tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72153032121200767452024-02-19T07:13:17.342-05:00babazoobee - life of the etsypreneurbut this isn't all about my stuffs. it's about life as a mom in a two-mom-two-daughter family, the occasional tutorial, poem, rant, and well, whatever I feel like posting, really...
I'm Jonah, 39 year old mom of 10 year old D and 6 year old B (leaving names out to please 41 year old internet-information-conscious wife C) as well as 4 cats,and 3 fishies... a house of all girls, except 2 wee furry feline boys. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-17960424358677943572015-06-04T22:08:00.000-04:002015-06-04T22:08:15.466-04:00Change of heart.<div dir="ltr">
6 year old B just pulled her bath towel into the tub with her. A full sized bath sheet. Got it totally waterlogged, and then pulled the drain. While i was watching a TedX documentary in the next room. It will take forever to dry. And laundry day for towels was yesterday so we have a while to wait with soaky towel. My initial reaction? Anger. Frustration. Reprimands, and calls of "why oh why do you keep doing things like this to me?!!!"</div>
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.....</div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">To me.</span></i></div>
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.....</div>
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Her response? "But it's <i><b>MY</b></i> towel!"<br />
More arguing over the towel's <i>'owner'</i>.<br />
About who has to do laundry and who paid for the towel,<i> etc etc. ....</i></div>
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And then it hit me.</div>
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<br />
To her, I was being the adult voice in those old Charlie brown cartoons -</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Wanh- Wanh-wanh. ...wanh-wanh-wanh ....wanh" </i></span></div>
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She was learning nothing, gaining nothing, benefiting in no way from my ridiculous diatribe over a wet towel.</div>
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<i>And really. It was just a freaking towel.</i> </div>
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I was yelling at my daughter for thinking outside the box. I was yelling at my daughter for making ME think outside the box.</div>
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Me! Seasoned Pinterest hunter of new and creative and unusual ways to learn and have messy fun!</div>
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So I stopped. And looked. Really looked. And saw what she saw. A medium for creativity. Amidst the heavy folds of semi-submerged towel there were valleys. And mountains. And rivers. And most interestingly, a large dam, blocking the last of the water from descending down the drain.</div>
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And I regrouped.</div>
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So we talked a bit about the dam, and what it was doing, and how it worked. And we washed up B, no arguing over shampoo or soap, for the first time in ages, and made soap-sud mountain-peak snow... and turned the shower on to replenish the reservoir (and rinsed her off)....and she happily played, and discovered, trying new ways to create a fountain or a waterfall, or to connect rivers and lakes.....</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSOVKNJiPQZRFhVtLkuCD10kJvZWlMgyMMshxb0igJvQjEeGMdKs8RBM6OdWvQt3ix0Kw4XohcQ-1YvTe5KDRwjCa_Y0shiwCkC8aIVDoZ18otZx0eV4QLqp6BaUeL7FUUq8Mv6b41AU/s1600/2015-06-04+20.15.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSOVKNJiPQZRFhVtLkuCD10kJvZWlMgyMMshxb0igJvQjEeGMdKs8RBM6OdWvQt3ix0Kw4XohcQ-1YvTe5KDRwjCa_Y0shiwCkC8aIVDoZ18otZx0eV4QLqp6BaUeL7FUUq8Mv6b41AU/s320/2015-06-04+20.15.53.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cat assessing bathtub towel aftermath....verdict: no biggie.</td></tr>
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And when it was all done, I wrung out the towel and hung it to dry.</div>
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Later that night, putting B to bed, I shared my learning experience with her. I told her about how frustrated I was at first when I saw only what she shouldn't have been doing, instead of what she was trying to do. </div>
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And I thanked her.</div>
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For the learning experience. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEl3233Gsv6L7mwO5puZ1nU436xHcUqdppOGk_EO_Zu5hhcrSWVb7LnBv0bbbA9suLgSlh5v0celroxC7VlxAq-4lI25tBKTkipp6mG-o_y1pliYNkBd6920H0s1iRTRQA1BJQr5PIcO0/s1600/2015-06-04+20.17.32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEl3233Gsv6L7mwO5puZ1nU436xHcUqdppOGk_EO_Zu5hhcrSWVb7LnBv0bbbA9suLgSlh5v0celroxC7VlxAq-4lI25tBKTkipp6mG-o_y1pliYNkBd6920H0s1iRTRQA1BJQr5PIcO0/s320/2015-06-04+20.17.32.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">For teaching me.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-28553323386599165072014-08-12T12:27:00.000-04:002014-08-12T12:27:58.863-04:00Oh Robin.....Mr. Williams.....good night.<div style="text-align: justify;">
Yesterday, the World lost a gem. a truly unbelievable gem. I know he was an important icon, because 4 out of every 5 posts in my Facebook feed are about him.</div>
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And I cried. Yesterday in shock... on the inside. Not where people can see me crying. I'm good at that, have been doing it all my life. </div>
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And then it hit me. This morning. With every post being about his death, and his life. Only not his real life.....Just the life he put on camera. His funny (now that's an understatement), outgoing, extroverted, "Stage" persona. The person he let us all see. </div>
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I watched tributes, and read quotes, and saw image after image used as a byline and tribute to the man. The man that none of us really knew. He is gone. And we didn't get to know him. No one did. Not even his loved ones. Okay, I'm sure they knew his fight, and they understood the idea of his suffering, but no one really gets "in" to a person with mental illness. With Depression. Even those of us who share, or shared, his "affliction"..... those of us who really understood what he was up against. We don't get to be "on the inside"...."sharing his pain".....</div>
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And today I cried. A little, only, on the outside....But this void of grief sits heavy in my throat, in my chest, threatening to leak out in the form of more tears, and heavy sobs, at any second....</div>
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It hit me today, talking to someone I cherish as a friend and admire as a professional. That mask really works! It is possible, easy even, to hide one's true feelings from the world. Too easy. What's harder is trying to make the pain make sense to someone who doesn't experience it day-to-day. It made me realize that most people don't "get it"... and never possibly could. This isn't an insult, or a fault, or their lacking in any way. Mostly just another realization for myself....</div>
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The pain of depression is nothing like anything anyone else can understand. Even others with depression. Each person lives within their own little sphere. Inside the smiles and funny, the false armoured image of self-confidence, self assured-ness, the shield we present to the outside world, lives each individuals' prickly little secret...like a prickly little ball that bounces around inside us...poking us, chipping away at our insides as we ride our bumpy rides of life.... </div>
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Sometimes that prickly little ball is in our head - obscuring our thoughts, confusing our intentions, our ability to read situations, exhausting our brains, giving us headaches, migraines, creating vertigo, dizziness...making the knowledge of how to interact with our day-to-day functions disappear as it vibrates away in there..... </div>
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Sometimes that prickly little ball is in our limbs - making us too tired or in too much pain to move, making them too heavy to lug around, too conscious of our own inabilities to even attempt the abilities....</div>
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Sometimes that prickly little ball sits right behind our eyes - distorting our view of the world around us - creating tunnel vision, or wavy vision, or even blurred vision..making us look "too fat" or "too thin" or "too pale" or just "too ugly" to exist in public...to feel worthwhile.... bouncing and prickling us so that every smile from a friend or stranger seems distorted, insincere, making mole-hills look like mountains, every interaction needing to be questioned....read and reread....</div>
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Sometimes that prickly little ball is in our guts - tearing us up inside, creating physical symptoms, physical pain, nausea digestion issues, the need to eat incessantly, or starve...messing with our ability to lead normal lives...</div>
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Often that prickly little ball is in our hearts - making our ability to show or receive love and affection, even in our interest or ability to have healthy sexual interactions......</div>
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My entire life....I have questioned intentions, questioned my worthiness, my attractiveness, my desirability, my competence as a friend, a lover, a partner, a parent, a child....every compliment received tempered by my own disbelief, every compliment given amplified by my own envy.... It is exhausting...It is defeating..</div>
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A friend of mine posted this quote:</div>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>"Killing oneself is,
anyway, a misnomer. We don't kill ourselves. We are simply defeated by
the long, hard struggle to stay alive. When somebody dies after a long
illness, people are apt to say, with a note of approval, "He fought so
hard." And they are inclined to think, about a suicide, that no fight
was involved, that somebody simply gave up. This is quite wrong."</i></span> -
Sally Brampton</span></div>
</blockquote>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">That Mr. Williams fought the good fight for 63 years is no less than a miracle. Look at every image of him. Almost every one. Look at his smile, and look into his eyes. His eyes belie his smile. His torment was available for everyone to see, every day. If you only knew how to look.</span></div>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"> The most fitting end to this post is a tribute by a friend - I will post it just as I saw it:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9mhFOijekXkuNTt_1zP0kcSgJKH6uJoRwlTI6dSLjhUhzU-7_KqWS5eOy_V_ZF3hwxsh78H5Kd1Ar86UifFE5xMO3ZraS46KC-BJ9Q3UEDYDv5XY5vp4rhl6YGlfwhXi9y2eVtigy3g/s1600/zeb's+tribute.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin9mhFOijekXkuNTt_1zP0kcSgJKH6uJoRwlTI6dSLjhUhzU-7_KqWS5eOy_V_ZF3hwxsh78H5Kd1Ar86UifFE5xMO3ZraS46KC-BJ9Q3UEDYDv5XY5vp4rhl6YGlfwhXi9y2eVtigy3g/s1600/zeb's%2Btribute.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"> Thank you.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-87829787575398800592014-05-16T21:53:00.000-04:002014-05-19T00:09:30.803-04:00my heart, divided<br />
<i>last lullaby ended</i><br />
<i>sounds of deep breathing</i><br />
<i>little breaths</i><br />
<i>i press your warm little fingers</i><br />
<i>to my lips</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>my heart fills</i><br />
<i>my throat closes and </i><br />
<i>chokes on a </i><br />
<i>sadness </i><br />
<i>and love</i><br />
<i>and regret</i><br />
<br />
<i>i'm sorry, little one</i><br />
<i>for raising my voice</i><br />
<i>despite knowing</i><br />
<i>today</i><br />
<i>as every day </i><br />
<i>that it won't be</i><br />
<i>the solution</i><br />
<br />
<i>sorry </i><br />
<i>that i'm not filled</i><br />
<i>every moment</i><br />
<i>with the wonder and marvel</i><br />
<i>that is parenthood</i><br />
<br />
<i>sorry </i><br />
<i>that i choose,</i><br />
<i>occasionally,</i><br />
<i>to miss out </i><br />
<i>to give up opportunity</i><br />
<i>choose, occasionally,</i><br />
<i>time just for me</i><br />
<br />
<i>sorry</i><br />
<i>that i haven't perfected </i><br />
<i>happily laughing through</i><br />
<i>each tantrum</i><br />
<i>each meltdown</i><br />
<i>each disagreement</i><br />
<i>each "accident" </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>despite each parent</i><br />
<i>each relative </i><br />
<i>each friend</i><br />
<i>each stranger</i><br />
<i>each book</i><br />
<i>each magazine</i><br />
<i>each poster</i><br />
<i>each advertisement </i><br />
<i>each website</i><br />
<i>each tv show </i><br />
<br />
<i>telling me</i><br />
<i>reminding me </i><br />
<i>scolding me</i><br />
<i>flaunting wisdom and </i><br />
<i>perfection </i><br />
<br />
<i>reminding me</i><br />
<i>reminding me</i><br />
<i>reminding me</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>that these days will end</i><br />
<i>that they will be missed</i><br />
<i>opportunities dwindle</i><br />
<i>clock ticks by</i><br />
<br />
<i>reminding me</i><br />
<i>reminding me </i><br />
<br />
<i>that you will grow</i><br />
<i>and not want</i><br />
<i>the attention</i><br />
<i>that you now crave</i><br />
<br />
<i>now demand</i><br />
<i>now require</i><br />
<i>now expect</i><br />
<i>each minute</i><br />
<i>each hour</i><br />
<i>with every breath</i><br />
<br />
<i>reminding me </i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>that you will one day</i><br />
<i>before i know it</i><br />
<i>leave me</i><br />
<br />
<i>and the middle-of-the-night calls</i><br />
<i>that wake me from my dreams</i><br />
<i>that tear me from soft warm bed</i><br />
<i>pillow</i><br />
<i>blanket</i><br />
<i>solitude</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>that we negotiate</i><br />
<i>plead</i><br />
<i>beg</i><br />
<i>hope</i><br />
<i>will end</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>may actually </i><br />
<i>do just that... </i><br />
<i>...disappear </i><br />
<br />
<i>the cuddles</i><br />
<i>snuggles,</i><br />
<i>caresses</i><br />
<i>stolen in the single-digit </i><br />
<i>early hours</i><br />
<i>1am, 2, 3....</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>whispers of </i><br />
<i>"I love you mommy"</i><br />
<i> tight grasp of hands</i><br />
<i>tucking of tiny toes</i><br />
<i>into warm folds of flesh</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>my heart fills</i><br />
<i>my throat closes</i><br />
<i>and chokes</i><br />
<i>as i listen to you breathe</i><br />
<i>deeply</i><br />
<i>rhythmically</i><br />
<i>sweetly</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>that every moment </i><br />
<i>can not be perfection</i><br />
<i>can not be appreciated</i><br />
<i>for the miracle that it is</i><br />
<i>for the wonder</i><br />
<i>for the special</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>that my patience</i><br />
<i>is not limitless</i><br />
<i>that my temper</i><br />
<i>can not always hold at bay</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>this tearing of my heart</i><br />
<i>keeping myself</i><br />
<i>and losing myself in you</i><br />
<i>this conflict</i><br />
<i>tug-of-war</i><br />
<i>between </i><br />
<i>needing my space</i><br />
<i>and </i><br />
<i>needing you</i><br />
<br />
<i>so many labels</i><br />
<i>so many words</i><br />
<i>so many emotions</i><br />
<i>so much of myself</i><br />
<i>given in the single word:</i><br />
<br />
<i>mommy. </i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-29907324086503073472014-02-21T00:16:00.003-05:002014-02-21T00:16:56.938-05:00grateful for lip reading....<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I took the big one to her gymnastics class last week. I'd like to say that I do that every week, but more often than not C does it, or more recently, we have taken turns. We both love to see Big doing her thing in the gym, but really, what it boils down to is 45 parents trying to cram into a viewing area made for like, 20, seeing out of a window that can realistically handle 10 averaged sized adults staring out of it. And all of that crowding and vying for space for maybe 15 minutes of being able to actually <i>see</i> Big in the Gym, before she moves to an area obscured by other pieces of gym equipment or gymnasts....Add that to getting your socked feet soaked and salted by the bootprints of the parents who disregard the "wet boots off at the door" and wander around dripping slush everywhere.....well, let's just say it isn't our favourite activity as parents, even if it is <i>hers</i>.....</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But I digress....</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Enter the title of the post. About the lipreading...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This past week at gymnastics Big and the other girls of her class went over to the bench under the viewing window to have a quick water break. So I got to witness the 9-year-olds' version of "water cooler conversation". From behind glass. This is how it goes....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Gym-mate: "where's your mom?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Big: "right there.." (points to me through the glass)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Gym-mate: :<i>"that's </i>not your mom?! Your mom looks different than that!" (speaking of my partner who had been to watch the last few classes)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Big: "Oh....that's my <i>other </i>mom".</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Gym-mate: "you have <i>two</i> moms?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Big: "yeah..."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Gym-mate: "do you have two dads too?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Big: "No?!?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Gym-mate: "why do you have two moms?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Big: "I dunno."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Gym-mate: "oh..."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">....And off they went to continue with their handstands.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I could do a whole post on how the whole world should see things as simply as these two girls do: It is what it is, and now I have the info, let's go play. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Instead I'll tell you about the conversation she and I had afterwards...cuz it was fun.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">While walking to the car after gymnastics:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Me: "So your friend was confused about who I am, eh?" (yes, I'm Canadian. And yes, we say "eh". Get over it.)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Big: "how did you know?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Me: "I could see you talking through the window...I was curious, so I read your lips."(Trust me, at age 9 this isn't an invasion of privacy...she still shares everything happily......almost <i>too</i> much at times...)</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Big: "you can <i>do</i> that? cool. What did we say?"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I recounted the conversation to her....Needless to say, she was impressed.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Me: "So, you don't know why you have two moms?" "Well, I do, but not how to answer that question" "Do you get that question a lot?" "Not really"</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Then we conversed about ways to answer that question. the "WHY?" Question. We talked about what she wanted to get out of answering the asker - if she wanted them to truly "<i>get it</i>", or just leave her alone, or realize that the question is stupid, or none of their business, or what.... Her answer? All of the above. Yes. So we joked a bit, and came up with some really easy answers. Even easy enough for a 9 year old:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Why do you have two moms?</span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The truthful, get some enlightenment into those kids answers:</span></i></div>
