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”
Tag Archives: Parenting
Gym Coach
I will soon add wannabe basketball coach to my CV. As a student, gym was not my strong subject. I did well in sports like cross country and baseball, but basketball terrified me. Similarly, participating in class, including gym, is an ongoing struggle for T in Grade 1, his first full year of in-person learning.Continue reading “Gym Coach”
Shifting Sands: 4 Days in Dubai
Ten years ago, we visited the unique city of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. After an unforgettable trip to India, the hubby and I made a stop in Dubai on our way back to Canada. We made wonderful memories in our short four-day visit. We stayed near Jumeirah Beach. The white sandy beach isContinue reading “Shifting Sands: 4 Days in Dubai”
“Maybe Pick Another Dream…”
Every morning, as part of sending T off to school, we give him a post-it affirmation to read in the car. And yes, it’s usually sickeningly positive! 😆 With the topic of dreams still on my mind, we wrote him this message this morning: “Always believe in yourself and your dreams…” After he read itContinue reading ““Maybe Pick Another Dream…””
Travel in Light Years
How do we give children the space to dream and view the world with wonder? As children, movies and TV shows often tell us that anything is possible if you believe in dreams. As an adult, I have a nuanced view, because we don’t always get what we wish for – and that’s ok. AsContinue reading “Travel in Light Years”
Thank You For Being a Friend
Life is blessed and brighter if we have a Dorothy, Rose, Blanche or Sophia in our lives. During pandemic lockdown, I watched a lot of Golden Girls reruns. It was a show I watched after school in grade school and nicely complemented the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Revisiting the show as an adult, the storyContinue reading “Thank You For Being a Friend”
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”
Sharing A Child’s FASD Diagnosis with Them
How do you share difficult life changing news with a young child? That’s a question I’ve been thinking a lot about since we received T’s FASD diagnosis in January. The hubby and I shared the info with the school right away as it would better inform the way they supported T. We’ve held off onContinue reading “Sharing A Child’s FASD Diagnosis with Them”
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”
Advocating For Your Child
I took a nervous breath as the hubby hit ‘Enter’ on the Zoom call for the School Services Team meeting. This meeting held this past week was when we learned the school’s plans for supports for T when he enters Grade 2 this September. Advocating for your child is a necessary part of being aContinue reading “Advocating For Your Child”
Ice Cream Truck
Like a child hypnotized by the Pied Piper, so was T to the melodic chime of an ice cream truck. On Thursday afternoon after daycare pickup, it was sunny and beautiful, so T and I hung out in the playground before heading home. The melody of an ice cream truck appeared out of nowhere. TContinue reading “Ice Cream Truck”
Heaven and Hell
“What does heaven mean?” T recently asked me during bedtime. I believe in God but am apprehensive about organized religion. I had a hurtful experience with church in my teen years but I still believe all paths lead to God or however one calls them. I believe that those who politicize or weaponize religion causeContinue reading “Heaven and Hell”
Playing Sidekick to My Incredible Hulk
Our T has found a kindred spirit in a superhero with anger issues and the irony is not lost on me. Last week’s loan from the school library was a non-fiction book featuring the green Marvel superhero and we enjoyed reading it over several nights. I love that reading comics or books inspired by comicsContinue reading “Playing Sidekick to My Incredible Hulk”
Hitting the Reset Button
During a work call, I got a call from T’s daycare teacher. She was not her usual calm self. She said an older student had ran off the bus during drop off and pushed T against a wall. She had to shield him from further harm. A few hours earlier, the hubby and I receivedContinue reading “Hitting the Reset Button”
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”
Dreaming of Camping Adventures
A dear friend asked me for campsite suggestions and it took me down a road of happy memories. I started camping at 21 when a friend invited me. We camped together almost every summer for nearly 20 years with the hubby and his partner. I never camped as a child and it was an experienceContinue reading “Dreaming of Camping Adventures”
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”
Disconnecting to Move Forward With a Clearer Head
During our recent week away, I had one focus: unplugging and recharging. Special needs parenting often leaves caregivers feeling perpetually foggy headed. Thanks to amazing colleagues, I checked out of work. I told family to e-mail me about urgent issues, but I tuned out everything else. I slept very well – passed out before 11Continue reading “Disconnecting to Move Forward With a Clearer Head”
The Power of Inclusion
When all kids are included, accommodated and set up for success, everyone wins. Maintaining a positive relationship with T’s school is a priority for the hubby and I. We try to be open, transparent and collaborative with his teachers and principal. We shared his recent FASD diagnosis and we’re thankful his school has been soContinue reading “The Power of Inclusion”
My Life With T 