What Do You Do?

It's kind of a rhetorical question, except I'd like some responses at the end.

I took my 3 boys to the public library today. They were to sign out 2 books each. Before the Little One and I even get through the automatic sliding front door, the older boys have begun play-fighting loudly in the lobby area. I instruct them immediately that they must stop or we will have to go home.

After a brief argument about where they might find Pokemon books, they start looking for 2 books each. They quickly find one Star Wars book each. Meanwhile, the Little One is screeching in his stroller while I try to find a couple of board books that might amuse him. The older boys are now insisting I look up Pokemon books in the catalogue. Little One still screeching.

To make a long story short, screeching, loud talking, jumping around and generally unacceptable library behavior continues, which also includes all of us standing around the information desk until finally a frazzled young lady who was not having the best day leads us to where "there might be a Pokemon chapter book." I am now holding the baby, pushing the stroller and searching through racks and racks of unorganized paperbacks for anything that might interest them.

Here is the point to my story. I was completely stressed out. I was sure the other library patrons were appalled at the behavior of my children. And I'm almost positive they were thinking "Why doesn't she take that screeching toddler home!" I became so concerned about what people around me were thinking, I started snapping at the kids, who were really only behaving appropriately for their ages.

So, eventually we left the library with 2 books for each child, and I even found a French board book for baby. My question is: What do you do when your children are disturbing the strangers around you?

As for me, I am going to work on not caring so much about what "people" think, and more about what my children think. And they think its worth a little extra time and patience to find a really good book at the library. :-)

Foto Friday

Soccer Tournament last Saturday.

A Kiss for Daddy.

Note: There, of course, many more pictures from the soccer tournament, but all of them have other people's children in them, and after the week I've had, not gonna do it.

SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award

Vote Now for Small Wonder to be Canada's top Mom Entrepreneur!

Small Wonder is entered to win $15,500 and I need your votes to help me win.

I've has put my name into the ring to win The SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award, a readers' choice contest designed to find Canada's top Mom Entrepreneur. The winner will be announced in the fall, and will be rewarded with a $15,500 that was designed to help take that business to the next level.

I have been working hard at making Small Wonder a success since 2006. I know it can be what I imagined it to be, and this is one of the ways I will make that happen! (Like the positive thinking?) I'm not going to give up, at least, not yet. (Oops! My true colours show through...) So vote for me, please!

Throughout the contest period, Savvymom.ca will be hosting a 'Mom Entrepreneurs Gallery' at www.mompentreneuraward.com. Small Wonder can be viewed by clicking on this URL...

http://momentrepreneuraward.ca/MomBio.aspx?momID=273

Also, check out some of the other nominees, because there are a lot of talented and gutsy Moms out there! And if your one of them, nominate yourself. I'll vote for you!

Voters are also eligible to win prizes provided by Mabel’s Labels, Starrytime Keepsakes and Joe Fresh Style in the voter sweepstakes that accompanies this award program.

So there's a bonus for you, too!!!

Feeling Guilty

Okay, its not so much a feeling of guilt, like I-chose-to-get-my-nails-done-instead-of-watching-my kids-play-soccer, kind of guilt. Its more of a I-feel-bad-because-the-little-one-was-not-feeling-well-and-really-needed-to-nap-this-afternoon-so-I-missed-watching-the-older-boys-swimming, kind of bad feeling. Maybe some of you recognize this feeling? Why are we so hard on ourselves?

Here's what I did this week. I took all 3 boys to the mall to buy their Daddy a pretty awesome Father's Day gift. I worked on putting together 2 pretty awesome Father's Day gifts for my Dad and my Dad-In-Law. I finished editing two Grade 2 Video Yearbooks for my older sons' classes. I took the little one to Jungle Gym on Monday and to the park for lunch yesterday. And I attended 2 simultaneous soccer games last night.

But right now, I just feel so sad that I missed swimming this afternoon. Sorry boys.

I know there are tons of other Moms out there who have done as much or more, and are still feeling guilty about what they couldn't do. To them I say "Stop it!" We do our best. We love our children. We buy whole grains, fresh vegetables and lean meats. That's all we can do.