<ol style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Same reason you have a mom and a dad."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Because they love each other and wanted me." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Because I do."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Because that's how my family is made up."</span></li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><i> Then there are the smart-ass-yet-honest answers: </i></span></div>
<ol style="text-align: justify;">
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Why not?" </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Because I'm just that awesome."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Because I'm lucky."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Because <i>they're</i> lucky." </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Just because I do."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Cuz 2 moms are better than one!"</span></li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> <i>And the "So-ridiculous-they'd-</i>have<i>-to-see-how-silly-their-question-is" answers - the ones that made us giggle the most in the car on the way home:</i></span></div>
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"You Muggles just wouldn't understand."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Because Venus is in alignment with Mars."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"Because the sky is blue and the grass is green."</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"To get people like you to start fascinating conversations."</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Clearly, I'm screwing up my kids big time. But only in the best and funniest ways possible. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTm75wXJWM1capXV9LmFpIEaIn_jeNdyKVCM1mMYCVantvteJQfcJjsR38_yGP67Vyz8YfhMIelxcx2DvypfnKkDEMpwYmkHsvdCzM5ZYLynUFzPnMjQAfgmuIYGhCWSIIVo_KWeb8iA/s1600/2momsecard.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxTm75wXJWM1capXV9LmFpIEaIn_jeNdyKVCM1mMYCVantvteJQfcJjsR38_yGP67Vyz8YfhMIelxcx2DvypfnKkDEMpwYmkHsvdCzM5ZYLynUFzPnMjQAfgmuIYGhCWSIIVo_KWeb8iA/s1600/2momsecard.png" height="280" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-26802499006424829072014-02-06T10:39:00.000-05:002014-02-06T10:39:53.932-05:00Blog post from a 5 year old..I'm humouring my 5 year old and transcribing an interview/story with and by her. Therefore, you all must humour her too.<br />
<br />
B: shmoogalooga boot boot, shmoogalooga doo.<br />
<br />
that's my song.<br />
<br />
I love the Jonah.<br />
<br />
Me: How do you feel about school?<br />
<br />
B: tired. I am tired at school.I love school. I love my teacher.<br />
<br />
Me: what things do you do at school that you love?<br />
<br />
B: just school!!!!play, recess, eat...play play eat. play play eat.<br />
<br />
Me: how is that different than at home?<br />
<br />
B: i don't know i don't know. what did you write? did you write i don't know? B says go to school. and that is my song with mommy writing it, and thank you to all who is going to see it. giggle. Can you write another?<br />
<br />
Me: I'm still writing...<br />
<br />
B: why why says the B..why why says the B... Because the Mokey is walking down the street today. Just because you have fish doesn't mean that you can go outside. Fish only go in water, they only go in water which they love for their whole lives. Even though you can see pants walking down the street by themselves....giggle. giggle hysterically.<br />
<br />
Me: tell me a real story!<br />
<br />
B: hmmm.. 1 2 3 walking down the street.....(repeatedly)<br />
<br />
Me: continue...like a real story that i would tell you at bedtime.<br />
<br />
B: once apon a time there was a little girl whose name was snake, she loved to dance everywhere. she danced at home, she danced on the street and she loved you. she loved you forever. <br />
space space a couple of spaces in your head. she loved you and her family everyday, as you can see. Did you write that is the end?<br />
<br />
Me: No I didn't.<br />
<br />
B: Why not? Write it. Because that is the end.<br />
Are you still writing? Is that the end? can you write another?<br />
<br />
Me: yup. still writing. go ahead.<br />
<br />
B: really? okay, but i'm not because...i'm....waiting....so you can send it....<br />
<br />
Me: this isn't an email to send, it's a blog. for whoever wants to read it.<br />
<br />
B: I want to do a blog. a real blog.<br />
<br />
Me: that's what we're doing.<br />
<br />
B: I want to write it and <i>you</i> tell me what to say. I want to write it like I am going to write it. But you tell me what to say.<br />
<br />
Me: This part is actually kinda hard, trying to write down quickly everything you are saying...<br />
<br />
B: okay, we are done. I put my [water] cup in the freezer because I am really hot and want it to be really cold but it isn't a glass cup it is a plastic cup and I want it to be really cold.....okay now we're done. Good bye. Except I want a picture of a cute kitten.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizV3TFRzlMvypVOSAUskPw1bpMvTTBbqGpmiZUQ4wcKrAukObe3kSbsL_GFc3mGLmvsqXKRueuAkqRASDvjchLpm0svhlA4H_CrOdxDCydPfFNi3NOahunvxy9aiqEoDEFq3aNKA5Ay3Q/s1600/sleepy+cat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizV3TFRzlMvypVOSAUskPw1bpMvTTBbqGpmiZUQ4wcKrAukObe3kSbsL_GFc3mGLmvsqXKRueuAkqRASDvjchLpm0svhlA4H_CrOdxDCydPfFNi3NOahunvxy9aiqEoDEFq3aNKA5Ay3Q/s1600/sleepy+cat.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a><br /><br />
**postscript***<br />
And the parents that go to work wonder why the parents that stay home have totally lost their marbles after a day home with a 5 year old........Just record this post and press repeat ALL DAY. that should give you an idea of why my mental capacity has shrunk....and why I crave adult conversation, but am not exactly sure how to handle it anymore.... Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-45474963618215408462014-01-23T12:18:00.005-05:002014-01-23T12:20:03.016-05:00my love hate relationship with the smoothie...and it's affect on my sleep.<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love smoothies. REALLY I do. And I've convinced my girls to like them too, which is great, because I stuff all sorts of healthy things in them, that they otherwise wouldn't eat. Spinach, Carrot, Cucumber hidden in yogurt, milk, juice, berries and dates....DELICIOUS.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, my body can not handle the healthiness of it. EVERY TIME I make one of these smoothies, no matter how much or little I drink, I end up with a stomach ache. Too nutrient rich? Who knows. I can eat Doritos and chocolate chip cookies for dinner and be fine, (don't tell the kids), but one 14oz glass of smoothie while I am making dinner and I'm a wreck before I eat. Does this stop me? No.... I know they're good for me.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Enter yesterday. I was in bed at 6:30 pm with smoothie-tummy...and out for the night. Well, I thought it was for the night. At about 2:45 am the 9 year old wakes and calls out. Apparently the last 12 times we have told her not to wake us unless it is an emergency haven't sunk in yet. Either that, or to a 9 year old, her blankets being twisted is of paramount importance, and without an adult to immediately rectify the situation, she will self-combust. Anyhow, after arguing in whispers with her briefly, I leave her to sort out her blankets and back to bed.....for about 45 seconds. "MUMMY...<i>MUMMMY!!!</i>"...indignant yelling now, from the 9 year old's bedroom. Apparently she can't fix blankets herself. We have deprived her somehow of learning this skill in her short lifetime, and are now paying for it. I send her to the bathroom, arrange her blankets while she's doing her business, and figure that will be the end of that...</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nope.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"<i>Mama.....mama...</i>" from the other bedroom. 5 year old has been woken by the yelling and now wants to come to the moms' bed. I tell her to stay put while I finish with Big Kid, and she listens. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Big gets back into her bed, I tuck her in (she somehow won that argument....) and head to Little Kid's room to check that she has fallen back asleep.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nope again.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She gets out of bed, we change her pull-up (a by-product of Sensory Processing Disorder is the inability to feel when she has to go until it's almost too late. At night time, forget it. She fills 2 pull-ups easily at night still, with no end in sight, <i>pardon the pun</i>), and she crawls in with us. We have recently purchased a King Sized bed with the realization that one kid or the other will be sleeping with us for the foreseeable future...</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">She gets in, and lies down, leaving me about 3" of bed, and the rest of my butt hanging off the bed.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"Move over, Little", I whisper, hopefully..</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"I can't! I'm all the way!" She says. I look over at my no-longer-sleeping-but-trying-to-get-back-there-as-soon-as-possible partner, miles away at the other end of the Gigantic Bed...and at the six FEET of space between her and my 5 year old daughter. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I sigh, and push the girl over, crawl in, cover up, and hope that is the end. I ignore the fact that MY blankets and sheets are a bundled up mess at my feet and within the duvet cover, in the hopes of falling asleep before my body realizes how much sleep it has already had and decides it's morning...</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Nope.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRe_Z-id5sEeszXF-A9dutp3oVLqwWJszFOo5vENVIWQOpHVisJO88oPm_T1Mes5H5fnRzsOYlgGwWa6tH3SoLEDgNpGrfWk_AOFz0MzUTw5GNoYzIhjXcIgvXcc0K33ArTRzxjWzZMc/s1600/3am.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtRe_Z-id5sEeszXF-A9dutp3oVLqwWJszFOo5vENVIWQOpHVisJO88oPm_T1Mes5H5fnRzsOYlgGwWa6tH3SoLEDgNpGrfWk_AOFz0MzUTw5GNoYzIhjXcIgvXcc0K33ArTRzxjWzZMc/s1600/3am.jpg" /></a> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">"MOMMY!!!! MOMMY!!!"...I trudge into Big Kid's room, daggers in my eyes (that she can't see, thankfully) and daggers in my voice (that she <i>can </i>hear, unfortunately), and ask her what the problem is NOW. Apparently I've put her favourite crib blankie, that she still sleeps under, under her sheet and duvet, UPSIDE DOWN! The tragedy. What was I <i>thinking</i>?!! Not much at 3:30 am, obviously. She can tell, <i>in the dark</i>, which is the right way up of her blankie. She wouldn't want the lions' feet on the blankie to be up by her head, <i>oh no</i>, that would be horrid for the last 4 hours of sleep of the night. I voice my displeasure <i>once more</i> at being woken up (though this is purely academic at this point, as I hadn't been asleep yet) to fix her covers...I mutter something about disrespect and rudeness and being unfair, but fix her covers, and return to bed.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Ahh, sleep, at last.....NOT.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Little is all awake and chatty, and Buster Cat has joined us in bed, so Little must pet her.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seventeen loud "SSSSSSHHHHHHssshhh GO TO SLEEP"s later, and the cat is settled on my nicely-nestled-under-the-covers-butt for the night, the two girls are quiet, hopefully asleep, but I'm not checking.....</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">And now Mokey, the 2 year old cat, and the only boy in the house, starts antagonizing the poor old lady Buster. Trampling herds of elephants, hissing yeowling, meowing and growling ensue for the next 15 minutes....I groan and start planning this blog post in my head, because there's NO WAY I'm getting back to sleep at this point, and it's better than planning a murder-suicide combo.....</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I look up at the clock and whimper. 4:30am. I curse my children silently, and the cats....</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgspElFB72ph8Tl4ONCog2LZqVkneF75l3cIFluxwSbmed2TPjdxRFVmJ1lvHC6NBobvuB8E2qIeZvDDVSBK4rGAE0dSaRjXwhp57NQyoibsDuF9cHuE7qdaRsqN9xB0HZggzJ0hcjHQ/s1600/smoothie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZgspElFB72ph8Tl4ONCog2LZqVkneF75l3cIFluxwSbmed2TPjdxRFVmJ1lvHC6NBobvuB8E2qIeZvDDVSBK4rGAE0dSaRjXwhp57NQyoibsDuF9cHuE7qdaRsqN9xB0HZggzJ0hcjHQ/s1600/smoothie.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">and I realize that I'm awake when no one else in the house is...because I already had 8 hours of sleep...</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">thanks to </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">the</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>SMOOTHIE</b>.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I love smoothies. and hate them.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's noon now. And I'm REALLY TIRED.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-49559615836017766862014-01-16T16:22:00.000-05:002014-01-16T16:24:54.224-05:00yeah...this happened.<div style="text-align: justify;">
MY 5-year-old kid is smart. Too smart. She is able to extract information from one situation and apply it in new ways. Like when there's a green arrow in one video game to move to the next thing to do, she recognizes that in most other games, the same holds true. Sometimes, however, this genius leads to some seriously funny lateral thinking. For instance, today's stroke of brilliance: </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've been trying to teach the cats' body language to
B, so that she understands when to be near them, when to leave them
alone, and when to be offended by them....(grin). She usually gets mad
at the cat when they put their butts in her face (who can blame her,
really...), but her being mad at them often involves her yelling at them, or worse, hitting at them. So I have been trying to explain to her that it's <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070303062004AAsB6QE" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">actually a cat's way of showing their friendship and trust</a> - because cats and dogs sniff each others' butts
to communicate. So this afternoon, as I am making lunch, Bis
crawling around the floor, as she has been known to do. All of a sudden
she puts her legs up in the air, points her butt at me and says "Hey mommy! You're my
friend!"</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
great.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-65468043078080960432013-12-11T17:23:00.000-05:002013-12-11T17:23:45.682-05:00A little note about "making a deal"<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Dear well-meaning bargain-hunting customer:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1FDlPNT2tu_IC2Pc6vymfpSQUQYOtZb0mWR8TUuE_r6m2HaLW9QBc0xpePOjCBjMRdxahQ5kERWJNrfbXO7EzCzK6KPpugZHEfWiMkWsIS0_ADYJj9G-rs13lvpIxRbJFVCkiBEBrQk/s1600/buttons-sewing-needle-with-thread-on-the-fabric-thumb26608223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH1FDlPNT2tu_IC2Pc6vymfpSQUQYOtZb0mWR8TUuE_r6m2HaLW9QBc0xpePOjCBjMRdxahQ5kERWJNrfbXO7EzCzK6KPpugZHEfWiMkWsIS0_ADYJj9G-rs13lvpIxRbJFVCkiBEBrQk/s200/buttons-sewing-needle-with-thread-on-the-fabric-thumb26608223.jpg" width="200" /></a>I appreciate that you are on a tight budget. That you are single income, that you can't afford to spend the prices I may be asking for the products I create. I hear you when you say you can buy a similar product at Walmart or Target or Macys for half that price. I occasionally share your feelings when I see a beautiful piece of pottery that someone has handcrafted and know that I can't justify spending $60 on a mug.....</span><br />
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/60663023/rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-wool?" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/60663023/rudolph-the-red-nosed-reindeer-wool?" border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-NjaGQuot9y7MS3XZUdHB6ecw1BR8NbYOVJHf6wyrfyFU95jEXlgVwQTrVRU4wb97_BSMWM3GWf_fDi6mZFfgW27ok7QLmkGi_pWbjEgNpW4rPkfR9F7nWdjGYchVZIEqchKD8_LFeZA/s320/rudolph+hat.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">But here is where we differ. When I see something beautiful that I can not afford, I do not ask the artisan to lower their price for me. I do not ask them to sell me 3 or 4 or more at a significant discount. I do not ask for them to give me things for free if I spend money on other things they make.Something that my potential customers may not understand: When I set a price on something, I already take into consideration the cheap versions of my items out and about in discount stores, mass produced for a pittance by overworked underpaid production workers in China, India, Thailand, or wherever they've come from. When I set a price for my work, I leave out the time it takes for me to source my materials (hours a month), or to come up with ideas and create prototypes (hours a month and dollars "wasted" on things that will never be sold). I also leave out the cost of selling online, advertising online, the percentages taken by paypal and Etsy, or Visa, Mastercard, American Express. I don't charge for the cost of my Market stall each week. What is left is the actual cost of the materials being used, and what I value my hours of work at. Generally, I work things out so that I am actually netting about $5 per hour. FIVE DOLLARS PER HOUR. Some things I make a little more on, some things a little less. LESS than $5 per hour. This is what I get paid to spend time making things for your little one, for your gifts, trinkets, toys... That is less than half of current minimum wage here in Ontario. My time away from my children, away from my housework, away from my own leisure time, television time, often even sleep time!!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I justify this wage because sometimes I <i>can</i> work while doing things with the kids or watching television. <i>Sometimes.</i> I justify it because I do enjoy it. I get to create things I want, things you want. I get to hear praise about my work, suggestions, ideas...I get to see your beautiful little ones... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">But mostly, I just swallow it. I accept that crafters never make a living wage on their work.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Consider your own job. Would you work for less than minimum wage?
