At a recent camp pickup, the staff told me they had a sad moment. T told her he had a dream that his Daddy and Papa died. He told her that “he got very sad because he’ll be all alone.” T also recently told me that he had a dream where he saw me inContinue reading “Discussing and Normalizing Death, Adoption and Difficult Topics with Kids”
Tag Archives: Family
What My Cousin and Downs Syndrome Taught Me About Parenting
We celebrated my cousin Tracy’s 40th birthday this weekend. It was the first time we saw her family since lockdown began. When my family first came to Canada, one of the first friends I made were my cousins Tracy and J. My mom and her siblings are very close and we saw my uncle’s familyContinue reading “What My Cousin and Downs Syndrome Taught Me About Parenting”
Finding a Younger Brother for T
Ok, before everyone gets excited – we’re doing no such thing! But if it’s one thing the hubby and I have observed and spoke a lot about during the past six months of lockdown, watching T play by himself at home and in the playground, or seeing T sit by himself in the back seatContinue reading “Finding a Younger Brother for T”
“Turn to Stone, Lose My Faith, I’ll Be Gone Before It Happens.”
August 16 is a Holiday at home. It’s my dear M’s birthday and we play her songs all day long. It’s fun introducing T to things I love – books, TV shows and movies, games, food, places, and yes, music. If he only knew “Jacket B” isn’t what his favourite Madonna song – “Unapologetic Bitch”Continue reading ““Turn to Stone, Lose My Faith, I’ll Be Gone Before It Happens.””
Playgrounds Are Back!
One of the hardest moments for me during lockdown was when T broke down in tears after seeing the playground wrapped in caution tape. I still remember the pain and anguish in his voice as he asked me why everything was closed? Thankfully, playgrounds reopened two weeks ago. I’m mindful there is a possibility weContinue reading “Playgrounds Are Back!”
Taking and Embracing the Detours on Life’s Journey
Parenting a child with special needs has taught me the journey is often times more important than the destination. And more interesting, rewarding, fulfilling and one where you will be stretched, bended, tumbled, spun around, flung, chewed up and ultimately become all the better because of it. I reflected on this during the long drivesContinue reading “Taking and Embracing the Detours on Life’s Journey”
Swimming in a Secluded Spot at Painting-Like Killarney
We spent Friday at Killarney Provincial Park, where every corner looks like a painting with its smooth red rock facade and Georgian Bay backdrop. Our friends and I have been wanting to camp here for years but sites always sell out. It took a pandemic to get the hubby, T and I here – sansContinue reading “Swimming in a Secluded Spot at Painting-Like Killarney”
Finding the Roaring Spirit of Adventure in Thunder Bay
We arrived in Thunder Bay close to 10 on Sunday evening. T screamed, “Why does it look like this? Where’s the thunder?!” The scenic adventures that unfolded over the following three days of our Summer 2020 family roadtrip more than made up for his initial lack of enthusiasm. First stop on Monday: Beautiful Kakabeka Falls,Continue reading “Finding the Roaring Spirit of Adventure in Thunder Bay”
Every Child Needs and Deserves a Hero
The late Terry Fox took his final steps in his unfinished Marathon of Hope in Thunder Bay, Ontario. We visited the Terry Fox monument on our first day in Thunder Bay on Monday. It honours his memory near the spot where he took his last step. Terry Fox is a famous Canadian athlete whose rightContinue reading “Every Child Needs and Deserves a Hero”
Family Roadtrip to Explore Northern Ontario
We were determined not to let the pandemic take away our summer tradition – the family roadtrip. In August, we always take two weeks off to visit the hubby’s parents in New Brunswick, two provinces East of Ontario, and add a detour. This year, we hoped to visit New Hamsphire. It goes without saying theContinue reading “Family Roadtrip to Explore Northern Ontario”
Living with Pragmatic Positive Thinking
I’ve always been a positive person but parenting a child with special needs has reframed how I approach optimism into one of living life with pragmatic positive thinking. I recently saw this tweet from educational consultant Doctor Marcia Tate on Twitter. She stated that “being positive doesn’t mean you ignore or lie to yourself aboutContinue reading “Living with Pragmatic Positive Thinking”
Return to Day Camp!
During yesterday’s day camp pickup, the staff told me that T was talking to them and the kids about Madonna and how he wants our family to move to London to live with her. Being a big Madge fan, moments like this are like a ray of light and remind me like a prayer thatContinue reading “Return to Day Camp!”
Teaching My Son To Be Bored
When we started lockdown homeschooling, the blank page of a day gave me great anxiety. I’ve since learned it’s okay to leave pockets of time during the day as unstructured time for five-year-old T to be bored. Research has shown that boredom supports a child’s healthy development, as it helps them build creativity, resilience, andContinue reading “Teaching My Son To Be Bored”
Love is Love: Celebrating Pride at Home
Pride celebrations are different this year, but its spirit is even more relevant and important. Pride was born out of protest 50 years ago, from communities saying enough was enough. Activists and allies paved the way so that today, we – at least in our part of the world – can love who we wantContinue reading “Love is Love: Celebrating Pride at Home”
Camping in Our Backyard
The hubby and I were not going to let a pandemic take away our family camping tradition, so we pitched our tent in the backyard this weekend. It was also camping week at homeschool this week. T’s teacher gave a series of camping-themed learning activities, from books and poems, to math exercises, and more. TContinue reading “Camping in Our Backyard”
Fathers Day Reflections: 5 Favourite Moments So Far
The hubby and I are celebrating our fifth Fathers’ Day this weekend. Time sure does fly! I’ve written openly about the ups and downs of raising a child with great potential and challenging needs since launching this blog in December. This weekend, it’s all about celebrating the positive and favourite moments on this unpredictable andContinue reading “Fathers Day Reflections: 5 Favourite Moments So Far”
“I’ll Never Give Up On You…”
One day, in the early weeks of lockdown, I was so worn down and T was out of control. In a fit of anger, I yelled to the hubby, “I‘d never have adopted if I knew it was going to be like this!” I regretted it as soon as those hurtful words left my mouth.Continue reading ““I’ll Never Give Up On You…””
A Rejuvenating First Nature Hike Since Lockdown
A family of swans, Canadian geese, ducks, and a deer feeding from afar. My family basked in a feast of nature this afternoon, our first outing since lockdown began three months ago. It was a beautiful Saturday. Sunny and a comfortably cool 16 degrees for t-shirt and shorts. A steady breeze. We headed for LyndeContinue reading “A Rejuvenating First Nature Hike Since Lockdown”
Making the Hard Decision to Medicate Our Child for ADHD
I’ve avoided this for four years. But this week, the hubby and I face an important decision in our 5-year-old’s journey: medication. We adopted our beloved T four years ago – feels like an extra year in there with this pandemic! – and shortly after, he received a prognosis of at-risk fetal alcohol spectrum disorderContinue reading “Making the Hard Decision to Medicate Our Child for ADHD”
Our Budding Little Baker
Learning comes in all forms, as we’ve learned from homeschooling in lockdown. Making a no-bake keylime pie with T reinforced lessons in measurement, chemistry and having fun! The hubby enjoyed the strawberry and rhubarb pie that T and I made last week and asked us to make this no-bake keylime pie recipe from A MillionContinue reading “Our Budding Little Baker”
My Life With T 