4th Time in 4 Years…No Guilt

I seem to be publishing more videos on Youtube recently than writing here on my blog so, if you want to keep current with what I’m up to, check out my Youtube channel here: I’m A Mom Too.

I’m writing today because I’m enjoying something and wanted to share it with you. Ii’m currently enjoying…

a chai latte…

caesar salad…and sweet potato fries.

This may not be a big deal to some and normally, it’s just a little treat to be able to go out and enjoy these foods at a cafe, on a weekend when the kids are at their dad’s, and where I didn’t have to cook.

Today however, it’s a bigger deal. See, my ex-husband (the kids’ father) asked last week if he could pick the kids up from school tonight. Random request, even though our Court Order states that he is supposed to pick the kids up from school every other Friday for the weekends they are with him AND also every Wednesday night for an overnight. He doesn’t. I drop the kids off at their dad’s at 7pm every other Friday and he doesn’t do the mid-week visit because he works out of town.

An added thorn in my side is that, despite being in Court twice and mentioning that he has never talked to me about whether it’s ok if he doesn’t do the mid-week visits (which frankly, it doesn’t matter to me…but I’m sure the kids would love to see him every Wednesday). He even emailed me months ago asking if the kids can come back to me mid-week when they are at his place over the summer for “four non-consecutive weeks”, stating how “important it is” for the kids to see each parent throughout the week…umm, I know. I’m the one cleaning up the pieces every time they tell me they want to see him more often than for four days per month. He’s also never taken me up each time in Court when I suggest we “switch” some of that mid-week time to one-on-one time for each of us, with each of our twins, on one of the weekends they are supposed to be with me in a month. His response is always “we’ll see”…which I’ve learned to translate as “no, but I don’t want to outright say that”.

So, here I enjoy the FOURTH time in four years where I haven’t had to rush to pick the kids up from school, IBI therapy or meet my son’s bus…three of those four times were when I had to arrange for the kids’ dad to pick them up from school because I had an out-of-town event (the 4th time, my boyfriend picked them up).

This is the FOURTH time in four years where I’ve had the time flexibility to chit chat with my colleagues after my shift is done because I’m currently at placement related to my return to school in Fall 2013.

This is the FOURTH time in four years that I haven’t had to make the kids’ after school snack because they are “starving” and haven’t “eaten in forever” as soon as they walk in the door.

This the FOURTH time in four years that I have been able to enjoy a leisurely way to get home. To stop at a cafe, enjoy some youtube videos, people watch, see the mom and little girl in the booth next to mine on a “mother-daughter date”, and write just because I enjoy writing. Not write an essay or assignment for school (although I should be because I have logs I have to submit for my placement, but I don’t feel like it).

I’m just spending some time doing NOTHING. I don’t have to be anywhere for another three hours. I may go for a walk along the waterfront after I’m done in the cafe. Who knows? I have three more hours to waste…and I’m not going to feel guilty about it. I’m going to enjoy my chai. Enjoy the sun shining outside. Enjoy this fourth time in four years.

Cheers!

A Medical Professional Said WHAT?!! (#Autism)

Never ceases to amaze me what medical professionals will say about our kiddos and their abilities…

Our First #SnowDay of the #School Year

Today, we woke up to a beautiful winter wonderland…and our first snow day of the school year!

         

We spent some time with the neighbours in our little culdesac, shoveling out everyone’s sidewalks and driveways, and playing with some of their dogs.

          

The kids were both exhausted and happy.

     

When we came back inside, I was getting hot chocolate and marshmallows in the kitchen and realized that somehow snow had come in from under the back door overnight. I moved the bookshelf and found a bunch of snow.

     

I cleaned it up and, while the bookshelf was moved and half of the kitchen floor was now clean and dry, I figured I would take advantage of it and start putting the laminate flooring I had bought last week, on at least that portion of the kitchen floor. For the last two years since we moved into our home, we just had the underflooring that had been hiding underneath the horrible flooring we had to pull out before redoing the kitchen.

Soon, my daughter got curious about what I was doing in the kitchen and the next thing I knew, she was helping!

Now we have a beautiful kitchen floor, that we laid ourselves…

     

…and my daughter has even asked if something new can be added to her chore chart: mopping the kitchen floor!