Would you accept your boss asking you to work extra hours and offering
to pay you less to do so? You are a stay at home mom? Guess what. So am I. This is what I do <i>around</i>
my time with my girls. One with special needs. Working more for less
means less time with my girls... Less under the tree for my girls this
time of year.. Less opportunity to support other crafters with <i>my</i> purchases...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">So please. I ask but one thing. PLEASE, don't ask me for a discount. Don't tell me you can get it cheaper somewhere else. Don't ask for a better price if you buy more than one. Selling two means exactly twice the work and twice the time. Selling three, well, you get the idea. Why should I make less money for doing more work? Do you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Sincerely,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">a very tired, and slightly overworked,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Me</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-61093951787678860492013-09-04T19:47:00.001-04:002013-09-06T09:47:36.876-04:00What a different world....<div style="text-align: justify;">
Being a parent in this era is frighteningly different than when we were kids. I recently read an article about a <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2013/08/31/guelph-family-lives-like-its-1986" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Guelph family who is living a year like it's 1986</a></span>. I never really thought about the differences before, except when I get a question from D or B like <span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"what's a cassette player?" </span></i></span> We now live in an era where "perfect" parenting ideals can be seen high and low, you can find infinite posts online about perfect school lunches, make-your-own crafts with kids, how to live free of television, how to use television to make smarter kids, how to spend more time with your kids, how not to yell at the kids, why not to vaccinate, why TO vaccinate, how to helicopter parent, how <i>not </i>to helicopter parent, how to spend more time outside, which baby groups to join, which books to read...Baby Einstein DVDs to make your kid smarter, Baby Einstein DVDs to make your kids dumber, teaching your baby Sign Language, internet safety, viruses that have nothing to do with human illness, how and why to eat less junk food, the junk they put in your supposed "healthy food", GMOs, Dead honeybees.....<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">.Knowledge that we were blissfully ignorant of while eating our neon orange, high salt Kraft Dinner or Chef Boyardee for lunch when we were kids...</span></span></span></div>
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I was born in <span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-size: large;">1976</span></span>. I lived happily without cell phones and blue tooth, data packages and Netflix, DVD players and MP3 players, I got my first CD player when I was 18! I lived without cordless nightlights and clocks that light up when it's <a href="http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/kids/toys/ok-to-wake-alarm-clock/860078000315-item.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"OK to wake!"</a>, <span style="color: #38761d;"><b>the INTERNET</b></span>, digital cameras, cameras on your phone, instant upload, online social media, recipes for EVERYTHING online, there was no <span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"app for that"</i></span></span>....vaccines for chicken pox and the FLU, ...I walked to school alone in Toronto in elementary school, and took the subway with friends...went to the theatre and bought my tickets in person, didn't check seating charts and order online.....I remember the controversy that was the beginning of Sunday Shopping, Debit Cards, I remember using the bank of pay telephones in the mall to check in with my mom, or call friends in private...I remember the <span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">disbelief</span></span></span> that one could now send photos and forms and letters by <span style="background-color: cyan;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">TELEPHONE </span></span>on this amazing invention called a FAX machine.. I remember the amazement when they allowed more than one phone line in the house, probably to offset those fax machines... or more than one phone number/ringtone for a single land line! I was also around before the era of telemarketers.... I was around for the invention of the expression "landline", as well as "text me", "friend me", LOL, OMG, BFF...</div>
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I remember when Avent baby bottles were the best on the market, so different than the others. I remember the controversy when Avent baby bottles were not taken OFF the market when it was discovered that they were laden with toxic BPA....I remember when no one wore their children in a sling, when snuggli was the only (albeit horrid) carrier around that people knew about...when strollers faced forward only, couldn't house your up-to-35lb child infant car seat, and didn't have interchangeable seats at all...I remember stainless steel and vinyl coated highchairs and booster seats, seats with fold out steps that made a satisfying "clang" when you played with the steps with your feet - no straps on those! I remember the doctor's house-call service when my fever was over 40C at midnight, getting cold medication before the age of 6, sitting in the front seat of the car, no child safety seat, or in my dad's LAP when he was driving, under the age of 5....</div>
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I remember the isolation when friends couldn't or wouldn't play, when no one was around to talk on the phone, or the line was busy, because that was <span style="background-color: orange;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">the ONLY social outlet at home</span></span></span>, no chat rooms, or online forums.... I remember feeling like a loser or a geek because I liked things that the kids in my micro-universe didn't, and there were no "it gets better" projects back then. I remember pretty stationary and pen-pals from another country, I remember singing highly inappropriate and racist kid-taunts and songs, not knowing their impact on the world, and remember being the butt of some of those remarks and songs...I remember singing "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_26FOHoaC78" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Free to be You and Me</a>", and watching this gem on reel-to-reel and a projection screen in class:</div>
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I remember<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> $2.00 Tuesdays</span></span> at the movie theatre in the mall. The small one, with 2 choices, and no Dolby-digital surround sound. I remember when everything <span style="color: #990000;">WASN'T produced in China</span>, or other "less developed" countries where abuse and child labour were prevalent, as we are learning about in social media circles right now.....and a time before dollar stores.... I remember handing in <i>hand written</i> school assignments...double spaced, writing neatly to the right of the red line on our loose-leaf lined paper....and later the zip-zip screechy sound of the dot-matrix printer, and having to separate all of the perforated edges of the page guides.....I remember learning to properly touch-type with 10 fingers on a TYPEWRITER with no letters on the keys, either so we memorized them, or because they were so well-worn the letters were gone.....Changing the ink ribbon....spacing manually....going to the library to research school projects.... I even remember the Dewey-decimal system, and card-stock library tags
in the backs of the library books where you put your name and the due
date, rather than bar codes...stuffed animals and dolls that <span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>didn't come with their own websites</b></i></span>, but were fun on their own...</div>
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I remember biking for hours, as far from home as I dared, on my own or with my friend...reading for hours when it was raining, Commander Tom's world when watching TV in the basement on Sunday Mornings while my parents slept...following the morning show schedule, WITH commercials, and not having a choice as to watch anything else...later playing cartridges or big black floppy discs on our Commodore 64...</div>
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Being allowed, at age 10 to invent cake recipes with my friend...and use the oven without supervision!</div>
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I remember when K-mart was the enemy, where no one wanted to admit to shop at because it was totally uncool, and before the invasion of Walmart and Target.....I remember fluorescent clothing the First time around, as well as Big hair and WAY too much makeup...Lip Smackers flavoured lip gloss...Plastic Hallowe'en costumes with plastic masks that were impossible to see through, and got all sweaty or broke before the end of trick-or-treating...</div>
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What will my kids remember? What will stick out for them as important? Exciting? New? Different? How will they value themselves and judge themselves in an era where every possible bit of information to compare themselves against is out there, in your pocket, on the computer, on digital bill-boards....when every child's private life, and every teens' love life is posted with photographs online...when library research is replaced with online research...when you can self-diagnose online without going to a doctor...</div>
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm scared for my children. There's so much more to navigate than when we were young. But I'm also excited for them....and <i>their </i>children....</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Armstrong" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">As a favourite musician puts it:</span></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">" <b><i>..They'll learn much more...than I'll ever know..."</i></b></span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-7422361512439782702013-08-27T01:20:00.001-04:002013-08-27T01:20:34.501-04:00kindergartener in love....<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Okay, so thanks to a fever-induced lack of good judgement by C several months ago, B was introduced to the <i><b>Never Say Never</b></i> documentary about young Justin Bieber. And, as all 4 year olds do, we have watched this documentary a gagillion times. If it was a good old VHS, it'd be worn out by now. Thank goodness for Netflix (or curse them, for making this documentary available in the first place...). When her sister finally completely objected to watching it for the thousandth time, B pitched a fit, of course, but then silently swore to herself she'd watch him every time D was away from the house. The less-than-secret love affair could continue. Now, any time D gets to go somewhere that B can't, like a play date with a school friend, B consoles herself with the sweet peppy music of mini-Bieber.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Aaah, young love....</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Needless to say, she's a bit obsessed with him now. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But only with the 14 year old Justin. She doesn't want anything to do with the adult version. Thankfully. And because she is only 4, and time makes no real sense to her, this apparent contradiction in reality does not yet pose a problem for her. She's even decided that when she's an adult (age 14 in her mind) she's going to adopt a baby, and if it's a boy, she's calling it Justin, and if it is a girl, she's calling it Joostin! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">We went back to school clothes shopping at Value Village yesterday, and she's beside herself with glee because we relented and let her get 2 JB shirts... she was in love, and they were only $2 bucks each.... D rolled her eyes, and B's response was an indignant "What?!! I NEEEEEEDED them! Of COURSE I did!"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br />The BEST JB story happens today though - going through B's clothes drawers to pull out the old stuff she doesn't wear or that doesn't fit anymore... I pulled out a few shirts that just have never made the cut. She agrees that she's not going to wear them, but to console either herself, or me (I'm not sure which) she says to me, in complete seriousness "That's okay, we'll save them for [baby] Justin - he'll need them when he does his rock concerts". She was DEAD SERIOUS!!!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">HOW do you keep a straight face when hit with that?!! seriously?!! </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">gawd having kids is awesome.</span></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-82615147501953021662013-08-22T01:10:00.001-04:002013-08-22T01:13:24.238-04:00Duct Tape Lunch Bags Tutorial<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3uDNSIR6cXQjDBo4ZrmkhyyKXE9g4D41dpX7NLEl68FST7eeKxsKc5bwWmqW-dyOsGRAGRUEi9T31CAI77cdKsKjTQm1zesuOUX2SMlqfst1XE0RutNIAXLmDR54Qp24zCV-PQC_EUU/s1600/20130821_134749.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
In the excitement of summer holidays approaching an end, and school shopping lists getting closer and checked off bit by bit each day, I thought I'd offer this fun activity that both acts as something to keep your kids entertained, creative, and happy for one more day of the break, while creating something unique and useful, that the munchkins will get use out of, rather than being on display. I present to you: <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b>The Insulated Duct Tape Lunch Bag!</b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_wFr46oLSKyAe6Eqxa5QYWmS6QR4kB4tsK1tZETTHNvpTJtj_bGm3jE9w64YXFSrIQgEFOmgENV_IrGEnKHDl50vt-zfvOQrhPLxaohPBHtxxnDfRdYmCRXpxSotd_RFbyQRRRmitaE/s1600/20130821_122539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPP6nLFxkmznWvYqfJ9WMIyyfmBW682OJVdUiffcP4UWZROlm8qs49sAX52B6xSg3JYMQgwbcNV1hV8n8lE3taTu-tx-CC4YFTcgj_aA69aHfELowVCqhIjuMJc2wXNHC7sz582Ko-Pyo/s1600/2013-08-21+15.03.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPP6nLFxkmznWvYqfJ9WMIyyfmBW682OJVdUiffcP4UWZROlm8qs49sAX52B6xSg3JYMQgwbcNV1hV8n8lE3taTu-tx-CC4YFTcgj_aA69aHfELowVCqhIjuMJc2wXNHC7sz582Ko-Pyo/s640/2013-08-21+15.03.04.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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So, I was looking for a way to use some of the super amazing new patterns of Duck Brand Tape that we sell where I work. Originally, I was just going to duct tape over a couple of the girls' old lunch bags, but then I figured; "Hey! I can sew, I can make things outta duct tape, SOMEONE on the interweb has to have made a lunch bag out of duct tape before, and put up a tutorial? Turns out Nope. So, after some researching on other types of hand-made lunch bags, and doing some material-choice substitutions, THIS is what I came up with. I was so impressed with the outcome, that I decided to do a tutorial on how they're made, so that you too, can enjoy this fun alternative to a store-bought lunch bag.<br />
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<u><b><span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">Materials You Will Need:</span></span></b></u><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_BviOlkZeolTXVy9K6y8CssghDWCu9hdRqYgwTr9K-pPbBMD5e5zXFufnNiF226TlGCm9jAuRd_M9pU5nbujKKfRecYCQ-UEeq8aWNm8prNQEutTV6O8H-HvA6YW-lFxx8GNi5VKZuc/s1600/20130821_120154.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_BviOlkZeolTXVy9K6y8CssghDWCu9hdRqYgwTr9K-pPbBMD5e5zXFufnNiF226TlGCm9jAuRd_M9pU5nbujKKfRecYCQ-UEeq8aWNm8prNQEutTV6O8H-HvA6YW-lFxx8GNi5VKZuc/s400/20130821_120154.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tools you will need...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<u><b><span style="color: #741b47;"></span></b></u><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Duct Tape</b>, in whatever colours you like. You can probably do the whole thing in one roll of 9.1m Tape, but there are so many fun styles and patterns out there, I doubt you will be able to buy just one!</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Foiled Windshield Screen/Visor </b>from the dollar store - the ones that accordion closed and are Styrofoam and reflective foil. These ones were $1.50 each. This is the insulation and inside wall of your lunch bag.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Large piece of paper (I'm using that brown roll of paper, it's huge, and designed for protecting floors during construction) </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">a ruler, pencil and pen, scissors</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">a front fastener - I used plastic snaps because I have a snap press, but Velcro or sewn on buttons/snaps would work too</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">some of your regular lunch containers and beverage containers to make sure you're making your lunch bag big enough to hold them! </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #741b47;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;">The Process:</span></b></u></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4_wFr46oLSKyAe6Eqxa5QYWmS6QR4kB4tsK1tZETTHNvpTJtj_bGm3jE9w64YXFSrIQgEFOmgENV_IrGEnKHDl50vt-zfvOQrhPLxaohPBHtxxnDfRdYmCRXpxSotd_RFbyQRRRmitaE/s320/20130821_122539.jpg" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Template - see end of post for scale drawing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Use the Large Paper to draw yourself a template (in pencil so you can erase mistakes instead of starting over). Make sure to place your lunch containers against the various "walls" of your bag, to ensure proper fit. I made mine a rectangular prism - as such:</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">This is a flattened 3-D shape, like we did in elementary school geography.. </span></span>The base centered, with the back, front, and two sides attached to the base. I made my base 13cm X 22cm, the back and front 22cm X 23cm, and the sides 13cm X 23cm.<br />
I made the top and front flap as one separate piece, because making it all as one piece would not have fit on my window reflector - I taped them together afterward. You can see here the cross shape of the template, with the base in the centre, and the 4 sides. The lid/flap is the piece to the side, already partly cut out - I made it 22cm X 22cm - size enough to cover the top and fold over the front to fasten. Label each square so that you know what is what.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0uhjP6SGovL8HUtzeZBsZ9zMA65b9FQnlQkftu7jFOoUgLgHkqnYtNPZtKpUM6kCkRdO2KytkvwpMACUZdAQqgrEgMyYElWBDYUrZwMCWOS8lmxs0yadV7hmW__L_OYtSUPN97MuNAA/s1600/20130821_123732.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI0uhjP6SGovL8HUtzeZBsZ9zMA65b9FQnlQkftu7jFOoUgLgHkqnYtNPZtKpUM6kCkRdO2KytkvwpMACUZdAQqgrEgMyYElWBDYUrZwMCWOS8lmxs0yadV7hmW__L_OYtSUPN97MuNAA/s320/20130821_123732.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No seam Allowance! Cut right on the lines.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="goog_1464517332"></span><span id="goog_1464517333"></span></span></span>Cut out the template right on the line. Because this isn't being sewn, we don't need to have a seam allowance! Don't cut the lines where the sides meet the base - those are<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>folding lines. The fewer pieces to attach together, the easier this project is. </li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Fold up your template, and make sure all of your lines meet up where they should.</span> Put your top where it would go, make sure where it would fasten to the back "wall" is even as well, and folds over nicely. Adjust your template until you are sure you are happy with it before continuing to the next step.</li>
