tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27780781275082513532024-03-13T11:54:19.020-04:00Average Working MomAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-72221473392793028662013-11-03T23:00:00.000-05:002013-11-03T23:00:55.977-05:00An extra hour<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I always roll my eyes when people talk about the extra hour of sleep they're going to get when the clocks fall back in autumn. As if any one with young children gets the opportunity to sleep in... the kids never sleep an extra hour. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although, I must confess it is getting easier. Now that the girls are able to get up on their own, turn on the tv to their favourite shows, and even manage to get some cereal to stave off their hunger, we have been lucky enough to actually sleep in a little bit on the weekends.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">(Actually, this new-found weekend routine has taken me by surprise. I was very proud of myself when I registered the girls for a 9 o'clock gymnastics class on Saturday mornings this fall. Thinking that the girls and I would be awake early enough anyways, it was a good opportunity to get up and out of the house, leaving more time for other things the rest of the day. Of course, it's been in the last few weeks that the kids have settled into a weekend routine of heading down to the tv and leaving us alone to sleep for a while longer. There has been more than one Saturday morning when I've awakened in a panic later than 8 am, frantically organising breakfast, leotards and ponytails before rushing out the door!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But, an extra hour in a weekend - so many things I could do with it! I've written in the past about my internal debate of whether or not to sacrifice weekend time for a nap. But now that even the younger of my kids are less likely to voluntarily settle down for a weekend snooze, I'm finding my choice to nap is being affected too. Oh, I still love a nap. It's just that there are so many other things to fill the time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Take today, a incredibly rare 25 hour day. Even today, I didn't nap. A choice I may now be regretting. But what did I do instead? How did I spend my extra hour?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I began my day with a reorganisation of my spice rack and pantry, interspersed with cut-and-paste assistance. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">After making pancakes, I took the girls to church, followed by a quality lunch of Chef-Boy-R-Dee ravioli and veggies with dip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Then, instead of napping, I ran almost 10 kilometres. This is a recent trend which really makes me wonder what is happening to me... choosing to run instead of nap... what on earth is going on?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">After my own lunch, and a small sit down to watch a fashion design competition by my girls, I headed to the grocery store with my youngest to pick up dog food, paper towels and baking powder. Things I've missed from my past three or four grocery trips.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yard work followed by dinner preparation interruption by kids squabbling over costumes and dress-up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Vacuuming (first time in weeks!), bedtime routine, laundry folding, making for tomorrow, clothes away-putting, and finally some blogging (first time in months!)...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">How did you spend your extra hour today?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-50964033578012256322013-09-15T20:16:00.000-04:002013-09-15T22:13:23.561-04:00Too early for Christmas<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I usually don't give much thought to Christmas preparations until about the middle of October. I set myself a Thanksgiving deadline for providing my parents and in-laws with the wish-lists they have requested for the kids. Even then, it's incredibly difficult to get the children to focus and choose and limit their requests to something that they might still possibly want two and a half months later. And trickier still to organize who is being told who wants what.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, I'm feeling pretty ingenious right now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After Madeleine's recent birthday, when I was trying to keep track of who was getting which of the three hundred and seven Beanie Boos and Monster High dolls that she had requested and we still ended up with a couple of duplicates and a last minute switch-out, I decided on a system which I hope will help save my sanity by limiting the need for me to personally remember who has been told by whom what they want and what has already been bought by whom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Google Drive. I've created a Christmas Lists spreadsheet as a shared document on Google Drive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A wish-list for each child, along with a column to enter if it has been purchased, and by whom. We can even add new items that have been purchased but that weren't on the original wish-list. And a listing of all the 35 Beanie Boos that we already own. (I swear, they're like Tribbles.)</span><br />
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" style="height: 184px; margin-top: 0px; width: 208px;" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like a registry. But with no particular store affiliation or requirement. This could be the perfect solution.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm sure that my parents and in-laws will need a tutorial or two, and heck, I may even be updating it myself on their behalf, but at least I have a system.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's hoping it helps. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-90945871429618481062013-09-12T15:00:00.000-04:002013-09-13T21:07:25.541-04:00It takes a sick day<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Let me begin by clarifying that I really am sick: congested, coughing, phlegmy, sneezing, tired, head-achy, sick. And I was napping, but a jackhammer outside my window rudely woke me up, and I'm afraid to lie down again until I know for sure that he's finished. A jackhammer and a congested, aching, tired head are not good company.