wanting the toy the other one had, pushing, hitting, yelling. The whole bit- neither of them were innocent at any given point in the day. I was counting down to nap time, and it finally arrived. Time to put everyone in their seperate rooms, and have some quiet.

..... not quite.

I finally get them settled, I come downstairs and raise my mug of piping hot {black} coffee to my lips. *BANG*. I take a deep beath, put my coffee down and head upstairs. I peek into my kids rooms, Madison...sleeping, Manning....sleeping, Mason....reading. That leaves the master bedroom, where K is sleeping.. I open the door, and I'm greeted by K and the cat. He climbed out of the playpen and was ready to leave. uhm...I don't think so.

Back into the playpen he goes, I tell him it's quiet time and time to sleep, to close his eyes and have a rest- and I leave. He was quiet...almost instantly. I breathed a sigh of relief, as I got ready to enjoy my coffee which was now more luke warm, than piping hot. *thump, thump, thump........* silence...
*thump,thump,thump,thump* silence ... This continued for about 10 mins, and I finally said....this is ridiculous. I put my coffee back down, get up and head upstairs. I usually have to give K a gentle reminder that we don't kick our feet when it's time to sleep, we close our eyes and dream.

So..I open the door, and am hit slammed with the stench....of poop. It was everywhere. He managed to take his diaper off, and smeared his entire body, and the entire playpen with poop. He also did me the favour, of flinging some throughout my bedroom...you know, to keep things interesting.

OMFG.

I'm sure you can imaging how the rest of my day went....and continues to go.

notice diaper, to the left of the screen, and head-standing bare bummed baby to the right.

no comments?

For my readers out there- I wanna know. Why don't you comment on my blog posts? Is it because you have to have an account or something? I am honestly asking- I don't want it to be hard for people to comment , I find more come to me on facebook, to comment about my blog. Would love to elimiate that step- so please, let me know!

In search of....can you help?

So I have been on the look out for two simple, not-hard-to-find items....but they are hard for ME to find!!

First- I want some sort of bar soap holder, for my bathroom on the main floor. The pedestal sink isn't flat {surface around the bowl} and I have the hardest time finding a nice, cool , unbreakable bar soap holder to put there. I know most people use liquid soaps, but I kinda like the lavender bars my mum brought back from France for me. So I'm looking for some sort of eco-green wood holder or something. My bathroom is red, {Diva red..to be exact lol} the toilet and sink are white, and I have black accents in the room. Do you make something that would be perfect? Do you know where I could buy one? Want a blog test/review? let me know!

Second- I love wine paraphanalia. Old wine crates, stained corks, wine splashes on canvas/paper, you name it. I want to get links and photos, from my fans who make items or sell or know where I can find super awesome, unique pieces .


Ready...set...GO!

:)

Top 10 wants for this year.

Here's a list of my top 10 goals for myself, for this year. In no particular order,

10. Have a super popular blog
9. go zip lining
8. Go completely gluten,dairy, and soy-free. {ya...really!}
7. Take an entire weekend off  {parenting duties, boutique duties, etc}
6. Start the '100 mile ' diet maybe just for the summer, and see where it takes us
5. Participate in the gutsy walk
4. Become a morning person {because ...I am soooo NOT a morning person!!!!}
3. Finally read the Hunger Games  . I've started it about 15 times , I need time to just READ!
2. Switch all my cleaning products, to all natural products- considering the Maleluca line
1. Breastfeed Mia until 1yr of age


I will be documenting my success and challenges on my blog, as I check off the items on my list!

What is YOU'RE number 1 goal for yourself, for this year? Have any tips for me, for any of the goals on my list? Have anything you think I should add ?

Funniest kid ...is at my house.

We are having a sleepover tonight, or "weep-over" as Madison likes to call them. Mason's best friend D is sleeping over tonight- and has been here since school let out this aft. Funniest kid...ever. He talks non-stop, from the second he arrives he's telling me some ridiculous story that just cracks me up, and he doesn't stop telling me things until he falls asleep. I'm not posting a big long post tonight, just a quickie. Here are a few of our conversations from this afternoon{ trust me, you'll laugh too}
***as he gets off the bus, he's holding  something in his hand***

Me: hey D,what you got there?
D: oh this? this was my mum's when she was a little girl.
{I raise my eyebrow, as I check out an over-stretched, dirty hair elastic}
Me: oh ya? wow...where'd you find that.
D: I found it when I was getting on the bus. It's my mum's, I'm bringing it back for her.
Me: wow....that's so great you found that, she'll beso happy.


***I serve up this delicious after-school snack I made today and they all devour it***

D: umm...Emily?
Me: yes , D ?
D: I didn't really like that snack you made.
Me: oh...you didn't?
{his bowl is empty}
D: nah....I think I didn't like the chocolate...or maybe the caramel. {air popped popcorn with chocolate,mini marshmallows, and drizzled caramel on top- dairy/soy free}
Me: huh. ok well...
D: Can I maybe have some gushers? I'll grab 'em myself!


and this ...is just funny, and perhaps embarrassing to his dad, but funny none-the-less.

D was teaching Mason a new trick.... how to make fart noises. But not just how to make fart noises, he had names for the moves. The knee fart. {behind the knee, your hand, and...air.} , the gun fart {make your hand look like a gun, and use the other hand under your pit} , the arm fart {pit-fart?} and I forget the other. I asked where he learned his new tricks from and he said proudly... My dad.   :)

Modern motherhood has not taken my freedom.

I recently read an article written by Elisabeth Badinter {this article } and I am bothered, and annoyed by it- because she is so so wrong.

I am a modern mother- I am not a prisoner. Motherhood is a part of me, but does not define me. The criticisms she expressed , all have something to do with me, directly.

Natural birth... Yep. I chose to birth 3 of my 4  children completely naturally and my 1st was *close* to natural. Women are warriors, I have a high pain tolerance, and thrill excites me. Of course I wanted to see how much I could take- so I challenged my body , mind and spirit to bring my babies into this world as naturally as they were created. Heck...I almost had an unintended home birth with Mia!

Breastfeeding on demand- yep. I have breastfed all 4 of my babies, for different amounts of time, with different experiences. I nursed Mia exclusively, on demand, for her first 6 months of life- at which point I introduced a few solids and a swig or two of formula. Of the bottles she's had- my husband hasn't been the one feeding her. I plan to breastfeed Mia until 1yr, because I can- because I am healthy, because it makes her healthy, because it's the best option and because...it's nobody else's choice but ours.

Cloth diapering- you betcha. Cloth diapers today are so incredibly different than they once were. Heck, even Elisabeth Badinter could figure today's cloth diapers out. I chose cloth for many reasons. The benefits on the environment, which I'd love to preserve for my children's futures, the cost savings to our family over the years , the benefits to my children's health, among other reasons. I have always had 2 kids in cloth diapers at a time.

Homemade baby food- guilty of that one too. Call me crazy, but I like to know what's going into my family's bodies. I like to know the ingredients in their meals. I even go to the extreme of buying farm-fresh organic produce when its in season *gasp* the horror. I must be crazy.

Sharing a bed- uhm...yes. Mia slept in bed with us for the first 3 months of her life. Even now, she is in a crib in our room. My husband and I still have a very healthy sex life. We are intimate, we are close, and we love each other. It limits certain aspects of our "adventure" , having a baby in the room, but we have figured out a solution that works for us, while Mia is still young and sleeps through everything. HA. {....we had 4 babies in 5yrs people...COME ON! hahah}

Spending a lot of time with our children- yes. guilty. Our children are only small, for a short while. They don't get excited over seeing a worm on the pavement , or a dragonfly in the sky forever. I love to puddle jump with my kids, I love to get messy with my kids. I love how artistic and crafty my kids are and how willing they are to learn. We share secrets, and tell stories with flashlights under blankets. We make houses out of boxes, and they make me hamburgers and coffee in their imaginary play kitchen, and the diner we have out back. I wouldn't trade those times, for all the money in the world.