But #Moms Can’t Have #Concussions

Last Saturday, I was at an event where I ended up getting hit in my left eye socket with someone’s mask (it was a costume type of event). It hurt but it was manageable. Sunday morning, I was pleasantly surprised to not wake up with a black eye. Started having a headache later throughout the day but again, manageable with some Advil. Went to bed that night with an ice pack on that side of my head because the headache seemed to be getting worse. No big deal. A good night’s sleep will help.

Monday morning, I woke up with an almost migraine and after finishing the last school drop off, I called my chiropractor to get adjusted, hoping I wouldn’t have the sore eye socket AND a migraine. Told my chiropractor why I was there, and surprisingly, he was able to adjust my eye socket and jaw (which had also gone into a spasm), as well as everything for the almost migraine. He confirmed that he believed I have a mild concussion. Later that day, there was a bit of darkening in that eye socket, but it was gone by Tuesday morning.

Tuesday morning, I had meetings at the kids’ school, which had been scheduled prior to Christmas so I couldn’t cancel. I followed as best I could because I was still pretty fuzzy-headed. Thankfully, someone else takes minutes for one of the meetings so I look forward to reading them when they come out…make sure what I remember from the meeting actually happened. I took notes, but seeing them today, there isn’t much context unfortunately.

What has been amazing throughout this, is my daughter. She’s been constantly checking in with me, asking how I’m feeling, telling me she loves me even more than usual, and even opening my car door for me. Yesterday morning, I told her that I wasn’t sure if I was starting a fever or just having a really long hot flash. 😉 Next thing I knew, I could hear her in the kitchen and she brought me an ice pack from her lunch, wrapped in a paper towel (photo above).

Last night, when we got home, she told me to go lie down on the couch. Again, I heard her rustling around in the kitchen. She brought me a cold water (ice cubes and all) and a snack, which of course consisted of her favourite snacks: goldfish crackers and a rice cake. No wonder why she received the Empathy Award at school last year!

She has been so amazing through all of this, and I can’t wait to be all better (even less fuzzy-headed would be helpful, but at least I can see the computer screen properly today…although it’s tough work!)…but while I’m healing, it’s amazing to see how much she is mini-me in trying to take care of me; tuck me in; bring me snacks. I’m in awe of her empathy, and her natural ability to help look after someone else. She amazes me.

Something Lovely at #Starbucks…and it wasn’t just the #chai!

If you follow me at all, you know that I prefer Starbucks chai…but I also enjoy the environment/ambiance at Starbucks locations. Regularly, I start up conversations with others about nothing in particular, but it’s still nice. I wanted to share a lovely experience my best friend and I had on the weekend, where we saw someone….

Meal Planning & #SpecialNeeds…?! (#Autism)

I had an “aha!” moment yesterday at mom’s group. The speaker was talking about meal planning and, honestly, whenever this is the topic, I never want to attend. When I was married, I was very regimented abut meal planning. Every Saturday morning, I sat down with the flyers and my recipe books, see what was on sale for the week, make a meal plan for the week then take the kids to the market and library. I would buy staples during the week (pasta, rice, meat, etc), and buy fruits and veggies (and a couple of cookies as a treat for the kids while we were out) for the meal plan.

The rest of the weekend, my slow cooker and oven were going, cooking all the meals for the week so I didn’t have to do anything other than remember to thaw that night’s meal, warm it up and serve throughout the week.

After my marriage ended and my kids’ sensory issues became more prominent, I stopped menu planning. They are very restrictive with their foods, based on blandness (is that a word?!) or spice or shapes. I basically have been eating whatever I felt like of the two dinners I make them each night, or just do up a Mr Noodles for myself. I didn’t see the “point” of meal planning anymore.

My “aha!” moment today was that yes, I can still menu plan…I just need to tweak it a bit, same as what I do for pretty much everything else in our lives. So, I created a Menu Planning Template that I wanted to share…which includes space to write what the kids are eating and what the adults are eating. Nothing fancy:

Meal planning template

Please feel free to print off as many as you wish…and offer feedback below in the Comments section.

I’m also hoping (fingers crossed!) to vlog about my journey with getting back into menu planning so be sure to Subscribe to my Youtbe Channel to check in (or remind me to do it!).

