Our Blog-It's A Mom Thing

Kids say the darndest things....

11/07/2011 21:16:00

Being a parent can be one of the most daunting but rewarding jobs you will ever have. The challenges and rewards are many, but my favourite thing of all is the crazy stuff that comes out of their mouths. Their comments and ‘words of wisdom’ are priceless; making you laugh and smile, taking the edge off even the most stressful of days.
My oldest son Mason, now 4, started early with his comedic routine. At about 18 months we were coaching him to say his name. No matter how hard we tried, he kept saying “May-nus”. As in, rhymes with ‘anus’. We would get him to say “May”... and then “Son”... and then when it was time to put it together, it always came out as “Maynus”. And so his first nickname was hatched.
Fast forward a few years and I still wish I had a tape recorder running 99% of the time. Whether it’s hearing your child repeat one of your own Mom-isms (which is both terrifying and awesome at the same time), or getting their own personal view on things, there’s never a dull moment with a child around. Hearing my mini-me say “Oh my WORD” (our family’s alternative to potty mouth) or “Well, that’s just GREAT” (and he nails it, just dripping with sarcasm) makes me laugh out loud. It makes us very conscious about what we’re putting out there for our children to see and hear. Those little sponges don’t miss a beat, so it’s never a surprise when they pull out one of our own personal favourite lines.
And who can forget the moments when they make you laugh out loud with their own outlook on life. Getting ready for work one day last week, I busted out a new outfit that I was feeling really good about; a black & ivory striped long-sleeved tee, black open sweater vest, wide black belt, skinny jeans tucked into high boots. I was feeling quite fashionable; very chic. As I was pulling on my boots, Mason was looking at me funny so I asked if he liked my outfit. His response; "Yes, but you forgot your hat." I was confused, and asked "What are you talking about?" and he answered, "Your pirate hat for your Hallowe'en costume". I totally got burned by a 4 year old. And even worse; my husband was there to to witness it. Double burn. On the bright side, I got a lot of compliments on my outfit at work that day. But once I pointed out the pirate likeness, the general consensus was that they could see the resemblance. Safe to say I probably won’t wear that one again...
Then there was that time during Shark Week when my aquatic obsessed child started talking in an Aussie accent (“Crikey Mum, that there’s a SHOCK!”). Or the day he announced that he had an imaginary friend who went by the name of "Justin Beaver".
When kids say the sweetest things it just melts your heart. This past September marked Mason’s first year of school; full day Kindergarten no less. He was used to going to daycare while I was at work, but I was still nervous about the start of school. Like most other parents I was worried about Mason making friends, doing well with reading and writing, having a nice teacher, etc... It turns out I was more worried about it than he was. As I was dropping him off at school, he turned to me and said confidently, “I’m going to make a friend today”. I can say that Mason sure didn’t shed a tear during school drop-off that day... I can’t say the same for Mommy. And it turns out, I had nothing to be worried about; he has a super new BFF named Nate and he also adores his teacher, who he says is “pretty, but not as pretty as you Mommy”.
I can honestly say that I will cherish these little one-liners forever, and I look forward to hearing what our 15-month-old Max will have to say when he starts chatting up a storm.
What do your kids say that make you laugh out loud? Whether they’ve come out with something hilarious, embarrassing, or just plain darling; guaranteed your kids have made you smile lately.

Miranda

Falling for Fall!

10/09/2011 09:46:00

On this beautiful fall weekend, I couldn't help but think about all the wonderful activities that happen this season for families . Thanksgiving weekend is a great time to get outside and meet the many artisans at the Balls Falls Thanksgiving Craft Show and Sale. There is also my favourite, the Vineland Thanksgiving Artfest. Both shows run Sat, Sun and Mon. Howell's Pumpkin Farm, although a bit pricey in my opinion, remains a family favourite for October. There are a ton of activities for kids and some great photo opportunities. Go online and search for coupons or deals. Warners Pumpkin Farm and Ranch offers a fun, affordable option that is great for those with toddlers. Their horse-drawn hayride is a family-favourite ( go back at night with your adult friends for a scary haunted hayride). Pumpkinville at Happy Rolph's is coming up on Saturday, Oct 15th. This event offers family activities like scarecrow building and pumpkin carving contests, childrens games and inflatable bouncers along with entertainment from Smudge Fundaes and Mad Science. This a free event!

This is also a great time of the year to get outside and enjoy some of Niagara's stunning scenery and take some family photos. Whether you hire a professional photographer or take your own photos..fall provides a fantastic, colouful backdrop.

