Along with the crows' feet, sagging bosom and inability to stay up past 10:30 pm, a more recent sign of my aging is the fact that I can't handle wearing high-heeled shoes for more than, like, 15 minutes. Back in my "barefoot and pregnant" days, this was no problem. I was schlepping kids around in my muumuu, wearing hearty Birkenstock sandals to the beach to give my girth the orthopedic support it required.But now I'm a realtor. Muumuus and Birks aren't part of my usual dress code anymore.And while I love the look of heels and wedges for the summer, I... More »

My mom was here for a visit this week and she helped me pick up the pieces. Literally.This is what my house looked like before she arrived:And this is what it looked like when she left:Not seen: me cheering in the corner just like Brinley.My mom is the patron saint of frazzled mothers. She swoops in on an airplane, settles into our home and cleans up the wake of disaster we leave behind us, she buys me mochas and cookies, she reads stories to my girls and plays with them, and she tells me I'm doing a good job (even... More »

My wild things: Each of them so vastly different, so beautiful in their own ways, so flawed, so growing, so lovely.I am blown away by the life that fills our home and I am so thankful for these crazy, rambunctious girls we get to call ours.  ... More »

Mother's Day: was mine perfect? No way. There were still bums to wipe, lunches to pack for the next day, temper tantrums to endure and sibling fights to break up. But there was also Eggs Benedict on a sunny patio. And homemade gifts. And a nap. And the three beautiful girls who have made me a momma. Perfectly imperfect, always. Story of my life. Choosing to focus on the Eggs Benny rather than the Pull-up blow-out. Happy Mother's Day to all the strong, loving, gorgeous mommas I know (including my own)!... More »

Being the fat kid sucks.I was overweight from the age of 8 - 15 and it was brutal. All my friends had boyfriends, but I didn't. Gym class was agonizing. I felt so uncomfortable in my own skin, betrayed by my frame.Then, I lost weight  (in a totally unhealthy, stupid way) and began a roller coaster ride with my body image that lasted a painful decade. I had a horrible relationship with food; I was either starving or bingeing. No middle ground. It was awful.Things are better now, but the struggle will never be completely behind me. As Geneen Roth... More »

I got an iPhone.I have had a cell phone for the past four years, but it was without a data plan and I was only able to use it for texting and calling (oh, the horror!). I longed for a phone with a better camera, one that had access to the internet so I could use it as a GPS, and also be able to pull up important info for work, etc. And now, here we are. I am loving it. Especially the fantastic camera and all the Instagramming it helps me do. I am photo-boming everyone's Facebook feeds with important... More »

I was pregnant three times. That equaled over 27 months to stew about our future babies' names. And stew I did. My husband and I did not exactly see eye to eye about names.Here's how it would go: I would spend hours combing baby name books and blogs and come up with a list of potential names. Then, one by one, he would POOP all over every suggestion. Thanks, Steve. Super helpful.With each pregnancy we found out the sex of our baby so we only had to fight about half as many names as we would have, had we not... More »

The day Brinley turned two years old, her will emerged. And it was a strong one, that will. No surprise there, it seems to be how we breed them. Two is such a wonderful, yet hard age. She is SO cute and her vocabulary and level of understanding grow everyday, so fast I can barely keep up. But then there's the tantrums, the potty-training gone awry, the middle of the night wakings and the frustration she feels from not being able to do everything her older sisters can.Perhaps it's the fact that she is our last baby, but I haven't been... More »

I suck at cleaning. While I appreciate a clean house, I have yet to master the art of maintaining one. That being said, when spring comes along and the sunlight begins to stream through the windows and the kids start playing outside again, I usually get hit with a (short-lived) desire to tackle some spring cleaning projects. For a few days, I am a MACHINE. I will purge closets, wash windows, organize spice drawers and basically clean the way most civilized adults do for the rest of the year. This year, the cleaning spurt hit just as I was given a sample... More »

Updated! The winner, according to Random.org was commenter #57, chel22. I will be contacting you via email to get your prize to you!"There's six feet of snow on the lawn and it's minus 25 degrees with the windchill!" my mom choked out yesterday. She lives in Saskatchewan. Poor bunny.This morning's Facebook posts were riddled with photos of a snow storm that hit Ontario. A snow day, in April?! That's not OK.Right now, in beautiful BC, it's been mild and spring-ish but pretty rainy. I'll take it over snow any day. I know for me, it's crazy how much the weather affects... More »