Our Weekend

Father son day

Teaching

Easy meals

Birthday preparations

Sunshine

Hiking

Birthday celebration

Family

Excitement

Fun

Time together

Love

Dear Reece

Three years have passed and I look back fondly on the moment you arrived in our home, ready to change my world and steal my heart...and you have done just that.

I am not sure why you choose me as your mom, but I am so grateful you did. Your amazing smile, your infectious laugh and your soulful eyes add so much joy to my days. I can’t imagine life without you.

I look forward to each new day with you; I know it brings with it adventure, discovery, enthusiasm and a zest for life which is contagious.  We have enjoyed many wonderful adventures together and I know our tomorrows will bring even more.

As we celebrate three years of “you” I renew my promise to respect you, honour you, help and guide you; to love without judgement and parent with compassion; to support you and to laugh and cry with you; to be the mom you deserve.

My little man, I will cherish you always. I am honoured to be your mom.

I love you.

November 2008



November 2009



November 2010



November 2011

Ready for the Birthday Celebrations

My little man is tucked into bed, sleeping soundly. I can't believe he will wake up as a three year old tomorrow.

Justin and I just finished putting the finishing touches on our home to prepare for the birthday celebrations in the morning. It will just be the three of us for breakfast and then we will meet the people who were present at his birth (his nana and papa and his godparents) for a late morning hike. We will all head back for lunch at our home after the hike...most likely a little chilly and very hungry.

Well, this mama still has a few things to do, have a great night!

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see. Inspired by Soulemama.

My Little Kitchen Helper

My little man has been in the kitchen with me since the beginning...it is one of my favourite places in our home. I love food and I love to cook, so sharing my passion for both with him was important to me.

Lately, everytime I head into the kitchen my little man is right behind me. Sometimes calling out "up on the counter" or dragging a chair from the dining area so he can stand on the chair and help.

Today, it was up on the counter and preparing the vegetables for our dinner. He had a blast washing the broccoli and peeling the carrots.

And the whole time this mama had a smile on her face and a warmth in her heart.

Teaching My Own

There were many things Justin and I were sure about before we became parents. We knew we would homebirth. We knew we would not circumcise. We knew we would not vaccinate. We knew we would cloth diaper. We knew I would breastfeed. We knew we would follow Reece’s lead on when to wean. We knew we would home school. These are things we instinctively knew we wanted as parents. This is not to say we knew the reasons why at the time, but with time, we researched, became informed and felt confident in all the decisions we had and are still making along our journey.

When we made the decision to home school, it seemed pretty easy to imagine. I am a type A, organized, very structured person. I envisioned us working with Reece much the same way he would have been taught in school. I saw flash cards, fancy workbooks, a daily schedule of studies...basically I was planning on the normal day to day school activities, except we would do it at home.

That was three years ago, and I have come a long way.  As I said, we followed our instincts in making a lot of our decisions, but we took time to read, research and become informed as well. Our decisions are based on both instinct and information and so far that has not lead us astray.

So, I have treated homeschooling exactly as I have treated every other decision we have made. I have been reading, researching and becoming informed.  I have met some wonderful people on Twitter who are spreading the word on brain development - how brains develop best, how our children learn and why play is so important. These wonderful ladies Deborah, Lisa and Janet have provided me with many blog posts which inform me and make me think.  And I love it!

I have just finished reading John Holt’s Teach Your Own and again, it has challenged those initial ideas we had about homeschooling. It has challenged how I see my role in Reece’s education. It has pretty much change my idea of homeschooling.

I now refer to homeschooling as “lifeschooling”. I no longer see myself as Reece’s teacher, but as a facilitator in his learning process. I no longer see our home as a “school” but as a learning environment full of potential for Reece to direct his own learning. 



Afternoon tea for two and a story

We have gone from one end of the homeschooling spectrum to the other, and I am thrilled. Each and every day we wake up and greet the day with anticipation of what it holds. Some days it is our usual routine; other days Reece throws us a curve ball asking an intriguing question which leads us in a totally different direction. We are amazed daily at the questions he asks, the information he retains and the learning which takes place just by living our lives.

We are not wearing rose coloured glasses; we know not all our “lifeschooling” days will be as they are now. We will be faced with challenges, but life is full of challenges, and I for one, have never been known to back down from a challenge. 

Lifeschooling promises to be interesting, adventurous, exciting and fun! I look forward to sharing our journey with you over the years.

Balance

I often get asked how I balance life as a work at home mom...I am not really sure why anyone thinks I have found the secret, I haven’t.

I am not sure anyone ever finds balance, there are just so many things involved with life as a mom, not to mention life as a working mom, whether that work is in the home or out of the home.

So, what I can do is share what seems to work for us.  I discovered very early on working while Reece was awake was a no go, I just felt like I was being pulled in far too many directions.  So, I work when he sleeps and since he has not napped since he was 14 months, I work at night, for the most part.

My career as a holistic nutritionist does require me to do some daytime work in the form of workshops, speaking engagements, client meetings and so on.  I am very careful with my planning and try to only book myself out of the house two mornings per week. I often have to be out of the house in the evening as well and try to limit this to once per week on top of my teaching (I teach dance, tap and jazz one night per week and one to two Saturday’s per month).  It doesn’t always happen, but I try.

So, how do I find balance...not sure I have it. I do have a career I am passionate about and truly love. I am fortunate in that I can make my own hours and create a schedule which works for my family. My priority is being a mom and I will do whatever it takes to ensure I can participate in that role with 100% of my energy.

I take time occasionally to go out with my friends; we usually head out for dinner every couple of months, sometimes more often. I take time at least once per week to soak in the tub with a good book and a cup of tea. I also make sure I have time to do the things I enjoy...reading, knitting, sewing, cooking, running and hiking.  And of course, at some point during the week I squeeze in some time to spend with Justin. 

It is never easy, it never works out the way I have it planned in my head, but somehow, most weeks are pretty good and I feel like life is balanced. Yes, there are times, when I feel like I have not had enough “me” time, but during those times, I take a deep breath, sometimes two or three and I think. I think about the things I am grateful for, I think about the things in my life which bring my joy and I think about my family – the three of us, pushing through and making it work together.

And then, I make a cup of tea, sit back and relax...even if it’s just for a minute.