Untethered Typings

In school Lily's class has been learning about the human body and all its parts. As a piece of this unit they did a cute little activity that involved writing a statement about one of their body parts and having their photo taken demonstrating that statement. A brief intermission before I proceed with the story. In my mom role I rarely set out to deliberately teach my kids anything. As I type that I realize it doesn't exactly make me look like Mom of the Year. Not sure I was ever in the running for that award, anyway, so I'll just carry on. There are only two things I can think of that I have set out to teach my kids so far - meaning I have spent time planning and executing the teaching of them. These things are sleeping and toilet training, and I've got to say that I found neither of them enjoyable. I guess I'm just not a flash card flipping-type mom. I suppose there could be a sense of accomplishment if I did try very hard to teach my kids something specif...

My husband and I put our kids in swimming lessons because we insist they know how to swim. Because we’re controlling. Because we dictate what activities they will enjoy. Because we expect nothing less than Olympians in ten to fifteen years’ time. Okay, fine. It’s actually a lot less boring than any of those reasons. See, it’s just for plain old survival’s sake. When one set of grandparents has a pool and the other a cottage on a lake, it becomes (to us) a no-brainer. Know how to swim or, well - let’s not think of the alternative. Except I had to do just that today: think of - and actually witness - the very beginning of the alternative. Not pretty folks. And just wait till you find out where it happened. Swimming lessons. So, here’s the deal. I take my middle daughter to her lessons in the afternoon on a weekday at an old city pool. These factors combine to render those lessons very sparsely populated. We’re talking even with two sets of lessons running at the same time, no...

So this blog is all about this "new" life, which is really just my reality now, as it's been five years since I started this deal. My everyday reality - must be thrilling, right? Thrilling it is not, of course. That's why I don't post my every move on here. But, there was a bit of excitement around these parts the other night in the form of a sleepover. Now, to any non-parents reading this, that word may not elicit much of a reaction (except to wonder, perhaps, where we were sleeping over). To all parents reading this, I know how excited on my behalf you got when you read that word. And maybe a bit jealous. Because you know how very awesome that word can be. That kind of freedom, even fleeting, can be mind-blowing. Seriously. Now before you go all hog wild and think that some crazy soul had all three beasties for a sleepover, you should know that this guy stayed behind with us: When you have your first baby your life is so entirely rearranged that it be...

First off, despite its title, this post isn’t about the tv show, though I am a fan of it. It’s a primetime comedy that is, shockingly, actually funny. Like, really funny. Makes-me-cry-and-maybe-hit-my-husband (gently, but firmly) -as-I-snort-and-howl-like-an-idiot funny. Anyway, enough about that. As you may or may not have heard, the third wee beastie has graced our family with his appearance. I now have a son and it still feels a little awkward saying that but feels really awesome to be living it. I strive to aptly title my posts, so though I could pretty much write a zillion posts about how very amazing the babe is and collectively call them “The coolest thing that’s happened to me lately”, the title of this here post tells you it’s headed in a different direction. My husband and I bought our house six and a half years ago. We liked that it is in an established, older neighbourhood, that it's not too big and not too small - oh, and was in our price range. The thing about...

As we were driving today I could hear my oldest daughter singing, but couldn't make out the words. Once she finished she said, "Do you want to know the name of my song, Mom?" Of course I did. I'm a mom. It's what we do. "It's 'Let Your Life Be the Heart of a King Whose Own Father Made Him'." Me, after a shocked glance in my husband's direction:" Wow, that's fantastic! Did you make that up by yourself?" She did. "What an incredible song, sweetheart." Then my youngest daughter piped up, "Mom, wanna know the name of my song?" I hadn't noticed she had been singing a song but of course, yes, yes I did want to know. "It's 'Donuts'." And, just so you can get the full picture, she carried on with the tune after announcing its name. It went a little something like this: "Donuts, donuts, donuts, donuts, donuts..." I laughed, a lot. As did my husband. My kids are awesome. Both of ...

The other night my husband asked me, “What’s it like to be pregnant?” If you think that’s a bit of an odd query, given that this is now my third pregnancy, I wouldn’t disagree with you. However, I choose to take the positive route and view such a question as sustained interest in my pregnant state, and me in general. “Seven year itch my left foot! He loves me! He really loves me!” Then, after the question, came an interesting request: “Can you write a blog about it?” “You want me to tell you what it’s like to be pregnant via my blog?” “Yeah.” “Weird. Really weird. But okay.” So here we are. By the way, I also choose to look at the blog request positively – that he wants me to communicate with him in writing rather than in person. He thinks I’m just such a fantastic written communicator that blogging is the best way to convey this info to him. Let us not consider the flip side of this. Before I get to the whole point of this post, a statement: every pregnancy is different. An an...

So it appears (I have been away from this blog so long I have forgotten) that I called this blog-deal "This New Life." Well, with that kind of title it seems fitting that I add this little tidbit of info here since I'm about to change my life in a major way yet again. Come summer, there will be three little'uns running (wait, two running and one sleeping, crying, giggling and drooling) around my place. Exciting. Crazy. Funny. And exciting, again. I expected to have, by now, been asked if this pregnancy was actually planned and wanted by some daft soul, but that has not yet transpired. There is certainly time for that, though, so I will await that query. This also gives me time to come up with a pithy response. And off I go to do just that.