</ul>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunlaaQuu9IIpwKCtrNf9akfwXwpyTdTv5G4TY-UwCfDOKoj-Tj0SETWRdWCY8tDW-fBPPdDV9kZ7nyZKQx2xZvEs-j_4cwb0xYf80zFg0xdOEZg-GMFDNJ1Ecf4gRKUbyW5LYgBWg4kk/s1600/20130821_123101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunlaaQuu9IIpwKCtrNf9akfwXwpyTdTv5G4TY-UwCfDOKoj-Tj0SETWRdWCY8tDW-fBPPdDV9kZ7nyZKQx2xZvEs-j_4cwb0xYf80zFg0xdOEZg-GMFDNJ1Ecf4gRKUbyW5LYgBWg4kk/s400/20130821_123101.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Helpers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Trace your template onto the "wrong" side of your insulation piece (the sun visor). Mine was foil on one side, and just plain white foam on the other, so I used ball-point pen, so it wouldn't rip or smudge all over the foam. Cut it out, just like the paper, and fold to make sure all of your seams and edges line up where they should.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOFu-Ft7i5zMDGUJeXAFSXQiTp7_Ik6VKpTASESYJmBcr4YIuaMSEVVn3nANadppNS3JkfdfByVdT4CCCEIfU4254estkUyGNOmTAj5JQTSUmrIQ2KZK_f0nd5_lBA8vPANjgWEPjt4g/s1600/20130821_124459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOFu-Ft7i5zMDGUJeXAFSXQiTp7_Ik6VKpTASESYJmBcr4YIuaMSEVVn3nANadppNS3JkfdfByVdT4CCCEIfU4254estkUyGNOmTAj5JQTSUmrIQ2KZK_f0nd5_lBA8vPANjgWEPjt4g/s320/20130821_124459.jpg" width="313" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRzlut5YzykmhXQbZAXg4GesqgTi1CXmGWNkwew3zOKJUtBVpakpvUAtRidHhHIARPX-lFWc8AocNfVQEPC_paanCHUY9ell1rtr6pjXIhSGSfj2b08dEZMYt6-EzixY6h1vwqMzZkBA/s1600/20130821_125040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRzlut5YzykmhXQbZAXg4GesqgTi1CXmGWNkwew3zOKJUtBVpakpvUAtRidHhHIARPX-lFWc8AocNfVQEPC_paanCHUY9ell1rtr6pjXIhSGSfj2b08dEZMYt6-EzixY6h1vwqMzZkBA/s320/20130821_125040.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">If you did this using the same template as me, you should now have a very shiny X shape, and another little piece as the lid.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Now comes the taping - the fun part! Fold your sides and backs up, and tape them in place with small bits of duct tape near the top open edges of the bag, so that the bag sort of holds it's shape (image A):</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf7x9UaypVaE0KVIct-7_5Ed7waAQGOxj6-M4VouQ1nkvGf3XacVK8OjEjnaebWYCuyI3TzG_BI4HBbTUSzvI4OEUWzW_rjEh5LTIAweXEZtSio8888v2JRgsWYeFFxMLYO9M4ZBCw7xI/s400/20130821_132003.jpg" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image A - 4 corners taped at tops, lid shown.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTcT4Bs_wHffJqipJiMKQSYMWUkdMmY4Q1tNRSmzalXcJov6aOyODB3sewjQJ147b0NKkoYMStVkHCgkniAQpQC6bosrKCdJjs1DS23oQgomWiRZOio1cWXOZc9SPYOFD7VfHTrHLp5iU/s400/20130821_132009.jpg" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image B - lengthwise strip of tape on both sides of lid.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tape the lid piece to the top of the back piece, using a long strip of duct tape - do this on both sides of the lid piece, so that there's tape inside AND outside of the bag (image B).</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tape the 4 edges of the bag lengthwise from top to bottom of the bag. I found it easiest to flatten the two sides against each other and fold the tape over the edges (image C). Press the tape down firmly.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdrfdP0sJOLtQQNiL9y7x1Zcxl7o7GGvMZsGbI-lU36Zcy68VBLmfLqiBq2b9-jgzKqBQnSV2rq6fEpQIgBbh5e13etPiZpxfZM91FJXo6VFrMd9kl3a4nI1z0_CaaBOp4t2xHozWIh4/s1600/20130821_132016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpdrfdP0sJOLtQQNiL9y7x1Zcxl7o7GGvMZsGbI-lU36Zcy68VBLmfLqiBq2b9-jgzKqBQnSV2rq6fEpQIgBbh5e13etPiZpxfZM91FJXo6VFrMd9kl3a4nI1z0_CaaBOp4t2xHozWIh4/s400/20130821_132016.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image C - tape edge lengthwise.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Now you have what looks like a very plain lunch bag. Time to decorate! You can tape any way you choose, just make sure that in the end, every part of the white foam/outside of the bag is covered with strips. Here's how we did ours:</b></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tape bag in lengthwise strips, starting at edge of lid (fold a tiny bit over to inside), down the back, under the bottom, around and up the front, and fold a tiny bit of tape over to the inside of the front of the bag. Make sure you have pressed the tape down firmly everywhere, and that there are no air pockets, and as few wrinkles, as possible in your tape.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQW_50Zx_OlYkqSZ6CVfmsSk55qBd3kN90qPbujii4uQiokIhjieTy19N_8wz9eymorv3tcgEvvhmSeSO322IcC5NEqeqKGroBSm_EVTeV2EoE_G8TtI-9cHzo6nv2l54iNd4b1i7qq4/s400/20130821_133311.jpg" width="300" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Push tape down firmly!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1AMB2ADSSl9AiOTUWnj_td5aF1aR9oA5VaJ9VOBgFLH9px2_Ln4VwuTTWZV77yrV-cbbYTshOLGFd6-Ti8ck5xVkua6BEEKf_8RrMdZ5swdfAsDINwWJdC1RUmWDRYmVzCtabd04asI/s1600/20130821_133305.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1AMB2ADSSl9AiOTUWnj_td5aF1aR9oA5VaJ9VOBgFLH9px2_Ln4VwuTTWZV77yrV-cbbYTshOLGFd6-Ti8ck5xVkua6BEEKf_8RrMdZ5swdfAsDINwWJdC1RUmWDRYmVzCtabd04asI/s320/20130821_133305.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy creator!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> When lid, front, bottom, and back are covered, do the same down from one side top, over the already taped bottom, and up the other side, folding a tiny bit over the edge. Doubling up tape on the bottom makes it a bit stronger, and makes for fewer cut tape lines on your work. </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Next, fold a strip of tape over the top
edge of the bag, covering up all of the raggedy edges of tape folded in
there previously. Do the same around the edges of the lid/flap. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">This tidies up all of the rough edges, as well as hides and protects the top edges of visible white Styrofoam.</span></span></span></span> </span></span></li>
</ul>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6g4uM_FmOQLUbpRCVP2ku8egqG1H2RSGIqRfAdm-qrW5ovZEd4IxFwrMdKaeECCNq8Vknbg28YRO5UiIP9Y5pPeTfjW3T5nJuQ4v1nOpRn7u4PYE6jI-n6LGDTFGbUK45ecjlyefdUGA/s1600/20130821_134804.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6g4uM_FmOQLUbpRCVP2ku8egqG1H2RSGIqRfAdm-qrW5ovZEd4IxFwrMdKaeECCNq8Vknbg28YRO5UiIP9Y5pPeTfjW3T5nJuQ4v1nOpRn7u4PYE6jI-n6LGDTFGbUK45ecjlyefdUGA/s320/20130821_134804.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fold a piece of tape over the whole edge.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9oiTUCLOKVtdMPRr8TaIkegtcs7HFxwqqqucHy0lyeJtIXDHdIg_s1gdGnNQACHPpKvT66dhzroh4IwCGh01UtUKSJqnN36jEkqmFFyHlBq4vSA0yakeSanl1GR3xlbXFCFbtMuW3Os/s1600/20130821_135035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY9oiTUCLOKVtdMPRr8TaIkegtcs7HFxwqqqucHy0lyeJtIXDHdIg_s1gdGnNQACHPpKvT66dhzroh4IwCGh01UtUKSJqnN36jEkqmFFyHlBq4vSA0yakeSanl1GR3xlbXFCFbtMuW3Os/s320/20130821_135035.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside top edge - all covered neatly.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkV3D0Bt7PfBAzNpZvHFrD1Bfzi0AULh5n65N2LfOKVUEf1yb_WujuAYBVRqfWOaMTAXTNdcICC0az7mb6576LUOQ15ehYEIGNmsJPHNpGo4MUM1PcLG2YXnn-25ARhCFOhGY2iH0oghM/s1600/20130821_135858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkV3D0Bt7PfBAzNpZvHFrD1Bfzi0AULh5n65N2LfOKVUEf1yb_WujuAYBVRqfWOaMTAXTNdcICC0az7mb6576LUOQ15ehYEIGNmsJPHNpGo4MUM1PcLG2YXnn-25ARhCFOhGY2iH0oghM/s320/20130821_135858.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taped over foam handle, taped in place!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2ib6WUkrEnwIt-33Q3Oq7N0nRFL4lTT47Z5nux25jvqntr26aWlfCftGULDkXuNZ2h5V67Rp4UHw-EF9NtiMLiT7-ouxHdCGHxmexuSb5NWEBehXPYdjb-BZSSmPy27SZMVB7xfs6_U/s1600/20130821_135540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2ib6WUkrEnwIt-33Q3Oq7N0nRFL4lTT47Z5nux25jvqntr26aWlfCftGULDkXuNZ2h5V67Rp4UHw-EF9NtiMLiT7-ouxHdCGHxmexuSb5NWEBehXPYdjb-BZSSmPy27SZMVB7xfs6_U/s320/20130821_135540.jpg" width="240" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scrap of foam folded lengthwise for handle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">To make a handle in the top, I used a scrap of the foam/foil insulator, a bit longer than the top of the bag. I folded it in half and taped it over, and then taped it to the top of the bag on each side of the handle, using a longer stretch of tape.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">I used my plastic snaps and snap press to fasten the front of the flap to the bag, but this is where sticky or sewn on Velcro would work, a zipper if you're handy with zippers (I bet they could be taped on too, rather than sewn, as long as you taped both from top and bottom of the zipper), buckle, or sew on snaps or buttons! To make a buttonhole in the lid, I would snip a small rectangle, and then cover the edges of the rectangle with tape again, to keep the sticky raw edges off of the button. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">You can also use permanent marker, or cut out shapes from duct tape, or a combination of the two, as I did to make the monograms on the fronts, to decorate in any way you'd like!</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">Voila!</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-size: large;">Your very own creation! I welcome comments and feedback, questions for clarification, etc. It's been a while since I've done a tutorial, and I'm a bit rusty!</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1Txd-SNMC_BOWB5m8wdNfpcL5eKtOg-DuhevoO04bW37X7x1h0HBeyhCP_V4JjpLOPdcm4jcQy4aIcO5BZnS6JOCLgFGbsDcT7fQbJHp04NBdmQTJQW7sy6iFDi-6jP860wU44i0YQM/s1600/20130821_142128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1Txd-SNMC_BOWB5m8wdNfpcL5eKtOg-DuhevoO04bW37X7x1h0HBeyhCP_V4JjpLOPdcm4jcQy4aIcO5BZnS6JOCLgFGbsDcT7fQbJHp04NBdmQTJQW7sy6iFDi-6jP860wU44i0YQM/s320/20130821_142128.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKoBjB4UCtjm4B64MpkpoZ_BThaTmsw9aAa4Sj7FyKvQapVUrbB1gzMfhFKB6OwieeBefIvDncO-j0dIkfbsRqtaYh8dWFVFooi3QTrjeDX3-9u0WkAOt4mva4pVibjWBS8-IE5ODZl8/s1600/20130821_142109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKoBjB4UCtjm4B64MpkpoZ_BThaTmsw9aAa4Sj7FyKvQapVUrbB1gzMfhFKB6OwieeBefIvDncO-j0dIkfbsRqtaYh8dWFVFooi3QTrjeDX3-9u0WkAOt4mva4pVibjWBS8-IE5ODZl8/s320/20130821_142109.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg319c9nIPyz2Ezn7xNqC6x1qIYHWCMrJZNXGhZABNdUn2WLMrJ5uCakmE_5lFnDzGR_KNxGlT2rUifBgYd8VinlHCyiqP9nrfrjcIxW9tORWaR8gARtSKovt9iVML1wb2boLChHME_LbA/s1600/20130821_141026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg319c9nIPyz2Ezn7xNqC6x1qIYHWCMrJZNXGhZABNdUn2WLMrJ5uCakmE_5lFnDzGR_KNxGlT2rUifBgYd8VinlHCyiqP9nrfrjcIxW9tORWaR8gARtSKovt9iVML1wb2boLChHME_LbA/s320/20130821_141026.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-36526624206230723392013-08-05T18:57:00.000-04:002013-08-05T18:57:21.972-04:00let the CRAZIES begin....what are you doing with YOUR summer so far?!<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, it's not completely insane around here right now. For this minute. We can only go a minute at a time, right? So far, we've been camping with extended family twice, once for a week with the cousins (totally great - the kids biked around the sites and pretty much entertained each other most of the time), and once with even more family members for a weekend. Somewhere in between there was my 37th birthday, and my all time COOLEST birthday party of all time. I had a CONCERT in my backyard for my birthday! REALLY!!! A fantastic musician named <a href="http://www.emberswift.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ember Swift</a> just happened to be in town, and just happens to be a <a href="http://www.facebook.com/babazoobee" target="_blank">Facebook</a> friend of mine....well, we chatted, and voila! A concert in my backyard.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/bLL6JlziaOw?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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I tried to take more videos of her music, but every time I did, a certain 4.5 year old would jump in my lap and altogether ruin the video....ah well, there're the memories... oh, and her entire CD collection that she gave me as a gift....<br />
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<a href="http://www.hillsidefestival.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hillside Music Festival</a> was next, my first big venue as a crafter/artisan, an ENTIRE WEEKEND of selling a whole 10x10 booth's worth of merchandise...that I made!!! Sad and happy that it is over, it was awesome, although somewhat WET.... and exhausting. My first big show, as a vendor, and I'm totally hooked! Here's a gratuitous pic of my booth, which I have to say, was awesome (if I do say so myself).... I enjoyed everything about it.....except, maybe that B was so starved for my attention that she felt the need to repeatedly head-butt me with a running start from across the field, and roll around on the mat in the tent.... even when customers were trying to look around.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQ-EOiDFhXhiubTAhithsfDx18mQ7OdTKEgND-JUCPavqLaGqplReJ7PqMn6DT2GiIaEjQcu9uk1cTEj4oBA4G3zWmWdwJ-zY11mF02tO-PHvsSz-Drdb-lPxbJ5NR9MMhq4zymHLMlY/s1600/20130728_190123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQ-EOiDFhXhiubTAhithsfDx18mQ7OdTKEgND-JUCPavqLaGqplReJ7PqMn6DT2GiIaEjQcu9uk1cTEj4oBA4G3zWmWdwJ-zY11mF02tO-PHvsSz-Drdb-lPxbJ5NR9MMhq4zymHLMlY/s640/20130728_190123.jpg" title="the babazoobee booth at hillside" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The baBaZOoBee! Tent at Hillside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I especially loved the freedom that 8.5 year old D felt for the first time, wandering the festival with her friends, who were plentiful, at all hours of the day, until 11pm! And how little B tried to excercise the same freedoms, in her own little way... I loved my neighbours, the lovely family in charge of <a href="http://www.beekindorganics.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bee Kind Organics</a>, and the goofy guys (and girl) running<a href="https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/CivicTrust" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Civic Trust</a>... though I'm <i>certain</i> my girls experienced their first second-hand-smoke high from all the weed that was prevalent near our tents over the weekend. Aah, folk music festivals.... ;)</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.torontozoo.com/" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIGG2yF3M_XwUiPkO6hNVR6nFpZFhgKHmuUcmDXm3p4MhcQXv-0LIsVbu6Rzs4hMTJAB1xQNf6oUN9YtEvysumFCWFRBYaqgmKft2k4JkVKTedp_2VHTzJGmBodbmDhhsf7kPsIcgSNKU/s200/20130731_120903.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.torontozoo.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Toronto Zoo</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After a day of recovery, we headed to Toronto to visit my parents, and go on some great adventures to the Toronto Zoo, which was super, albeit exhausting, and the Ontario Science Centre with my parents, which was so crowded it made me rethink ever spending time in a Toronto attraction again....though by the end we enjoyed ourselves so much that I ate my words and we upgraded to an annual membership. Out-voted by the children, we spent an extra day in the T-dot, and then it was back to the Farmer's Market on Saturday...well, you can see why I'm semi-comatose on the couch right now....</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0Z3-ogcAfYCjiY3oxQGdxgll9gw-1-nyWNDrc6wV7VQqtr7WZJyeV5LJnvZ-N1lDieU9XrMBghhk37MZqWHyYoOC4WVx8fbPxTCpn4Zdfo_onnMp8fhL7ay5yKLBpzsGxt1yJxEWgoc/s320/2013-08-01+13.14.33.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Crazy faces at the Ontario Science Centre with my folks</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Add 2 trips to Ikea while visiting my parents, and a new bench and kitchen chairs, and it's been one hell of a week.</div>
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So, as I said, (smirk), it's not too busy around here right now. No, really! Those things all were busy, but now it's the day after. And I'm sitting on the couch, semi-comatose, with the burnt edges of a migraine peeking through the caffeine-Tylenol combo.....and a cat purring in my ear. Life is good.<br />
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<i><span style="color: #666666;">**Post-note. We spent all of TODAY at <a href="http://www.andrewsscenicacres.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Andrew's Scenic Acres</a> picking blueberries and raspberries, riding ponies and feeding goats, playing on old wooden and steel playground equipment (you know, the GOOD stuff, from OUR childhoods) and riding the berry-wagon...here's a pic of most of this evening's dinner:</span></i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDYXoGKL1shO2XuN4BvWSiy2vLU4klnBEx_xYEpI9EFwn566g0dcJ7uiVdyMC1_gqZ2N1RiB2yvxruOfFCVW0MXVlFUsKSTGHiO8sqZHtDuZ3oRd-GIgER4N1it78h9av0mF7IydwGNA/s1600/2013-08-05+17.57.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDYXoGKL1shO2XuN4BvWSiy2vLU4klnBEx_xYEpI9EFwn566g0dcJ7uiVdyMC1_gqZ2N1RiB2yvxruOfFCVW0MXVlFUsKSTGHiO8sqZHtDuZ3oRd-GIgER4N1it78h9av0mF7IydwGNA/s320/2013-08-05+17.57.40.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">homemade waffles with blueberry/raspberry sauce and thick sliced farmer's market local bacon.....market cucumbers were added to the plate after the fact......</td></tr>
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I repeat. Life is good!!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-66390874924049681272013-07-11T00:38:00.001-04:002013-07-11T00:41:17.398-04:00Neat-o tips and tricks that I've gleaned along the way. <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">(Otherwise entitled - a post for Melissa.....)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A friend of mine once suggested that I post a bunch of the tips and tricks I've learned over the years....so hear they are......at least as many I can get down while the girls watch "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"...again....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Food tricks:</u></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A wonderful low-fat alternative to liquid coffee creamers, that is still
natural dairy - Instant Skim Milk Powder! Can be kept in the cupboard
at work, in a jar going camping, can even pre-mix with sugar or your
favourite sweetener for a one-scoop solution! </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Buy your coffee beans whole - they stay fresher! You don't need
any fancy equipment to grind it yourself - just a good old fashioned
blender! I get a weeks' worth of coffee ground in about 5 seconds, and
the smell of the grinding fresh coffee is better than the brew
fragrance!</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXOQ6b_9OknBhWICZAwQ4cKIbtKi73zJln1XUg8NShDZTgq3NmieZOXcvnqmEqOHUBIPDa_opH3hRXCjAkqCbIaqXZXCyvqZ3p0gjeGcsk-oLHc-BginaARF_CrvUAQvjDc55dwEpKuk/s1600/coffee+beans.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibXOQ6b_9OknBhWICZAwQ4cKIbtKi73zJln1XUg8NShDZTgq3NmieZOXcvnqmEqOHUBIPDa_opH3hRXCjAkqCbIaqXZXCyvqZ3p0gjeGcsk-oLHc-BginaARF_CrvUAQvjDc55dwEpKuk/s200/coffee+beans.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Another coffee trick - like flavoured
coffee? Don't have any? Add a drop or two of vanilla extract, or a
fresh raspberry or two (slightly squished), a couple of teaspoons of
irish cream, or a couple pinches of cocoa powder or cinnamon to the top
of your coffee grounds before turning on the percolator. Instant yum!
To just remove bitterness, a pinch of salt to the top of the grinds
works very well.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Cool lunch trick - pour boiling water into a tall insulated thermos.
Put in one or two raw hot dogs or veggie dogs. Put buns or wraps in the
lunch, and some condiments - packs gleaned from fast food restaurants
work well. At lunch time you or your kiddo will have a hot meal of
cooked hot dogs! </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Teach yourself or your children to use chop sticks without buying those
fancy spreaders - a rubber band or hair elastic wound in figure eights
around the two stick ends around 2/3 back is often enough resistance and
spacing to help you out. If not, taping the two sticks to two sides of
a clothespin? </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Kidstuffs tips:</b></u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8wFcL2qFXIloNjyxKF_Id7r0b2jmdqRftXxg2TlLaksVJ7GwV23MjEWV7mC39K6X7hsKhANp85J3NBY5N7gmFc5YTavB8d1OLqUU9EEYKbEOuDnEboFzDCOb4yyMK_X6r5C9NAiG18c/s1600/pet+brush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU8wFcL2qFXIloNjyxKF_Id7r0b2jmdqRftXxg2TlLaksVJ7GwV23MjEWV7mC39K6X7hsKhANp85J3NBY5N7gmFc5YTavB8d1OLqUU9EEYKbEOuDnEboFzDCOb4yyMK_X6r5C9NAiG18c/s200/pet+brush.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Children's stuffed animals lost their super soft newness? return them
to their new-fluffy-glory days for under $2.00. Hit your local dollar
store and purchase a cat/dog brush...If you already have one then you
can do this for free! Most stuffed animals can actually be washed in the
machine on gentle, an dried in the dryer on low. If your child has a
favourite "buddy" you probably already know this! Once dry, give it a
thorough brushing with the pet brush. Does wonders!!!!! </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Teach your little ones to wash dishes early - use 2 plastic tubs - like
the Rubbermaid kind for dish washing when you're camping - on towels on
the kitchen table. One for wash, with warm soapy water, and one for
rinse. Have the young ones wash plastic dishes and non-sharp cutlery,
and put them on another towel to dry! Start by making it a fun activity
with pre-rinsed dishes, and work up from there, as often as they want
to!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoX0Z29VevzSGBhXsI9sq3mx_GiEmKAOtYf7Li5D1gHBcoUvfj-ZxGdLcsXl1u7ccJmXJ6GK8MsLVeNaSmOkjAHEWEeGiK0FalpPts5UKIsHVnx-LUuKvCeFZH6U1sdz9Lblc24CQqa0/s1600/rubber+band+child+proof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoX0Z29VevzSGBhXsI9sq3mx_GiEmKAOtYf7Li5D1gHBcoUvfj-ZxGdLcsXl1u7ccJmXJ6GK8MsLVeNaSmOkjAHEWEeGiK0FalpPts5UKIsHVnx-LUuKvCeFZH6U1sdz9Lblc24CQqa0/s200/rubber+band+child+proof.jpg" width="200" /></a></span>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Keep a baggie of hair elastics or rubber bands in your diaper bag if you
have a mobile baby. When you go visiting to homes that aren't child
proof, an elastic wrapped around two lower cabinet or drawer knobs will
provide some crude babyproofing, at least slowing down the child's
discovery process! </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Did you know you can use soft pastels/chalk pastels (bought in many art
stores, such as Michaels) to temporarily put colour streaks in your
hair? Great for kids' birthday parties, or even a funky do for the
