Newly Minted Member of “Hypocrites Anonymous”

The kids and I were driving today and after an ad on the radio for a diet company, my daughter said “Daddy didn’t have to go to them to get skinny.” What? Um? Huh?  She successfully pulled me out of whatever I was day dreaming about.

 

“Really? How did he do it, hunny?”

 

“He ate healthy food and started running.”

 

“Well that’s good.  Daddy got healthy.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Hunny, do you think you need to be skinnier?”  Oh please no, please no…you’re only 6!  I’ve always eaten in front of you, even when you were a baby to show that it’s okay for a girl to eat…

 

“No”  Phew!  Parenting pass! 

 

Then, out of nowhere, I asked the very insecure question… “Do you think Mommy is skinny?”  Parenting fail!

 

“Of course Mommy. You’re tall and skinny.”

 

Then, to my surprise, I actually felt relieved by her answer, and was surprised I even asked the question.  I am proud to be a woman who likes food (mmm…BBQ steak, potatoes and veggies), and am proud of my curves.  I don’t aim to be a size zero and know that I never will be.  Even when I modelled as a teenager, I was a size 6 with pretty much no body fat as I was a major athlete.  The modeling industry kept telling me to lose 5 – 15lbs, depending on who I was talking with, and I just looked at them and asked “from where?”.  They didn’t like that response.

 

So, here I am trying to raise kids to have a healthy view of food and body image, and yet I ask for validation that I’m “skinny”, and yet I’m not stick-thin.  Is there a “Hypocrite Anonymous” meeting I can attend?

Watching Them Do Their Thing

My daughter is the perfect combo of girlie girl and tomboy.  For example, today she wore a white dress with big pink flowers and a pink satin ribbon to play in the sand and water at the park (yes, it washes just fine or it would have magically disappeared a long time ago).  Yesterday, she picked up a frog without hesitation to show it to the smaller kids at the park. The bigger kids all started with a huge chorus of “ewww!!!”. She gave me this look that said “What? Why are they all grossed out?”.  I chuckled at the situation and asked her to put the frog down away from the other kids so no one stepped on it.

 

Among other things, my son loves seeing the world through a lens.  Whenever he can get his hands on my Blackberry, he’ll activate the camera even though I keep the key pad locked when I’m not using it, and look through the screen to see what’s right in front of him.  The look of wonder and analysis on his face is amazing and I just love watching him.  If you try to take a picture of him, he’ll wait for the “click” and then come over and pull your hand with the camera in it so he can see the screen to look at the picture – which isn’t a problem with inexpensive cameras, except when you are with a professional photographer – no hunny, you will NOT touch his camera for fear of your life!

 

This morning, I particularly loved just watching them play in, around and on the fort my daughter built in our living room.  Extra cute quotient was when my daughter referred to her fort as a hammock when she was lying on top of the sheet, or when my son was lying with his Scooby under a duvet in the middle of the fort. They looked ready for bedtime, all cuddled up together.

I love watching my kids do their thing.

The Weird and Wonderful World Wide Web

Wanted to share the weird/interesting/disgusting things people type into their search engines and somehow find my blog. 

The most popular search is “Wedding Ring Cartoon”, plus some other variations on that theme.  I would imagine it’s taking people to my blog entitled 42 Years and Counting….

I think the search term “best freckle friend” is just plain cute.  Everyone should all have our own “best freckle friend”, alas us natural redheads are few and far between.  I realize that all hair-colours and ethnicities have freckles but we are the originals.

One that confuses me is “cake birthday children twin man/woman 2 years”.  Umm, are the children twins and the man and woman are 2 years old?  Are the twins 2 years old?  Are the man and woman twins?  So many configurations of this search term that I hope whomever typed it in found what they were looking for.

“Marriage communication cartoons” – don’t look at me for advice about marriage communication.  My ex and I were definitely from different planets when it came to communication, actually probably different solar systems!