Intellectual Dowry - I have a university degree. I am well educated and have many interests. I am not bound to my home. I have found ways to use my intelligence and interests to start my own business(es) from my home, while home with my children. I hardly consider that house-arrest.

I agree that it's important for kids to be ok with being away from their mum. That's what preschool is for. I have my 3.5yr old in preschool 2 days a week , and it's wonderful for her. She loves it, and learns so much. All of my little ones will have spent 1yr at preschool (part time) by the time they start jk.

I think the part of this article I find the most bothersome, is Badinter's choice of words, reducing us "naturalistic mothers" to animals. I am not an animal because I breastfeed my child. I am not an animal because I care about the environment , and because I care about farm fresh, organic, local produce and meats.

I still get to take time for myself, I go out with friends - sometimes with children, sometimes without. I have fallen back in love with my long-time passions {all things crafty, artistic, and delicious- painting, sewing, baking, and running businesses!}. I am fashionable, and comfortable. I am a slave for stilettoes and handbags, but I love flip flops and cloth bags too. It depends on the day, the event, the occasion. But I do things I love to do, and they're not always centred around family, kids, or the home.
Badinter would fall over if she ever came for a visit...I must be a hippie, what with my solar panels, composter, vegetable garden,  breastmilk {in my breasts and in the freezer!} Baby Bullet on my counter ,  crib in the master bedroom, and cloth diapers in the washing machine.

Open your eyes Badinter, modern mothers are not prisoners, we are strong, empowered , intelligent women. We , are warriors.

What's that smell?

Anyone with a baby , is familiar to wondering this very thing. Heck....anyone with children- at some point in every single day, asks themselves this very question. Sippy cups burried in the playroom, pee-pee accident pants hidden in the closet so nobody notices {ha!}, poopy diapers, and in my mind the worst ever- baby spit up. Of course I never notice while I'm home that I've got a bit of spit up on my shoulder, it's after I'm out running around, meeting with people, picking kids up from school, etc. I turn my head to check my blind spot and get a whiff. "What IS that" I ask myself...then I do a quick glance down, and ...oh...crunchy baby spit up. When the heck did that even happen!? I basically walk around everyday, wearing "eau de puke". Madison points it out all the time too, she gives me a hug and then wrenches back, and goes "oohh ewww I mell baby woook on yer youlder!" [I smell baby puke on your shoulder]

Today while visiting a friend, {who is reading this now haha}, Mia was sitting on my lap contentedly, I was sipping my David's tea {YUM!} and out of nowhere.....a waterfall of lovely. It didn't stop either, it just kept flowing. I had to change my outfit, Mia went home essentially wrapped in a blanket and a diaper, and....my friend and I were both on the verge of losing it, ourselves. There is nothing more disgusting, than cleaning up someone else's puke....even if it comes from a baby.

I won't go into details of what was IN that puke...but...it was basically an entire afternoon of nourishment, for my little 7month old!

So do yourself a favour...if you have a baby, make it a habit to check your shoulders before heading out the door!

Mia enjoyed her cookie, from Mary's cookies , first cookie to pass these lips! {and those wondering, that's a mOmma soft bib my beauty is wearing!}

Living outside the bubble.

I know you've heard of living or thinking outside the box, but have you thought about living outside the bubble? This is my way of pleasantly saying...get your head out of your rear and look around you. There are people in the world with bigger problems than you. There are people in the world with bigger heartbreak than you. There are people in the world with longer stories than you. There are people in the world who need your love. There are people in the world who need you to care. There are people in the world who need you to hear them, and to listen to them.

I happen to be a person, who acknowledges these facts- and follow them. I always have time to hear someone's story, and to hear about their heartbreak. I try to help people everyday of my life, even if it's something so simple as when I gave a few cents to an old man infront of me at the drug store a few weeks ago. He was fumbling in his pocket full of pennies, to pay for his few neccessities. The clerk was rolling her eyes, holding her hand out {uuuugh rude!!} and tapping her finger. I wanted to scream something at her to make her open her eyes and see how much she's stressing this poor old man out. But instead, I smile and give the clerk the 5 cents this old man was short. He looked at me, relieved and gave me a smile that melted my heart a little bit. Why did I do it? Because I knew it would help him. I didn't think he was hard-up for money, I didn't think he needed charity, but I knew he needed help because for whatever reason , he couldn't count the rest of his coins.

I meet interesting people everyday, and sometimes...I meet not-so-interesting people. I have very little time for people who thrive on drama, and gossip. While I appreciate some juicy dirt once in a while, gossip that's hurtful and cruel..I have no time for. I love secrets. I'm like a vault when it comes to secret keeping, and people know that and trust me with their secrets.

I , on the other hand, don't share many secrets. Some people might consider that game-playing...but I've had people in the past use something I've told them in confidence, against me- and I am not about to set myself up for that..again! So- instead I am the therapist. I listen to my friends, I listen to my husband, my family. They talk, I listen and I seal the vault.

This gets on my nerves at times though, but mainly with my husband. We got into an argument tonight, because I was telling him about someone I had met today and he gave me some absent response and hurried me through my story, ultimately telling me he really wasn't concerned because he didn't know this person. 

 ...I still care.

Everyday , is Earth day.

In honour of earth day, we are doing..... nothing extra special. I took Madison to a barn today, where I rode a beautiful horse and she watched a few other riders do their thing in the arena. We played outside {even though it's chilly and damp!} and we are enjoying our time as a family. We don't go out of our way on Earth day for things particularily earth-friendly because....we always celebrate earth day in our house. We use cloth diapers, we recycle, we compost, we garden {flowers and vegetables}, we repurpose items, we even have solar panels on our roof! I teach my kids about the earth , every day. We talk about what is in nature, how to care for our friends in nature -the bugs, the animals, the plants, the water. We clean the park when we go and see a mess everywhere , we don't litter and we pickup after those who haven't had that lesson.

Everyone should celebrate earth day  everyday, it would help our environment and help to make sure our children, and their children, have a beautiful world to grow old in.

What do you do, for Earth day- or everyday? Try changing one thing about your regular routine, on a daily basis. For those who diaper their babies, try using even ONE cloth diaper a day if you're not brave enough to dive head-first in the deepend. Use "un-paper towels" instead of paper towels. Shop from a local wahm {working at home mum} or local artisan for gifts or even household items. Have  you gone to http://www.etsy.com/ before? Try it out, it's amazing!



Watching our own version of Mighty Machines- as the solar panels were delivered last year.



People with impact.

I love meeting new people. Those of you who have met me , know that I am very social and I like to think, warm. ;-)  I love meeting new people with different life experiences, stories, etc.

Today I met a woman with a sweet baby boy, who vomitted on her about 5 times during our conversation. Bells went off in my head...I said, "hey- my 3rd born was like that..." and she told me that she's tried a few different things, formula wise, and that the docs keep telling her it's normal. I told her- " it's not normal. Your baby needs a specialist, and you need to be heard. " She looked a little surprised when I said this, but I told her that the doctors told me Manning was fine. He was normal, just spitting up like a baby tends to do. Then...it went downhill. This baby is 4 months old, he looks like a chunker, but based on what that kiddo was puking , volume wise, he wasn't taking all the nutrients in that his body needs to thrive and grow. I noticed another similarity to Manning's condition- his eyes. When Manning was sick, and battling his colitis on a daily basis, his one eye would always be green and goopy. Almost looked like conjunctivitis. So you treat with eye drops to clear the gunk, it  goes away for a day or two ,and then it's back. Doctors like to tell you it's a blocked tear duct  and that baby will outgrow it. Again- not true. I don't know the exact cause of it, but I know it's dietary, because as soon as we took the dairy and soy out of Manning's diet, he no longer EVER got that goopy, green goo.