day...or to try on new shades before a more permanent attempt! </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Prolong the life of too small clothes - Leggings or sweatpants that have become too short can be cut down to make shorts or capris - no sewing required! To make girl's legging shorts look more like the store bought ones, put a little slit about 1.5" long up the outside seam of each cut leg....</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Household Tips: </b></u></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Shoes too tight?, need to work in new shoes? Do what Rock Climbers do - put some rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and spritz the inside of the shoes until damp, right before putting them on - speeds the leather softening process, and makes your shoes more cozy sooner!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Looking for studs behind the drywall? Try using a rare-earth or superstrong magnet taped to a strong enough string..... dangle the string against the wall, and drag slowly in one direction across the wall...this will work best in a wall with steel studs, but big nails and screws in wooden drywall can work too. The magnet will stick to the metal parts of the studs, showing you where they are!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Keep toothbrushes super-clean, and extend their lives - put about an inch of hydrogen peroxide (the 3% solution) in the bottom of a small mason jar or clean glass - put toothbrushes in headfirst for 5 minutes every week or three to kill organic matter including bacteria!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> Toilet Flusher not working? Check in the tank to see if the chain is broken. If it is, you can temporarily fix it with a paperclip or safety pin!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Trying to move a heavy object or piece of furniture/appliance across the floor? Turn a bathmat or front door mat upside down and place under heavy object. Carpet side will slide easily across the floor, and grippy side of mat will keep the heavy object from slipping off of the mat while pushing!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rdzHvU3sVH6Q0WhEqo2W0H0Cu6X5KVV6lOS29U9PA5fiDJflLXYpnMpnN_fkRrglzI8IpAHGy1nt9utAc_VON7BtpYIL00hzBy6cKebAfkYmHTsy5M4bu270C5p7XVVh9W9NZg2eCLs/s1600/Dresser-Rubbing-Dove-Rail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3rdzHvU3sVH6Q0WhEqo2W0H0Cu6X5KVV6lOS29U9PA5fiDJflLXYpnMpnN_fkRrglzI8IpAHGy1nt9utAc_VON7BtpYIL00hzBy6cKebAfkYmHTsy5M4bu270C5p7XVVh9W9NZg2eCLs/s200/Dresser-Rubbing-Dove-Rail.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNV_pZVcY5D-vvyzL0FLCNKrJIVW1mH2fWbhBR87YoogzLTCoW0okK4n06mdgPfXZGK9MfBQtaBtxOHTpQtA_h7e46GdX67qhZVbzLHj-5lrRLKrjXJv88t-3mGmyWuu03zX-4pHgcBJI/s1600/beeswax+zipper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNV_pZVcY5D-vvyzL0FLCNKrJIVW1mH2fWbhBR87YoogzLTCoW0okK4n06mdgPfXZGK9MfBQtaBtxOHTpQtA_h7e46GdX67qhZVbzLHj-5lrRLKrjXJv88t-3mGmyWuu03zX-4pHgcBJI/s200/beeswax+zipper.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<li> <span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">zipper or drawers sticky? Use a dry bar of soap, a crayon or some beeswax and "colour" the two surfaces that rub against each other. The wax will make the pull very smooth!</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<ul><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Scratches in your finished floor or table? For black or almost black surfaces, like the laminated ikea style furniture or even picture frames, a black sharpie works really well. Draw over the scratch and then quickly wipe off of the excess. For screw holes or scratches in lighter wood, rub a similarly coloured crayon (yes, a crayola will work) hard and back and forth over that spot quickly to create friction heat - it will melt a bit of the crayon into the scratch/spot. Use a paper towel or rag to rub off the excess in the same fashion!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OFTjb75FTlDyEna710I6-BNaapkyweLX6SDH1bcGQFQrqBvTTA4i40reZiNZEaHOoDLdjaq28nn5UwVJTWZJaLh7SNtSZ14fQHbt7ihJ0B8SogrqV6_7rlK2UA2Ov7twTUVev5ZHPfo/s1600/cloth+in+microwave.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7OFTjb75FTlDyEna710I6-BNaapkyweLX6SDH1bcGQFQrqBvTTA4i40reZiNZEaHOoDLdjaq28nn5UwVJTWZJaLh7SNtSZ14fQHbt7ihJ0B8SogrqV6_7rlK2UA2Ov7twTUVev5ZHPfo/s200/cloth+in+microwave.png" width="200" /></a></span>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Time to clean the microwave? Easy-peasy. Soak a dishcloth in water and put it in the middle of the turn-tray of the machine, spray a little lemon juice or vinegar around the inside of the microwave and on the cloth, and run the microwave on HIGH for 30-45 seconds. Grime wipes away super easy, and with the lemon juice, the machine smells lovely!!!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Did you know that Epsom Salts are a GREAT natural fertilizer? There are many ways to apply it, either directly at sowing in granular form, or diluting it 1 tbsp per gallon as a foliage spray. Who knew!? </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm certain there are more... tons more. there are always more! If you can think of any, let me know! I may even post them here!</span><br />
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-12467576764528549212013-06-20T19:34:00.000-04:002013-06-20T19:34:04.387-04:00parenting greeting cards you will never see....<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, after 4 hours of shopping for dresses and shorts for my incredibly sensitive little girl, I sorta wanted some compassion. I mean, it was bloody hell. To be honest, I wanted some sort of recognition when I was done on how seriously awful shopping with a 4.5 year old with special needs is! After 4 meltdowns, 4 stores, countless "no, I'm sorry we can't buy that today"s, a heartbreak over a stuffed bunny that I wouldn't buy her, several small freak outs about trying on clothes in the change room (she thought someone might see her changing) and tags/threads/pockets/appliques in places that drive her mental, and a small panic attack over a cricket loose on the floor of the pet store, I deserve a freakin' medal!</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, I realize that medals are a bit pricey, and rather cumbersome and hard to come by, so I'd settle for just a nice card, or even an e-card, stating how much I am appreciated for the work I do...Unfortunately, on hunting for them, I find there aren't really many satisfactory sentiments out there to show appreciation for the work parents do. So, I'm compiling a few here today. Tell me what you think! </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.someecards.com/usercards/nsviewcard/MjAxMy1jYTdkYzcyOTE1YmYyODU5" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjMVD-T3k7HlDkOpIjI26wdbh-hVC6GRZLIhIUPlyJLqibch8JGHcAuwymUJYg9T6pnlt6ztNP4tViQ6zhQ5PeM-28dHRepm3LNPy6TJSeHnr2x6H2GUof36PZ96_CYzEX_K5zyK6EvE/s400/toddler+pee.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.someecards.com/usercards/nsviewcard/MjAxMy1iN2JkMDJkNjA3OGMwNDlh#link" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0CfjyXT6LT6TPw_curcu-xzDy0oUQBuJiojHioImgFc34Foo_l42u2l2sF7xPPDd05GHre6pjP2NulDdvbtQMdTWKn0fLn06srJkmlW5YapJumbL0elvpr_lfrCcw6VI3C-ddG9YuKXA/s400/the+mall.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">or maybe one of these?</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMy03MmMyOWI0ODkxYTcwOWU5" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Blpxx-x2MNmY49ySLQJhEfh3HThg9EFZ15a5G3iAUcngUP3gPSds8rvB8ZtqG0Ehbp9JRlHNeo3zFmudyAHAIq_kujaKK34-td_AADrYdN7-EcfSqyGynxHcmrpZD3EE4BlRt_FABBM/s400/alcohol.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.rottenecards.com/card/239694/congratulations-on-creating-a-meal-that-not-a-single-child-hated-enough-to-complain-about" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBHRfl1Nf7QQ1m-eH8HxM_daS3r8QODrPAGzP6iAACH5F5ereEMl2P9svTciXuStjMpRMvFkeYVHvTpM6fDqY6UtSHtwT0t93p3j8CD8047QP4CTFd7Jswq8pIPqvadKAWRg9YBkchb_U/s400/good+meal.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">and maybe one day, we'll even be featured in the paper:</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.rottenecards.com/card/239699/extra-extraread-all-about-it" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0BGWOh7GoQI0gDnFnIlV6-iqW-845Z2nl_cCGKW9RA4sj20qsB6Uf9zXwOSIdcX9XcyZArinzTQCq2USb_R9_p1tfMCz5RODXzrVIa037Y5x4aQ0r6P0ohEFOnpaBy9Z7owGPQfiIZQ/s400/sleep+deprived.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Oh well, I guess I'll just settle with a grubby-handed hug and an "I love you" from a smiley love-eyed little girl...On second thought, that's the best reward ever, isn't it?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you have any cute/funny/sarcastic parenting-related e-cards I'd love to see them! Message them to me on Facebook, and I may post them there, or even here!</span></span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-5648299604713052312013-06-15T00:01:00.001-04:002013-06-15T00:01:44.402-04:00the perfect parent.I read a lot. <br />
<br />
Not the historical fiction or murder mystery or teenage angst books of my B.C. era (Before Children), and definitely not as much or in the same way as I used to, picking up a novel and starting at the beginning and getting to the end within a day or two, but I still push my eyes across written words and try to make sense of the black and white. More than I probably should sometimes.<br />
<br />
These days my focus is most often Parenting blogs, Pinterest, Facebook Links, Tweets, parenting books, books on How To Be Perfect (Or Close Enough) At Everything I Do. I've learned that I will never be *that* parent. The parent who neatly packages each organic-raw-vegan-cut-out-to-look-like-animal-shapes-perfect lunch in non-toxic, sustainable, sourced locally or fair trade containers, the parent who has instilled <i>the importance of charity </i>so strongly in their child that instead of birthday presents the child wants their friends to donate funds to the "Unfortunate-Felines-With-Post-Traumatic-Stress-Disorder-From-Witnessing-Natural-Disasters-in-Third-World-Countries-Association". I will not be the parent who NEVER yells at their children, though I do an admirable job 88% of the time, who never snaps without really listening, who is content to co-sleep until their child is 13 and can finally sleep through the night unaided. I will not be taking my children traveling this summer to witness first hand how people in different countries live and make a living, cook their food, treat their pets...We won't be visiting Seniors Homes and volunteering our time socializing and interacting with the unfortunate seniors without visiting families of their own. I will not have all the answers, nor will I even know all of the right probing questions to ask at all the right pivotal times...<br />
<br />
Nor will I spend my afternoons and evenings shuttling my 2 children between piano or violin lessons, swimming lessons, riding lessons, baseball, soccer, gymnastics, education-enrichment tutoring, and tap dancing class. My kids will not be spending their summer in a super-cool, mind-expanding, drama/sport/equine summer camp. We will not be planning any over-the-top perfect themed garden parties with little white-bread finger sandwiches and lemonade, we will not be going on a Disney Cruise, tending our backyard free-range pet chickens (even though I reallllllly want some)....I will not be running a waldorf-style-homeschool-based neighbourhood-kid enrichment program teaching everyone to Crochet, Knit, and Needlefelt with all-natural materials...<br />
<br />
I will stress about my mistakes, about having chosen to vaccinate my
babies, being on medication while pregnant, not having been able to
breastfeed, I will feel guilty about yelling, or spending a few minutes on the computer instead of focusing 100% of my attention on my children and my household...giving them one more opportunity to form perfect memories of their perfect relationship with their perfect parents....<br />
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What we will have? I can't say for certain in the long term, but this summer? Walks to the park, pushes on the swing, a shoulder to support them as they attempt the monkey bars again... magic mud a la Dr. Zed... baking soda and vinegar volcanoes...Big cauldrons<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RH93JKcYPXEzYCq_qwdA8rNuzYTLgjh1tfvvlqbKt3WmfIWaHLdQz8O8K1iwhfrNBYVwpm2GYcb9zSschPeIo2jCOwl0_7ZNqCT5yjhioFlpuO9OeDwuPeLYQPdz5aSK0l6qqO7XoA0/s1600/2013-05-17+17.41.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7RH93JKcYPXEzYCq_qwdA8rNuzYTLgjh1tfvvlqbKt3WmfIWaHLdQz8O8K1iwhfrNBYVwpm2GYcb9zSschPeIo2jCOwl0_7ZNqCT5yjhioFlpuO9OeDwuPeLYQPdz5aSK0l6qqO7XoA0/s320/2013-05-17+17.41.55.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
of potions of rain-barrel water and anything found in the back yard, stirred with sticks and pronounced "magic" with incantations never replicable....Entire days of no structure, where the kids (poor deprived children) will have to learn how to entertain themselves with a houseful of toys, bikes, scooters, a backyard playground and trampoline...also using said toys, bikes, scooters, backyard playground and trampoline together as a family.<br />
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There will be camping with extended family, crazy long car rides, multiple games of eye spy, alphabet hunt, find a red car, find the nearest bathroom NOW!!, canoe rides, hikes in the woods, campfires, campfire songs, roasted marshmallows and smores, bike rides on dirt roads, looking for wildlife, wild blueberries and fireflies, using outhouses and not bathing for a week. Attempts at fishing, daisy chain making, and staying up as late as possible.<br />
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We will have puzzles and board games, kites, and our vegetable garden....eating strawberries and raspberries, apples, chives and chocolate mint right out of our yard, we will go strawberry picking, apple picking, and possibly blueberry picking again... Farmers' Market, and hopefully the Zoo....Many Many Many colouring pages, scissor crafts, sidewalk chalk and poster paint art....will go through many rolls of scotch and painters' tape, reams of paper, and bags of flour for playdough and dishsoap and water for blowing bubbles...<br />
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Discussions about heredity, mortality, immortality, puberty (eek!!), financial management, the basics of friendships, the intricacies of friendships, love, disappointment, responsibility, homework, magic, fairies, Harry Potter, our past, our future, evolution, religion, tradition, family, ability, transition, development, aerodynamics, ecology, herbology, biology, chemistry...... <br />
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Shopping at the Mall, or more likely Value Village, books read, stories invented, plays and musical performances put on by two or more over-excited and under-practiced children, videos and photos taken, trips to restaurants, pizza dinners in front of a movie, running in the rain or under the sprinkler or getting wet in the local wading pool or splash pad.... burned seats on sun-roasted playground slides, sand in between our toes and in our undies after a day at the park....hide and seek, and that weird game "Grounders" that was invented either outside the community I grew up in or after my time as a child....and I'm certain I will be conned into playing pretend with them at least once or twice - being little sister, big sister, baby, puppy, horsey, or even the bus, in an extended game of make-believe for as long as I can handle it...<br />
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We will be filthy and sun-soaked, sometimes grumpy, sometimes overtired, and sometimes bored....there will be arguments between friends and siblings, and even us adults, there will be issues at bedtime, issues with cleaning up, with impatience, the wrong meals, uncomfortable socks, or even just having to wear socks in the first place....<br />
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We will accidentally go too long without a snack and our kids will get "hangry" - so hungry that they're angry, according to both my good friends in Gravenhurst, and one of my favourite blogs, <a href="http://phoebeholmes.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Herding Cats</a>. We will accidentally forget the organic-non-deet-insect-repellant, or not-so-all-natural sunscreen, and kick ourselves (metaphorically, I hope) as one of us whimpers through a day of sunburn or too many itchy insect bites...We will be late for playdates, forget to wish friends and family members (at least those not on facebook) a happy birthday; will be irritated with fruit flies buzzing around the kitchen counter because we ignored the dishes for one day too many...or with moths and mosquitos in the house because a door was left open AGAIN...We will be irrationally irritated by our children getting muddy right before going somewhere, singing off-key and high pitched, missing a turn-off on the highway, or having to stop on the road to go to the bathroom AGAIN, even though we asked 5 minutes before if anyone had to "go". There will be rainy-day disappointment, my-friend-isn't-home-and-I-am-disapointed days, and days where we are too tired to entertain another game of make-believe with our children.<br />
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In those times, those moments where we are cross, short tempered, frustrated, irritated, or down right angry and fed-up, in <i>those</i> times, it will be very easy to forget all of the positives. All of the adventures of watching a snail's foot from underneath as it ripples across a pane of glass, the sheer joy of using the pressure of a garden hose to make a HUGE mud puddle to squish between our toes...<br />
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In <i>those</i> times I will feel the guilt of not being *THAT parent*. That perfect air-brushed, edited, does everything right parent who schedules and plans and organizes and is never late for anything. And hopefully in <i>those </i>moments I will remember this post, look at all of the things we <i>will</i> do, all of the things we are, and hopefully I will step back and realize, and truly believe, that as a parent,<br />
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I AM DAMNED GREAT.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjketYwvEbvWPOrPYQAGxVK3iK0944_9b3aY1pGN86wlKlf6bnW-E_8mzp_hmFc2bpI1ChKOSrOpmr1yloMfLb0-vwkBC-Tm0ByKuPCuRgSb4SAGuOG-XoXjfxAupfzb54qsaLFGkL1gtc/s1600/2013-05-10+16.35.16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjketYwvEbvWPOrPYQAGxVK3iK0944_9b3aY1pGN86wlKlf6bnW-E_8mzp_hmFc2bpI1ChKOSrOpmr1yloMfLb0-vwkBC-Tm0ByKuPCuRgSb4SAGuOG-XoXjfxAupfzb54qsaLFGkL1gtc/s640/2013-05-10+16.35.16.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-86336651431676321482013-06-10T21:30:00.001-04:002013-06-10T21:30:29.609-04:00first shameless plug in a LONG time....<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ23WlwmSi30ZC-l8jseg6zDXOQSJiAc77iNdysTgCz-tfzHbyH7wTp0SRjrbhPj73x6awoKmalTifa-xFSpMscv6OQ6ESlQt4L2tt11c3bBW2h72GZSd_eF1aK0pl0WRVN1On1jSMLzk/s1600/2013-05-25+09.05.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
SO...If you hadn't already figured it out, I craft for a living. And by living, I mean I craft stuff cuz it's awesome fun, try to sell it, and hope to make money enough to justify the crazy stash of yarn and other materials that I keep feeding into the craft room......and maybe buy groceries here and there.....<br />
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Oh.... and now I use this money to support B's therapeutic needs...purchasing supplies for therapies, etc...<br />
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I've noticed recently a distinct lack of purchasing happening on my etsy site. This probably has a lot to do with a distinct lack of me posting new items to my etsy site....It's not that I'm not creating, in fact I've made more new products this last few months than I have in my entire "career" as a WAHM (work at home mom for those not in the know)...<br />
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The truth is, I HATE doing the photography, editing, and posting of new items on my page. I'd LOVE to find a way to magically make this stuff happen without me. Maybe find someone willing to work for banana bread and cookies? Maybe advertising trade, or even products? I'd be so thrilled with that! But for now, I'll just show you some not-so-great pics taken with my phone...if i can figure out how to do that....grin.<br />