“6yo put back diaper” – yay! I wonder why someone was searching this term though. I know it’s a huge thing in my home when my son puts back his diapers after he’s thrown all the unused ones on the floor. Yay for the Tidy Up Song!

Two searches that are disturbing: “son mom hot” and “6 year old girl sex with mom”.  Umm…eww, with a HUGE helping of GROSS on the side.

So, to finish this up on a more positive note, I am pleased that my blog has also been found searching “no wedding rings” (tee hee…) and, more importantly, “words of wisdom inspirational quotes”.  That makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

Fill in the Blanks Friday – 08-26

 

1.  One of life’s most simple pleasures is getting a full night’s sleep PLUS sleeping in past 7am.

 

2.   Waiting on hold for a billion years when I call to make a doctor’s appointment sometimes bothers me, depending on whether I have other little things to do while waiting BUT, if the kids are demanding my attention, I hang up and try to remember to call back later. Operative word: “try”.

 

3.  I like knitting because, it stops me from emotional eating…which reminds me, I need to start a new knitting project.

 

4.  Inherently is a funny word. Not sure why, but I find it weird.

 

5.  If I had to choose one beauty product to use for the rest of eternity it would be moisturizer.  Not sure if it’s a beauty product, but sunscreen and aloe vera gel would be next on the list.  Redhead. ‘Nuff said.

 

6.  I’m happy that we moved back to my hometown.  We are all very happy here.

 

7.  I would never get married again…even though people say “just give it time”.  I can’t afford another “ex”, whether financially or emotionally.

ABCs of Me, Without Prompts

 

Yesterday, I posted “ABCs of Me, With Prompts”. Today I wanted to do it without prompts.

 

A – Autismis at the forefront of my life

B – Brother. I have one brother, who will always be my “little brother” even though he’s 4 or 5” taller than me, and I’m 5’10”!

C – Chai. Starbucks Tall/Grande Chai latte, no water, lactose-free milk. Period.

D – Daughter. Everyone comments immediately when meeting us how much she looks like me. Now that we are reconnecting with childhood friends of mine, they are amazed when they see her.

E – Extreme coupon wannabe. Getting coupons is easy, it’s getting coupons for specific items that I’m still working on.

F – Former fundraiser. Yup, people paid me to talk, attend events and ask for money for great causes – there’s no better job, in my humble opinion.

G – Green. My favourite colour.

H – Free Healthcare. See “I” why this is so important to me. I love living inCanada!

I – Intensive Behavioural Intervention Therapy. My son will be starting this therapy next month. 21 hours per week for at least a year of therapies specially designed for him.

J – Journaling. Started journaling when my marriage was ending. Interesting to hear the person I used then vs now, as the “audience” was different then (are you reading between the lines here?).

K – Knitting. I leaned how to knit last year and surprised my parents with a knitted blanket for the couch. Neither of them could believe I had made it.

L – Pumpkin Loaf. My kids have grown up eating this and everyone I know asks me to bring it to every potluck, even those that hate pumpkin.

M – Mabel’s Labels. No idea what I would do without them.

N – Not married. Well, legally I still am, but in my mind, I’m not, and am I’m proud of it.

O – Outgoing. I’m most comfortable and get my energy by being around others.

P – Potty training…the bane of my existence for many years: 6 years of diapers and counting. Ugh.

Q – Favourite quote: “You never know how strong you are, until you have to be.”

R – Redhead. And damn proud of it!

S – Son. My son is my biggest teacher. I’m fascinated with trying to figure out how Autism makes him think and see the world.

T – TWINS! I have the most amazing 6 year old twins.

U – Uterine Fibroid. SSOOOO glad it’s finally been removed.

V – Vacation. So need one. ‘Nuff said.

W –Writing. I’ve discovered in the last couple of years how much I love writing, whether it’s fundraising proposals like I used to do when I worked outside the home, or blogging.

