Holistic Mommy

I was purging my clutter one week when she discovered my box of acrylic paints. Yeah, they're toxic and take three days to scrub off, but the girl can paint so she got to use them. It took some getting used to; she couldn't quite understand that you can paint a picture with such a little dab of paint. Once she figured it out though, she was on a role. I love the work she did: The next day (and then the next day and the three days after that) she found the box of paints again. I brought out her book, "The Colour Kittens" which the kids here love. It's about two kitties who are trying to make green -- but they don't have green paint! They keep spilling colours until, you guessed it... they make green! As expected, she went through the book and mixed the same colours onto her paper. Look at her exploring... I just sat by and observed, letting her get lost in her own little world of paint smearing and colour mixing.

Little one has super exciting news... We've rented her a violin. That's right, the most obnoxious sounding, wee little violin you have ever seen. This was following her sudden passion for the instrument. I don't know where her and her little friends spotted a violin but while making playdough one afternoon, they began pretending their wooden spoons were violins. They held them up to their chins and used sticks as the bows. Later on, I found Little One playing her ukulele with a stick. To keep up with her excitement, I took her to the Celtic music festival last Thursday afternoon; sure enough she was absolutely in awe of the fiddle's. So in awe that she didn't even get up to dance -- and we know how much Little One loves to dance! Her eyes were just fixated on this fiddle. A few days later her friend was here and we went for a trip to the music store. Not just any music store, but the Long and McQuade music store. This store is massive; there's one room full of ...

Now that I don't have to worry about money, I don't know what to do. Naturally, I want to keep stressing about money! So instead, I've been trying to live in the moment, appreciating what I have and enjoying this wicked fun life I've created. I've been trying real hard to do this for the past couple of weeks and let me tell you, it ain't easy! But, what a difference it makes... Anyone who cares/has cared for children in any way shape or form knows how wonderful they are ... and how utterly exhausting they are. Over the past couple of weeks, I have chosen to focus solely on how wonderful they are and how much energy they give you. A great day with children, is a phenomenally wonderful super fantastic day. Children are inspiring, amazing and they give you so much energy. So, screw exhaustion, here is how I spent the last week focusing on just the good parts of what I do... First I stopped stressing about silly meal and activity planning. Thanks to a great workshop...

Wednesday after work Little One and I attended a meeting with a group of fellow Early Childhood Educators. I told her it was a party -- I tell her everything's a party because well, everything is. To get ready, she packed up two of her puffiest play dresses and stuffed them in a bag. Next, she found two headbands (the kind with the sparkly antennas sticking out the top) and stuffed them in the bag. When she had enough play clothes to go around (she wanted no child to go without), we hopped into the car. She was excited to meet everybody; she was a little shy and silly at first. We've never known her to be shy, but as a child leaves the toddler/young preschooler stage (she's almost 3.5, yikes!) and begins to develop empathy and an awareness of others, they become very aware of their surroundings and the people around. Little One got shy and hid behind my leg and then did funny things like stick her tongue out. As she got more brave, she would show off her dance moves ... a...

I never had any body issues before. Sure my boobs are small, I look two generations younger than I actually am and my hair isn't as shiny and pretty as my sisters but I don't mind, that's just the way it is. I've accepted my flat-chest, my boring hair and have learned to get a kick out of people's reactions when they find out I'm twelve years older than they thought. (I did feel bad last winter when I got ID'd at the bar. I was with a guy pal and he felt like a pervert knowing they'd even consider he'd be there with a minor!) Anyway, I had accepted and embraced everything and was leading a happy, flat-chested life. And then.... Enter motherhood. More specifically? Breastfeeding. Our breastfeeding relationship ended long ago but now? I have no boobs. NO BOOBS. They are gone. Those perky little A cups? Gone. Bu bye! I am a negative AAA cup. There is no bra that exists that will fit my man chest. The poor woman in the lingerie section of the department ...

She hasn't been into napping during the week when the other kids are here. No, she hasn't 'outgrown' her nap as we say; she rubs her eyes all afternoon and the bags under her eyes hang all the way down to her chin. However, we read our stories, the nap tunes come on and everyone gets tucked in. I flop down onto the ginourmous stuffed dog and unicorn next to the soon-to-be snoring children and then... "Mommy, I'm not going to nap today." I think, "for real!? This is my time! There's no awake kids in my time !" I say, "if you're not going to nap, you'll be tired and I'll be grumpy later." Up out of bed she goes, as she tip-toes (at least she tip-toes) out the door and straight to her toy shelf. I then choose to be very grumpy for the rest of the day (as though that's going to make her somehow decide to nap the next time?). This part of the day is obviously her solace as much as mine because while the other children ar...

Check out this phenominal valedictorian speech by Erica Goldson. A student in the US stands up in front of everyone and blasts our archaic public education system and then lays out what we need to do to change it. I'm tingling with inspiration :)))