friday, friday.

April 27, 2012 by mama lola

we have a fun weekend planned.

on saturday, a few friends and i are heading to the local women’s clothing swap without kids or dear husbands! last year i was so excited about the event and this year i am even more thrilled to be going. i have a lots of old clothes to contribute and am excited to revamp my wardrobe for a measly $8! last weekend was the kids clothing exchange and i unloaded a bunch of stuff the boys have outgrown and came home with a bursting with goodies.

i love these community events, because they bring people together and are so good for the spirit AND the environment!

[ i love this picture of bear.]

dear hubby is going to get his fancy new weed wacker out and wack some weeds with it! our lawn is over due for a trim and a cut, so let’s hope for sun. i am also hoping to get my fingers dirty with some beautiful fresh soil and a forsythia bush. i am going to go and buy myself one and plant it, since nobody else will!

saw these marimekko cons on pinterest and want them! they’re on sale at converse.com. mother’s day is coming up, soon, so i’m going to treat myself. or maybe dear hubby will read this and treat me!

i have signed up to do NaBloPoMo for may, which means i will be blogging daily again starting tuesday. i kinda like the added pressure to write! plus, i think there’ll be lots of fun things to write about, especially since the theme will be PLAY.

MERRY WEEKEND EVERYONE!

maple syrup festival.

April 1, 2012 by mama lola

saturday turned out to be a wonderful day. we headed to a maple syrup festival at a local conservation area and enjoyed our afternoon immensely. although the day started out cold and cloudy, by late afternoon the sun was out recharging our batteries in its warmth.

we walked through the woods and checked many buckets slowly filling up with sap, later to be made into syrup.

we enjoyed a wagon ride, pulled by two beautiful percheron horses, each weighing about 2000lbs. odessey and ollie. the kids loved the ride and we learned about the impending doom and gloom waiting the sugar maple trees in the near future. basically, thanks to climate change the sugar maples will start to move north looking for cooler temperatures. so sad.

we didn’t eat any pancakes as they contain eggs and we are officially egg free, but we did nibble on our own snacks and sipped hot apple cider. the boys ran and walked and frolicked the way kids should out in the fresh air. we checked out the birds of prey section, and saw some stunning snowy owls and two massive bald eagles.

then home for nachos and some bob the builder!

what did you do this weekend?

a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

November 27, 2011 by mama lola

i think my last entry about sharing really ruffled some feathers; my intention was not to offend or upset anyone, but at the time i was feeling really irritated after reading a terrible book to the kids about sharing. that being said, i do still question the way we teach and encourage sharing to our kids, but i question everything involved in mainstream parenting!
******
moving on…
so, sometimes i just want to give life the finger, ya know? i survived two rounds of strep each with different kinds of antibiotics and then sunday night the kids and i were smacked in the face with the flu. both kids have been lethargic and only today have picked up some more momentum. myself, i broke my fever last night alone in bed with my flannel lined hot water bottle (thanks sun). i’m still tired, but at least the ravaging fever is gone, but now the kids and i are hacking up our lungs with a painful dry cough. fingers crossed dear hubby doesn’t get sick as he is the last man standing… i asked dear hubby to come home stocked with new toothbrushes for all of us, he bought like a million; good man!

tomorrow brings day 6 of spending every waking minute together with the kids and it’s starting to show. but, i don’t think bear is well enough to go to preschool in the AM or ballet in the PM, so fingers crossed we survive.
friday is supposed to be date night, but i think we’re going to cancel. we’re all exhausted and the house is toxic with sickness. i just threw in a load of laundry, but almost burst into tears as i scanned the mountain growing in the basement.

painting mummo’s birthday card.

tomorrow is december 1st and the advent calendar i dreamed to have ready for the kids is not done. all this sickness has zapped me of my energies and i am overflowing with guilt. my new goal is to have it done soon, but as many kind people have reminded me, my kids don’t know it’s coming and have no idea it’s supposed to happen for a specific number of days. whew….

oh, one final vent… my laptop is STILL being repaired. it’s been just over a month now and according to future shop they can have it for up to 60 days. that takes me to x-mas. what a pain in the butt ya know? computers are great, until they aren’t.