Of course, we can't forget the fun your kids can have playing in all of the fallen leaves...yes, it requires some work from mom or dad to rack them into a big pile, but the laughter and smiles from your kids will be worth it!

What are some of your favourite fall activities? we would love to hear about them :)

My Summer Vacation

08/21/2011 12:37:00

It’s hard to believe that summer is almost over! I am always amazed at how quickly July andAugust seem to fly by since the January and February calendar pages never seem to flip that quickly. Now that my children are in school and my hubby and I get limited vacation in the summer, I feel the need to make the most of our time off. My goal: make some fun family memories and fill the kids’ fun meters without breaking the bank. I think I was pretty successful on both counts this summer, if I do say so myself :-)

We had looked into renting a cottage up north as we have done in past summers but found that most places will only rent in one week blocks, which is a bit long for two 6 year olds. Also, the prices were really high for rentals. In many cases, a one week cottage rental was equivalent to half the cost of a trip to Disney which would have blown my goal of not breaking the bank right out of the water; water that we would not be sitting next to in our Muskoka chairs this summer :-(

However, living in Niagara, there are many great things to do right in our own backyard. We`ve spent some time on Clifton Hill (using coupons for discounted attractions the kids received from their school), checked out the Falls (which I am happy to say still impress my children), rode the carousel at Port Dalhousie for a mere $0.05 a ride and walked around Niagara on the Lake (free if you don`t count the ice cream from the Avondale Dairy Bar afterwards).

By August, we were looking to get away with the kids for a few days to experience something new and different. The challenge was finding somewhere affordable that would be entertaining for the kids (and for us, let`s be honest). We decided on.......Rochester. I know, you're saying, "Rochester? Why Rochester?” At least that's what the border guard said when we were crossing over. The big draw for us was the Strong Museum of Play for the kids. Among the things that we enjoyed at the museum were a Comic Book Heroes section, aquariums with fish the kids recognized from Finding Nemo, lots of interactive exhibits for both kids and parents, a big grocery store where the kids can shop and play cashier, the Sesame Street steps for great photo ops (and a blast from the past for mom and dad), an arcade as well as displays of popular toys from different generations. A week later, they are still talking about things they did, saw and learned at the museum and have asked to see our pictures from our time there.

While our summer vacation did not include a week at acottage, it was still filled with good times and fun family memories.

How did you and your family spend your summer vacation? We’d love to hear about where you went, what you did and the fun you had along the way.

What (Not) To Wear

01/28/2011 16:23:00

It’s not often that moms get a night out but when we do, the big issue (other than arranging babysitting of course) is what the heck am I going to wear??

This weekend, we had reason to celebrate…1 of our good friends had a milestone birthday. The kids were safely at home with our hubbies and we were ready for a night out! The catch: what are we going to wear?? After a flurry of text messages, some impulse purchases and subsequent returns, we packed up our wardrobes and headed to meet up with our friends for a pre-birthday party get together. Along with being an opportunity to relax and catch up with friends, our get together turned into a mini fashion show to get much-needed advice on what looked best to wear out for a night of dancing.

It’s true that friends will give you an opinion when you ask for it but a true friend will tell you honestly if something doesn’t quite work for you. Do we go with the skinny jeans and the longer shirt for the coverage factor? Do we ditch the black pants in favour of a more casual look so we don’t look ready for the office? Or do we play up our best parts and hope nobody notices the rest?

In the end, we each decided on outfits that we felt best in. Maybe they weren’t runway worthy but we didn’t look ready for the playground either. None of us had kid crumbs on our pants or goldfish crackers in our pockets so we considered the night a fashion success!

Our question for you as moms: Do you debate over what to wear on those rare nights out with friends or partners? Do you fret about fashion and where do you go to find clothes that would make Stacy & Clinton proud?

Yours in Motherhood,

Blog-gone excited!

01/19/2011 15:40:00

We are so excited to officially launch our blog, “It’s a Mom Thing”! This is the place where we will be discussing all things parenting-related; the good, the sometimes not so good and the stuff that we are still trying to figure out as we go along. Since I’m sure you can all relate to being busy, we won’t be posting something new every day but will try to share our thoughts and experiences with you on a regular basis. We are looking forward to having you share comments and experiences of your own on here as well so be sure to drop us a line and let us know what you think.

Whether you are an expectant mom, a new parent or a seasoned veteran, we feel that there is a universal bond shared amongst those blessed enough to bear the name “mom”. We hope that our blog gives you something to relate to, think about and even have a few laughs at.

Yours in motherhood,

Coming soon!!!!

01/13/2011 13:59:00

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