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So, in addition to responding to a handful of emails for work, totally ignoring the mess of toys in my basement and dirty dishes in the kitchen, and watching some daytime talk shows for the first times in years (Maury is still on the air - really?), I thought maybe I could pay some attention to my ignored-for-far-too-long-blog.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I used to hate it when people gave the excuse of being 'so busy' for not calling or keeping in touch. Or that there's 'never enough time' for getting something done. Isn't there some expression about making the time to do the things that are really important to you? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">But now I'm making the same excuses. Cliche? Yes. But seemingly true.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Even on some kids-free vacation days last week, I wasn't able to get around to some of the projects I had hoped to. My list of things to do was just too long, and everything always takes longer than I think it should. Even without kids in tow. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I started a <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/p/never-gets-done-list.html" target="_blank">Never-Gets-Done List</a> a while back. But I haven't even been able to keep it up-to-date. Amazingly, after 2 years, I am starting to make progress on some of the items on the list. But there are also many more things I could add as things I can never seem to find time for. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Like taking the kids for bike rides more often so my eldest can get more comfortable riding without her training wheels. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Making more trips to the beach, which is just a twenty minute walk away, and yet, we only made one trip this summer.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Weeding and pruning my untended garden, something that I actually enjoy doing.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Getting out for some runs and exercise. Note to self: start my up-early in the morning routine again as soon as I am healthy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Visiting more of the beautiful places and campgrounds in our province. When driving home from our one camping trip this summer, I was inspired by the pictures and descriptions of other park grounds in the Ontario Parks brochure and started to think about how we could manage to travel to more of our province and country in the years to come.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Taking my kids to the library, and just spending more time encouraging and practicing their reading.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">As I'm reading over this list now, I am noting how different these activities are from the to-do items from before. Much more about taking time for myself and spending time with my family, instead of getting things done.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Is this progress on my part? I hope so. Maybe I'm finally learning to let the to-do items slide and focus more on the things that are truly important to me. I guess the next step is make the time to do them.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-58528150143394811332013-06-18T22:46:00.002-04:002013-06-18T22:46:52.759-04:00Management Tips<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Do at least one load of laundry every day. And try to fold and put away the clothing right away. </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2012/08/laundry-is-my-nemesis.html" target="_blank">Laundry</a>, like most things in life, it is extremely manageable in small amounts, but seemingly insurmountable and totally overwhelming when the piles are allowed to accumulate.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Accept mess.</strong> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Things will not get put away. Your house will get messy. Acknowledge that your standards have been lowered, whether by choice or by default. Learn to associate an untidy home with a busy and happy home. And know that it can always get tidied when the need arises.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Plan the meals for your family, even lunches, and grocery shop accordingly. </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Having a sense of what you will be making for dinner and knowing that the right food is available is incredibly comforting as you race home during rush hour and pick up your whiny, not-listening, difficult yet wonderful and beautiful children from daycare. Then, once home, you can almost sort of relax with a glass of wine as you prepare the meal while your children watch some television. But allow yourself to totally ditch your plans and <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2013/05/superman-and-old-macdonald.html" target="_blank">substitute with Mickey D's</a> or order in pizza on those nights when you just don't feel up to the task. Still drink the wine.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Allow your children to watch some television. </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not a lot. But enough to give you a break when you need it, get some extra quiet time on <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2012/04/weekend-mornings.html" target="_blank">weekend mornings</a>, and permit a little unwinding for everyone after a long day.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Accept help. </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Whether it is your in-laws coming down once a week to pick the children up from daycare and prepare dinner, your sister coming over to babysit on a date night with your husband, or your neighbours offering to coordinate the arborists' estimates for removing the dead tree on your shared property line, graciously accept the assistance and support of others. Also remember to show your appreciation by bestowing much love and thanks although it may never seem to be enough, treating your babysitter to a special dinner, or raking up the leaves from the large still-living trees on our shared property line.