MERRY HUMP DAY!

i have a beef with the "S" word.

November 25, 2011 by mama lola

that darn “S” word has been on mind: SHARING. because of the ages of my kids and the activities we involve ourselves in outside the home, we hear that word a lot. in my expert, mama opinion, we have taken the word “share” and twisted it into something meaningless. adults are constantly telling their kids “to share their toys” without ever actually talking about what it means to share.

wikipedia defines the act of sharing as “the joint use of a resource or space”.

sharing, therefore is not the same as taking turns, but that’s what adults in our society have made it into. the whole idea “oh, sweetie you have wait until ken is done playing with that dolly and then it’s your turn. good sharing barbie”. what on earth does that statement mean? i interpret that as “ken, you only have so much time until your turn is done and then it’s barbie’s turn”, which is technically not sharing, but forcing and intimidating ken to give up the toy he is playing with. what if ken wants to play with the dolly for an indefinite amount of time? what if ken is inside his imaginary world, but because of greedy barbie his game is forcibly interrupted and hence, devalued? that is not sharing. that is bullying. sounds harsh, but i truly believe that.

sharing, i think, is suggesting to barbie to go and find another dolly and play with ken and share in his experience. (obviously checking with ken that he’s ok with barbie joining the game). or staring her own game and leaving ken the hell alone. the joint use of space and resources- bam!

why is it assumed that when kids visit their friends, that all of those toys are to be shared. what if ken doesn’t want barbie playing with his surf board, why as adults do we force ken to share the toy? why are there no limitations or boundaries and why is it not ok for kids to say no to their friends? for myself and my things, there certainly are items that are mine and just mine. not everything in my home is for the other members of my family to touch or use, i ask for privacy and i think that’s ok.

our society has removed itself from the idea of sharing resources; for example back in the day several families might invest in tools or a car or something together and reap the benefits of reduced spending and shared maintenance. nowadays it is rare to borrow or lend out items to people in the neighbourhood who are not close friends or family.

adults yimmer on at kids about sharing, but there is little discussion about what that word actually means. it’s not just about toys, but about sharing time, space, ideas, feelings, being with each other.

i desperately try not to use that word at home. i can be heard saying out there in the world, because i feel as though i will judged if i do not insist bear gives up his bucket at the park to a friend. bear has brought that word home, and i have tried to explain to him in other ways how to share and what it means to share with his friends.

the pictures are of bella. a kitty who is shared between our household and my folks’. she was once more my responsibility and now she lives with my parents.

share the love people!

the mental health side of things.

October 13, 2011 by mama lola

Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

~World Health Organization, 1948

i’ve wanted to write about this topic for a while now. it’s a tough topic to get in to, without getting too heavy, but i think it’s time my wee blog tries to break the stigmas linked with mental health. our society invests millions of dollars in encouraging people to take care of their physical health, by recommending what foods to eat (and not to eat), diseases to be aware of and how to avoid them, what vaccines to take and when and it’s all fine and dandy, but what about the other healths that make us human.

our mental and emotional healths also need our attention in order to be balanced, secure and happy. when i was in college studying to become an addictions and mental health counsellor, i was astonished to hear that 1 in 4 people live with a mental health illness. now, that does not mean they have been formally diagnosed, but it does mean that there are a whole lot of us struggling, often alone.

if you do the math, 1 in 4 is a lot of people in your family, circle of friends, co-workers, uni pals, neighbours, whoever. and that doesn’t even count the number of different kinds of illnesses people can have or that some people even have more than one illness! mental health is all a part of a continuum, giving it flex to move and shape itself; some days are better than others, some years are darker than others and some decades can be a blur, while others are meticulously planned and lived.

so why the judgement? my guess is fear. mental health or unhealth can present in ways that are frightening to those witnessing the behaviour but is also terrifying to those living with it. the mind is a very powerful source of doubt, pain, misinformation, paranoia, fear, distrust, self-loathing, hatred, hopelessness, and a slew of other horrific symptoms that are difficult to imagine. medications can help, but they often come with a long list of adverse effects, which can be difficult to live with. Some people have found fewer side effects in cannabis from budmail alternative green society. This can help but doesn’t take away how difficult it is to manage these perspective-altering conditions.