I actually started to cry, watching her little man arch and cry ..and puke. That poor baby boy, I really hope those doctors start listening and that they get some answers. Babies shouldn't be in pain or discomfort, especially when it's a (fairly) simple thing to treat, when it's dietary.

I thought about them on my drive home today, and the tears started welling up again. It brings me back to the worry I had when Manning was in the same boat. The doctors appointments I'd schedule and attend, the phone calls to specialists, the googling, the constant scour of the internet trying to find other people going through the same thing, to give me some hope and light at the end of the tunnel. I remember how scared I was, and how helpless I felt.

I really hope they get the advice, and solutions they need- and I hope I will get an update from them when they do.

In happier news...here's a photo of Mia and I, in our matching dresses that I made !

I promise to post tomorrow!

I have been so swamped today with diaper drama {yea...it actually does exist} , a kid puking on our jumpy castle after school , kids put a hole in the jumpy castle , kids got kicked in face on said jumpy castle.... uhm.. drama, drama, drama, chaos, and a little bit more drama. Then had to prep for the show tomorrow, which I have to get up in..oh...4.5hrs to get ready to go to.

So- I'm going to bed now but I promise I'll post a good one ,tomorrow.

:-)

Here's the baby advice they gave...that I didn't listen to.

So you're coming to realize....that I do what I want to do, not what so-and-so thinks I should do. So, here's some of the advice that's been offered to me...and what I took from it!

{in no particular order}

1. While standing in line at Zellers, with my infant in a baby carrier and nursing ... "You're going to kill your baby. That angle is all wrong, my daughter is a nurse and told me so" and she then touched my baby, trying to re-adjust him for me.  I looked at her, backed away so she couldn't touch him anymore, smiled and said - "thanks for the tips...I think we'll take our chances". THE NERVE!!

2. 'Back to sleep' . Well....I had 3 tummy sleepers from the get-go. I tried them on their backs , and they would just scream. at 2weeks old, when they could move their little heads, I tried the tummy- and I had a peaceful night's sleep. {well....as much as you can with a nursing newborn!} Mia is finally the first of my brood that actually prefers her back, so I embrace that.

3. "sleep while baby sleeps". Um...in theory, this is brilliant. But whoever came up with the concept, never had a baby. If I slept when my baby slept I would get nothing done, the dog would never eat, my husband would never eat, and my floors would be  covered in laundry.

4.  "don't eat chocolate while breastfeeding" . Well....come on!! none?? ...I cut back in the first 2 months of breastfeeding but that was about it- and we alive to tell the tale!

5. "don't eat soft cheeses while pregnant" - I went to France while 6 months pregnant with Manning. I ate soft, unpasturized cheeses, and seafood they advised against- and lots of chocolate.

6. "light to moderate exercise while pregnant" .... I taught Mason how to ski , when I was 3 months pregnant with Mia...oops.

7. "no egg whites before 1yr"...I've always had a hard time remembering what exactly we're not supposed to give our babies or by what age. I gave egg whites, strawberries, and peanut butter before a year..and go figure, it was the milk that gave us issues.

8. "don't put blankets in with your baby in their crib" .. but my babies love blankets, and toys! And I didn't want them to get cold. I discovered sleep sacks for Mia though, and did buy an extra large one for Manning but he can now escape out of it so it's folded and put away! I do recommend sleep sacks though, they're great. I bought ours off etsy. { http://www.weerascals.ca/}

9." no coffee while nursing" .... HA. that's ...well...happy mama, happy baby. so this girl, loves coffee. a huuuuge pet peeve of mine, is when I go into a coffee shop and order a coffee, pay and then they look at me and say " ...did you want me to make that decaf?" I got this a lot while pregnant too. I know decaf exists, and if I wanted decaf- I would have asked for decaf. In fact...give me a few espresso beans, to cleanse my palette..and to shove up your nose.

10. "read to your baby, every day" . My baby's brain is not going to turn to mush, because I don't read to her every 20 minutes. I sing songs..usually with the wrong lyrics, I recite nursey rhymes from when I was young- and those are butchered and mixed together or ad-libbed because nursery rhymes from my generation, are actually...really awful and not kid-friendly! { Three blind mice, three blind mice,see how they run. They all went after the farmer's wife, who cut off their tails with a carving knife , have you ever seen such a sight in your life as three, blind mice}

Do something for yourself.

I cannot stress, how incredibly important this is to all parents. I mean the dads too- when we have kids, we often forget about what we used to love. The lives we used to live. Of course, once you are blessed with children, it's hard to imagine life without them-but we must remember...we had a whole life before our little kiddos, and a whole life full of wants, desires, dreams, and adventures. Why stop dreaming and having adventures, just because you've got kids?? I fell into baby-mode , I had 4 babies in 5yrs, leaving little room for much adventure or dreaming for myself. I had to play it safe because I was pregnant , tired, and caring for pint sized people. Although I am still caring for pint sized people, and building space ships with boxes, eating imaginary burgers my kids make me by the thousands, sipping imaginary coffee that's "too hot!!" for me to drink, and kissing boo-boos ; I am finally giving myself time for things that I once loved and was passionate about. Heck, I never stopped loving these things, I just wasn't quite as passionate as I used to be. I used to have a love affaire with painting and photography. I would disappear into the studio for hours on end, into the early hours of the morning. I'd spend so much time in the dark room that it would take my eyes an hour to adjust to regular light again. I used to love horses, I was training my dad's firecracker of a thoroughbred to be rideable before I became pregnant with Mason. I was two more training sessions away from getting up onto her back and enjoying all of the hard work I had been doing for months, and then I took a pregnancy test. Everything went on hold. No more chemicals in the dark room, no more horses, no more long hours in the studio, no more breathing the chemicals I used for my oil painting.

Here we are today, and I'm loving my life to it's fullest. I am so blessed to have 4 absolutely beautiful children, I'm married to my best friend, we have 2 loving and loyal "fur babies" , a beautiful home , and more. It's now ...our turn. I got back into my creative side, I've been sewing and creating steadily since November. I started my baking again {I used to bake all the time for my friends in University!!}
Now I bake my allergy-friendly items , for my two little dietary-sensitive inspirations {Manning and soon, Mia} and I'm going to make a trip to a painting studio with my girlfriends in the near future. I am decorating my home, and making most of it's decore items myself. Now  comes the icing on the cake- I've been dreaming about getting back into the barn, and riding again. Well, I found someone looking on a local classified site, for someone to essentially share the boarding cost for her horse which she rides regularily but she lives in the city and the horse is out by me. It will cost me very little, and I get the horse for one whole day a week {but I'm hoping that I can smile sweetly and maybe get a day for myself to take the horse out, and then take the kids to get some face-time with the horses too!}.

So.....I'm covered, now...I have to work on getting husband something HE wants to do! {oooops...briefly revealed his name there! }

This will be me again! :) {this is a google photo, not mine}

I want my bed back!!!!

How on earth did this happen? When we had our first baby {Mason} I was strict and firm on the bedtime routine, he always slept in his own crib, in his own room and I'd breastfeed him in the rocking chair and read him a book, sing him a song, and put him to bed. Every.Single.Night. That was after his nightly bath. How wonderful , warm and loving..right? Well, yes of course it was- and it was heavenly..and I wish I could have kept that up for all of my babies but if I bathed, fed, read, sang to 4 babies every night...I'd have to start the bed time routine at 4pm......actually....that's not a bad idea.

Well- fast forward to today,with 4 beautiful sleeping beauties. Everyone has their own room, but Mia, who sleeps in a crib next to our bed and that is working perfectly fine. (and I'm in no rush to kick her out.) She is quiet, she takes 2 seconds to fall asleep- and sleeps all night. Not to mention that she wakes up singing, giggling, and smiling at me. Who would kick that love, out ?!