Seriously though, I hope this template is helpful for you…and me! 😉

Why I Haven’t Been Writing (#YouTube)

Not only have I been crazy busy with school assignments, exams, and well, just life in general but I also started something new…my own Youtube channel! Here’s my Channel Introduction:

The entire playlist of the videos I’ve recorded so far:

 

The videos include:

• Mommy Scenario Tag Video
• 8 Things Never To Say To A SAHM
• My First Poppy of the Year…Centered Around My Height…? – Apparently the “other gentleman” was hitting on me, or so one of my Likers on FB informed me. Clearly, I’m “out of the game” as I didn’t see it. Sigh.
• Calling All Introverts to Support Network – A vlog based on reflections after yesterday’s “coffee time” with parents with kids with Autism, who are interested in the workshop series a girlfriend of mine and I have created.
• First Dollar Store Video – I see these all over Youtube so I figured I would jump on the bandwagon and do my own. 😉

So, be sure to Subscribe to my channel to see videos as soon as they are published. Comment down below if you have a Youtube channel, with a link to it as I would love to subscribe to yours too. Thanks to a few friends in real life and some online followers/Likers for supporting/pushing me to do this.

My Friday as a SAHM

Today, I felt like “Suzy Homemaker”. Seems to happen on Mondays or Fridays in my world. Nothing much of note, just your typical Stay-At-Home-Mom stuff:

• folding three loads of laundry that have been piling up all week, and putting them away
• doing two other loads of laundry
• sweeping and wet Swiffering the downstairs
• two loads of dishes
• cleaning the kitchen
• dusting
• baking a pumpkin loaf and pumpkin muffins.

Needless to say, after picking the kids up from school, I was exhausted, so after giving the kids their after school snacks, I had my first chai of the day…with some of the pumpkin loaf of course. 😉

Honestly, after dinner, I napped a bit on the couch. Then I packed their overnight bag for them to go to their dad’s for the weekend and we headed to the pet store to pick up some food for our cats.

Then dropped my kids off at their dad’s, even dropping them off about 10 minutes earlier than usual as it didn’t take as long at the pet store as expected…despite my daughter wanting to bring all five kittens home with us. No! Two cats are enough! 😉

Now, I’m sitting back, drooling over Shemar Moore watching Criminal Minds, with a cider, getting ready for a very busy weekend. So really, not an “exciting” day, but a productive one, where I feel blessed being able to look after my family.

My Son’s #SpecialOlympics Day was Special for #Mom Too!

About a month before the end of school, a Special Olympics day was held in town. I didn’t know what to expect but I was really excited…probably more than I should have been, but it was the first time my son and I got to attend with his class because he had been in IBI therapy for previous years.

I was amazed at the sheer number of children and schools that were in attendance. My son is fortunate to be in an Autism-specific class so my man and I met them at the school that was hosting the event. It was hard to find parking! None of the spots in the school’s parking lot were available so we had to park a few blocks away. We found my son’s class, under a little pop-up sunshade. Apparently all other students were gathered in the school’s auditorium for Opening Ceremonies. With the hundreds of children, personally, I think my son’s class was smart NOT going in there!

Soon, we heard bagpipes as all the students were starting to file out of the school to the field.

Each of the children had “passports” to get stickers at each activity. Needless to say, the kids loved choosing stickers for each one!

One of the activities was a race for each class. The volunteers overseeing the race lined all my son’s class and explained that they will count to three then everyone run. They counted down, and all the kids ran…past the finish line and all the staff and parents started chuckling…no one had told our kiddos to stop at the finish line, so they just kept on running! LOL! The volunteers ran after them and told them all to stop. It was so cute!

There was also beanbag toss, “javelin” (with a pool noodle) and ball throw:

I was amazed at the shear numbers of children, and everyone’s different abilities, both visible and invisible to the eye. It was wonderful to see all the helpers (both school staff and volunteers for the day) supporting all these children to have fun for the day.

A quick shout out to my son’s amazing teacher…I LOVE this picture of her with one of my son’s friends. I think it perfectly shows how much she loves her job, and her kindness towards our kiddos. I wish I could clone her for EVERY single one of our kiddos on the Autism Spectrum!

 

Many Faces of #Autism – Rebecca

So happy to introduce you to my brilliant and wonderful stepdaughter: Rebecca. I’m so proud of her for wanting to share her journey with her diagnoses of Asperger’s and Misophonia. Drum roll please… 😉