My six year old and I started a new bonding ritual: Friday night grocery runs. After a long week, all I wanted was my weekly 90 minutes of freedom: going to the supermarket. “Oh, can I come?” T asked chirpily. “Oh, fuck no,” I said to myself in my head. But I simply said, “No.”Continue reading ““Oh my God, is that a coconut?!””
Category Archives: Fun
Light Up the Dark
The colorful ghosts of Christmas past emerged this weekend, sparking wishes for future memories. After I did my Friday night groceries, I returned home to Christmas cheer thanks to T and the hubby. It’s only mid November, but it’s family tradition to put up the tree, decorations and lights after Remembrance Day. Christmas is withoutContinue reading “Light Up the Dark”
Introducing My Son to Horror
Watching people get stabbed to death is one way that I like to relax. Before anyone freaks out, I’m talking about horror movies! I was 15 when I became a lifelong horror fan after watching Scream at a friend’s house. It’s somehow therapeutic sitting through horrifying, intense and sometimes hilarious situations and coming out ofContinue reading “Introducing My Son to Horror”
Pumpkin Pickin
Sunday blessed us with a fun Papa and T date with animals and witches at a pumpkin farm. On this beautiful autumn morning, T and I went on a morning drive, 45 minutes out of the city, to Knox Family Farm in Clarington. Along with Christmas and birthdays, Halloween is one of T’s favourite timesContinue reading “Pumpkin Pickin”
Bringing An Animated Italian Dish to Life
Thanks to Disney, I’m discovering the joys of Italian cooking with my family. I recently wrote that T loves the movie Luca, a wonderful animated coming of age story about accepting what makes you unique. The film is also a love story to Italian culture, from its beautiful seaside town setting to the delicious cuisineContinue reading “Bringing An Animated Italian Dish to Life”
Hot Pot and The Case for Eating Together
My family recently enjoyed a Chinese traditional dinner that dates back over 1,000 years. Enjoying a meal together as a family is something we don’t do enough of. T is a picky eater, so we make his own meal and get him fed on school nights before we eat. Weekends, going to someone’s home orContinue reading “Hot Pot and The Case for Eating Together”
Cooking for the Soul
Nature, travel, music, writing, prayers, exercise, reading. How do you nourish your spirit? For me, the answer is all of the above! While I didn’t intentionally set out to do so, my last few posts have been about how I prioritize the mind, the body and the spirit in my journey as a special needsContinue reading “Cooking for the Soul”
Why Struggle is Good for Kids
“The struggle you’re in today is developing the strength you need for tomorrow.” I reflected on this Robert Tew quote after a lifeguard at the public pool called us out after he noticed T struggling in the water. The outdoor pool has been our savior the last two summers. We are there every other dayContinue reading “Why Struggle is Good for Kids”
Lost in an Odyssey
Mario Bros has provided great bonding moments with T and is teaching him about patience and perseverance. During these virtual schooling and work from home days, it’s common for me to be on a work call and for T to walk into the office unannounced. He’d walk past behind my chair, his little head seenContinue reading “Lost in an Odyssey”
Soaring to New Heights at Canada’s Wonderland
T visited his first amusement park last weekend and went on his first big kid rides! Canada’s Wonderland is like the Canadian version of Six Flags amusement parks – with big rollercoasters, spinning rides and a Snoopy-themed kids area. The hubby and I have gone many times as kids and together as adults. But thisContinue reading “Soaring to New Heights at Canada’s Wonderland”
Castles in the Sand
A day at the beach reminded me that childhood flies by like sand rushing through an hourglass. A colleague once told me, when the hubby and I first adopted T, to enjoy T’s childhood because it will go by quickly. I recently noticed that T has been staying in his bed throughout the night withoutContinue reading “Castles in the Sand”
Beach Day at Home
The best laid plans did not go as planned – and it ended up just fine. Our City got a scorching weekend, our first real taste of summer, with two sunny days in the 30s. I had planned for the family to go to the Bluffs, one of our favourite parts of the City, withContinue reading “Beach Day at Home”
Resting Like Royalty
As Canada celebrates Victoria Day long weekend, the two queens in T’s life are focused on recharging. The hubby worked on the garden today. I didn’t even pretend to help. I love gardens, especially ones I don’t have to tend to! Instead, T and I went for a nice long hike at Rouge Park, anContinue reading “Resting Like Royalty”
The World Is Larger When You’re A Kid
Never lose your inner child, I thought, as I took T 30 years down memory lane. Last Saturday morning, I took T on a nostalgia visit to my elementary school playground. I was a bit over a year older than T is now when I last played there 31 years ago. It was the firstContinue reading “The World Is Larger When You’re A Kid”
The Odd Duck
You often need to look no further than to nature for a little perspective. T and I went for a late morning walk to enjoy the sun, fresh air, and to get out of the house. Outdoor spaces have been a lifesaver during this pandemic. On some days, the thought of outdoor time is whatContinue reading “The Odd Duck”
Moo Moo and Crab
Say hello to our T’s adopted children. T has never played much with stuffed animals when he was younger. But at age 6, they join him everywhere. He started taking his kids to the car to sit with him for the drive to and from school (when they were open!), to sleep with him, andContinue reading “Moo Moo and Crab”
A Bouquet of Dandelions
The beauty of one’s actions lies in their intentions. One often views dandelions as pesky weeds. The hubby spends at least one weekend each Spring digging them up from our yard. But viewed through the eyes of a curious six year old, they offer an often overlooked beauty. Our world has contracted once again thanksContinue reading “A Bouquet of Dandelions”
“Alexa, Pull My Finger!”
Our boy has reached the developmental stage where farts and poop are the best thing ever. As a parent, you always worry about whether your little one is hitting milestones. Well, let me tell you, our T is exceeding expectations with the farts and poop phase, even using technology in innovative ways. Of the millionsContinue reading ““Alexa, Pull My Finger!””
Magical Stop Motion Animation
On this rainy Sunday, T and I played around with creating stop motion animation. It was two Sundays ago that we experimented with creating puppet show videos. I like doing activities that encourage T to build his creativity and digital skills. With April Break camp cancelled this week because of stay at home orders, I’mContinue reading “Magical Stop Motion Animation”
The Renewal of Spring
An Easter egg hunt, yard work and COVID vaccine made for a rejuvenating family long weekend. It was a Good Friday after I took Ma for her first vaccine. I felt thankful for how organized the site was; we were in and out in 30 minutes. Our province is facing an intense third wave, soContinue reading “The Renewal of Spring”
My Life With T 