Well, I don't know when it happened but at some point Mason's bed started giving him bad dreams...yes, the bed makes him have bad dreams- or is it the pillow...I can never remember. So Mason's bad dream translates to him coming into bed with husband and I around 3am. Madison hears noises in her room, or the wind scares her, or she can't find "blanket bunny", or her stuffed cat bit her, or she needs to pee, or she peed the bed, or her nose is drippy, or....she forgot to finish her juice this morning. Yes...really- she will wake up in a complete panic  " *gasp* oh no! I didn't finish my juice with breakfast!!!!!" - so she crawls into bed with us around 4am. Mia wakes up around 6am to nurse, so I bring her into bed with me so I can doze while she feeds for that feeding {it's a great theory....} but if I get out of my spot..I generally lose it. We have a queen sized bed, and end up with myself, my husband and 3 kids...all at once. Manning will come in, early morning now but never wants to climb into bed- he wants to go downstairs NOWWWWWW.

Husband and I have actually left our own bed, and taken up shop in a kid's bed before. It needs to end. Madison has a hard time going to sleep in her own bed now, she used to be so good at it. Now though, she somehow convinces daddy {pssst...it's always daddy who gets suckered...} to tuck her into our bed, and then move her afterwards- but she always comes back . I'm tempted to start sleeping on the couch, until kids can stay in their own beds.

This is what I was talking about , in the co-sleeping department. It's not on purpose !! I constantly need a massage, I need to get re-aligned {one of my best childhood friends finally got her chiropractor's licence in both Canada and the U.S...I've been waiting 15yrs for her to become a chiro to actually see one. I'm not even joking.... }

Anyone have a magic solution for this? I'm the bad cop when it comes to this type of thing- sleep in your own bed, and that's that. I will walk them back to their own bed , at 4am when they come crawling into mine, and then when the tears start to flow daddy quickly goes into rescue them...and bring them back. I tell him to just hop in with them and let me sleep lol.

This is not me- but imagine...2 more of these sweet things, and a husband in there somewhere. That is how kids sleep in parents beds. Never fails.

Colitis...and kids.

So for those of you who don't know, Manning, my 3rd born who is almost 2.5yrs old- has colitis.Milk and soy protein induced colitis, to be exact. That means- he can't have even the slightest amount of milk or soy proteins...which are found in pretty much..oh, everything! I've become creative and smart about his food, I bake fanciful cakes and delicious cookies and serve them to all of our friends- and they love them. But when Manning is around the other kids,and everyone is eating snacks...I can't control what all goes into his little (big) mouth at times. It's not so bad with my own kids, they're all pretty good about asking me before giving him anything, but if he spots something that looks like it might be delicious..he pops it into that sweet little mouth, and then comes and asks me..before swallowing it. At least he spits it out when I tell him his  tummy will get sick, but sometimes I don't catch him in time.

We're currently going through a colitis episode, and we don't know what he got in to- but his little body, is not happy. When he was first diagnosed , at 6months old, it would take a day or two for the symptoms to come out. Now...it's an hour. The doctors kept trying to give us false hope saying he'd outgrow this by the age of 2...now they say the age of 3, but with the rapid symptoms that  come up now..I think we're dreaming to think it's ever going to end. We just have to wait , for him to be old enough to really advocate for himself.

I have made alert shirts for him to wear at parties, because he'd crawl over to anyone eating and give him those sweet sweet little baby eyes that say 'mmmmm...can I try some!? my parents never feed me!' . I'm getting him an alert bracelet made, I can't get one of those allergy alert because it's not an allergy, so instead I'm having one specially made. I'll be making a few new shirts for the summer as well. Maybe I'll make some "Do not feed the bear" shirts...hahaha.

Do you have a little one with allergies, intolerances, or disorders such as crohns or colitis ? Or other dietary restrictions? How do you deal? If you're local, you'll have to look for my booth at the farmer's market this summer...which was supposed to be for Maple Bottoms, and my creations items, featuring a few allergy-friendly cookies each week, just for those little ones shopping with their parents wanting something sweet....but it's turned into an allergy-friendly baked goods, table. If someone can come up with a sweet little name for our booth, I'll bake you a batch of the best-ever, gingerbread cookies. They're dairy, soy and nut free. If you need gluten free, I can do that too.

dairy,soy,nut,egg,refined sugar-free chocolate cake, hand-painted!

finally some me time!

Had a fabulous time out last night- I'm so glad I went! We went to Leveque Bloc {no  idea of spelling!} on Ossington...interesting bar for sure, had a great time! I've been fighting to keep my eyes open all day today, and had the worst luck EVER this morning...but it was all worth it.

my bad luck was as follows:

1. I wanted to walk to Union station from my sister's condo to catch the bus, but it was raining.
2. The cab driver went the wrong way and took me to the wrong station
3. I missed my bus home
4. I had to get the cab driver finally just let me out since he was driving all over the city {he is a new cab driver, and new to the city!} and I just walked , in the rain and got turned around several times.
5. flip flops, rain, and slick cement walkways in the city....don't mix.
6. They're filming something on Bay street so I got caught in a shoot- there were FBI agents with rifles hiding in doorways along the street, bomb squad, NYC taxis, the whole bit.
7. I bought a coffee before catching the bus {the was another one about 40mins after the first one I missed} and had to leave the coffee shop before they made my coffee, so I could run back to the bus station.


....Someone trying to tell me something here?!

Stepping out of my circle!

Well, hubby has been on my case about making more friends without children [...weird?!!] but I'm finally listening. I'm going out with an old friend tonight to celebrate her birthday [I haven't seen her in 7yrs but we chat through email and fb! haha] and her group of friends. I'm a bit nervous, but really excited to be stepping out in a completely different realm. Sounds nuts maybe...but mothers, and single girls have a completely different idea of a party.

So tonight....I'm going to have a great time, with the single ladies!!

Such a random day today : up at dawn to go to a yard sale with a friend {took the girls with me haha} and got some great finds. Took Madison to dance {Mia and I go watch every Sat} , went to McDs for a happy meal for the ballerina, found some free {yes...free} wood spindles, counter tops, doors, etc - so naturally, I filled my van for some great d.i.y projects; and now I'm getting dolled up to go out with a bunch of strangers in the city.

wish me luck!!!!

what rhymes with mama ?

...DRAMA!!!!!

you know what they say- "save the drama, for your mama" - well maybe the person who says that is me. I can't stand catty people, who have nothing better to do than nit pick and cause drama in people's lives...but I do love me some drama.If we didn't have people [usually women..come on now!] stirring up the pot once in a while, we'd have nothing to talk about. Ok well that's maybe an exaggeration, we'd still be able to talk about the news. ;-) 

Well today, there was some drama. I'm in a group on fb for wahms [working at home mums] and we share our stories, we chat about our families, we ask questions about how to deal with certain customers, tips on business practices, etc. We are all very different,and make very different things, but we're also very much the same. Today, it came to our attention that someone had completely copied one of our mama's logo which she paid to have created for her shop. We were like the seagulls in Nemo " mine, mine, mine, mine,mine" . Pounce. Not mean and nasty, not rude, just stating the obvious. Well the business who was in question, blocked us, sent irritating messages to us, etc. but end result- she felt bad and took the logo down. Turns out, she bought labels from a woman on etsy, who had created labels for my shop-owning friend- and etsy woman...recreated those labels for another company. She turned a sheep, into a cow...with a sheep head. it was so sloppy and pieced together, this label maker should be ashamed of herself. Apologies were made to the woman who was maybe an innocent victim of a scam, but holy drama batman.

