Remember the Big Bang Theory where Howard has a blind date and doesn’t react well to some spicy food so he clogs the toilet and climbs out the bathroom window of his date’s apartment in embarrassment? Even the smallest room in your house can leave a big impression. A new survey commissioned by Gut Inspired, a group of Canadians living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), revealed that 61% of Canadians are not comfortable doing.. their business at a friend’s house.
The first trip we took with our daughters was to the beach, 4 hours away. As we loaded up the back of the car with suitcases, strollers, toys, and the other half of the house, we made sure to bring along several of their favorite movies.
We headed down the road to the sounds of Mickey Mouse on his newest adventure while the kids stared at the screen. The trip was non-eventful and we were grateful for the DVD player for entertaining the girls so we could concentrate on driving while also indulging in adult conversation.
My son recently turned six. He is many things, both good and bad, but an easy child is not one of them. Someone once asked me to describe him at a party and I was at a loss. I eventually settled on “complicated,” which got some laughs (he was only 2.5 at the time), but I could not find the words to sum him up using only a few basic character traits.
Labels are everywhere. Every disability you can imagine, every ability too. Every skill, every problem, everything we are—neatly named, categorized, and filed away.
Here’s one you may be unfamiliar with: Highly Sensitive. Yes, it’s an actual thing and, for us, this diagnosis…this discovery that there was a name for what we’d been experiencing—it was life-changing.
Today I have driven nearly 68 kilometres, taking children to and from playdates, practices, and tryouts. School starts soon and they’re all antsy. My youngest is going into middle school and she’s anxious about everything—the new building, having a locker, going to different rooms for each class. On top of worrying about school, she’s also my one and only picky eater, and this week our primary chef (aka. Daddy) is away for work. So the last thing I want to do tonight is cook. I’m set on the last days of our summer together being warm and fuzzy, not a battle about what she tries to feed the dog when I’m not looking.
Enter Boston Pizza. She will be happy. I will be happy. And the best part is that we’re helping other kids.
“What do you think about yellow for the walls?”
“I like green.”
“But yellow is invigorating.”
“So is green.”
“Yellow would make the room seem bigger.”
“Maybe we can find a yellowish green.”
“Maybe you should keep your opinions to yourself.”
Well. Home repairs and renovations can be stressful. Twelve percent of people in one survey actually said they’d considered separation or divorce during a remodeling project. Fixing up your home doesn’t have to be that scary, though. You might even find it brings you and your spouse closer. “You and me against the house…” Here’s how to do it right.
I don’t know about you—but my body is definitely not the same since I gave birth. Sparing the gory details, let’s just say that some parts are not where they once were. So, for that reason (among many others), I was blown away by watching the Olympic champions competing in Rio de Janeiro this year…who also happen to be moms.
“How do they do it?” I ask myself. These moms prove that women aren’t past their prime after producing life, instead they highlight how powerful moms are by competing and excelling in the Olympic games. I figure, perhaps it’s because of how powerful we have to be every single day. I mean, let’s be real: women who can withstand childbirth can break records in any endeavour we set our minds to. We can achieve all of our goals and make our dreams come true, because we’ve already faced the greatest challenge: kids.
If I am being honest, my daughter came into this world pushing me away. She was independent from the moment she was born. Sure, she relied on me for food and a diaper change, but rarely for affection. I have always needed her more than she has needed me.
She is an introspective person, born an old soul. She seems to take great pleasure telling me what she thinks I am doing wrong – constantly reminding me that we MUST be taking the long route; there is DEFINITELY a closer parking spot. It feels like I am going over the speed limit. I let her brother have a piece of candy before hockey practice once and she told me, and I quote, “this is not what proper parenting looks like.”
Nature has thrown moms another curve-ball. Despite the fact that the Zika Virus has been around for 60 years, surprisingly little is known about the mosquito-born illness, but—with the recent connection between this virus and devastating birth defects—the information we do have is alarming, to say the least.
In order to better protect yourself and your family from this virus, it’s important to understand the risks. So here are the facts to put Zika on your radar—and the tips to keep it out of your home.
Imagine never feeling well and having doctors diagnose you with a different illness each time you sought help. Imagine health providers blaming your mental state for a disease that you would later discover had been the cause of your suffering all along. And then imagine realizing that your infection had been passed to your kids, and this particular disease is so not funded in Canada, making accurate diagnosis and treatment extremely limited. Such was the case with Tanis Michelsen, who has since become an advocate for the recognition and treatment of lyme disease.
When I was fifteen years old I met my future husband at band camp. We were married five years later and as we approach our 20th anniversary (yes—you mommy math whizzes—that makes me 40), and I prepare to send my own kids to camp, I find myself reminiscing about that momentous summer. And being pretty freaked out about what my kids are about to do.