As flowers bloom in our garden, T reaped a sweet harvest this week. Report cards were sent home during this last week of school. The hubby and I spotted T’s very first A right away – given for reading! We were so thrilled, because of how hard T – and all of us at schoolContinue reading “His First A!”
Tag Archives: gratitude
The Power of Anticipation
After starting his countdown right after Christmas, the big day is finally near. T had a blast spending Christmas in New Brunswick with his cousin. When we got home, he asked how many more days till her visit this July. During a recent bedtime, I told him that it was 45 days until she visitedContinue reading “The Power of Anticipation”
Part of the Pack
A coyote and pine cones. Unlikely ingredients for friendship for a 7 year old. With warmer Spring days, T and I play outside after daycare pickup before heading home. There is a group of moms and kids that are there every day. It’s amusing watching T try to initiate play. He likes to be chasedContinue reading “Part of the Pack”
The Giving Tree
A scary thunderstorm downed a tree and created unexpected treehouse fun for neighbourhood kids. Saturday started off like any other Saturday – with T getting up earlier than my brain and body was ready for; playing dead no longer works. After lunch, as I was about to head out for groceries, Environment Canada issued aContinue reading “The Giving Tree”
Wildflower
What if we let the weeds grow freely? I thought about this from the perspective of parenting when I read this article about naturalists encouraging people not to mow lawns or pluck weeds, in an effort to encourage biodiversity. Biodiversity, it is argued, is good for everyone, including animals and endangered bees. Naturalists encourage usContinue reading “Wildflower”
Mother
A few weeks ago, T randomly asked about his birth mother. We don’t know what prompted the question but we took out his adoption book and showed him the one photo we have of his mother. We asked him what he was thinking and feeling but he was quiet. Then he moved on to hisContinue reading “Mother”
Retracing Our Footprints
I spent last weekend filing documents that have piled up over five years. Being a parent is a full time job on top of a job. Being a special needs parent is like having an extra job on top of parenting – managing school and service appointments, taking your child to appointments, keeping track ofContinue reading “Retracing Our Footprints”
Escape Room
“What am I escaping from?” asked the exasperated dad after the resort staff asked if he wanted to try their Escape Room game. The staff asked another dad, walking quickly with a kid in tow and he asked, “Do I get to escape from this?” He looked at me with T in one of hisContinue reading “Escape Room”
The Boy at the Waterpark
The boy wore a swim shirt like T and zeroed in on him in the wave pool. I watched with amusement as he tried to get T’s attention. As T bobbed up and down, splashing water, lost in his own world, the boy followed in pursuit. I felt the parental duty to intervene and finallyContinue reading “The Boy at the Waterpark”
Spring Break
The alarm went off at 4 am and T shot out of bed like a cannonball. He was ready to leave for the airport before the hubby and I. I had been up by 3 am after two hours of sleep. I couldn’t sleep from both excitement and anxiety. We had booked this family tripContinue reading “Spring Break”
Bedtime Stories We Loved: Volume 3
Reading to T as he rests his head on my shoulder is a joyful way to unwind. We’ve been reading at night with T since we adopted him at 14 months. As noted by the American Library Association, young kids that are frequently read to are more likely to recognize letters, have word-sight recognition, andContinue reading “Bedtime Stories We Loved: Volume 3”
Writing Birthday Messages to the Future
Sometimes, you’re blessed with a day overflowing with love that you bottle it up for the future. We had one of those days this week when our dearest T celebrated his 7th birthday. T excitedly counted down the days till his birthday since it entered single digits. If you want to teach a kid aboutContinue reading “Writing Birthday Messages to the Future”
“You’re Frozen When Your Heart’s Not Open”
When faced with fear and worry of the unknown, the natural response is to numb and protect your heart from potential pain. I remember the early days of reading up about FASD and randomly bursting into tears while watching a toddler T sit or play. It felt overwhelming, stressful and lonely. But the heart hasContinue reading ““You’re Frozen When Your Heart’s Not Open””
Snow Day
Sometimes, life gifts you a sign to slow down. Today was supposed to be T’s return to in-person learning. Our city got walloped with snow, so schools were closed but kids were asked to log in for online learning. My initial reaction was “For fuck’s sake, let kids have a rare proper snow day!” WhenContinue reading “Snow Day”
Touchscreen Generation
Nothing ages you like teaching your Generation Alpha son how to use a computer mouse. Our 6-year-old T was born into a world that already had Instagram, wifi, and iPhones. I remember being once amused when he was three years old and trying to use the TV by touching the screen instead of using theContinue reading “Touchscreen Generation”
Brittle and Faith
“There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.” This is an excerpt from Leonard Cohen’s song “Anthem” that I saw posted on Instagram. After a year of best laid plans falling apart, we began 2022 by making something just to break it: peanut brittle, using this easy recipe from In Diane’sContinue reading “Brittle and Faith”
Cousins
Magical moments in parenting happen when you watch your child connect and click with another. As much as I’m still complaining about not having a quiet break to myself during my time off work, it was nice to have given T time with his grandparents, Aunt and cousin in the East Coast. He was particularlyContinue reading “Cousins”
Making Asian Night Market Food at Home
On the menu: Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken. Not on the menu: Silkworm larvae, sheep penis or sea horse. I have this week off work. But T’s daycare closed between Christmas and New Year’s, so the quiet break I was looking forward to didn’t pan out. I had a meltdown when the daycare notified us about thisContinue reading “Making Asian Night Market Food at Home”
Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog
Christmas miracles come in all forms. This year, it came to us as a wiener. We’re spending a few days with T’s Grammy and Grandad in the East Coast. We had booked this trip earlier this Fall when the pandemic was in a stable condition and decided to proceed with it. T is having aContinue reading “Hot Dog, Hot Diggity Dog”
Tell the Truth
If the truth sets us free, would you still tell it if it means upsetting someone? Several years ago, I was on a crowded train and the two women standing next to me were talking about drinking and pregnancy. One of them said she knows doctors who’ve said it is ok to drink during pregnancyContinue reading “Tell the Truth”
My Life With T 