Haircut Day

Last weekend we decided that all these ragamuffin kids needed to be cleaned up.

First, I took care of the mini-ragamuffin. (Can you tell I have no idea what I'm doing?)



Then, to Beaners with the other two.

The First Born.
Before...

During...

Hair...

After...

And for the middle child, a much more dramatic transformation.
Before...

During...

All That Hair...

After...


Now, if only I had time to get MY hair cut!

I Hate To Admit It...

This is what makes me cry...

Little kids singing in groups. Here's the kicker. It doesn't even have to involve any of my children. Or even children I know. The first time this happened to me was watching a school choir sing Christmas Carols in Bankers Hall downtown, years before my boys started school. And it happens every time. Remembrance Day ceremonies, Christmas concerts. Last week I found myself hiding my tears from the other Moms sitting at my table at the Volunteer Tea. None of them seem to have this same emotional reaction. Weird.


This is what makes me laugh...

When my one year old cries. (I said I hated to admit it, didn't I?) Its not when he is really sad or really hurt. Those cries do their assigned job of making me hold him with sympathy and love. But when he works up a cry out of thin air, based on his dissatisfaction with the current situation, and his errant belief that if he looks sad enough and yells loud enough I will do whatever he wants, that one makes me laugh. Its something about the effort he puts into it, and the expression on his face. Weird.


This is what makes me sneeze...

The laundry. Putting it in the washer. Taking it out of the dryer. Folding it, which happens in a totally different room. Now before you say it, I have tried using different detergents and dryer sheets. Still, one sneeze for each load in and out. And the little one does it, too. (He loves doing laundry, and is the only one who would be even consider helping me with it.) But we don't sneeze while wearing the clothes. Weird.

Movie Monday

This week's Movie Monday provided by Advance HD.



Nice work, Paul!

Foto Friday

This is a project my older boys worked on at school. They made these postcards that we are to pass along to someone else, who will hopefully comment on them on the Leaving Footprints website, and then pass them along to someone else, who will do the same, and so on, and so on.

Postcard #1

Postcard #2

Its one of the most interesting websites I've been to lately, and not just because my kids' stuff is on it. Take a look. And feel free to comment on the above postcards if you like.

www.leavingfootprints.ca

Super-Mom

I have a little story. Its about what truly makes a Super-Mom. Its not the ability to hold a baby, talk on the phone and fold clothes at the same time. Its not the perfect balance of time spent nurturing children, making a living and saving the world. Its not leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Its so much simpler than that.

Yesterday, I attended a Volunteer Tea at my sons' school. Essentially, parents who have volunteer throughout the year are invited to drink coffee and eat cake while students entertain with singing, dancing and telling jokes. Good times!

So, we all had our treats, and were waiting while the first performers took the stage. Kindergarten. The Moms at my table were giggling and commenting on the blank, glazed look on the faces of these young singers. The music started, the children began to sing, and then, a Mom, who had positioned herself close in front on the floor to take pictures of her son, threw her camera to the floor and flew through the air. Before anyone knew what was happening, she had her son in her arms and was out the gym door. Superman could not have performed this maneuver faster or smoother.

Maybe he was really nervous about singing in front of the crowd. Maybe he was not feeling well to begin with. Whatever the reason, he got dizzy, turned green and almost fainted. The amazing thing is that he didn't call out to her, or motion to her, and he never even hit the ground. She knew, just by looking at him, she knew.

We all have difficult days, we all make our own mistakes when it comes to parenting, and once in a while, we feel like we are not doing enough. Just remember, knowing what they need before they need it, knowing what to do the moment you need to do it, being there to catch them before they fall. That's what makes a Super-Mom!

(PS: Its not just Moms. I have witnessed Dads performing these heroic acts, as well!)

momcafé Movie Monday

May 29th, Moms, Money and Meaning



I keep going to these momcafé events because at every single one of them, there is a moment when I think "This is my message for today. This is the reminder I am supposed to take with me."

My reminders for this event...

Stop resisting your true self. The world needs you to be who you are, not someone else.

and...

With every economic downturn there will, at some point, be an economic upturn.

Oh, I also go for the lattes, danish and 2 hour break from the toddler. Well worth the price of admission.