Living with mental health issues can be a challenge each and every day, it seems like there is a neverending hell and upset going on inside the person’s head, they need support from people, whether it be from friends, family or a trusted confidant, if they have someone to talk to it can help with the pain and possibly even lessen it. There are treatment centres that can help people work through their issues such as addiction, anxiety and depression, the list can go on, no matter where you live you’ll be able to find a place where they can help you, from mental health treatment in houston to mental health treatment in Deleware, no one is alone and letting them know that can help. There are other natural options to help relieve anxiety and put you in brighter spirits if you’re living with depression, for a certain amount of time. Some people use medical marijuana for these cases, which you can find on sites like purplelotus. It is worth exploring this option if there is a chance it will improve your quality of life.

if you know someone living with a mental health illness or you suspect someone is, reach out and support them. this does not mean “curing” them or becoming their counsellor, it means to offer to baby-sit their kids, take them out for a long walk, call and touch base regularly, make them dinner, offer to clean their house or hire a service with help from others such as the Renewed Freedom Center, go to appointments with them, basically be a friend. many people, when diagnosed with a mental health illness lose their friends at a time they so desperately need the extra support.

what did YOU do for your mental health today?

hillside

July 28, 2011 by mama lola

the day was far from perfect, but it was a fabulous day anyway! we all struggled with the unrelenting sunshine pouring down on us. we hit the beach for a quick splash, food and a break from the stimulation. then we headed to the island stage for some shade where lion napped on the ground and the rest of us enjoyed some spoken word. very cool.

our chariot only has a jogging wheel, so dear hubby did some magic and attached two ghetto wheels from an umbrella stroller on the front of the chariot. the retro-fit worked like magic on the paths, grass and asphalt. saved us a bundle too!

bear was a grumpy grouch during by dinner time. i will summarize with the three words: screaming, barking, whining. so, we strapped both kids into the chariot and strolled around. bear fell asleep quickly (yippii) and stayed asleep for hours! so great! lion fell asleep soon after and we set him down on the grass as we settled in by the main stage. dear hubby and i grooved to serena ryder, danced and ate some AMAZING ginger-flavoured ice cream.

at around 10pm, when the last act was about to go on, bear woke up! he danced and danced to the indie rockers, sloan. dear hubby and bear were jumping and kicking to the tunes and loving every minute of it!

can’t wait to go back next july!

wrap it up already…

July 21, 2011 by mama lola

i’ve been moving really slowly this week. i blame the heat and unbearable humidity; it goes straight to my head and zaps my brain. just like tequila shots. here’s a quick update on our goings on…

* saturday we hit downtown with the chariot and bikes to check out art on the street. it was a blazing hot day, but it was great event and we even bought a piece of art for the playroom (more on that later). then, we had bubba and patty over for dinner. the kids loved it. we miss ’em! we used to have dinner with them at least once a week before we moved.
* i have re-introduced coconut milk into my stir-fry recipe and am not sure why i stopped buying it.
* last weekend we hit our favourite beach for hours of fun. this weekend we’re going to hillside, a fantastic music festival close to home.
* bear has been attending gymnastics camp with his buddy lil’C. they have gone every morning for three (glorious) hours giving this mama a small break.
* bear is refusing to pee standing up at the toilet. not sure why. not sure how to rectify the situation as he was doing it just fine for a long time.
* lion is teething his 7th tooth and wants to be held A LOT!
* i thought we were interviewing a potential baby-sitter today and after a quick tidy, dear hubby racing home, i checked my email and realized i got my dates mixed up. she’s coming next week instead apparently. shoot.

time to start drinkin’.
cheers!

we sang o’ canada countless times on friday.

