I'm so tired, with a million things to write about that have been accumulating in my head for weeks but no energy to put them into words. So, I just opened a page and started typing.
Tonight was our first Parent/Teacher interview. That's right. For our 13-month-old. A real first in the land of parenting a big boy going to "school" - That's what we call it, "school". Anyway, it was our first Parent/Teacher interview and we missed it. Both of us a little bummed out to have missed the milestone.
I got a call to pick Ryker up early from "school" because his goopy eyes were looking goopier and puffier than ever. We went to the doctor where he was examined and prescribed a dose of Penicillin - one of the perks of daycare. So, we stayed home tonight instead of going to meet the teachers - who we see every day and who reported when I picked him up that he has reached each developmental stage he's "supposed" to at this by now. There will be many more.... Now, we look forward to his first Christmas concert in a couple of weeks!
I was told at his appointment today that he has a slight heart murmur. That the doctor had heard it at our last visit, but didn't want to worry me because he was already sick and reassured me that if she thought it was serious she would have told me then and that her adult daughter has had one that sounds worse her whole life and has never been affected by it. I was believably assured it's nothing to lose sleep over. I don't know in detail what it means and I'm not going to freak out about it... and I'm not going to Google it. We'll wait for the phone call from the specialist to book an appointment and go from there.
And, that's that.
A sick little boy, and with a slight heart murmur, and I'm grateful for our health.
29.11.12
Family traditions
Since our son was born it's become important to me to establish family traditions that will create lifelong memories for him. A few traditions of the good solid handful I want to stick with are chocolate-chip pancakes for birthday breakfast, new jammies on Xmas Eve and Xmas at GG's!
This past weekend we jump-started our holiday spirit with our first holiday tradition: Xmas at GG's! Because Grampa and GG leave for Florida this week, Grampa staying all winter, we celebrated in November and look forward to this every year from now on! It's extra special because it will be a few months before we're all re-united again.
A glimpse of memories created...
Bullying - STAND UP
Covering Bullying Awareness Week events at local schools the last couple of weeks, hearing a story from a family friend about a grown man being bullied at work by three grown woman who just destroy his days and my own life experiences triggered this column published in The Forest Standard this week.
Bullying hits a nerve with me these days. It was almost my last straw at the grocery store last week when it was clear one of the cashiers was mildly, if to say there is a degree of it, bullying another and I was totally disgusted by how pathetic it was. I wish now I had said that I found the behaviour was inappropriate.
It's a strong message what the kids are learning in school this week and sporting on the back of anti-bullying tees: DON'T be a bystander. STAND UP for yourself and for others.
All too often lately I find myself walking away from a situation, wishing I had something.
Bullying hits a nerve with me these days. It was almost my last straw at the grocery store last week when it was clear one of the cashiers was mildly, if to say there is a degree of it, bullying another and I was totally disgusted by how pathetic it was. I wish now I had said that I found the behaviour was inappropriate.
It's a strong message what the kids are learning in school this week and sporting on the back of anti-bullying tees: DON'T be a bystander. STAND UP for yourself and for others.
All too often lately I find myself walking away from a situation, wishing I had something.
Bullying in the workplace
When we think of bullying, we think of it as a behaviour among children. Although it is a childish act, it is an incredibly prominent cruel one that occurs within all of society - One of those being the workplace.
A recent public example of this is the TV news anchor, Jennifer Livingston who received a hurtful email from a viewer criticizing her weight. She retaliated by taking a stand in defense of her daughters and other children who may not have the same emotional shield, urging young viewers not to allow such people to define their self-worth.
Bullies feel brave hiding behind their computer screens dishing out harassing, hurtful words and threats, but it is the bullied victim who speaks out in person who is courageous.
Livingston said years of criticisms often given with a career like hers has helped her develop a thick skin, but I don’t believe anyone's skin is thick enough to be numb to the harsh attacks of others. It is just as difficult for an adult as a child to brush off hurtful words and acts and it’s hard for the families they come home to to see the one they love upset by the cruel actions of others. Of course, as adults, we have both more choices and more power than most children.
Bullying usually involves repeated incidents or a pattern of behaviour that is intended to intimidate, offend, degrade or humiliate a particular person or group of people. While bullying is a form of aggression, the actions can be both obvious and subtle. Some examples of workplace bullying are spreading malicious rumours, gossip, or innuendo that is not true, intimidation, removing areas of responsibilities without cause, constantly changing work guidelines, making jokes that are obviously offensive' undermining or deliberately impeding a person's work, isolating someone socially or physically abusing or threatening abuse.