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Let me know what you think, okay?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEign88lh28Dn5TUoIzgl4CBjsXWI9Z_owDfvoM1j54zS0t1NwbyzFqsvqCUUirJf0FxA_MMmALmtofo0AyvZpsX3HOVpRe_9b-qR5Zb_BpEIvimisgMBUZUh3If84fnuXZ8VzPX1hpXhtI/s1600/20121127_002248.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEign88lh28Dn5TUoIzgl4CBjsXWI9Z_owDfvoM1j54zS0t1NwbyzFqsvqCUUirJf0FxA_MMmALmtofo0AyvZpsX3HOVpRe_9b-qR5Zb_BpEIvimisgMBUZUh3If84fnuXZ8VzPX1hpXhtI/s320/20121127_002248.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">made these for a chicken lover's X-mas tree...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlK7JWBhB437i5rehxoP3Iqvg6qh7gdVBUbtN4lQmhoLNLVJ1eYShUpJ5lEYNv8tP9RqZMfvHV4Lecf4DI9EfcuErPxKqP7jmWsasoU6SmzMgqmjAvschjzZza9JWF16QAiid0rOtHOs/s1600/mice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlK7JWBhB437i5rehxoP3Iqvg6qh7gdVBUbtN4lQmhoLNLVJ1eYShUpJ5lEYNv8tP9RqZMfvHV4Lecf4DI9EfcuErPxKqP7jmWsasoU6SmzMgqmjAvschjzZza9JWF16QAiid0rOtHOs/s320/mice.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">little knitted mice - also a special request!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmQa5KdTTyaZ-p2MzLZYib11s6gKVJhp4lDrBf4HQsWwBhj53heo_E_izDrMEBHiYGzcsfC9R7HZy2irHo9WvPj2oolUuFOU_DC-5EO2ig3tojAy2tI1ueSgW4eZW3hKvrZT7sYsZZDU/s1600/waldorf+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span id="goog_200704660"></span><span id="goog_200704661"></span><span id="goog_200704670"></span><span id="goog_200704671"></span><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitmQa5KdTTyaZ-p2MzLZYib11s6gKVJhp4lDrBf4HQsWwBhj53heo_E_izDrMEBHiYGzcsfC9R7HZy2irHo9WvPj2oolUuFOU_DC-5EO2ig3tojAy2tI1ueSgW4eZW3hKvrZT7sYsZZDU/s320/waldorf+girl.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This special dolly traveled to New Jersey a few weeks back.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://facebook.com/babazoobee" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN6aEGc_iHm1esEQBujKc-6nXp13vOq6bp3M-VYSARvk6Edh1uCXQLLODtoSg8GYX73AoRwrnXWK0mGTc5xspE4viuhZuMSmXzijf45j193M9_c1itP_pAJhIPtlOzb_oBpSd6W8ISjAA/s640/2013-04-17+15.09.19.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://facebook.com/babazoobee" target="_blank">huge 55" play silks dyed with food dyes...as well as ribbons of silk for ribbon sticks...</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVfqVH689HOvmgYiqhxQPwFcI6e5AsJGnuTYJcN_nVpyVTzcKf6rVBQ3mjhXE6UkaMu7oO-UzRLybKU0-3WnRVGM1W6KyW7m17kqqTQVedC-2nnWh5prwYqxcpihmWYAGlwFkGqMTAUQ/s1600/2013-05-01+14.19.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiVfqVH689HOvmgYiqhxQPwFcI6e5AsJGnuTYJcN_nVpyVTzcKf6rVBQ3mjhXE6UkaMu7oO-UzRLybKU0-3WnRVGM1W6KyW7m17kqqTQVedC-2nnWh5prwYqxcpihmWYAGlwFkGqMTAUQ/s320/2013-05-01+14.19.07.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a personalized baby blanket....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvBOtuQ4dXTDt2zZ5g2OyQSUZUAqsiTGk8oL_EH_QEfsZWYRMkIfocJ2AeR8OO2-yz_BV9TCpJk4EWImyf3F3RWNHujhOM8kktMo8Ms-ewbigreExYV3ecpLZ8cK4Dz3ei7g3xOZevq0/s1600/2013-06-09+21.21.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilvBOtuQ4dXTDt2zZ5g2OyQSUZUAqsiTGk8oL_EH_QEfsZWYRMkIfocJ2AeR8OO2-yz_BV9TCpJk4EWImyf3F3RWNHujhOM8kktMo8Ms-ewbigreExYV3ecpLZ8cK4Dz3ei7g3xOZevq0/s320/2013-06-09+21.21.31.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have made a ton of different journal covers..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:babazoobee@rogers.com" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXfzn4NNAOMcxOeJd5CuhLxReJEdFxfj2clYK3Z_2TCtcagmamSa0ICxYzXppUE25SzVUFKpS_Nk7X0ozSzF89HYSOjAhjPWAlmd0-j33dfgyualffTSXOELL8qqczvBvqBesp_LVRoFw/s400/2013-05-25+09.04.27.jpg" width="300" /> </a></td><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:babazoobee@rogers.com" target="_blank"> </a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="mailto:babazoobee@rogers.com" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfU1KhJBcRqZfBvO85K-NONEewg22aLe1f3755Bq5EpaDbFvKjdYjkCnscNv6DOMd2wNw3KzYt844q0ECrwMgs5PAPSLOLVkF6IVZ6lcAZS4EDfczE5mGWkg99d00JkDC1UJjjAuCZJI/s400/2013-05-25+09.05.16.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:babazoobee@rogers.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>These beautiful Waldorf dollies are still looking for their </b></span></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="mailto:babazoobee@rogers.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></b></span></div>
<a href="mailto:babazoobee@rogers.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>forever homes...</b></span></a></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="mailto:babazoobee@rogers.com" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ23WlwmSi30ZC-l8jseg6zDXOQSJiAc77iNdysTgCz-tfzHbyH7wTp0SRjrbhPj73x6awoKmalTifa-xFSpMscv6OQ6ESlQt4L2tt11c3bBW2h72GZSd_eF1aK0pl0WRVN1On1jSMLzk/s400/2013-05-25+09.05.52.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
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As you can see, I've been busy. And there're so many more. These girls all have shoes now, by the way....<br />
If you were interested in adopting one of these special girls, or any other product listed here, or that strikes your fancy that you think I can pull off for you, you can contact me via email or facebook - I've set the images to open up an email to me.. Adoption fee is $199, plus shipping. (oh, and if you think you can barter your skills as a web page developer, or photographer, you can contact me that way too).<br />
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On top of the sewing and dyeing and crocheting I've done for my shop, I've also been at the Guelph Farmer's Market - If you're anywhere near, come find me on Saturday Mornings, 7am - 12pm, at our new location for the summer - <a href="https://plus.google.com/109963917698971019619/about?gl=ca&hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Exhibition Arena</a>. We'll be there until the renovations are complete on the original marketplace. Shuttles are available for free from our <a href="https://plus.google.com/117653726910823757020/about?gl=ca&hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">original market location.</a><br />
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I am SO VERY EXCITED to also have been accepted as a vendor at Guelph's own <a href="http://www.hillsidefestival.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hillside Music Festival!!</a> I'm trying like mad to produce enough to fill a 10 x 10 booth for a whole weekend of wonder - this will be Hillside's 30th anniversary - and promises to be another fantastic year. Check out the link for more information - I think there are a few individual day tickets left! My girls are excited to be attending again this year, and super excited that we get to camp right behind my booth!<br />
<br />This has been my first post in a long time. I'm hoping to get back on regular posting again.. I've been pretty busy producing. Oh, and watching Netflix....It's amazing how much better the US Netflix is..So glad I finally figured out how to make that happen on my Canadian laptop and wii......Grin.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-40698097565338198292013-04-11T23:48:00.003-04:002013-04-11T23:48:58.410-04:00Pinterest- the functional addiction!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1knWaUMHowEMMPyP7Pr2bkpDkjSuMtYLsxFD3NNgWzcHQVX86mwyMHKRyuBzA6vl_hW9W-xRLICJJsUtQ7yxW-X-SBj4by73BmZIqFdxYXj5LBsrLgeM0vAk7dux06dIQ3CS2c1MHJI/s1600/pinterest1-300x187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl1knWaUMHowEMMPyP7Pr2bkpDkjSuMtYLsxFD3NNgWzcHQVX86mwyMHKRyuBzA6vl_hW9W-xRLICJJsUtQ7yxW-X-SBj4by73BmZIqFdxYXj5LBsrLgeM0vAk7dux06dIQ3CS2c1MHJI/s200/pinterest1-300x187.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">So, like most web-loving people of the world, I have become a keen user of <a href="http://pinterest.com/babazoobee" target="_blank">Pinterest. </a></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">I can readily admit to being addicted. I mean, most users of the site are happy addicts.... My love affair comes and goes in waves...and this is with intent. See, I have made a pact with myself. If I am going to see and love and repin all of these amazing things, I'm going to USE them!</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0J2jPP6ZidPiuFLtlw5z1cl8_nIKG2pPBDbuq18tmLj0hChLV2fwXDCSxq5HinHSq2lnWtU-5wdFAgl49wYolwMbQZ5NwXT9KItf2Q81HPj_ryNjzCJqdOXaraRXlU2nUbjG6w8DbncI/s1600/dagan+and+mokey.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0J2jPP6ZidPiuFLtlw5z1cl8_nIKG2pPBDbuq18tmLj0hChLV2fwXDCSxq5HinHSq2lnWtU-5wdFAgl49wYolwMbQZ5NwXT9KItf2Q81HPj_ryNjzCJqdOXaraRXlU2nUbjG6w8DbncI/s320/dagan+and+mokey.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D and baby Mokey - a year ago.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">When we first were considering getting a third pet (the debate was on whether it was to be a dog or cat...eventually we got cat #3, who just happens to act like a dog and THINK he's one of the human kids), I started a pinterest page called "pets that need homes that I would LIKE to adopt". I didn't even get to bring home a single pet from that page because they were all so cute, other folks took them home! We ended up being given Mr Mokey Kitten via another internet vice of mine. Facebook auction pages. (a whole 'nother story). ANYHOO.....total tangent....</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">I have dreams of things I will create one day for my home..getting depressed that small kids are keeping me from using my skills to actually achieve these things, I pacify myself with finding amazing things that I <i>will</i> do in my future...a couple I have started...like the <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/101119954104580959/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">live edge dining table....</a></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYsw17wgtBQlPWKsNicKJuC9hrzbim5CqT3c6a48z8bDWCwTsdlIXebPafcBnnVtmJmy6YTxaFNSKMuVNY0eijEYYW1CXQek-s8cIf1Lk7z2Cs10UPrSME7ylmS_i0ROvXEZzFDuIgMU/s1600/homemadecrayons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEYsw17wgtBQlPWKsNicKJuC9hrzbim5CqT3c6a48z8bDWCwTsdlIXebPafcBnnVtmJmy6YTxaFNSKMuVNY0eijEYYW1CXQek-s8cIf1Lk7z2Cs10UPrSME7ylmS_i0ROvXEZzFDuIgMU/s320/homemadecrayons.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">homemade crayons!</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">The crafts for kids and recipes I've been super good about. I average about one new Pinterest idea per month. I've made the<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/101119954104771497/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> super-easy in a pot bread </a>which is awesome...and I LOVE LOVE the <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/101119954105581896/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">brownies in a mug</a> recipe - great emergency chocolate supply...for those times when a woman just NEEDS chocolate...we made some <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/101119954105515654/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">upcycled crayons</a>, making tiny pieces of crayons into lovely little frogs, </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL11rQRb1NaQHtZUTN2XFN7VIzx3x7GKKOGZZR_v4zQu9XJQoanMDhRXKod0_frO66APqjk-WQKmeJekdV8tPyAZWuulzEDEhBG9k-bm1UPdRLAfv-80Vn7OMpf8hUj_WfeHSegoj4AvQ/s1600/catherine's+chickens.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL11rQRb1NaQHtZUTN2XFN7VIzx3x7GKKOGZZR_v4zQu9XJQoanMDhRXKod0_frO66APqjk-WQKmeJekdV8tPyAZWuulzEDEhBG9k-bm1UPdRLAfv-80Vn7OMpf8hUj_WfeHSegoj4AvQ/s320/catherine's+chickens.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Crocheted chicken set for a friend</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">ladybugs and butterflies..(note - if you use a microwave to melt wax, please ensure there is also a cup of water in the microwave. This little activity cost me a microwave....groan). I learned to <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/101119954105465196/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">cook bacon</a>, finally, without burning it, by cooking it in water, of all things...even made these <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/101119954105008528/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">adorable chickens</a> for a friend! I even got the funky smell out of old </span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/101119954104764882/" rel="nofollow" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-2nxT_QzxywrQ2vFM0anhjxCZmiY8uu56zpKBokUgjar2hmpZz4P7AgtGZo9FbiLn_nKxtcrHmIi9mja6oXaTTu9FyIiCLtg03WoFRZXc8wU_DbuPMFgn0DrTCXRD6Obf2YyRCbilAmU/s200/pinkdishcloth.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/101119954104764882/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">got the stink out!</a></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">dishcloths and towels using <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/101119954104764882/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this trick</a>!</span></span></span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">Over Christmas this year, the girls got a <span style="font-size: small;">2nd hand vintage <span style="font-size: small;">P</span>laymobil castle for Chr<span style="font-size: small;">istmas (they still be<span style="font-size: small;">l<span style="font-size: small;">ie</span>ve it came from <span style="font-size: small;">Santa</span> - sh<span style="font-size: small;">hhh....)...After acquiring it, we discovered that some p<span style="font-size: small;">ieces were missing. I used <span style="font-size: small;">Pinterest to help me keep track of all of the missing parts and where I could buy them online. Solely for m<span style="font-size: small;">y own purposes, but I found that a toy<span style="font-size: small;"> store started following that page! </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">When<span style="font-size: small;"> learning about B's sensory issues, I discovered a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sensoryprocessingdisorderparentsupport" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">WONDERFUL Facebook page</span></a></span> that helped me understand her and her needs better...and they ha<span style="font-size: small;">ve amazing <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/sensoryprocessi/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pinterest boards</a>, wonderfully laid out in sec<span style="font-size: small;">tions and topics in a way that is completely understandable and useful - much easier access than on a <span style="font-size: small;">single website!</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;">If you haven't discovered Pinterest and all that is wonderful about it, I have some advice for you. Be prepared to lose time. Really. The first few times I used it I was sucked in for hours. But overall, I'd say my experience has been fantastic. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;">Okay, gotta go now. I ha<span style="font-size: small;">ve a bit more pinning to do before <span style="font-size: small;">bed.</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #0c343d;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">hugs. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtWw59rRGt7Rpe4BN3PQ19jLj__s5QySZ7Qu81IzD7KkXhVwj0ekr4CK5NIZxe1ZxlHdZ8GEgaRmSoSJFfjGczhXMpgkSSY_FmjVUVhrS0BvauQhx5tfpi1ESqpKAxF1elgQTGIzKzCA/s1600/pinterest-cartoon.jpeg-300x190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZtWw59rRGt7Rpe4BN3PQ19jLj__s5QySZ7Qu81IzD7KkXhVwj0ekr4CK5NIZxe1ZxlHdZ8GEgaRmSoSJFfjGczhXMpgkSSY_FmjVUVhrS0BvauQhx5tfpi1ESqpKAxF1elgQTGIzKzCA/s640/pinterest-cartoon.jpeg-300x190.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-22209293573399235262013-04-07T20:53:00.002-04:002013-04-07T20:54:58.732-04:00my daughter<i>our bodies,</i><br />
<i>which were once one</i><br />
<i>fit together still</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>your little head </i><br />
<i>tucked perfectly against me</i><br />
<i>little fingers picking</i><br />
<i>at the softness</i><br />
<i>of my sweater</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>we were meant to be together</i><br />
<i>you and i</i><br />
<i>our differences more similar </i><br />
<i>our similarities more different</i><br />
<br />
<i>you mirror to me</i><br />
<i>all of my hopes and dreams</i><br />
<i>my strengths </i><br />
<i>my weaknesses</i><br />
<i>my fears</i><br />
<br />
<i>from whence you came</i><br />
<i>you shall never fully return</i><br />
<i>but my heart</i><br />
<i>and yours</i><br />
<i>shall remain</i><br />
<i>connected</i><br />
<br />
<i>as you reach out into this world </i><br />
<i>exploring</i><br />
<i>growing</i><br />
<i>learning</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>in your own way</i><br />
<i>because of me</i><br />
<i>despite me</i><br />
<i>to spite me</i><br />
<i>regardless of me</i><br />
<i>learning</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>stumbling</i><br />
<i>more than others</i><br />
<i>perhaps</i><br />
<i>finding strength</i><br />
<i>more than others</i><br />
<i>perhaps</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>overcoming</i><br />
<i>all obstacles</i><br />
<i>never alone</i><br />
<i>always with my heart</i><br />
<i>connected</i><br />
<br />
<i>my strength </i><br />
<i>connected</i><br />
<i>my happiness</i><br />
<i>connected</i><br />
<i>my love</i><br />
<i>connected</i><br />
<i>to you</i><br />
<br />
<i>little toes</i><br />
<i>pressed firmly </i><br />
<i>against warm </i><br />
<i>weathered flesh</i><br />
<br />
<i>little heart </i><br />
<i>pressed firmly</i><br />
<i>against warm</i><br />
<i>weathered heart</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>giving</i><br />
<i>taking</i><br />
<i>connecting</i><br />
<i>loving</i><br />
<i>learning</i><br />
<i>teaching</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>you are</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>my daughter</i><br />
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<i><br /></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-91690202482443776722013-04-05T22:06:00.000-04:002013-04-05T22:06:24.789-04:00Magic Mud. Thank-You, Dr. Zed.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Do any of the rest of you remember Dr. Zed, and his experiments from Owl magazine? I used to get those <a href="http://www.scholastic.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scholastic Book Orders </a>every month, for books I could buy, and help our school earn a few books as resources...Those Scholastics still come home with the kids, and Owl, and it's younger sibling Chickadee are still out there, but I haven't seen good ol' Dr. Zed in a long while...so of course, I went to the one place I KNEW I'd get some answers. I <a href="http://www.google.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">googled</a> it. Not much was out there, because apparently, he has since retired from magazine fame....I did find a good pic of him in the Owl Magazine archives...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.owlkids.com/meet-us/then-and-now/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="90" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0tFeQCD91hBUomSJJ1velSmsaUmp_8mMdFFDM2yS00YHKq7sHCf-XFur5uy4ay7-HlGyptT6oaNUcRYr1Fqw51iFMwpKqQgDbDpNEvZ7qx4CLye53mXY1Y8SBUEusI9Of9DowEs_60c/s400/drzed_first1.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He had his own books too - I had, and still have, Dr. Zed's Dazzling Book of Science Activities. It's out of print, these days. The ONE reason I wanted this book, the ONLY reason I wanted this book, so badly that I begged for DAYS to get it from the Scholastic orders, was the hope that it would have the recipe for the amazing and magical concoction known as Magic Mud. Now, this was in the days pre- <a href="http://pinterest.com/babazoobee" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>, and <a href="http://google.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google</a>, remember. Even before the remarkable Interweb....</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Much to my chagrin, it did <i>not</i> have the recipe, and for years after, I wondered how to make the magical stuff. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">As an adult now, I want to spare my children the misery and longing of never experiencing magic mud. So, I have used the web, and all of the resources available to us in this amazing 21st century, and when kid #1 was old enough not to eat the stuff, she was introduced to magic mud!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Having a child with sensory issues (namely kid #2) has made experimenting with stuff like this all the more important and useful as a day-to-day tool for keeping mommy sane" as well as giving her some well needed tactile stimulation. I'm going to share the recipe here with you now, with photos of our day yesterday, enjoying ourselves with it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>*Note - half of the enjoyment of magic mud is the MAKING of it. If you are doing this with your kiddo, please let them help. It will mean the world to them, and it will make it all the more a fun experience!</i> <i>This WILL make a mess, be prepared for it. But it is actually SUPER easy to clean up - it is very water soluble, and when dry vacuums up super easy.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlO7M0G9NJpGbf-drsigcAIYcOI5hIcBL3BLa-93H0bq79jW2iBxaxusomkYvZNCFGjb1ckZ4w89TuLAl10dCH2fZc0xEXSoVEUmNFDCYkDXNkBWuBqXQ3ZAFKc1J76vialYe06Rf7H44/s1600/2013-04-04+10.43.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlO7M0G9NJpGbf-drsigcAIYcOI5hIcBL3BLa-93H0bq79jW2iBxaxusomkYvZNCFGjb1ckZ4w89TuLAl10dCH2fZc0xEXSoVEUmNFDCYkDXNkBWuBqXQ3ZAFKc1J76vialYe06Rf7H44/s320/2013-04-04+10.43.30.jpg" width="240" /></a>You will need: one large bowl or deep tray, one box of cornstarch, tap water, and some sort of colouring. I've used Wilton cake dye, mixed into the water before adding it to the cornstarch. Any food dye, or even juice would probably work. Here`s B opening up the box of cornstarch. She needed help ripping open the waxy-paper baggie inside.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3EaWlSlAZP50w22AARZ45XpStFl2FhzI8xuFYB4QC45xhVQwI7-zPDRiT7dG0Chjk1L8ZivHbCf1fG7QZnJolXyE_rutGTa-6HRQjsPm_gzBaVVPGqZLrqOyvVPuqw-PzbLt7-Jnjq4/s1600/2013-04-04+10.43.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3EaWlSlAZP50w22AARZ45XpStFl2FhzI8xuFYB4QC45xhVQwI7-zPDRiT7dG0Chjk1L8ZivHbCf1fG7QZnJolXyE_rutGTa-6HRQjsPm_gzBaVVPGqZLrqOyvVPuqw-PzbLt7-Jnjq4/s320/2013-04-04+10.43.55.jpg" width="240" /></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Step 1: <span style="font-size: large;">D</span>ump cornstarch into bowl. B is taking this <i>very</i> seriously. To her, this needs to be as exact as when we are baking. She doesn't realize that there's not really a way to do this wrong!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcATB8WWdHw241rQmzWPAHF004NQ64kVjcwN7s8Bjbb89Uro78-hfWC2g0YRZw9vvrX51UpLjOpTCLy2rUDlkovC61OiKY0GaPTe4dcIn4AAXerlfHAD3UUh9fDGnB7eZB3vRf6IJmTgc/s1600/2013-04-04+10.45.17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcATB8WWdHw241rQmzWPAHF004NQ64kVjcwN7s8Bjbb89Uro78-hfWC2g0YRZw9vvrX51UpLjOpTCLy2rUDlkovC61OiKY0GaPTe4dcIn4AAXerlfHAD3UUh9fDGnB7eZB3vRf6IJmTgc/s320/2013-04-04+10.45.17.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">S</span>tep 2: B is mixing the <a href="http://www.wilton.com/store/site/product.cfm?id=3E30B2D9-475A-BAC0-5D5C3DB846DFD354&fid=3E33265A-475A-BAC0-597A6ED538D55E2B" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wilton icing dye</a> that I put in the water. I was smart enough not to let her put the coloured paste in herself, because I know it would have been a disaster. That stuff stains before it is diluted, and B's self-control is, shall we say, lacking. If you are using juice, or even regular food dye drops, your kiddo could probably enjoy adding it themselves....