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Remember this quote: "You will never 'find' time for anything. If you want time, you must make it." - Charles Buxton</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Try not to use a lack of time as an excuse for not doing the things that are important to you. But don't feel guilty thinking that if it is really important, you'd make time to do it. It's hard to do it all.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Wake up before the kids do.</strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2012/09/early-bird.html" target="_blank">Waking up early</a> is hard. Although it can be difficult to get out of bed and get going before 6 a.m., things like: walking the dog, making sure bags are packed and breakfast is on the table, really are a lot easier before little children start making demands for your help and attention. And if necessary, stay in bed until the first one wakes up at 6:30, but take her with you to walk the dog.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Practise yoga. </strong></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It really can be calming and help to centre your focus for a while on yourself. Plus it can give you an excuse out of the bedtime routine at least once a week if you choose your class schedule appropriately.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Visit the lost-and-found on a regular basis.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you want any chance of recovering the items lost almost daily, it's wise to keep on top of it. Kind of like the laundry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Use vacation time wisely.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sometimes, if possible, it might just be a good investment to take a <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2012/03/vacation-time.html" target="_blank">vacation day</a> or two in order to 'get on top of things' again around the house. Wash the windows. Change over the children's seasonal wardrobes. Fix the drywall that the dog has been chewing. Those things that might otherwise never get done. But try also to allow time at least for a pedicure. Or a nap.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Remember that lots of other people are in the same boat.</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It can be hard to remember that many of the people at your work, on your commute, in your day-to-day life, are also working parents. Chances are pretty good that even the CEO, the person selling you your coffee and the teachers at the school have also been struggling with disrupted sleep, lost backpacks, and behavioural issues with their children. Or at least been through it in the past. It's somewhat comforting to know that we are all managing somehow.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-55872432160559490402013-05-08T21:35:00.001-04:002013-05-08T21:42:27.928-04:00Superman and Old MacDonald<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a difficult evening. The commute home was long and slow. I was trying to figure out what on earth we would eat for dinner. I decided that I'd get the girls first, then make a quick trip to the grocery store for salsa and sour cream. I was pretty sure I had everything else I needed for black bean quesadillas. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Daycare pick-up started out just fine. But after generously allowing them to play on the playground for a few minutes, I ended up counting down from three, screaming my children's names, and chasing after them one time too many.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is no one else or no other thing in this world that gets me so angry as when my kids don't listen to me. Especially at the end of a long day. It would feel so good to yell. But in the presence of other people, this doesn't seem acceptable. Which just makes me more angry. The seething beneath the surface, deep breath, mental count down from ten, kind of angry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I swear, I never had a temper before I had kids.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dealing with difficult, insolent behaviour in front of other parents shouldn't be hard. They must all deal with the same things too. So why do I worry that they are judging me, thinking that I have no control, that I'm too strict, that I need to be a more consistent with discipline, that I need to relax. I'd love if people would look at me with three little kids in tow and think 'wow, she's really got it together'. Instead, I'm afraid that people are thinking 'wow, that poor haggard woman really needs some help'.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ADpWREi_wQs/UYr6W_IrJLI/AAAAAAAABdE/-L7mpS8eQqA/s1600/superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mwa="true" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ADpWREi_wQs/UYr6W_IrJLI/AAAAAAAABdE/-L7mpS8eQqA/s1600/superman.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I picked up Superman from the after school program for my oldest daughter. Superman is incredible. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When the counsellors say Superman, the kids all stop what they're doing, look at the counsellor, put their hand in the air and their finger on their lips. There is silence.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've started using Superman (albeit less successfully) at home. Sometimes I think I need someone to use Superman on me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After a bit of a breather and snuggle at home, and a text noting that Husband wouldn't be home until at least 7, I made a decision about dinner. Old MacDonald to the rescue.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PMCf5I8SR5A/UYr6kenrF_I/AAAAAAAABdM/26b_avRCExc/s1600/ronald.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" mwa="true" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PMCf5I8SR5A/UYr6kenrF_I/AAAAAAAABdM/26b_avRCExc/s1600/ronald.bmp" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(My kids aren't the only ones to confuse McDonald's and Old MacDonald, are they?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As it turns out, today was McHappy Day. The girls were greeted by Ronald when we walked into the restaurant, and Olympic swimmer <a href="http://www.thestar.com/sports/olympics/2012/07/24/london_2012_swimmers_olympic_journey_a_family_effort.html" target="_blank">Zsofi Balasz</a> sat with us to eat her Happy Meal. The kids had fun, and in spite of feeding them chicken nuggets, cheeseburgers and French fries, I felt somewhat redeemed knowing that I was supporting a worthwhile cause. McHappy Day helped to make me happier. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also read this <a href="http://www.stevewiens.com/2013/03/12/to-parents-of-small-children-let-me-be-the-one-who-says-it-out-loud/" target="_blank">great post</a> about acknowledging the difficulties of parenting young children. It came to me at just the perfect moment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And then, finally, the girls were asleep.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was a happy ending to a challenging evening after all.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-68827439639604483532013-04-21T08:41:00.001-04:002013-04-21T08:41:43.652-04:00On parties and playdates<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yesterday, I dressed up as a princess to go to a birthday party with with almost-5-year old daughter. It was a princess-party, obviously, attended by about a dozen friends from pre-school, and parental escorts, all dressed up. The house was beautifully decorated with lanterns and banners. There were fancy cookies, pinwheel sandwiches, fruit kabobs, and a rice krispy tower. Rapunzel, herself, was even there as a special guest.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Meanwhile, beyond a gathering of aunts and uncles and grandparents, I have never even hosted a birthday party for any of my three girls. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C-2fgV5EONs/UXPcVuI9YRI/AAAAAAAABTQ/wsYTfLmEDv4/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dua="true" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C-2fgV5EONs/UXPcVuI9YRI/AAAAAAAABTQ/wsYTfLmEDv4/s320/13+-+1" width="239" /></a></div>
<br /><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I had always thought that turning five was a good time to start throwing birthday parties. But my oldest is now six and a half, and my middle is about to turn five. And we're still party-free.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We also don't do the playdate circuit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's just always seemed too complicated to me.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As for birthday parties, my excuse is partly because my oldest's birthday is in early September, before school starts. And at five turning six, she didn't yet have a real established group of friends. Or least friends for which I had the contact information for the parents. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I guess that is the real problem here. My <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2012/06/hide-not-go-seek.html" target="_blank">unease in being socially outgoing</a>. I'm just not good at initiating relationships, making connections and developing friendships.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Which I'm mostly okay with, personally. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But for my daughters, I know that I need to work harder on this. It's hard to justify not giving them a birthday party just because I'm uncomfortable approaching their friends' parents. I don't want to feel responsible for denying them opportunities to have fun with their friends, or for leading them to be as socially awkward as their mom.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So I'm going to work on this. It'll be as good for me as for them, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Next question: Is two weeks enough advance notice for a birthday party invitation for my five year old?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-74347844886071411892013-04-16T14:26:00.001-04:002013-04-16T14:26:28.480-04:00How to be a Leader<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Last year, as part of a employee development activity at work, I read "<a href="http://www.robinsharma.com/store/books/HardcoverandPaperback/The-Leader-Who-Had-No-Title-hardcover" target="_blank">The Leader with no Title</a>" by Robin Sharma. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Since then, I have thought about the book a lot. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But I'm not sure whether it has helped me, or made me more confused.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The Leader with no Title was the first motivational, leadership, career-building self-help book I've ever read. And I'm glad to have read it. But I don't think that it has motivated me to read many more. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's written in what they call a 'modern day fable' style, which makes it a really easy read. It is also filled with many gems of wisdom and inspirational quotes, which, although individually valuable, quickly become overwhelming and tedious when they are so often repeated, and paraphrased, page after page.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In addition to the pages full of cliches, I was also bothered by the acronyms for the "leadership conversations", given as a means to remember and practise the values that yield leadership. For example:</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>The Fourth Leadership Conversation – To be a great leader, first become a great person: SHINE: <strong>S</strong>ee clearly, <strong>H</strong>ealth is wealth, <strong>I</strong>nspiration matters, <strong>N</strong>eglect not your family, <strong>E</strong>levate your lifestyle.</em></span></blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mean, really? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I was also initially quite annoyed by the main premise of the book: that you don't need to be a manager or 'big-wig' to be valuable to your company. It almost seemed like a conspiracy. Like if some HR directors and CEOs figured out that they may be able to get their average-joe employees to contribute more to the bottom line by boosting their esteem, telling them that they too can be leaders, and convincing them that the big paycheques, corner offices and managerial perks aren't really important in life.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Yes, it's true. The managerial perks and big paycheques aren't the most valuable things in life. A meaningful life comes from doing what we love and loving what we do. I get that. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The book focuses a lot on what we can do to improve our lives, rather than looking externally for things to make our lives better. Quite similar to the circle of influence described by Steven R. Covey in <a href="https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit1.php" target="_blank">The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.</a> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Another book I haven't read. But probably should.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It just doesn't always seem that simple. And the reading of this one book was definitely not enough to have me utterly convinced that its a simple concept to practice and embrace. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And yet still, I try.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I did take several ideas away with me which I keep going back to in my own head.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em>Victims make excuses, Leaders find solutions</em></span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Now there's a challenge. If making an excuse is going to define me as a victim, that's something I want to avoid. It's just so easy to offer excuses. There I go again. Partly why I've adopted a new mantra of 'no excuses'. To keep me positive. To keep me from being a victim.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 9pt; text-align: left;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em>Small daily improvements – over time – lead to stunning results.</em></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 9pt; text-align: left;">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">This is an example of one of those 'inspirational quotes' which could easily become cliche, and yet, it is a comforting and motivational idea. One that makes big things seem not just bearable but surmountable. </span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 9pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em>Beliefs are nothing more than thoughts we’ve repeated over and over until we’ve made them into personal truths. Every belief inevitably becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.</em></span></div>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 9pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When talking about being authenic, and true-to-self, Robin Sharma warns to be careful about how we think of and describe ourselves... Which got me to thinking that describing myself as JustAnAverageWorkingMom might be holding me back. But how can we balance realism and motivation?</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Leadership is about knowing very little about most things and a staggering amount about a few things. Getting things done is not the same as doing great things.</em></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">I think this is a great point about multi-tasking. I remember struggling even as a kid, wanting to do so many different things, but being dissatisfied with never being exceptional at any of them. Apparently it is better to focus your efforts and energies. I believe that now.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>The fear you move through when you go to the edge of your limits actually causes your limits to expand.</em> </span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 9pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I really like this thought. It's similar to the piece of advice on my Lululemon lunch bag: Do one thing every day that scares you. I seldom do, and yet I recognise how important it is for personal development.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>The deeper your relationships, the stronger your leadership. <span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Verdana','sans-serif'; font-size: 8pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: DA; mso-font-kerning: 10.0pt;">Leave every single person that intersects your path better, happier, and more engaged than you found them.</span></em> </span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Again, the negative voice in my head is speaking up. I'm just not a people person.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> And yet I know how important this is. Something I definitely need to work on.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I don't know if I'd describe The Leader with no Title as a life-changing read. But it certainly has stuck with me.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-80735109264887544552013-04-07T10:28:00.000-04:002013-04-07T10:33:23.366-04:00How to spend a Sunday<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My husband just asked me what I wanted to do today.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My answer is nothing really. I don't want to make any plans. I just want to let the kids watch tv. Play. Make a mess. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last week was a blur, and I never really felt on top of anything. We ordered pizza one night for dinner. I was pretty close to late picking up the kids on two nights. I felt like I was scrambling all week long.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So for today, I've got some things that I want to get done. (I'm also mentally working on a list of things to do when I plan for a week's <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2012/03/vacation-time.html" target="_blank">vacation, i.e. time off work to do work at home</a>, sometime in May.) But for now, I just want to try to get ahead so I can feel organised and prepared for the week ahead. </span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PNVCyjgL2o4/UWGBckAEJcI/AAAAAAAABNQ/V7ecX2uzyyo/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" mta="true" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PNVCyjgL2o4/UWGBckAEJcI/AAAAAAAABNQ/V7ecX2uzyyo/s200/13+-+1" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's my list for today:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally get around to explaining a variance in my T4 return for our payroll account for our nanny. A $200 credit is watiting for us, if I can just figure out what accounted for the difference.