If you feel that you are being bullied, discriminated against, victimized or subjected to any form of harassment:
• Firmly tell the person that his or her behaviour is not acceptable and ask them to stop;
• Keep a factual journal or diary of daily events;
• Keep copies of any letters, memos, e-mails, faxes, etc., received from the person;
• Report the harassment to the person identified in your workplace policy, your supervisor, or a delegated manager. If your concerns are minimized, proceed to the next level of management.
It’s important not to retaliate because you may end up looking like the perpetrator and will most certainly cause confusion for those responsible for evaluating and responding to the situation.
Currently there is little occupational health and safety legislation in Canada that specifically deals with bullying in the workplace, but an important component of any workplace prevention program is management commitment; which works best communicated in a written policy. Since bullying is a form of violence in the workplace, employers can write a comprehensive policy that covers a range of incidents from bullying and harassment to physical violence.
Bullying can affect the workplace by increased turnover, decreased productivity and motivation and morale and increased absenteeism and stress.
It’s sad to think of the people who can’t just go to work and do their job, work alongside their fellow employees to make the best of the workday and the product - The bullies whose lives revolve around the drama they create.
Most of the time, you can choose how you are going to respond to bullying behavior. Deciding to make a conscious choice instead of feeling like a helpless victim of someone’s behavior can be very empowering.
Always keep in mind, people throw rocks at things that shine.
22.11.12
Regretfully un-captured moments
I can't believe I left my camera behind today. Seriously.
It was bad enough I missed some great photo-op's of the little man playing, hugging, kissing and stealing toys from his little buddy last night.
Today, so regretfully, I missed an awesome video-op of the wee one gettin' low during a dinner / turned dance party in the basement with his cousin who he adores and whose craziness constantly cracks him up. After that I mentally captured another moment of him chewing and drooling on the railing in the stands at the arena watching his daddy play hockey. I would love to have a photo of the two of us snuggled and bundled on the bench too.
•••
He met a buddy at the arena as soon as we got there and followed him around enough until he took a liking to him. I've thought this before, because Ryker is so intrigued by kid's older than him that I swear he was born in the wrong order and should have been born a younger sibling.
•••
He's into books, holding anything up to his ear when you say 'hi' to pretend he's talking on the phone, going to sleep every night no problem.
18.11.12
Captured moments
The little devil's reaction to 'No!'
How do you discipline a kid with a face like this?
Tupperware fun
16.11.12
Drinks, dinner, drinks
 |
| Me, our friend Jimmy and Mandy. |
"How you doing?? Let's hang out. Drink wine. Act like we know everything about everything cause we kinda do. Shoot me your schedule. I want you for a sleepover."
This was the text from my bestie, and so we met up the next night on Tuesday for drinks, dinner and drinks. We had been acting fairly grown since we turned 30 a couple of months ago. Maturity had lost its touch. It was time to reconnect... wine-style.
16.11.12
Un-captured memories
It occurred to me today that I can't remember the last time I took a picture of Ryker. He is 13 months old and I swear have a picture of every move he made in his first year, but haven't captured any beautiful memories of the last month.
This made me feel a little panicked, like if I don't get the picture I won't remember. So, in my panic I started to jot down the things he's doing now and what he's in to.
There have been many instances where I see a good photo, but know that by the time I get the camera, it will be over. I guess the reason is that he is just so busy now, I'm not sure how I would capture anything or maybe it is that I'm learning to live in the present and am not thinking about having to grab the camera.
I need to keep it closer to me so I can capture him laying on Bella and hugging her with his whole body, blowing on his dinner like mommy and daddy do before he gets a bite, dancing to the clock radio, staying up later now that he's older and vegging out with us, tearing apart the kitchen pulling every piece of Tupperware he can find from the drawers and his little feet pitter-pattering as he races back and forth from room to room (he can do that now because we've expanded his living area into the kitchen and dining room), making his mouth into the shape of a little 'O', eyes big and pointing at the TV when he watches cartoons which he's kinda into now and sometimes he laughs at the screen.
My most favourite un-captured memory was of him and I, yesterday, walking hand-in-hand down the sidewalk for the first of millions of times to come. He stopped to mark up store windows with his little palms flat on them when he saw a stuffed reindeer or a teddy bear.
This was a huge little boy, big moment.
15.11.12
This made me feel a little panicked, like if I don't get the picture I won't remember. So, in my panic I started to jot down the things he's doing now and what he's in to.
There have been many instances where I see a good photo, but know that by the time I get the camera, it will be over. I guess the reason is that he is just so busy now, I'm not sure how I would capture anything or maybe it is that I'm learning to live in the present and am not thinking about having to grab the camera.