X – Xylophone. I saw the Hamilton Orchestra perform earlier this year and was amazed by the xylophone for some reason, whereas usually I don’t even notice the instrument.

Y – Yoga. I’ve been doing yoga for about 15 years off and on (more “off” than “on” but I digress).  Started doing it at home with my daughter the other day and we’re planning on doing it regularily with my videos. 

Z – Ziploc bags. No idea what I would do without them.

 

 

My Sexy Minivan Has Issues

 

I dread rainy days.  Not only is it grey and rainy outside, our “sexy minivan” doesn’t like the rain either.  When it starts to get humid outside, random lights on the access panel start up and disappear.  Then, when it’s actually raining, it likes to stall on us.  Honestly, I don’t blame it.  I would rather stay home and not move either when it’s raining.  This morning was one of those mornings.  It took us 20 mins to drive the 2 mins to drop my daughter off at French camp. 

 

Usually, the van stalls in the driveway so I was pleasantly surprised when I had no problem getting out of the driveway.  Premature thought that “hmmm, last week’s oil change must have fixed the problem”.  Silly me.

 

We made it down the driveway (I should clarify, it’s a *farm* driveway…long) and onto the road without stalling.  We skid a little bit on the road but I just thought it was the rain on the road.  Made it off of the main road and stall…grrr.  Tried to start it about half a dozen times over the next 10mins.  Nothing. 

 

Two parents from French camp stopped to see if we were okay – apparently it’s a good thing to be a redhead in a small town because, although there are MANY families in town with the same minivan as us, they knew it was me because of my red hair.  Rain came in my window when I spoke with the parents so I took out the paper towel roll (yes, I keep a paper towel roll in my vehicle…I’m weird), and wiped down the inside of the driver’s side door.  My daughter jumped into action.  “Mommy, can I clean with you?” (she’ll help EVERY ONE else clean EXCEPT for me…go figure).  Absolutely!  So, we spent the next 5 mins or so getting paper towel wet outside, and wiping down the inside of the mini van, collecting garbage, and I wiped down the inside of the windshield with a cloth I have in the car too.

 

Happily, after cleaning, the mini van started and we were off to camp.  Great way to distract the kids AND we tidied up the inside of the mini van too.

ABCs of Me, With Prompts

I’ve seen “ABCs of Me” on a few blogs so I thought I would fill it out with the prompts…after all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?

 

A – Age: mid-30s

B – Bed size: Queen Size with lots of pillows

C – Chore you dislike: all of them, but I always procrastinate on putting away laundry.

D – Dogs: Golden Retrievers

E – Essential start to your day: Cuddles from my kids and tea.  

F – Favorite color: Green

G – Gold or silver: Gold

H – Height: 5’10”

I – Instruments you play(ed): Flute, piccolo and a bit of piano

J – Junk Food: Jalapeno Cheddar Doritos

K – Kids: Twins – one boy & one girl

L – Live: In Canada

M – Mom’s name: Starts with an A.

N – Nicknames: Red, Muggins, Muggs, Megs

O – Overnight hospital stays: Only to give birth to my twins

P – Pet peeves:  Weak handshakes

Q – Quote from a movie: Can’t think of one at the moment. One of my favourite quotes though is “A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world.  It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” ~ Agatha Christie

R – Righty or lefty: Righty 

S – Siblings: One younger brother

T – Time you wake up: Whenever my kids jump on me in the morning…anywhere between 6am and 8am.  Will have to “regularize” it for back to school.

U – Underwear: None of your business… :p

V – Vegetables you don’t like: Mushrooms and peppers

W – What makes you run late: Sometimes Facebook & Twitter; Other times it’s telling my kids over and over and over again each step to get out the door. Ugh.

X – X-rays you’ve had:  Right arm, right thigh, right ankle…hmmm, I’m noticing a theme. Teeth as well.

Y – Yummy food you make: Pumpkin Loaf

Z – Zoo animal favorites: Lions, tigers and bears (oh my!)

