Life flashes by in a series of suddenlies. Suddenly, the hubby and I are university students randomly meeting on a dance floor then start to date on March 8, 2003. Suddenly, we’re moving in together then getting married. Suddenly, we have a little boy then navigating the horrors of a pandemic. It’s impossible to captureContinue reading “A Series of Suddenlies”
Tag Archives: kids
The Skin We’re In
Being thick skinned takes work, whether it comes to parenting or Air Frying pork belly. When I cook, one of my self care routines, I find parallels with parenting a child with FASD. My cousin gifted us an Air Fryer for Christmas and it’s been amazing to make recipes on my bucket list, most recentlyContinue reading “The Skin We’re In”
In the Arms of an Angel
Our family faced a sudden loss – for T, his first experience with losing someone – over the holidays. My sister passed away last Thursday, a few days after being admitted to the hospital on Christmas Day, after a short and brave battle with cancer. My family and I are still processing and making senseContinue reading “In the Arms of an Angel”
Play Date
A rainy Sunday morning at a McDonald’s Playspace was just what the doctor ordered. One of the biggest changes in T’s school life happened earlier this year when his CYW in SK and half of Grade 1 moved to a different school. We all felt the loss of this wonderful person, especially T, and itContinue reading “Play Date”
Reading and Parenting with Pride
When those in power seek to maintain the status quo, they target access to information. I read with dismay and anger about Republican leaders seeking to ban books that discuss diversity, specifically 2SLGBTQ+ people, and to ban school curricula that discuss critical race theory. Reading is one of T and our favourite activities. In additionContinue reading “Reading and Parenting with Pride”
Kids Keep Us Grounded
T walked in the door with the hubby, who had taken our cat to the vet. We circled him with a congratulatory hug because his teacher had e-mailed us great news. She had a regular check-in with T’s reading. He had been reading at Level 4 – on the Developmental Reading Assessment system – theContinue reading “Kids Keep Us Grounded”
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”
Motivation
Fans of long-running reality show Survivor will be familiar with the term “dig deep.” It’s what host Jeff Probst says to motivate contestants to tap into their inner strength to get through a physically-grueling challenge. The last few weeks have been very challenging with T at home and school. We’re not sure if it’s theContinue reading “Motivation”
Cooking Gamjatang, Celebrating Korean Culture
Pork bone soup is one of my comfort foods and I finally took it off my cooking bucket list. Our previous home was located in a Korean community. It was there that I discovered gamjatang at Owl of Minerva. This restaurant is open 24 hours, so before T entered our lives, the hubby and IContinue reading “Cooking Gamjatang, Celebrating Korean Culture”
“Oh my God, is that a coconut?!”
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?!””
Afterlife
After tidying up the kitchen, I had an out-of-body experience. Unbeknownst to me, while I was clearing the dishes and emptying the garbage bins, T tidied up the entire living room. The tornado debris of his Hot Wheels and blocks were all cleared into bins. I had almost forgotten we had brown carpet underneath. WhenContinue reading “Afterlife”
Post-It Affirmations
An accidental discovery inspired a morning ritual to help send T off to his day on a positive note. Recently, T was rummaging through office supplies in our cabinet and found post-it notes. The hubby then drew a word art of T’s name on it. T loved it and carried it with him everywhere, includingContinue reading “Post-It Affirmations”
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”
Fish Maw Soup
Our six-year-old picky eater has one fishy sense of humour. This past weekend, we celebrated my second cousin’s 18th birthday. My cousin and her husband treated the family to a sumptuous lunch at Congee Queen, one of my fave Chinese restaurants. Anytime we eat at a restaurant, we pack food for picky eater T; thisContinue reading “Fish Maw Soup”
Golden Hour
Nature reminds us that magic exists before and right after the darkness. Golden hour refers to the hour after sunrise and before sunset when the sun is softer and redder compared to when it’s higher in the sky. Also called magic hour, it is a photographer and filmmaker’s dream. I first noticed this in aContinue reading “Golden Hour”
Let’s Talk About Medication
The text from my pharmacy lets me know that my METH is ready for pick up. It’s an auto-generated notification that includes the first four letters of the medication name in capital letters. I chuckle about this immaturely when the refill is made every few weeks. In seriousness, I’m talking about methylphenidate – the genericContinue reading “Let’s Talk About Medication”
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”
Why I Set Personal Boundaries
As the gatekeeper to what enters your life, how do you set boundaries? I reflected on this after I read this Facebook post about the difference between boundaries and rules on the fantastic FASD advocacy page Our Sacred Breath. As a busy working special needs parent, I’ve learned the importance of setting boundaries with family,Continue reading “Why I Set Personal Boundaries”
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”
Love Is Half the Battle
“Love is a wonderful healer but it cannot undo brain damage.” When starting the FASD journey, I came across a parent’s testimonial that struck a deep chord. Sarasota-based Kathryn Shea wrote a compelling story about raising her adopted son Seth. Stories like Kathryn and Seth’s made me feel part of a larger whole, less lonelyContinue reading “Love Is Half the Battle”
My Life With T 