How do we fill our days? Well, I've said it before, but my 10 month old is a going concern. Into everything, crawling and walking (well, stumbling like a drunken sailor, but we're getting there)- always on the move.  We climb the stairs, jump on my bed, chase our cat, eat when forced, go out on mini-trips, kick a bouncy ball, sing some songs, read some books and attempt the occasional nap.  It's hard to get The Boy to sit still for any amount of time and concentrate one toy. I've exhausted myself trying to find something fun for him... More »

Ah, the PlayDate.  There is no real way for a new mom to be properly prepared for all that a playdate entails.  There is no way for a new mom to know that there is an entire unwritten guidebook full of dos and don'ts surrounding playdates.  And there is NO WAY for a new mom to be prepared for the inevitable playdate stayer.In life, I think there are two general types of people- stayers or goers.  Neither is better then the other, they just have two different approaches to social situations. Let me explain:Goer- This is me.  Generally one of... More »

I'm learning that The Boy is not all mine.  Oh, I wish he was, but in 5 weeks I will be returning to work full-time and he will have to learn to get used to something new- new routines, new ways of eating/sleeping/playing etc...In order to prepare him for this change from "mommy, 24/7" to "mommy, an hour in the morning and three hours at night and ALL weekend long (thank God!)", I  am trying to leave him for a few hours a week with various people.  My thinking? I don't want it to be a huge shock to his... More »

She's THAT Mom is a blog series that will highlight one mother who embraces an alternative parenting philosophy, in hopes that we as mothers can learn from and grow with each other.  New moms will be featured monthly.  Leave a comment discussing your ideals, thoughts, questions, or concerns, and what you agree and disagree with.  Looking forward to learning with you!Meet Christine- Our  Music-Loving Momma.  Mother to three, Christine and her two sons were recently named the winners of the Canada wide Munsch at Home contest, put on by the ABC Literacy Foundation and Honda Canada.  Her winning story, Myles... More »

Remember when you had your baby?  Your first baby.  The one that was supposed to eat, sleep, and poop.  Oh, and cry only when really necessary and only for a moment until you swooped in and figured out his or her needs with ease. The one that you went to birthing classes for and read a few (too many) books for.The fantasy of having a newborn is often completely different then the reality.  In our dreams, our babies will be easy-going, easy to figure out, and fit neatly into the package we call our lives.  In reality, very few babies... More »

Meal time.  Ha!  When The Boy was merely drinking his bottle, I couldn't WAIT for him to start solid foods.  He was a spitter-upper.  Everywhere.  Almost every bottle.  I could count on having a formula bath on a daily basis.  The doctor had assured me he would grow out of it as he got older and, thank goodness, he has. The introduction of solid food, however, was an interesting one in our house.  Firstly, I had read a lot about when to introduce baby cereal and how to make meal time a "calm, peaceful, enjoyable experience for mom and baby". ... More »

A friend and I recently had a heated discussion about the word NO and our (younger then one year old) children.  I use the word NO a lot.  I think it's important for a child, no matter how young, to have clear boundaries and a sense of what is ok and what is not ok.  On any given day in my house you will hear:-No, don't touch that TV-No, mommy's hair is not for your pulling enjoyment.-No, don't hit the Squeek (our cat).-No, don't sit on Squeek.  He's not a chair.-No, don't eat that week old Cheerio that mommy missed... More »

The Boy is blessed with copious amounts of toys.  Mountains of fun, interactive, learning-centric, "important for his development" toys.  Toys that have cost hundreds of dollars and were lovingly bestowed upon him by his generous family members. To be perfectly honest, he's not a huge fan of all those amazing toys anymore.  I can't count the number of times I've bought The Boy a toy that, according to other moms or a magazine, he "needed" only to have him toss it aside less then a month later.  In fact, I have been hunting, searching, praying for good toys to cross... More »

This weekend I had to come to terms with the fact that my baby is going to have to go to daycare when I return to work.  BIG SIGH.  I'm not exactly in the best "work-at-home" profession.  I only wish I could Skype into my Grade 5 classroom and teach in my pjs...although I'm sure "SIT DOWN BRANDON!!" would not have the same effect when yelled from 50 kilometers away.As I logically understood that I would return to work when my maternity leave was over, my husband and I have been looking at daycares for many months.  Our names have... More »

Normal 0 0 1 583 3326 27 6 4084 11.1280 0 0 0 She's THAT Mom is a blog series that will highlight one mother who embraces an alternative parenting philosophy, in hopes that we as mothers can learn from and grow with each other.  New moms will be featured monthly.  Leave a comment discussing your ideals, thoughts, questions, or concerns, and what you agree and disagree with.  Looking forward to learning with you!Meet Kristy- our Enviro- Mom.  Kristy is a stay-at-home mom, with a background in Environmental Sustainability.  Her goal as an "Enviro-mom" is to raise her family... More »