Well, it’s that time again! Time to celebrate the holidays with family and friends. It is apparently also time to write Christmas letters and stick them into cards to update said friends and family on your life for the last year. I love getting these, but I almost never get myself together enough to write one for our family. So instead, let me send this digital version to all my friends and family online. Here goes:
Dear friends and family, (and internet strangers) Continue reading
The time has come for the tiny human to join acceptable society in using the potty. It became apparent that the tiny human was not going to potty train himself, so the Captain and First Mate will have to bravely go where they haven’t gone before. (To the store to buy a potty.) The Captain and First Mate begin this stage by doing some reading. Though the reading makes them feel guilty for waiting until Tiny Human was so old to begin this journey, it also allows them to begin to imagine a future without diapers. Then they look at their other, tinier humans and quickly give up this dream. Finally, along comes the dreaded day.
Day 1: It begins
7:00am: Though the Captain and First Mate have been preparing the tiny human for this change for many weeks, he has been taken by surprise. Rather than comply with the inevitable, he is instead staging a mutiny! This will not stand. Continue reading
Naming a new baby is hard. Not only are there family traditions and individual preferences to consider but there is also the added stress associated with not giving our children a name that will haunt them forever. No pressure.
So how can parents choose the perfect name for their children? Here are some fun ways to test whether your name will lead your child to a life of success or doom them to total failure.
An Open Letter to Sleep Regression
Dear Sleep Regression,
On behalf of parent’s everywhere, I would like to tell you a few things that you need to hear.
First, you are a terrible house guest. You show up without warning, either way before or after the books say you are coming. I mean, would it kill you to call first? Send a text? We have lives, you know. You can’t just show up in the middle of the night like that. Especially on a weekday. And you always show up at the most inconvenient times: busy times at work, holidays where you need to deal with difficult and judgy people, when one parent is away. Continue reading
My mom thinks I am taking a nap, so I decided to give this blogging thing a try. Just give me a minute to learn how to type. Okay, I’m ready!
Even though I’m only 17 months old, I consider myself a pretty clear communicator. I wave, point, cry and nod with the best of them. I am not sure what else I could do. I mean, I guess I could learn some more words, but I’m pretty content with my vocabulary at this time. (Cheese, dog, bus, no and bye are really all I need to get most things.)The problem is, no one else seems to understand me. Continue reading
Well, we’re in the holiday home stretch now! With one week until Christmas, we have finished our shopping and wrapped all the presents. I know! I feel so on top of things this year.
My toddler would like to announce that he is also finished with his presents for the holidays. Spoiler: he went the “home made” route this year. He can’t exactly go to the store, after all. These gifts may be a tad unusual, but he thinks you will love them.
If there is one thing Canadians know how to do, it’s to dress for the winter conditions. Oh yes, come November we’ve got our cosy winter wardrobe ready to go. While it does hide our holiday pounds, it is a pain in the butt to put it all on. Seriously, we have to add at least 5 minutes of time to our morning routine just to put on our outdoor clothing.
And if there is one thing we dread more than getting ourselves bundled in 4 layers of clothing to go outside, it’s getting our toddlers ready to go outside.
I officially have a mom purse. No, not one of those big giant ones. You know, those ones that would be too big to be considered carry-on at the airport? No, t is a regular size purse, but it is a mom purse none the less.
What exactly constitutes a mom purse? Well, let me tell you. A mom purse is basically a diaper bag except that it also has your wallet. Unlike a diaper bag, however, a mom purse does goes with you even when your baby does not. I have been guilty of taking the mom purse on nights out, to work and even for coffee alone.
If you have 10 or more of these items in your purse, you may also have a mom purse: Continue reading
The Walking Dead is one of my favourite shows. Actually, my entire family are avid fans. We were so excited to see the season premiere this past Sunday. (And then horribly traumatized, but that’s another post.) Anyway, as we watched, I began to realize that the Walking Dead is exactly like parenting. Well, maybe a little more bloody, but otherwise pretty much the same.
Everyone with small children knows that your life completely changes. Keeping your small human(s) alive takes priority, which leaves you with not much time for yourself. I think most new parents find themselves missing their old lives at some point.
What I miss most isn’t eating dinner at a regular speed. It’s not using the bathroom alone and it’s not sleeping in. What I miss most is playing the piano.
I have been playing the piano since I was seven years old. What started as a hobby turned into a passion, which turned into a career and an identity. I used to play for 3 hours a day. Now I am lucky if I play 3 hours a year. You know why? It’s not the lack of motivation and it’s not the lack of desire. It is because of kids – mine and other people’s. Continue reading
Newbie Mom Site 