</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">S</span>tep 3: Pour the coloured liquid into the cornstarch. I used about 2<span style="font-size: large;">.5 cups<span style="font-size: large;"> for the box of cornstarch, this is a 1 cup measuring cup in the picture, we refilled it<span style="font-size: large;">. <span style="font-size: large;">H</span></span></span></span>ave towels on hand if you or your young one's aim or self control is questionable. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Step 4: Get messy! Hands<span style="font-size: large;"> in, mi<span style="font-size: large;">x it up and play! You will get the coolest textured goo<span style="font-size: large;">p ever. Half liqui<span style="font-size: large;">d, half solid, both at th<span style="font-size: large;">e same time, neither...mix, play, have FUN. And not just your kiddo. Get your <i>own</i> hands in there. Even <span style="font-size: large;">if you hate messy hands. It's therapeutic. <span style="font-size: large;">Cathartic.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pick up solid fistful of goo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgZp9G6TCPqXSzeoHyLyvCVFvErtPzfCvTkmx_5k9AcfEWZcOpIuXY05wt7Qy807YNP8RFJCI2S9uLtcUZ4rY3_hyK-Sv9C9cuYagHRRjGCT2nl30T-eXxhv3MXp6ObtkCixAbHj3q44/s1600/2013-04-04+10.52.38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCgZp9G6TCPqXSzeoHyLyvCVFvErtPzfCvTkmx_5k9AcfEWZcOpIuXY05wt7Qy807YNP8RFJCI2S9uLtcUZ4rY3_hyK-Sv9C9cuYagHRRjGCT2nl30T-eXxhv3MXp6ObtkCixAbHj3q44/s320/2013-04-04+10.52.38.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open fist - solid dryish mass turns to ooze</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCEGYSK0HHtc02IrKSQIh2gI_ZthPDlqafChGVZrfhtcY6dMcz5yLEJ6s5OXr0nCDiUfZNMnB0-88SS6YOfvAAbzT99vKlBhKlIrS95eu3fF82Ysu1JuHzzsdnbnqfJ-IGMyrvoabHjg/s1600/2013-04-04+11.01.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifCEGYSK0HHtc02IrKSQIh2gI_ZthPDlqafChGVZrfhtcY6dMcz5yLEJ6s5OXr0nCDiUfZNMnB0-88SS6YOfvAAbzT99vKlBhKlIrS95eu3fF82Ysu1JuHzzsdnbnqfJ-IGMyrvoabHjg/s320/2013-04-04+11.01.28.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The solid-liquid gooeyness of being able to pick up a solid "chunk" of the stuff, and then letting it ooze all liquidy back into the bowl is unbeatable. Trust me. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">A</span></span>t this point I learned a new trick. Put a towel under your <span style="font-size: large;">play area. The rati<span style="font-size: large;">onal<span style="font-size: large;">e is two-fold. One, <span style="font-size: large;">it makes the clean-up WAY easier. Take towel out to yard and shake. Wash towel. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwyqa2hNxJU9_N7pw7khoIrqWmtj6YRz7YoFuQx50oTMO_COzOInZQnZgAHnKnqWlQPBu8TejWQJAum0WYtertyzcWsnJqkx4y-yB4gHFYtD-MvcMiTaCeNJQ0_GNHxVKb3sZSGh9eT4/s1600/2013-04-04+11.18.31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwyqa2hNxJU9_N7pw7khoIrqWmtj6YRz7YoFuQx50oTMO_COzOInZQnZgAHnKnqWlQPBu8TejWQJAum0WYtertyzcWsnJqkx4y-yB4gHFYtD-MvcMiTaCeNJQ0_GNHxVKb3sZSGh9eT4/s320/2013-04-04+11.18.31.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSlaPD47rQ0o-Krzs4bD2L6U-m6RwxRGxFGe_7UMeB3qIspUAN8sbMwuDUAIPrtSbNmNuKRsHfrFL-xjZwshyDOGr_r4SqcDbj0GdHZILyZ91ylsoScOT3sMkQeeJRiOG9m1DEjKSDtM/s1600/2013-04-04+11.21.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSlaPD47rQ0o-Krzs4bD2L6U-m6RwxRGxFGe_7UMeB3qIspUAN8sbMwuDUAIPrtSbNmNuKRsHfrFL-xjZwshyDOGr_r4SqcDbj0GdHZILyZ91ylsoScOT3sMkQeeJRiOG9m1DEjKSDtM/s320/2013-04-04+11.21.07.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Two, we discovered that magic mud makes great mud pies on the towel, as the liquid is absorbed into the towel....and neat little <span style="font-size: large;">dry-<i>ish</i> mud balls too. More water was add<span style="font-size: large;">ed after to the bowl to re-moisten the mud.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is also fun to add toys - any plastic ones that can be easily rinsed off - this stuff doesn't stick permanently. It rinses easily and cleanly away. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">This activity easily falls into my <span style="font-size: large;">acceptable<span style="font-size: large;"> indoor </span>project ratio o<span style="font-size: large;">f:</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">[Fun time]=/>[prep time]+[clean time]</span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">where =/> means equal or greater to.</span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Have fun! </span></span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-74672008402985539392013-03-31T01:03:00.001-04:002013-03-31T01:03:29.962-04:00Why don't stores sell dairy free Easter Chocolate?!!So, in the mad dash that is life with allergies, we had to think fast this year, as our first year with a 4 year old with a Dairy Intolerance. We thought about saying "screw it" and letting her have the chocolate for the one day, but we dreaded the horrid bum rash and tummy aches that come along with it...never mind the months after of "but you let me have the Easter Bunny Stuff?!!"<br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-size: large;">Solution?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Make our own Easter Chocolates.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><i><b>Sure...no problem. </b></i></span> we'll add that in to the Saturday evening schedule of get kids to bed at reasonable time, tidy house, ensure kids are good and asleep, crochet, sew, tuck child one or two back into bed quickly before they peek down to the kitchen, fill plastic Easter Eggs, hide them around the house or yard......oh, yeah, and <u><i><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">sleep....sweet sleep, oh how I miss thee....</span></b></i></u><br />
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At this point, I may mention that all of this Easter stuff is still relatively new to me. I grew up Jewish, and still identify as Jewish by Culture, if not by religious belief....<span style="color: #990000;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">So I'm still sorta confused as to what a bunny poopin' out brightly coloured plastic eggs filled with chocolate have to do with the long-haired guy rising from the dead all those years ago.</span></span></b></span>.<span style="color: #7f6000;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"><i>..(I was jokingly referring to this Holiday as the celebration of the Zombie.....my partner was NOT amused....and even 8 year old D rolled her eyes at me...)</i></span></b></span><br />
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Anyhow, back to the point of the matter. <span style="color: #666666;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><i>For the last 2 days B has had a fever of Near Biblical Proportions (ya see what I did there?! huh? did ya?!!) and has been wandering around like a Zombie (thats TWO - I'm on a ROLL)</i></span></span></span>, when not whimpering in misery on the couch......And we went to the big family Easter Gathering on Good Friday - a 2 hour drive to my sister-in-law's, 5 hours of enjoyment, hard boiled egg decorating, and a WONDERFUL,<span style="color: red;"><i> if not overly Kosher</i></span>, Ham Dinner....We got home at<span style="color: #351c75;"><span style="font-size: large;"> half-past stupid o'clock</span></span>, threw our barely-asleep progeny in bed fully clothed, and passed out for the night. So when did we get to make these chocolates? <span style="color: orange;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Right now</span></span></b></span>. Saturday night, 10:15 pm, and <span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>we're filling the pastel coloured plastic egg-shaped bunny poops with home-made, dairy free chocolate bunnies, chicks, and carrots....</i></span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JErsW9pi8olCLUEj7P1T6pVqnqwJwRJU7gl1ByCqB1h6yivkI_TXeHiPcHg1JzhR0GR5llA3hWcvENRG-GOcgsXVkrvYOySxVbFdNlWv4bdyZtxiMbempr_MB5VjIWHr0Hbhf-ZuE2I/s1600/2013-03-30+21.38.03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_JErsW9pi8olCLUEj7P1T6pVqnqwJwRJU7gl1ByCqB1h6yivkI_TXeHiPcHg1JzhR0GR5llA3hWcvENRG-GOcgsXVkrvYOySxVbFdNlWv4bdyZtxiMbempr_MB5VjIWHr0Hbhf-ZuE2I/s400/2013-03-30+21.38.03.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the wrapping of the minis</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94NuZjbM4yS4n5pDxLtP1VK2vfE-czNhIEcDlSIT2h2LcP_vjGbfqi74CtO989d6xTG6zmKmkrFeL9gx9Gl1tEmvn-lfz5yjuFxLkddsyl5hc3BJnn0YnAJKntlbmTko2ORfJsqFRW7E/s1600/2013-03-30+21.03.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94NuZjbM4yS4n5pDxLtP1VK2vfE-czNhIEcDlSIT2h2LcP_vjGbfqi74CtO989d6xTG6zmKmkrFeL9gx9Gl1tEmvn-lfz5yjuFxLkddsyl5hc3BJnn0YnAJKntlbmTko2ORfJsqFRW7E/s400/2013-03-30+21.03.45.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">melted dairy-free belgian chocolate...</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">But the thing I'm super impressed with? </span></span></span> Not the basic melting, pouring, and wrapping of the mini-chocolates <b>for our brood to find tomorrow morning and devour for breakfast (one of 3 times a year this gets to happen)</b>...But the<span style="color: #134f5c;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b> Biggies. The Full-sized Easter Bunny filled with peanut-butter filling, and the HUGE half-eggs filled with home-made Marshmallow Fluff</b></span></span></span>.
It's amazing what you can find on Pinterest and Google. You never need
to know how to do anything anymore! here's the peanut butter filling we made for the big bunny.....recipe from the<a href="http://www.2sisters2cities.com/2013/03/peanut-butter-filled-chocolate-bunny-pops/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 2sisters2cities</a> website, via <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/82824080619690030/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pinterest</a>.....and<a href="http://cakecentral.com/t/686758/can-i-make-marshmallow-fluff-from-marshmallows" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> here's the marshmallow fluff filling we used for the big half-eggs</a>....okay, it's more of a guideline than a recipe... I've never done these before, and was shocked by how easy they were. The clean-up, mind you....I was happy to leave that to C....as I had a cat to bathe.....and a 4.5 year old to tuck back into bed....again....<br />
<span style="color: #b45f06;"><i><span style="font-size: large;">The coolest thing about the need to create dairy-free chocolate, is that we're actually getting super yummy chocolates this year..</span></i></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b7SYU3Td4ldYa7hqg_0GRrNRENbTSAqWttTZ3_cnSULMr46jvY0_LMxdkjKl9oHcsidi0IPjVqsR_Tv3BxtE-N1P9b1d0iQlxsTd_wxejk5SbE3CYX4WpLfDlxPhqFlYu1DGcAiUQSQ/s1600/2013-03-30+21.10.48.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1b7SYU3Td4ldYa7hqg_0GRrNRENbTSAqWttTZ3_cnSULMr46jvY0_LMxdkjKl9oHcsidi0IPjVqsR_Tv3BxtE-N1P9b1d0iQlxsTd_wxejk5SbE3CYX4WpLfDlxPhqFlYu1DGcAiUQSQ/s200/2013-03-30+21.10.48.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moving molten chocolate around the bunny mold.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #38761d;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">and we made them ourselves!!!</span></b></span> Okay, well, maybe we didn't make the chocolate part. Bulk Barn provided those for a bit of a fee. But you get the idea.<br /><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQA-xxNG09h0dnLVJdUxJy49GXWSxBDPLaYCDnqr-kWa7M3ZHBDlaCv8v7_QaH_mzZHpC6pSe3YRS9MBUalII9dnj0rc9v-SrlJ3XbnkRggBM5zx2UgGqEGZgJyBpGHwSxvq-B5GANZDA/s1600/2013-03-30+21.48.07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQA-xxNG09h0dnLVJdUxJy49GXWSxBDPLaYCDnqr-kWa7M3ZHBDlaCv8v7_QaH_mzZHpC6pSe3YRS9MBUalII9dnj0rc9v-SrlJ3XbnkRggBM5zx2UgGqEGZgJyBpGHwSxvq-B5GANZDA/s200/2013-03-30+21.48.07.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">some of the little guys all wrapped up</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0Bt4UesEp4l_4kbp9WBhr6dtC3x7HX_GuRyhDPDkx5mBIQ5I7S-YY6KDtvBkQuGUQgz1DNbgDKumTVYLLqnLlqZZRyGWX1rs7p3Gggyi4JR5NkhvVJ5GHxDvwN7trehyI1UGEnZdytg/s1600/2013-03-30+21.37.55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie0Bt4UesEp4l_4kbp9WBhr6dtC3x7HX_GuRyhDPDkx5mBIQ5I7S-YY6KDtvBkQuGUQgz1DNbgDKumTVYLLqnLlqZZRyGWX1rs7p3Gggyi4JR5NkhvVJ5GHxDvwN7trehyI1UGEnZdytg/s200/2013-03-30+21.37.55.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">marshmallow fluff filled half-eggs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OFcO5b-z-TbbNmImWeGYRXjz97rVr81pj4THJw9BAjqYE62WYk87__1zTMccc84fpwHTfnY6FGuUzc_kP177c7x401tAgbvAEzDJKQMBSyZhiXJFmEMnd3irBHqcu5tW3OOUm3jCT84/s1600/2013-03-30+22.02.43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OFcO5b-z-TbbNmImWeGYRXjz97rVr81pj4THJw9BAjqYE62WYk87__1zTMccc84fpwHTfnY6FGuUzc_kP177c7x401tAgbvAEzDJKQMBSyZhiXJFmEMnd3irBHqcu5tW3OOUm3jCT84/s200/2013-03-30+22.02.43.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peanut butter filling. yummier than Reese's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbtNFxzc_mJEbgIgJmWdmInmeSfFcBQnpIgfEehD3L2QjSUguBWkFjgK9s7bevs30lJ6kx8tyqTK6bCDiNLHh5Wq2oZnX5QlGO5GhgMMo_uL9W4X981lEw9IVKdQ_ff_pl4LuqHmBKsA/s1600/2013-03-30+23.03.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: small;">i</span><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbtNFxzc_mJEbgIgJmWdmInmeSfFcBQnpIgfEehD3L2QjSUguBWkFjgK9s7bevs30lJ6kx8tyqTK6bCDiNLHh5Wq2oZnX5QlGO5GhgMMo_uL9W4X981lEw9IVKdQ_ff_pl4LuqHmBKsA/s200/2013-03-30+23.03.40.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bunny brought by The Bunny - all full of peanutty goodness!!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">In the end, I have to admit it was fun...but next year we may have to search harder for a dairy free pre-made set up. I was too paranoid that the </span><span style="color: red;">kids would wake up and discover who the REAL Easter Bunny is!</span></b></span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">I'm so not looking forward to figuring out Hallowe'en.......</span></i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-60662374360549139842013-03-28T12:47:00.001-04:002013-04-07T20:56:25.916-04:00Thank GOD I'm CrAzY!!!?!<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So there's something to be said about being a little loopy. Whether or not the loopy came before the kids is a debate for another day, but it's a useful tool in the day to day world of parenting, let me tell you... </span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">here's my favourite parenting tool, <u><b>The Voices In My Head</b></u> - </span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These are perfect for maintaining an exterior of calm, while inwardly screaming at kid top volume. As we see in this dialogue: </span></span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Outside Voice, the one the kid hears </b></u>-<span style="color: #38761d;"> "Did you just turn on my sewing machine again?"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>kid </b></u>- <span style="color: #a64d79;">"yup"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Inside Voice, the one screaming in my head</b></u> -<span style="color: red;"> "G-D kid.....how many TIMES do I have to tell you to leave my REALLYEXPENSIVEMACHINE ALONE!!!"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Outside Voice</b></u></span></span></u></b>-<span style="color: #38761d;"> "You know I don't think it is safe for you to play with my sewing machine without me, right?"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><u>kid</u></b> - <span style="color: #a64d79;">"Yup.."</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Inside Voice</b></u></span></span></b></u>- <span style="color: #cc0000;">"GRRRRRRR..."</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Outside Voice</b></u></span></span></b></u>- <span style="color: #38761d;">"What made you think it was a good idea to use my machine without me?"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>kid </b></u>-<span style="color: #a64d79;"> "cuz I wanted to....."</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Inside Voice</b></u></span></span></b></u>-<span style="color: #cc0000;"> "OMG if I did everything I fricken' wanted to just cuz I wanted to....and you should KNOW BETTER, I ONLY TOLD YOU THIS 3 FRICKEN" MINUTES AGO!!!!!"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Outside Voice</b></u></span></span></b></u>-<span style="color: #38761d;"> "I <i>love</i> that you have good ideas in your head that you want to explore. I <i>love</i> that you wanted to make something all-by-yourself..I just don't like that you aren't listening when I'm trying to keep you safe, so now we have to leave the sewing room, and we can't finish the project that we were working on together."</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>kid </b></u>- <span style="color: #741b47;">"YELL, SCREAM, WHINE, SHOUT, COMPLAIN, PROTEST.....!!!!!!!!!!"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Inside Voice</b></u></span></span></b></u>-<span style="color: #cc0000;"> "OMG, IF I HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS ALL DAY I MAY GO POSTAL...CUT THIS OUT THIS INSTANT!!!"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Outside Voice</b></u></span></span></b></u>-<span style="color: #38761d;"> "I <i>hear</i> that you are upset by this change in events....but it isn't safe to have a person who is having troubles listening in the sewing room - we could get hurt, so out we go..."</span> <lead by="" child="" hand="" of="" out="" protesting="" room=""></lead></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>kid </b></u>-<span style="color: #a64d79;">"I love you mommy, we will sew later?!"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Inside Voice</b></u></span></span></b></u>-<span style="color: #cc0000;"> "Not if I have anything to say about it, that's MY sanctuary, and you will stay the hell away!"</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><u><b>Outside Voice</b></u></span></span></b></u>-<span style="color: #38761d;"> "We will discuss that later after your bath."</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: black;"><i>.................etc etc.....ad nauseum....... </i></span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Completely convinced that each white hair is one inside voice dialogue leaking out my skull...."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-56843636013380420382013-03-23T15:16:00.003-04:002013-04-07T20:57:45.188-04:00Here's my letter to my local MPP...I mentioned I'd post it...<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">So here it is, in all it's glory.... I am leaving out names, just to be fair... I realize it may be hard to follow, and I'm sorry about that. I am leaving it as is, just because I don't have the energy to change it right now. but feel free to ask questions, make </span></span></b></i><u><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">positive </span></span></b></u><i><b><span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">suggestions in the comments section....</span></span></b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><span style="color: #674ea7;">thanks</span></span></b></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Thank you for speaking to me on the phone yesterday about my
daughter. Just to recap, we were talking about the failure of the early
intervention mental health system in Guelph to support my daughter, B, in
receiving the help she needs in the evaluation, assessment, and treatment of
her Sensory Processing Disorder. We started to look for intervention for
B when she was less than 2 years old, as her behaviours and coping
mechanisms did not seem to fit with the "norm" for her age. We
started by calling the Growing Great Kids Program - run by public health - and
had E assigned to us as our public health nurse. She made 2
visits and received 3 of my phone calls over an 18 month-ish period, but did
not recommend or initiate any sort of screening or assessment for her, despite
her witnessing a few extreme behaviours. She stated that B was
Highly Spirited, and that made her intense, but she was
"normal". At about 3 years old I started advocating for speech
therapy for B, as at the time she had some language barriers for her age,
as well as difficulties in pronouncing certain sounds in her mouth. We
were referred, at my insistance, and the recommendation of E, to Wee talk,
assessed after over 3 months of waiting, and sent home with a "home
program" to help me teach her to do her "L" sound
(something that wasn't an issue yet due to her age). Despite me insisting
that she would not benefit from a home program, and despite E's
recommendation to speech therapy with a therapist rather than at home, that was
the assignment, and we tried to follow the program at home. As expected,
this was unsuccessful, as her frustrations led her to rip up colouring and
other "assignments", and otherwise react negatively to attempts to
"train" her to pronounce a letter that she was not developmentally
ready for. In this time we saw E again, and I had at least one very
frustrated and desperate phone conversation - where E agreed that it
seemed that B may have issues with Self-Regulation, but still, she didn't
have an assessment done or scheduled. She discussed at this point the
city's Early years mental health program, and put us on the waiting list for
that. I asked if there were any programs/support for parents dealing with
similar issues, and she recommended me waiting until B had been assessed
at the early years mental health program, and then asking for support through B's worker. She
insisted that it would be the fastest way for me to get the support I needed.