I was talking about other drama today with someone, remembering a playgroup I used to run last summer that I was considering doing up again this year....but last year I caught someone rifling through my purse, and then she lied about it! {oh ya...that actually happened, in my home- and she stayed the duration of playgroup after I caught her digging through my purse...}soooooo I'm not exactly jumping at the opportunity to offer up my home again. If I do, it will be to a select few that I personally know.

Where's my sippy cup??

the Busy Box.

So someone was asking {the universe} what to do for her very busy toddler who gets into absolutely everything, and is making her lose her patience as the days go by. We're talking, he takes his clothes off, takes his diaper off, climbs the dresser, opens drawers, goes through closets, etc. Kids who do this all the time- are telling you they're bored. They want to explore, find new things to discover. They're bored of their everyday surroundings, they want more. That's not saying this mum hasn't tried everything in her Mary Poppins bag- but for whatever reason, her little man is bored. So- for those of you in a smiliar situation...here is what I told her:

Start a busy bag/box. Buy one of those large Rubbermaid totes, that you  can fill with different activities. Things he doesn't have access to everyday, and things he doesn't need any assistance doing. Puzzles, guessing games, lacing cards, etc. The only assistance that should be required , is the set-up of the space for him to explore. Don't have scissors, glue, paint, bubbles in that box. Just put brain teasing activities [suitable for the age of course] and maybe some crayons and colouring book [younger kids will need supervision so you don't have a muralist on your hands] . Make a book[or buy for those who aren't the crafty type] with all the different fasteners found on clothing. velcro, snaps, clips, laces, etc. Let your kiddo undress the book and dress it back up as many times as they want. Have little guessing games in there, memory match [simple for younger kids, I-spy for the older ones. I can explain this more later] . Don't let your kid go into this box everyday at the same time everyday. Only pull it out when you find you're ready to yank your hair out, and you don't want to stick the tv on. If your kiddo has constant access to the busy box, he will tire of that as well. Make a travel sized busy box too- for long waits at the drs office, for long car rides, etc. Do it in something that's easy to grab, or that you can leave in the car. A small tote, a backpack, that kind of thing. I make fantastic activity roll-ups that would be ideal in this kind of travel busy box. I'll put a perfect travel busy box together and snap a pic...my kids will thank you all for the flame under mama's bum to finally do it. I've had the idea in my head for ages...just haven't gotten down to business to do it.

So- for the mama who asked this initial question, good luck in finding solace,and keeping your sanity. We've definitely all been there at one point or another, it just sometimes feels that you're the only one going through it, and that you'll be headed to a loony-bin sooner than the rest of us. You aren't....and you won't.

Happy busy everyone!!

life with 4 littles...

Phew....who knew, I'd have 4 little creatures filling my life with so much love and joy, before I'm even 30! Heck- I had 4 , at 28yrs. {yes...ok...pick your jaw up off the floor now, please ;-)  }

So- what's it like, you're wondering? How do I do it? How do I have energy to keep up with a blog, among everything else? Well....the answer really is...I don't know. I just do it. Becoming a mother was very natural to me, when my first came along, I was 23yrs old, finishing up my degree at University, living in a shoebox of a home with my then boyfriend {*gasp!*} and our 6 month old pup who tripped over his own ears and ran into the walls everytime he'd go downstairs. haha. I was back in night classes when Mason was about 4 weeks old, breastfeeding and doing the whole bit.Those 3hr lectures at night were torture though, I was exhausted and would start the class a Bcup, and end the class a full blown DD and rivers of red throbbing all over my chest..and a wet shirt. Gotta love the first baby milk supply. Ouch.

It was crazy,I pulled all my resources, had friends helping me with daycare when I needed it , my {now husband} worked full time in his new job post graduation, it was a pretty crazy whirlwind. Now with 4 little ones, and a much bigger house, I try to keep on top of everything as it comes, I try to keep the house the way I need /want it to be as it gets messy. I won't sit down with my feet up unless everything is tidy, and I try to vacuum a few times a day. That being said- I don't keep my house in pristine condition. My house is happily lived in, you can tell I have little kiddos, and I have a few masterpieces on my walls, at the 2ft level. I go to bed late, and try to get up fairly early. Thankfully I've got 4kids who love their sleep....12hrs a night love , so I'm not up at 5am on a regular basis. Mama bear, is not a morning person. hahaha.

I don't stress over the little things. People can drop into my house at any given moment and I'm "ready". I don't run around like a mad woman picking up, and you're not going to walk into a tornado zone. I bake for my children, they love cookies and cupcakes , vegetable muffins [yes..really!] ,and special cakes. I make everything allergy-friendly because of Manning's colitis. I make crafts with my children, they love being  creative and trying new things. We do science experiements, and we play make believe. I run around with them, but I also just let them be. I want them to learn to play independantly or with each other, and not always need a grown-up to lead the fun. We have dance parties in the kitchen when I'm making snacks or meals, we have concerts whenever we damn well please and we don't care who's listening. My house is fun, and full of love.

I have lots of boundaries though. Even my 2yr old knows them, and they loooove to try to cross them. Mama bear just needs to give them a look though, and they know. They'll march themselves up to their own room, in tears, and close the door behind them. When they've pushed the limits too far and it turns into chaos [because...it can turn into chaos in an instant] I sometimes yell. I sometimes get so frustrated I want to run away and lose the key to my own house. But instead, I ship them up to their rooms so we can all have a breather. I don't know what they're terrified of, but all I have to say is " you don't want to know what will happen if I take you to your room, you want to go on your own" . Sheer terror.....funny thing is, if I took them to their room- nothing would happen. I would just close the door behind me hahaha. they don't need to know that though, they need to know I mean business.

As for where my energy comes from...that remains a mystery. I drink a little coffee [but I limit myself to maybe 2 cups a day because of breastfeeding] , I eat well but I do indulge in sweet treats once in a while [thanks to the Easter bunny....a lot more often than I should!] . But I honestly think, the love in my heart and happiness I feel contribute to my energy levels. If you're not happy with yourself , then you're not going to be able to accomplish much in a day.

Love is all around us- I found mine, have you found yours ?

A.N.D ....know what it means?

Ok- so this is going to be heavy...especially for pregnant mamas. Please read with caution.


I am catching up on my Grey's Anatomy, watching last week's episode where they discuss A.N.D with the mother of the premature baby. What is A.N.D , for those who didn't see the episode? It stands for : allowing natural death. My husband and I sit on complete opposite sides of the fence when it comes to this kind of thing, and I think you need that in a relationship. You need a softie, and you need a hard-ass. Everyone is entitled to their own views, and opinions for sure..so here are mine.