July 7, 2011 by mama lola

canada day.
canada. hungary. anthems. music. noon. bourbon. tradition. food. trampoline. bacon. hot dogs. muffins. fire. conversation. beer. friends. hammock. trees. family. love. laughter. blue skies. sunshine. baseball. hats. smiles.

cottage.

family. friends. traditions. swimming. splashing. playing. burning building. cabin. sunsets. sleep. water. loons. naps. chipmunks. forest. trees. pine cones. sticks. waves. boats. canoeing. books. newspapers. conrad black. conversations. tears. memories. history. rock. beer. wine. shandies. food. bbq. deer. flowers. flashlights. walking. advice. raccoons. lost glasses.

and then we’ll do it all again next year!

treeplanting, it’s in our blood.

June 26, 2011 by mama lola

as many of you know, dear hubby and i met and fell madly in love up north in the woods while working as treeplanters. this weekend we were able to pass the legacy on and teach bear a little bit about trees and how to plant them.

it all started a few months ago when the kids at bear’s pre-school received some seeds from a local nursery and planted them. after watering and caring for them, the seeds grew into tiny seedlings that the kids were quite proud of.

it’s all thanks to a this amazing local program that reforests parks, schools and even private homes for free. it’s funded through tax dollars and is quite a unique program run by volunteers.

the kids got their picture taken by a photographer from community paper. here’s an example of the kinda silly faces the kids were putting on. two questions a) why can’t kids smile naturally? b) why does bear not even look at me when i’m trying to take his picture, never mind smile/ grimace? i get his picture by chance usually!!!

there was situation with a bee, but lil’C (in the curls and hair band) took control of the situation and told everyone to stand back.

happy days ahead!
go plant a tree!

schoooools out for the sum-mah!

June 26, 2011 by mama lola

bear has been attending a lovely pre-school since last september. as some people may recall from my facebook statuses, it was a difficult transition for bear to make. there were buckets of tears and gallons of “i don’t wanna’s” and hours of fighting getting him strapped into the dreaded car seat.
but, then one day it stopped being a battle and he started asking to go to pre-school. in the mornings he was easier to dress and get in the car, and there were no tears. well, certainly not about going to school, perhaps about having to wear shoes or whatever.

bear was tremendously lucky as he had two amazing, loving and committed teachers who helped him find his independence. remember, he was only two-and-a-half when he started with a brand new baby brother at home and mama who had been away after the birth. plus, we were still in the throws of toilet training, so we were all quite emotional. bear’s teachers acknowledged his sweet, quiet side and let him be silent for months. apparently he never spoke until after christmas! shocking!
but then the flood gates opened, even at home and all of these songs and stories about his friends at school came rushing out. bear had found confidence in himself to share with us parts of his life that do not really include us. pre-school is his own thing.

bear and his friend lil’C on the last day of school on thursday, standing proudly by their hooks; bear dashing out the front door.

well, today after months of heading out on tuesdays and thursdays, was the big GRADUATION celebration. it was the loudest, cutest and most chaotic event ever! unfortunately due to the rain we were not able to celebrate outside at the park, but were stuck inside.

first the kids and caregivers got to run some morning beans out in the gym. there were plenty of toys for all the kids to play with.

check out the beautiful hand collage the kids made; oddly, bear’s hand was missing two fingers!

the kids put on a show for the adults. with the help of one of their AMAZING teachers they sung a few songs, which made me a little teary eyed. the cuteness was so overwhelming!

at the end of the performance each pre-schooler received a t-shirt with the school’s name on it and a bucket and shovel. pretty fancy stuff; bear was over the moon!

i’ve tried to explain to bear that he will not be going to pre-school for a few months as it is summer. he seems very confused. he’ll be back in the fall and won’t start real school until the fall, of 2012, which i am secretly relieved about. i’m not quite ready for him to grow up so fast!