Three months later we went to her follow up wee talk appointment, and explained
her lack of progress and frustration with the program. We were then
referred, by K at Wee Talk, to a speech therapist at St. Joe's, and
waited 3 more months to see her. Within ONE visit with M at Wee Talk,
it was determined by the speech therapist that B was in desperate need of
Occupational Therapy, and M made the referral within 1 week. B
was not yet 4 at this time. It was also determined that B's speech
issues were not something that could be treated with speech therapy at this
time, as the problem was the physical formation of her palate, which would not
be corrected until she was much older, either naturally or with
orthodontic/surgical assistance. We were then told by M that the
waiting list for OT through Kidsability was very long, and should we want
service sooner, we should pay for private OT assessment through a local private clinic here in Guelph. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Concurrently, we began assessment/treatment with early mental health program, seeing E. The written
evaluation/assessment showed that she was medium/high risk in her behaviours,
no discussion as to the root cause of these behaviours, and after 2 sessions
spanning 3 weeks, we were told that we qualified for their services. We
attended 4 sessions with E, where she focused on my interactions with
B, and behavioural modification techniques (such as visual reminders of
how to behave, games to play to help us express and recognize emotions).
B found the activities fun, but they were not very beneficial to our
situation, as we had already been implementing more effective techniques in our
home for managing those behaviours. Seeing little benefit to this treatment, we
finally decided to follow the advice of the speech therapist and seek private
OT assessment, as it was now November 2012, and B was already 4 years old.
We paid $200 to have an assessment done by N, the private OT. It was determined that there were several sensory impairments,
as well as self-regulation issues as a result of Sensory Processing
Disorder. A copy of that assessment can be provided at your
request. It was determined that much more assessment was necessary to fully
understand the depth of her issues, but as they saw that we were instinctively
adept at providing a lot of the care she needed, and as they were aware of our
financial limitations, they instead recommended a series of books related to
sensory processing disorder, and advised us to create a "sensory
diet" for her based on the books - this is a practice usually put into
play by an Occupational Therapist, but they didn't offer us this service, as we
were limited financially, and weren't sure if we could continue paying the $125
per hour to receive treatment and support from them. At this time,
dealing with my daughters' disorder, a system that wasn't helping, and just
needing support, I asked E at the early mental health clinic, over the phone, if there was any
sort of parent support group - to help me cope with dealing with the day to day
of our existence and B's disorder's impact on me and my family.
E signed me up for her workshop "circle of security", which while
interesting, did not in any way address my issues, or meet the needs I
requested. I called her after the first week of this program to set up my
next appointment with her and my daughter, and she told me that she didn't need
to see us while I was doing the circle of security program, thereby ending ANY
treatment that B was receiving. The circle of security group
happened to have two sessions that fell over March Break, and we were away for
those two weeks and the week before that, after a whole night awake with
B, I had missed 3 sessions of the group. I recognized that I could
not finish the group as I had missed too many, and asked about rescheduling the
private sessions with her and B, mostly to maintain some continuity in
care for her. At this point E stated that I had reached the max of
her services, and it was time for me to put our sessions into practice, and she
would call me in May (this after B had seen her all of FOUR TIMES).<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">While doing our homework and reading every book we were recommended by
the OT, we were also weighing our options at this point (borrow more money for
therapy or continue to wait for publicly funded OT program). At this point we got a call from the publicly funded OT, stating we had an appointment scheduled for that month (in January).
We decided to go with that, and informed N, the private
Occupational Therapist of that choice. Within a week of our coming
appointment, the public OT service called to state that our assigned OT was no longer
available to provide services to us, and we would have to wait until at least March
for service. More waiting.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> We FINALLY received our initial assessment last Thursday, March
14. B is now 4.5 years old. The OT that conducted the assessment
was D - very wonderful woman, who B instantly bonded with. She
conducted her assessment, offered some basic suggestions about making us a
visual schedule for B to learn to follow, and offering to make the
recommendation that B be followed by a pediatrician, but warned us that
B was getting to the top end of the age in which they provide Occupational
Therapy, since their restructuring (while we were waiting for our rescheduled
appointment). That same evening, while we were away for the last weekend
of March Break, we got a message on our phone stating that B did not
qualify for Occupational therapy, due to her starting Senior Kindergarten in
September (despite the program's mandate up to this point of early intervention
to age SIX, and her only being 4.5 at this point). When I called D on
our return from our weekend, we discussed the situation, and she agreed that
B would definitely benefit from Occupational therapy, and the only reason
that she did not qualify was her entering Senior kindergarten in September, and
the further waiting list that she would have to be on to receive OT would put
her past their cut-off period of June. We at this point signed up for
their 2 day USWAY seminar (Understanding the Sensory World Around You), in the
hopes of getting some sort of support still, through D. She
agreed that the information provided would be information that we already knew,
but we hoped to at least meet some other parents whose children were also
affected by SPD, and maybe receive some support that way. She also gave
me her supervisor's phone number, M-E, and told me that I could talk to
her for further assistance. M-E reiterated that we did not meet
their qualifications for receiving OT, because of her age, and then stated that
she should have been referred for assessment back when she was 18 months old,
and E the public health nurse, should have asked for the assessment/made
the referral to Kidsability back 3 years previously. She agreed that we
were one of the families that unfortunately "fell through the cracks"
in the system.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I talked to you, at the M.P.P. office, at this point, and asked for my M.P.P.s
support in helping my 4.5 year old girl get the therapy she needs to function
to her best ability.<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">I offered to send you some links to help you understand the disorder she
was diagnosed with. Here they are.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">http://sensoryprocessing.yolasite.com/</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">http://stavishclan.com/2012/10/guest-post-sensory-processing-disorder.html</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">http://www.spdfoundation.net/</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">While all of this waiting and waiting and beaurocracy has gone on, my
child, and my family, are still struggling. Bis not getting the
support/therapy she needs. This is not right. We as a family
followed all of the right avenues, started as early in our childs' life as
possible to receive the support she needs. We are lucky to understand the
system, and have tried to stay within it to the best of our ability.
Please help me make it right for my little girl. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<i><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Thank you.</span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-74918807292859265312013-03-22T11:13:00.002-04:002013-04-07T20:58:50.747-04:00On Bullying. <div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">if you have yet to see this video, you must.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sa1iS1MqUy4" width="640"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-44265611265692328082013-03-22T10:58:00.000-04:002013-04-07T21:02:27.530-04:00Important lessons in life taught to me by my special children...<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My schedule need not always apply<span style="font-size: x-large;">.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sometimes there's nothing more lovely than toes on a warm heating vent<span style="font-size: x-large;">.</span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Just because I'm the adult, doesn't mean I always know better.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Feelings are subjective: </span></span></span></li>
<ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVfuTWUZlFFzCJtwuzVOFnlHjspQbXHNmBDi9ECweidKxCo1OtTrpMjitLNz3gGOXNnx79jU-JHsyW1ljezaf0UuMzuLaktE7HmePdjZTcAyek3E8Fy3X8tgy-xCZ6qrkitD8RrCskCg/s1600/broden's+spring+garden.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Scary for me isn't the same as scary for you </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Loud for me isn't the same as loud for you</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Bright for me isn't the same as bright for you</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">itchy for me isn't the same as itchy for you</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">hot for me isn't the same as hot for you. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">etc...etc... </span></span></span> </li>
</ul>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You are never too <b>old</b>, too <b>sophisticated</b>, too <b>tired</b>, or too <b>busy </b>to drop everything and <b>dance </b>to the music in your head.</span></span></span></li>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVfuTWUZlFFzCJtwuzVOFnlHjspQbXHNmBDi9ECweidKxCo1OtTrpMjitLNz3gGOXNnx79jU-JHsyW1ljezaf0UuMzuLaktE7HmePdjZTcAyek3E8Fy3X8tgy-xCZ6qrkitD8RrCskCg/s1600/broden's+spring+garden.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVfuTWUZlFFzCJtwuzVOFnlHjspQbXHNmBDi9ECweidKxCo1OtTrpMjitLNz3gGOXNnx79jU-JHsyW1ljezaf0UuMzuLaktE7HmePdjZTcAyek3E8Fy3X8tgy-xCZ6qrkitD8RrCskCg/s320/broden's+spring+garden.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Garden - sticks, plastic bags, tape, and a 4 year old.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Pyjama days are a necessity of life.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"> <span style="color: purple;">Crafts do not need training, store bought</span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: purple;"> supplies, or <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/babazoobee/pins" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> - tape, scissors and a plastic shopping bag can make beauty.</span></span></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHVfuTWUZlFFzCJtwuzVOFnlHjspQbXHNmBDi9ECweidKxCo1OtTrpMjitLNz3gGOXNnx79jU-JHsyW1ljezaf0UuMzuLaktE7HmePdjZTcAyek3E8Fy3X8tgy-xCZ6qrkitD8RrCskCg/s1600/broden's+spring+garden.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Sometimes an hour of clean up is worth it for 15 minutes of exciting discovery and creativity</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cleaning the house is not as important as doing a puzzle.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Being a kid IS harder than being an adult - we were right!</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Proper spelling is subjective - D4 works just as well as BEFORE , depending on how you pronounce it in the first place...</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">booboos are <b>TRA</b><b>GIC </b>- but only if you can <b>SEE </b>them - Band-aids <i>do</i> make you feel better.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The only opinion that <i>really </i>matters is that of the cat.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You can have <i>way </i>more than <b>ONE </b>favourite <b>ANYTHING</b>.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Of <b>CO</b><b>URSE </b>birthdays mean parties!?!?!!</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Spinning around in circles is a necessity of life.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">There's no point in staying upset, or holding a grudge.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: blue;">Stickers on the door frame <i>do </i>constitute beautiful interior design. </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Sleep when you <i>need</i> it - not when it's scheduled.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Most learning doesn't happen in school, or by direction.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The box has <i>WAY</i> more potential than the toy inside.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Not everything you read in the parenting books applies to me.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Love is unconditional.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #b6d7a8; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="color: blue;">Everything I expected to be and do as an adult was wrong - But this reality is <b><i>WAY WAY </i></b>better. </span></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17266901016602966180noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7215303212120076745.post-13671635830600927642013-03-21T22:19:00.001-04:002013-03-22T00:06:46.721-04:00the big gaping hole in the system.<div style="text-align: justify;">
So, you've heard people talking about the gaps in our medical and mental health systems. (<i>to be clear, I am in Ontario, Canada)</i>. Well, I always <span style="font-size: large;">assumed</span>, that as a <span style="font-size: large;"><i>reasonably intelligent</i></span>, <span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">educated</span></span>, and well spoken individual, with a history in the field of social services and a<span style="color: #e69138;"> knack for self-advocacy</span> and knowing/preserving my rights, that <span style="color: #674ea7;"><span style="font-size: large;">*I* would NEVER fall through the cracks</span></span>. <i>I guess I didn't realize at the time that the cracks we are speaking of here are more like a</i> <span style="color: #783f04;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">CANYON...</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdFZLr8HmRGVP4NrQsz_VBAv3uGYDifP5YzI7ex6wvSTVD4AMCO-7KKC83NMd3ewBCxxsS7IgJU9vAInR5f7lyBIADPJ7jY5-URPfFdCwD4jqCjiFAF2dhgmh1stYk2XYf0R2yGG3Rr4/s1600/fall+through+cracks.gif" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdFZLr8HmRGVP4NrQsz_VBAv3uGYDifP5YzI7ex6wvSTVD4AMCO-7KKC83NMd3ewBCxxsS7IgJU9vAInR5f7lyBIADPJ7jY5-URPfFdCwD4jqCjiFAF2dhgmh1stYk2XYf0R2yGG3Rr4/s400/fall+through+cracks.gif" width="386" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Now, <a href="http://www.babazoobee.blogspot.ca/2013/02/craziness-how-time-flies.html" target="_blank">I have made mention before</a>, recently, that our youngest daughter has been "diagnosed" with <span style="color: #e69138;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD).</span></i></span> I put the word <span style="color: #cc0000;">Diagnosed</span> in quotations, because, <i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">despite
the disorder being recognized, studied, and treated successfully in
many people for some time now, it has yet to be recognized in standard
medical manuals such as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICD-10" title="ICD-10">ICD-10</a><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_processing_disorder#cite_note-1"></a></sup> or the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSM-IV-TR" title="DSM-IV-TR">DSM-IV-TR</a>.</span></span></i> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: red;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: red;">Don't get me started on my conspiracy theories as to why this may be the case. That, my friends, is a WHOLE other blog post....</span></span>I
guess I should restate that as "B has been identified as having issues
with Sensory Integration, as well as issues with
self-regulation...otherwise referred to as Sensory Processing Disorder.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Wikipedia describes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_processing_disorder" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">SPD</a> as <u><i><span style="background-color: yellow;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">"a
hypothesized neurological disorder, in which sensory information may be
sensed and perceived in a way that is different from most other people.
Unlike blindness or deafness,
sensory information can be received by people with SPD, the difference
is that information is often registered, interpreted and processed
differently by the brain. The result can be unusual ways of responding
or behaving, finding things harder to do. Difficulties may typically
present as difficulties planning and organizing, problems with doing the
activities of everyday life (self care, work and leisure activities),
and for some with extreme sensitivity, sensory input may result in
extreme avoidance of activities, agitation, distress, fear or
confusion". </span> </span></i></u></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><i>That is the mildest description of my little girl that I've ever considered.</i></b></span></span> Conversely, going over to <a href="http://www.sensory-processing-disorder.com/sensory-processing-disorders.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">sensory-processing-disorder.com </a>provides
a frighteningly accurate account of little B's everyday existence, in
words and descriptions that are so accurate they make my skin crawl:</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">"</span><b><i><span style="color: #e69138; font-size: large;">Imagine if: </span> </i></b></span></div>
</blockquote>
</blockquote>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> You could see obstacles in your way, but you could not make your body move the direction you
wanted it to to avoid them.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> You felt like someone had given you a shot of Novocain in your backside so you couldn't feel if you were sitting in the middle of your chair and you fell off 3 times during this training.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Your clothes felt like they were made of fiberglass.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> You tried to drink a cup of water from a paper cup, only you couldn't tell how hard to
squeeze it to hold onto it. So, you squeezed it too hard and the water spilled all over you.
The next time you didn't squeeze it hard enough and it fell right through your hands and onto the
floor.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Every time you tried to write with your pencil, it broke because you pushed too hard.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> The different smells in this room made you utterly nauseous.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> The humming of the lights sounded louder than my voice.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> You couldn't focus your eyes on me because everything and everyone in the room catches your
attention and your eyes just go there instead.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> The lights are so bright you have to squint, then you get a pounding headache half way through
the presentation</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> Every time someone touches you, it feels like they are rubbing sandpaper on your skin.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> You could only sit here for 15 minutes and then you had to take a run around the building or do
20 jumping jacks so you could sit for another 10 minutes before your muscles felt like they were
going to jump out of your skin.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> People's whispers sounded like they were yelling.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> The tag in the back of your shirt makes you feel as uncomfortable as you would if a spider was
crawling on you and you couldn't get him off.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> You wanted to write something down but it took you at least 5 seconds to form each letter. You
can see the letter in your head, but your hand will not go in the right direction to write it.</span></li>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span>
<li><span style="color: #3d85c6;"> You had to pull the car over 3 times on the ride here because the motion makes you sick.</span></li>
</span><table border="0" cellpadding="8" cellspacing="0" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left; width: 593px;"><tbody>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b> <span style="font-size: large;"> These examples may sound extreme but for some with sensory processing
disorders they are not."</span></b></span><br />
<br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensory_processing_disorder#cite_note-3"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
That's my girl. To a Tee. Add <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e69138;">"You need to ram your whole body against your mom as hard as you can repeatedly in order to feel her presence against you"</span></span> and <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #e69138;">"You
place your belly against a scalding space heater and create a
grid-shaped burn that lasts a week and a half because your brain didn't
tell your body that that should hurt"</span>,</span> and that about sums
her up. Oh I could go on for days with examples...4.5 years of new
examples every day! Some that make us cringe, some that make us cry,
some that make us explode with laughter, pride, love...Some that make us
scared...Every day is an adventure to this family...I used to like
adventure....grin.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.zazzle.ca/someone_i_love_has_spd_bumper_sticker-128579348360767326" rel="nofollow" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbVenFm4tFSYN0IG350V6Xf5eNd329nblqzssORqNmyP2-BMjH94xIdQZzFW7xY7NTmyPpEG9dT18A1oFiI0plLNgPXUSJ1-vUT_53beYoBFC-y8ipHirISUT1KyoplCC-ywbCdHcNGUg/s200/someone_i_love_has_spd_bumper_sticker.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #990000;">Anyhow, my rant about the system...<span style="color: #a64d79;">The lack of support and treatment for B has been </span>maddening.</span> </span> In fact it has been so painfully lacking, that I recently called and wrote a letter to my M.P.P.. <span style="color: red;">(I will post a copy of this letter, minus identifying names, etc, as my next post, as this one will then be too long) </span>
Because after 3 solid years of trying to use the system here in the way
it was intended, in order to get support and treatment for my little
munchkin, I finally got to the people who could actually set me up with
the Occupational Therapy she definitely needs, those folks agreed that
this is what she needs, and then told me that she, <span style="color: #a64d79;">GET THIS</span>, <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #cc0000;">does
NOT qualify for O.T. sessions because she is TOO OLD - and will age out
of their program without ever getting the support she needs.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<h2 style="text-align: justify;">
Well,
I did not take too kindly to this. And, as mentioned before, I'm
accustomed to advocating for my own rights. Born Jewish in an era where
overt racism was on a decline, but still an issue, a lesbian in an era
where even <i>I</i> made horrid "lezzie" jokes as a kid, dismissed or
actively looked over for promotions from career paths and even rental
housing because of my forthrightness about my sexual identity, "married"
my same sex spouse 2 years before it became legal to do so in this
Province, and many other fights I have been willing to participate, our
plight is not to go un-challenged this time. Not when it is the most
important fight of my life. You WATCH. This protective parent won't
let her baby go with less than everything she needs to succeed in life.
See what happens if you try to hold her or I back.</h2>
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