When Manning was born, he was screaming, pink, fiesty and strong. He came fast and furious with no complications. When I asked for him to be placed on my chest to nurse, they obliged. He was latching ok, but started grunting like a little tiny puppy, then we noticed the nostrils flaring- and they don't take any chances with that...they whisked him away to Nicu. Tests, wires, tubes, oxygen, beeping, nurses, crying, silence, emptiness, the works. I spent a lot of time at his bedside, just staring. There was so much going on in that nicu, babies everywhere, people everywhere, and yet- I felt very alone. I had a hard time hearing anything, but the constant beeping and the sound of oxygen pumping through the tubes, and just watching his chest rise up and down, up and down, up and down. The nurses gave me a ton of hope though, they would come in and tell my husband and I that he was looking good, looking stronger, etc. They would sugar coat everything and tell us he was improving and we'd be home in no time. Well- that was partially true, but nobody ever said what was actually going on. Until a nurse came in and said it to us straight, and it hit us like a tonne of bricks. I remember the words coming out of her mouth, and I remember the look on her face. I can even still remember what she was wearing, where we were standing, and what I was thinking. The words preceding the bricks, are lost. I have no idea what she was telling us before, or what we were talking about. But she looked at us and said " when your child is this sick we can't put a time frame on when they're going home....... your baby is really sick." My husband didn't take this so well, and his heart turned hateful and I couldn't have that nurse on duty when he'd come into visit [...that was kinda funny] But after that, we did talk about it, in a roundabout way. What would we do, if they told us he wasn't getting any better. I  am a fighter. I will fight to the death if it means protecting my children. I will take any challenge thrown at me, any illness, heck- I wouldn't think twice about running into a burning building, to save my children. So- what would I have done, had they told me he wasn't getting any better and would need surgery to *maybe* pull through , but would probably need therapy, medication, assistance, etc for the rest of his life ? I'd have the surgery, and work my ass off to prove them all wrong. Manning took a long time to achieve any milestones, because of his Colitis that went undiagnosed for 6 months. He couldn't roll, couldn't sit until he was 14months {corrected} old, didn't walk until closer to 18months {corrected}. Some doctors told me he may never achieve these feats. I worked so so hard with the therapists, and without them. I became completely wrapped up in therapy, appointments, doctors. I'd set goals for me , as the parent/therapist { not technically, but I think I earned that title} and based on my goals, I'd set goals for Manning. I worked so hard and didn't see the results the therapists insisted they saw. I got sucked into a downward spiral of self-doubt, and a sort of depression in my own mind. I had convinced myself that he would never walk. I would look at him trying so hard, and getting so tired- and I just felt sad, thinking about his future. I confessed my doubts to the therapist one day, in tears. She clearly wasn't trained in the emotional support {ha..ha} for the parents, but tried her hardest , without touching me , to calm my nerves. I'm a hugger. When I'm having a weak moment like that...I need a hug. So it was weird, I sort of shook myself off, and said "knock it off Emily, you're being ridiculous". So I continued to work hard, and set goals. We were assigned another therapist [because the first one was for occupational therapy, this next one was for physiotherapy] and wouldn't you know it....Manning was sitting in a week or two from her starting. Then he started the rest of the process, eventually running. It was so insane. We had some blips on the radar a few times, worried about neurological damage based on certain developmental things, but he overcame them. His physiotherapist, Janice, was honestly an angel sent from Heaven and I  will be forever greatful to all of her hard work and dedication.  My little man, is a warrior and has made it so so far from where we started.

So- I know we were lucky, but even when Manning's unknown diagnosis had the potential of major developmental/physical disabilities- yes, I cried, yes I stressed about his future, yes I panicked about how we'd deal with it all but I knew , we'd be ok. I knew we'd have the happiest little boy who would be in no shortage of love. I just had that faith, and determination. We got close to losing him, and that was absolutely terrifying [obviously] . I think I was more infuriated with the doctors though, who wouldn't listen to me. Because....what do I know, I'm just the mother.

I will be posting more about that in the future.

So readers of mine....what do you think? A-N-D , or fight for life ? keep it kind, I know this could create a heated debate.

when you 'miss' an appointment...

So today we had a specialist appointment for Mia at The Hospital for Sick Children. It's been scheduled for a month and it's been on my calendar. My husband has attended a couple of appointments in the history of doctors appointments for our life with kids. Today he decides to join us at our appointment. Appt was for 4pm s so I make arrangements for school pickup, take the day off (daycare) and get the kids organized to go. We park, go up to the  gastrointestinal-nutrition clinic and see husband*...who looks less than amused.  Turns out the appointment was for 1pm...not 4.

Regardless of when or how communication got lost is beside the point, we were 3hrs late and had missed our time slot. So what do you do when this happens?  Don't lose your cool, don't start making demands and threats or get rude. Apologize, explain what happened and ask, kindly, if you can either be fit in same day or if you can reschedule. I wanted Mia weighed on their scale so I asked if it would be possible since we did come all the way down and made tons of arrangements and had already parked. She felt bad for me, I apologized for*husband's reaction (remember the what not to do?) and she agreed to weigh pipsqueak and reschedule. So I have to do this all over again in 2 weeks but will be on my own (which I prefer!) and now I can plan the day out a bit better I guess.

Mia's weigh-in : drum roll please............. A whopping 10.6 lbs! She's a fierce little lady...at 7 months old. :-)

"you're gonna love my nuts"

Know that quote?? I bet everyone knows who said that- well have you seen the latest infomercial??! Watch it here . My husband , sister and I actually laughed out loud during the entire thing- talk about inappropriate...but so friggen hilarious. Should be a short on SNL ...and they wouldn't have to edit , or reinact it!

inlaws....and holidays.

yes...the touchy subject is here....inlaws.

Today though, I'm not talking about my inlaws, I'm actually talking about my husband's inlaws...a.k.a- my parents.

My parents are lovely people. Their intentions are good, but my mother is a little bit hard for some people to handle...and by some people, I mean..my husband.

Getting ready for a visit with my family is enough to drive me over the edge- simply because of my husband's preparations.

We are in full depth now, they arrived this afternoon and are here until tomorrow after Easter dinner. Send me all the strength you've got.

*cheers!*

oh- and happy Easter!!!! What's your bunny bringing your kids??

Confession: Bullies terrify me.

Not for myself, but for my children. I am pretty sure my guys won't have to worry about bullies- as they are confident, independant, smart,social  and well-liked -but today, you never know. Kids get picked on for the silliest of things, and I know that it hasn't changed all that much from when I was a kid- but they've gotten even more cruel.

I am honestly, terrified of the idea of bullies. Mason is at the age now, where solid friendships are crucial in his development and wellbeing- and one nasty kid at this age, can set him up for the rest of his school career. Or I suppose on the other end of the spectrum, if my kid becomes the bully [which is sooooooooo unlikely as he has the heart of a lamb ] I read up about bullying on a regular basis, and I actually talk to my kids about it all the time. Almost everyday- we talk about what it means to be a good friend, why it's important to be a good friend, and what we do if we see that someone isn't being a good friend to someone, or if someone is picking on us. I try to make them understand with the "how do you think you'd feel.." aspect and I tell them that they will never get in trouble for telling the truth, and to never be afraid to reach out to an adult if they need to or if they need to protect a friend.

I was picked on as a kid. I was really skinny, I was smart- in everything but math- and I loved everything earthy. {oh , and I loved to wear pigtails all over my head....like....6 of them} that made me an easy target. The girls who would pick on me though, would pick on me one day and then the next day they were fighting over who was going to be my "best friend". talk about mixed messages!! I decided when I got to grade 8 though, when they all got mixed in with drugs [someone actually passed out in the bathroom from an acid trip.....in grade 8] that I didn't want/need to waste my time with them anymore. We went to the same highschool, and I pretended I didn't know any of them. I didn't just blow them off though- I full on told them why I didn't want to be friends with them, the gist of it was...they were MEAN.

When I see anti-bullying ads on tv, or videos like this on youtube and see it in the media [are you a Gleek?!] it really makes me terrified for my own kids...and cry a little bit. I 'm trying my hardest to raise super confident {but not cocky}, smart, outgoing, independant and quirky {they've got that part down !} kids. I also want them to be the ones who stand up for their friends too- not stand back and watch someone turn into a target.

Does the fact I'm thinking about it now, that my kids are under the age of 6 make me crazy? I don't think so- I think it's making me prepared. When I was picked on and bullied , nobody saw it. I told teachers, I told the principal, I told anyone who would listen....but they weren't really listening. I had itching powder put in my pants [while I was in gym class] , I had my clothes stolen [again...gym class], rumors were started about me, but they never layed a hand on me- and that was the only time a teacher would step in...if there was physical abuse.

So- I advocate for my kids and I will advocate for them as long as I'm needed. I ask a lot of questions at the end of a school day { who did you play with today ? Was everyone a good friend today? why did so-and-so go to the office today, what did the teacher say about that?, when so-and-so hit you with the rocking chair, how did that make you feel and what did the teacher do about it.....etc,etc,etc} and I'm sure my kids will be so sick of that, and never want to answer once they hit the age of 10, but I hope they always answer, so I can jump in if I need to....... and bust some knee-caps. ;-)

"Hot air is pouring out of your ears right now!!"