I need to keep it closer to me so I can capture him laying on Bella and hugging her with his whole body, blowing on his dinner like mommy and daddy do before he gets a bite, dancing to the clock radio, staying up later now that he's older and vegging out with us, tearing apart the kitchen pulling every piece of Tupperware he can find from the drawers and his little feet pitter-pattering as he races back and forth from room to room (he can do that now because we've expanded his living area into the kitchen and dining room), making his mouth into the shape of a little 'O', eyes big and pointing at the TV when he watches cartoons which he's kinda into now and sometimes he laughs at the screen.
My most favourite un-captured memory was of him and I, yesterday, walking hand-in-hand down the sidewalk for the first of millions of times to come. He stopped to mark up store windows with his little palms flat on them when he saw a stuffed reindeer or a teddy bear.
This was a huge little boy, big moment.
15.11.12
things I LOVE
Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
You are not in this world to live up to other people’s expectations,
nor should you feel the world must live up to yours.
How you do one thing, is how you do everything.
It’s just a bad day. Not a bad life. Tomorrow is a new day.
People were created to be loved. Things were created to be used.
The reason the world is in chaos, is because things are being loved, and people are being used.
Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect.
It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.
Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
Love is life. All you need is love.
What we dwell on is who we become.
Work is not life.
Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter
and those who matter don't mind.
Stop thinking of what could go wrong and start thinking of what could go right.
DIY Yarn Letters
Made from an 'M' I printed off the computer and traced onto cardboard and wrapped in yarn.
Idea scooped from guest blog Crossing the Bugger-Dixon Line on Tori Spelling's EdiTORIal.
Idea scooped from guest blog Crossing the Bugger-Dixon Line on Tori Spelling's EdiTORIal.
9.11.12
My sweet little man
I asked Ryker's daycare teacher if he has been hitting at all, and she was surprised I'd asked. Phew.
She said if anything he is hugging everyone. Aw. It's the sweetest new thing. He holds his arms up and wraps them tight around the necks of his family and friends. Sometimes sharing open-mouth kisses with his friends or pressing his cheek against theirs while tight around their neck. I hope this is a reflection of the love he witnesses in his life.
Although there was a daycare report in the past that he knocks over his daycare friends by grabbing a shoulder for balance, but then lays on them so they can't get up. He also prefers to be playing with any toy that so happens to be the same toy another little friend is playing with.
It's all a marker on the learning curve of life. Hitting, hugging, sharing - or not.
My sweet little man.
One more adorable thing he has picked up on from somewhere is that he bends forward at the waist and rests one hand above his knee sometimes with an expression like an adult would lower herself to a child's level and sometimes looking like a little man checking under the sink for a leak.
6.11.12
'No' is no joke
A few weeks ago Ryker started doing this adorable thing. When we told him 'no' or when he was about to do something he knew he wasn't supposed to (like tug on the speaker wires) he would look at us and tilt his chin down, raise his eyebrows and shake his head 'no' with a devious smile. It was comparable to the stories I've heard from moms raising toddlers who count to three with them before sending them to time out.
We soaked up this cute new act and weren't too worried because he wasn't doing anything that I felt deserved any kind of punishment.... Until, he started to hit.
Last week I gave Ryker some crayons and guided them from his mouth back to the paper, telling him 'no' and showing him how to colour. After a couple 'no's, he slowly lifted the crayon up to his mouth looking at me, clearly testing the water. I grabbed his hand with the crayon in it and pulled it away from his mouth and looked at him and sternly said 'no'. He decided right then that he didn't like that word anymore and angrily pulled his hand out of mine and then gave me a few swats.
No longer is 'no' a cute and fun word in our house.
I thought this parenting thing was going a little too smoothly so far.
Here we go.
4.11.12
things I LOVE
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Brilliant.
This Canadian romantic comedy-drama I scooped off the shelf tonight up the street at Main Variety, along with a bag of chips and bottle of Gingerale. Happy Friday :)
It is written that the movie is about a 28-year-old freelance writer who struggles with and examines her feelings for her husband, while exploring a new relationship with an artist and rickshaw driver who lives across the street.
"Who am I shaving my legs for?... Sometimes I think after 10 years, who's going to take a really active interest in whether I shave my legs or not, and at least after all this time I like [my husband]. Is it worth trading all that in for something exciting with someone I may not like in 10 years?... New things get old, just like the old things do."
things I LOVE
Bought this foot stool second hand and repainted it and added the wee one's initial (wood letters, painted) to each side. It's not a masterpiece, but very cute if I may say so. Mostly proud of myself for actually following through with an idea!
1.11.12
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