 

Come back tomorrow for ABCs of Me, without prompts.

Autism Makes it Through Marineland

Last week, the kids and I went to Marineland with two other families.  On our way home, I couldn’t have been more proud of both my kids, especially my son.

 

When we arrived, we went over the rules of the day, explaining the rules were because there would be so many people inside:

• No running off
• No whining
• No crying
• Stand quietly in lines
• When tell you to do something, you do it.
• No going to the bathroom without one of the grown ups
• If you get separated from the grown ups, find a staff person in uniform (and we showed them what the uniforms look like)
• When we tell you to eat or drink something, you do it (didn’t want them to get dehydrated)
• Be on your best behaviour
• And most importantly, HAVE FUN!

 

Thankfully, one of my friends texted to tell me about a program Marineland has for kids with special needs.  Upon arrival, we went to Guest Services and got a bracelet for my son (which he quickly took off, and we had to go back and get another one to put on his ankle).  The bracelet meant we could wait at the exit of each ride and be let in, without having to wait in lines. Phew!

 

We waited while some of our friends went on the Sky Screamer (there was no way I was doing that one!).  What truly amazed me was that my son excitedly waited for 4 other rides; his smiles and screeches of joy were amazing.  Throughout the day, he held my hand, stayed with me, did as I asked, self-regulated each time there was another child crying near us (crying is a trigger for him) so there weren’t any meltdowns.

 

He was fascinated by the beluga whales at Friendship Cove.  He had a tough time sitting through the dolphin show but he made it through.  

 

It was an amazing day.  In fact, at the end of the day, the other kids were a bit cranky, but my son wasn’t.  Actually, I’ll admit that I was the crankiest of all of us…being out in the sun all day takes a lot out of this redhead!

 

“Everyone DOES love Marineland”!

 

 * I was not paid for this post. Just sharing a family outing, and how amazing my son (who has Autism) did with all the over-stimulus during our day out. *

2 Truths 1 Lie 8/18 ANSWER!

MY 2 TRUTHS AND 1 LIE:

1) I have a fear of failing – This is the truth. In fact, this runs so deep that I won’t try anything new if I don’t think I’ll be good or excel at it. Issues. I know.

2) I have a fear of public speaking – This is the lie. I thrive on public speaking. Most of my jobs have required some type of public speaking, whether a small group of 20, or a large gathering of hundreds. Bring it on!

3) I have a fear of death – This is the truth.  It’s not so much that I fear death itself.  I fear dying and leaving my kids.

Fill in the Blank Friday

I just discovered “Fill in the Blank Friday” on MooseAndTater’s blog so I thought it was perfect for a fun Friday thing to do, along with my 2 Truths, 1 Lie post.  Enjoy!

1.  My idea of pure perfection would be long-term vacation at an all-inclusive resort that doesn’t have any other guests, preferably near or on a beach. No kids (temporarily as I can’t be away from them that long…or can I?). No commitments. Just lazing around, doing nothing but reading, writing, sleeping, daytrips to where ever, and tons of money to do whatever we wanted. 

OR

      Long-time cuddles with my kids, after they have brought me my Starbucks chai.

2.  Laughter is truly the best medicine.

3.  If it weren’t for my friends and family, I don’t know how I would have been able to function and take care of my kids after the end of my marriage.

4.  Bloggers are all crazy, myself included. Why else would we be excited by something as simple as filling in the blanks? I know I hated it on exams in school.

5.  If I had tons of money, I’d buy your mortgage off, buy a home for the kids and I mortgage-free, and send my mom back to university to study whatever she wanted.

6.  I’m glad it’s Friday because I have an exciting weekend filled with friends, BBQ and laundry… yes, I’m excited about laundry because it’s an inside joke, and no, I’m not going to explain it.

7.  Something I’m excited about is my son starting his Intensive Behavioural Intervention Therapy next month. We’ve been on the waitlist for more than 3 years and it’s finally here! Take THAT Autism!