I actually said that tonight. Hahaha. Sometimes though, I think some people just talk...to hear themselves talk!!

Pointing out to me, what is on a counter that shouldn't be on the counter, instead of doing something about it yourself- is the BIGGEST pet peeve of mine. I'm probably lying, I'm sure there's something bigger...but for the moment, it's pretty freaking huge.

If you see something out of place,or if there's something that could go into the garbage bin- put it where it needs to be. Don't look at it, and come and get me from what I am doing, to say " what do you see here, that shouldn't be here? " . I am not 5yrs old. I am not playing a guessing game. I am not going to sink to your obnoxious level, and I am actually picturing your unmentionables in a vice right now. *tighter....tighter....keep talking....tighter.....keep talking....TIGHTER* .

Short post tonight, as I have a lot of work to do tonight and the kids are up past their bedtime to watch a movie...but none of them are watching the movie- so bedtime is happening in 5mins. We just set a timer. The noise level in this house right now, at this hour...is unreal and should be illegal. It probably is somewhere in the world.

The quiet timer.

Today was one of "those days" where the kids were all talking a mile-a-minute, all . day . long. There were a few times where I actually had to yell my answers to them, to get the point across that they didn't need to yell as they were standing right beside me. Oy vey. I suppose it's because I have 3 of them trying to talk over each other, that the noise level goes from 0-10 in a split second.

This was a conversation I had with Madison today :

Madison : MUMMY! CAN I TELL YOU YUMPIN? [mummy, can I tell you something]

me: SURE MADISON  - WHAT IS IT?!

Madison: ouch mummy! don't YELL!

me: ok are we having quiet voices now, or do I have to keep yelling?

Madison: Mummy? are you yewin' [are you sewing]

**********{insert raised eyebrow mixed with eye-roll here.}

thrilling..right ? No, she was that distracted, all day long. So Madison was distracted beyond belief, and yelling every word ; Mason was in school until 3pm and then was in the constant 'bug mode' where he essentially stands with his body always touching Madison in some way [...nice..eh?? UGH] Manning was just a mad man all over the place- and it seemed as though they all wanted food, from 3pm straight through until 7pm. I actually said after dinner, that the kitchen was closed and will re-open again for breakfast.

My sister was visiting today [Hi Rachel!! ] and we ordered Chinese for dinner- mmmmm Citi Wok. yum! Madison, swooped in like the vulture she is. Your food is not safe, when Madison is in the room. She's a humming bird, hovers near everyone's plate and just zips across the kitchen back and forth, reaching up and trying to snatch food off your plate with her hands. You turn to grab your fork, there's little fingers in your food trying to take noodles off your plate, or she's picking the piece of broccoli and stuffing it into her mouth as fast as she can. She asks if she can have some, as her hand is already burried in the red sauce. *yuck!*

So I created the quiet timer tonight- so my sister and I could attempt to eat dinner in peace. Kids can scarf back their food faster than fast, just so they are hounding you for something else. You ask them to clean their room, it takes them days - but they want dessert [in our house that's anything sweet, can be as simple as a cookie or some fruit] and their food is off their plate in record time. They were all buzzing about just as Rachel and I were ready to sit down and eat our Chinese food, while it was still hot- and the demanding questions started. The loud voices started. The bugging started. My patience was wearing thin- so I turned on the kitchen timer, set it for 30mins and I told the kids, until this beeps- I  am not here. I will not get you anything, I will not help you do anything. I do not want to speak to you, I will not answer questions. Leave me alone!

2 minutes elapsed...and Madison goes " mum? I think I heard the timer-yep, it went beep" . nice try kid....nice try.

So we ate our dinner in peace, it actually worked- that plan has been filed in the brilliant folder. ;-)



this kid, never stops eating!



Air your grievances.

Whether you write them down, say them out loud, or paint them on a canvas- get them out there.  I cannot stress this more- if something is bothering you, don't just sit there and mull it over in your own mind. It's so important to get these feelings off your chest, tell the person who's causing you these stresses and if you can't tell them directly- work on it by yourself until you can. Practice with your friends, recite what you would say to whoever it is, until you're confident enough to stand up for youself.

I am at home all day, esentially for 16hrs a day with no face-to-face adult interaction...every.single.day. This is enough to cause stress in anyone's life- and for me, I usually take my frustrations /stresses out by fabric shopping, and sewing intricate pieces in my sewing room [ya...I know...I'm so exciting, it even scares me sometimes haha]. Today- I let it all out, talked it through with the person I was frustrated with and aired my grievances. I felt as though I was getting absolutely nowhere in the beginning, but as I kept going [and ...I had a lot to say!] I started calming down, and I relaxed my furrowed brow and took a deep sigh. of the 10lbs of bricks on my head, I lifted about 7lbs with that one conversation.

So while the issue is not fixed,and I am in no way over it- I have relaxed a little bit, I'm able to get on with my day without that constant anger/disappointment in my heart.

So- my advice to you with this post- is scream it from the roof tops!! Don't be afraid to say  what is on your mind, or what you're feeling. Everyone is entitled to feel as they please- don't ever tell someone they're not worthy of a feeling and nobody should ever tell you that either! Find a creative outlet to get your everyday stresses out , painting, photography, sewing, drawing,whatever!! Heck, you can even find a more physical outlet - but find something that you love to do.

ok I have a secondary piece of advice. Don't ever surpress your dreams because of what cards life has dealt you. I have been so preoccupied with babies and well...life, that I forgot how much I adore my art, and being creative. I recently got back into my art, and I have now fallen in love with decorating my home and coming up with great creative ideas for pretty much everything. It's making me a much happier person [I was happy before...but now I'm super-happy ;-) ] it's helping in every aspect of my life, as a woman, a mother, a friend, and a wife. So- find something you love, and do it. Fit it into your schedule if it means you're going to bed at 1am on a Wednesday.

Your heart, and your mind will be greatful.

playing with my camera again. tutu and headband courtesy of Pixie Glitz tutus.

Why I'm a fence-sitter.

10 reasons why I'm not so crunchy...
[again, in no particular order]

1. I use medicine and listen to doctors. When my kiddos are spiking a high fever and my natural remedies aren't working, I will turn to over-the-counter meds. When those aren't working, I go to a doctor and get them what they need. I've had babies getting xrays and ultrasounds, they've had antibiotics and have even been hospitalized. If  you advocate for your child, and are educated and prepared- you will get the answers, advice and help that you need. If you just sit back and let the doctors come up with it all on their own, often times you'll be dismissed. I appologize to doctors in advance because I am a mother who never quits-and I've had specialists at Sick Kids hospital tell me to never apologize, and to never change. They appreciate parents like me, and wish they dealt with more of them, instead of basket cases.

2. I use disposable diapers when I have absolutely no cloth ones left  [major laundry day!]

3. I had my boys circumsized, and my girls ears pierced. Well- Mia's aren't done yet, but I plan to do them before her bday.

4.  I formula feed. I suppliment with formula {we're a Neocate family} and my 2yr old Manning is still on his Neocate Jr. and will be until he is 3.

5. I love designer labels. I can't help myself...I love luxuries- Michael Kors, Coach, True Religion, Citizen for Humanity, Tiffany's...I love pretty things. my newest fave- Lulu lemon!

6. I'm self conscious about my weight. Not sure if that has anything to do with crunchy or not crunchy..but I figure it makes me human, so I'm putting it out there.

7. I have a major weakness for Hellulva good dip and chips, and sweets. oh....and Lucky Charms. I love me some lucky charms.

