Cancer Survivor, writing about Health and Fitness as you age

Just headlining it so you can ignore this post as you like. I've explained my difficulties with the public school system back in 2008 , but I figured since Lucas has now completed one year in private school, I've earned the right to another post.  So, what have I learnt over this past year? Broad spectrum Yes, rather self-evident, but there is a broad spectrum of how parents feel about education and parents may make choices that appear conflicting. For example, I have had one mother tell me that they believe in a public school education for their children. But then in the other breath, tells me that her son is doing Kumon Math after school, and extra Math over the holidays and extra reading to get his reading up 2-grade levels (ahead of where he's supposed to be). We, on the other hand, believe that except for homework and supplemental projects that Lucas might be interested in, school is for school and home is for play. I had extra lessons when I was in primary (ele...

This is my update post on things that you may not have been hearing much about recently. First up, summer camp. First Day Science Camp (to Lucas) "So what did you do today?" "We learnt about cells" He hands me a model of  a cell - a round, clear plastic container with stuff floating around in a clear liquid. Me pointing to something in it, "So, what's this? Is this the nucleus?" "No!", looks at me, "It's a cotton ball."  My Writing I've scaled back my ambitions to writing something very small that I can complete. A book for my 2-yr old. Well, I've finished the words and I am trying very hard to get time to illustrate it (at least roughly), for my own benefit to see how it could work. And that is where I've been for a few weeks. I did a few sketches and realized that I need to do some more. An illustrator I am not. My Vitiligo It's been a while since my last post about my condition. Since then, ...

I've blogged before about some of the things that an immigrant gives up to come to this land of opportunity, and I really felt that deeply earlier this year.  My husband had "minor" sinus surgery which unfortunately was scheduled for 6:30 am (with arrival time at 5:30 am).  We don't have family here, and I wasn't able to get my babysitter to look after the kids so eventually a friend of ours took G to the surgery and I went after I'd dropped the kids off that morning at a more sane hour. So a couple of points: "Minor" is in quotes because it required general anaesthesia.  Now where I'm originally from, that's something there is a chance you never wake up from, so any statement about "minor" and "general anaesthesia" is a total contradiction.  I felt so helpless knowing that I couldn't be there for my husband. He totally didn't get why I was willing to completely mess up the kids' routine so I c...

Liam has the habit of asking "Why?" for everything he comes across. Why, who, what... Lucas never asked questions, so maybe Liam is making up for it? I can't get a break from the questions, you know, where you answer the question and then his response is "Why?" and so on and so on.  It's like he's creating fishbone diagrams in his head.  Sad to say, sometimes I get so tired of answering that I just don't answer or I give a "That's just how it is" answer.  Many parents of pre-schoolers and beyond would be familiar with this phenomenon.  Here are just a few of the questions I answer on a daily basis: (and the fact that I've answered them once doesn't preclude me having to answer them again...and again) Why do I have to wash the soap off? Why does it rain? Will the thunder fall on my head? Why can't we hit the big truck? Why do we have to put gas (in the car) ? Why can't I peel it (the paint in the garage) off? W...

Some time ago I had posted my 5 truisms on parenting (with additional contributions from friends), and I thought I'd move on to another 5 - hence 5 more truisms!  Here goes: I consider myself lucky if I get even 1/2 the things on my shopping list if I have Liam in tow.  (I, at least have reached the stage where I don't forget my groceries, credit card, receipt, etc.). The mess in the house is directly proportional to the amount of fun the kids have playing. Just when you think you have your child well-trained, she shows you who is boss by getting sick, being cranky, refusing to nap, waking up in the night. Take your pick. Nobody knows how to push your buttons and make you lose your mind like your kids.  How do they do that? Life with children is filled with drama.  Feel free to add your own, maybe some truisms of parenting girls? Or boys?

"Stop it!"  "No!" "Don't do that!"  "Will you be quiet?!!"  "Go upstairs to your room!" "Well he started it!" "Why can't I get to watch the TV show that I want?" "Mom, he's bothering me" "Take turns I said!" "Liam! Stop it! You'll hurt brother!" "Lucas! Stop it! You'll hurt brother!" Why am I the only adult on the playscape? Hmmm. And why am I the only adult squeezing through this tiny tube in the bouncy castle?  Hmmmm. It's not even the summer vacation.  By the time the kids move out of the house, I'll have the patience of Job. As with all parent-child relationships, sometimes things go well, and then other times, well not so much. Right now, our current hurdle is being respectful.  In choice of words, tone and listening. It's an uphill battle, and not only because I have a sinking feeling that my child must be getting this fr...

I overheard a mom telling her, maybe 4-year old, not to watch T.V - this was on the way to dropping him off at the gym childcare.  You'd be pleased to know that I restrained both my voice and my eyebrows in response to this obviously ludicrous suggestion: That a 4-year old would be able to restrain himself if the television is on and his mother wasn't there and That the childcare staff would actually care I wasn't however able to restrain myself at a recent birthday party where a father sat his maybe 18-month son on the edge of a sandbox and told the poor tyke "You can play but you are not to go in."  I told the dad that he was evil, but I don't think I helped. Aside from those observations, it did get me thinking about the parenting style that says, "The kids have to learn the word 'No' " and the style that says, "I don't want to have to keep saying 'No' all the time, so I'll just not expose them to thin...