8. I let my kids cry-it-out , in their own beds/cribs. I do believe kids need to learn to self soothe and if I know my kids aren't hungry, are clean, not bleeding or sick- I will let them cry it out for a little bit


9. I'm not afraid of vaccines. I know they all have a reason to being administered, I don't fear they're going to cause disabilities in my children.

10. I love makeup {and showering, waxing, getting my hair done..etc}- and it's not made from dirt and rocks. I love Sephora and shop there for little things here and there. I don't wear a ton of makeup...but I have a great collection!

11. {bonus} this point is just in general : I will not take parenting advice, from anyone who has never been a parent themselves. I won't take breastfeeding advice from anyone who has never breastfed, and I won't take tips on cloth diapering, from anyone who has only used disposables.  ....and for those of you reading this blog- you shouldn't either. If someone has never been in your shoes before, as in...NEVER , why are you letting them tell you how you should parent your child? You'll just drive yourself crazy.


I posted these points for this simple reason: I am sick of people who are close minded. You often hear about those who are one way , or the other- you rarely hear of those who sit on the fence. Well..here I am, a fence sitter. I see the best of both worlds, I appreciate everyone's efforts and I try to do the best for my children I can. I know I'm not perfect...although I'm pretty damned close, { ;-) } but I know that just because I do things a certain way, doesn't mean that anyone else has to follow suit.

Hair Mask how-to:

So since I've already been asked, and I'm sure others will want to know- here is the mask I make for my hair. [keep in mind, my hair is parched on a good day. it does get natural dread-locks underneith, thanks to natural wave under, and bone straight on top. I also *may, or may not* ;-) colour treat my hair.

you need: a food processor, or blender.
                * 2 overly ripe avocados [think, almost ready to be tossed]
                * 3 tbsp olive oil
                * juice from one lemon [seed are fine]
                * 1/4C honey
                * a splash of green tea

Blend them all in food processor to make a thick paste. Coat your hair, wrap in towel and let it soak in- I left mine for 1.5hrs [yes, really!!] wash, rinse. enjoy.

to add more shine to your hair, you can also add 1 raw egg.

why I'm sorta 'crunchy'.

Ok for those of you who don't have kids, or don't know the term crunchy- it doesn't mean dirty. It refers to parenting style- crunchy as in, "crunchy granola" .. you know, the birkenstocks and wool socks, never owned a razor, dread locks, zen....... ok thats not me- but I'm sort of a little bit, crunchy.

here are the top 10 reasons, in no particular order.

#1: I co-sleep. I absolutely LOVE snuggling with my littles in bed. I unwillingly co-sleep with 2 kids [Mason and Madison] and willingly, with one [Mia]. Manning is the only one who stays in his bed..for now. Mia is in her own crib now, beside my bed- but I love love love, bringing her into bed with me to  snuggle, feed, and sleep. it's so peaceful, dozing next to a beautiful baby.

#2: I breastfeed. I have breastfed all 4 of my beautiful babies, with different experiences with each of them. Some great, some good,some bad, some exhausting. I'll dive into that another day- but for now.. Mia and I have a wonderful nursing relationship. She's a champ feeder- but has just recently  cut her first tooth and enjoys trying it out on me. OUCH. she's the first baby I've braved nursing with teeth- the others I decided teeth were the final straw, but I'm sticking it out with Mia , hopefully until she's 1yr.

#3: I selectively vaccinate. I get all the routine vaccines that are recommended by the Canadian government, but I've delayed some to space them differently than the "schedule" has them spaced and I also opt out of the ones they 've added in the last 5-10yrs. I have done a lot of research on all the vaccines the babies receieve and am confident in my knowledge and decisions. My kids all have their vaccines up-to-date by the start of JK.

#4: I cloth diaper. Yep- I even use the pinned ones, the old fashioned flats and prefolds. But I prefer the new-age cloth diaper,which I sell in my shop!! [http://www.maplebottoms.ca/] I used to make diapers for Mason,  before I could afford the fancy ones, now I've got a collection of sorts ! I've always had 2 kids in cloth at once, at different ages. You can pretty much ask me anything about cloth diapering...and I probably know. I was also in a youtube commercial for a cloth diaper safe detergent product!! [ watch here! ]

#5: I make my own baby food. Have you ever smelled a jar of baby food from the store?? I started making my own baby food, when I opened a jar of meat/veg. for Madison, and the cat came running as though I had opened a tin of wet cat food. UGH. it smelled just as disgusting as cat food- so I make my own using garden-fresh produce, and organic pureed meat [yes..I do buy that, frozen]

#6: I babywear. I love my stroller, but sometimes wearing a baby is so much easier. I even got a hiking backpack and get my husband to wear a kiddo when needed. And everyone knows, a man who wears his baby/child - is so incredibly sexy. [it's like Gin....a "panty-dropper" ;)  ]

#7: I make my own hair conditioning mask with kitchen ingredients. Yep- avocados, olive oil, lemon juice, green tea, honey. Ah-May-ZING.

#8: I use all natural laundry soaps and stain treatments. Have you tried The Laundry Tarts ? I also like Nellies, also Canadian.

#9: I have a vegetable garden in my backyard. We grow tomatoes, green beans, onions, garlic, herbs...and corn last year. ha! That's what Mason wanted to plant...this year I might plant carrots!

#10: I love swaps. I love to trade for kids items, handmade items, clothing, household items, etc. Why spend money, when chances are you've got something to offer someone else ? Bartering, is back!

bonus #11 : I had 3 fully natural births and loved every second of them. Mason was my only partially medicated delivery and it was awful- hence the no meds going forth.

minutes after an amazing natural [drug-free]birth, Madison meeting her new baby sister.

Twice as much deliciousness!

Well,

I became an auntie again- to TWINS! My nephews were born on the 28th of March, I got to meet them tonight for the first time. They are scrumptious! So incredible, seeing two beautiful new babies at once. It still amazes me how the human body can create life to ONE baby, let alone multiple. Ah-May-ZING.

So baby C is the tiniest little thing, less than 5lbs now. I can honestly say I've never held a baby that small before but it felt so natural. He's the tiniest, sweetest little thing. My heart just melted when I saw the two. S is precious as well, and so snuggly! He is a carbon copy of his big brother M, who is now almost 3.5yrs old. Speaking of big brother...he is so proud, and looks so so big now that he's got two little munchkins in his house!

What a great way to end my otherwise chaotic day! Although- I did enjoy my visit from a great old  friend from University, and her little baby girl who is now 5months old, too! Lots of baby love today..just heavenly!

Love is all around you, embrace it!! <3

OMG

If one more person asks me if Mia was a preemie....I think I'm going to SCREAM. Right there, in their face, just ....scream.

Everyone gushes over my beautiful Mia, they always tell me how amazingly beautiful she is, how sweet she is, blah blah blah. Then they say- she must be so brand new!!

Mia sampled her first ever french fry today and LOVED it. I figured, hand-cut fries that were made fresh for our lunch were a safe bet to try for the first time instead of greesy fast food crap. The server came over to the table and we said " oh well she loved her very first french fry!" he looks and says " how new is she, she must be brand new!"..... right- as if I'm going to give my newborn baby, a friggen french fry. But it's true, people look at Mia and think she's  maybe about 2months tops. When I tell them how old she is, they give a look of concern like there must be something wrong with her, or as though she must have started out at a mere 2lbs or something. Someone said I should make a shirt for her to wear...and I think I might.

Mia will be 7 months on the 4th of April [ holy crap, how did 7 months come so fast?!?!] and she is still in her nb and 0-3month clothes. So yes, she's tiny. Is she heathy? She is so incredibly healthy, eats like a champ, advanced in her milestones, she's perfect- she's just petite. {she is also the most amazingly adorable little baby you'll have ever laid eyes on..seriously}

beautiful headband courtesy of Podee Olee sewing company! https://www.facebook.com/messages/532317180#!/podeeolee