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Pick up our vegetables from the farmers' market winter box program. Combine this with a trip to the park with the kids.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plan my meals for the week.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Go to the grocery store.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make dinner for tonight and at least one other night this week.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oooh. My hair appointment!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sign permission slips and registration forms for summer camps and programs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Drycleaning drop-off.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Two or three loads of laundry.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">And finally, tidy up the mess left by kids playing with relatively little adult participation all day long.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-25801310127600160442013-03-25T21:53:00.000-04:002013-03-25T21:53:59.466-04:00A shoebox jewellery castle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QWsxPHB53dY/UVCaAFdDh0I/AAAAAAAABKc/Zk1wVpyHEg8/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QWsxPHB53dY/UVCaAFdDh0I/AAAAAAAABKc/Zk1wVpyHEg8/s320/13+-+1" ssa="true" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I have mixed feelings about crafts. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love it when they keep my kids busy, but I am easily flustered by the mess that ensues. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And as a bit of a <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2012/03/neat-freak.html" target="_blank">neat-freak</a>, I am certainly not a fan of the junk that is often produced. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I'm sure many a parent can attest to, there is enough junk accumulating in my house as it is. So when a craft project produces something to control the clutter, instead of contributing to it, I'm all in!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We have a subscription to a Disney princess magazine, and every time it arrives in the mail, I cringe as my daughter gets all excited about the not-so-easy-</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">to-</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">make-with-materials-I-don't-usually-have-in-my-house craft that is featured that month.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Fortunately, my daughters recently got excited about a jewellery castle that they saw in a princess craft book. It looked relatively easy, and it seemed like a good solution to our growing beaded necklace* and kids' jewellery problem.** Plus, it was a great feeling to actually volunteer to make a craft with them, and then to sit down and help them with it. A welcome change from my normal groan and 'maybe-on-the-weekend' response I usually give when they ask about a craft project.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><i>*For the record, I think beads and necklace- and bracelet-making are great craft-y activities for kids. Except for inevitable spillage of beads all over the </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><i>floor. But that point aside, it keeps even my attention-challenged daughter focused on a task that ends up producing something that serves a purpose. Of course, we are amassing a large collection of beaded jewellery, but at least it is something that can be worn, put away easily or given as gifts. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-small;"><i>**I also want to note that each daughter does have her own music-box style jewellery box, but as these have been subject to a lot of wear and tear, the figurine is either bent out of shape, broken or missing. And the boxes aren't quite big enough to contend with our growing collection.</i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So, for our shoebox jewellery castle project:</span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">We</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> took some grown-up sized shoe boxes and covered them with card stock or construction paper. This seemed easier and more time efficient </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">than painting them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Empty paper towel and toilet paper rolls were used to make the towers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">Turrets were made by taking a semi-circle of card stock and gluing the folded cone into place. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana;">The favourite part, of course, was decorating with stickers for the windows, and jewels to make it fancy.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The towers, turrets and balconies give lots of places for draping necklaces and bracelets. But the best part: the big shoe box that can be used to hide and store a vast quantity of rings, bracelets, necklaces, hair accessories, favourite rocks... you name it - all out of sight! </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NrVZe4s8ygI/UVD9oOdGkpI/AAAAAAAABLM/ooqKNLTvTY4/s1600/13+-+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NrVZe4s8ygI/UVD9oOdGkpI/AAAAAAAABLM/ooqKNLTvTY4/s320/13+-+1" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So while the swathing of necklaces across the turrets can look a little messy, it's a small sacrifice for knowing how much more jewellery is hidden inside!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-91711060115205623262013-03-15T21:57:00.000-04:002013-03-15T21:57:05.850-04:00Extracurricular Activity Guilt<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OVGO8Y__Vh8/UTTUo1JUtcI/AAAAAAAAA_8/riTp0Pd_QZM/s1600/codfish+ball.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" jsa="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OVGO8Y__Vh8/UTTUo1JUtcI/AAAAAAAAA_8/riTp0Pd_QZM/s320/codfish+ball.png" width="237" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know... cute, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was me, age 5, in costume for my first tap routine, "At the Codfish Ball", at my first dance recital. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">That was just the beginning.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Within the next two years, I was taking even more classes, and entering dance competitions and I continued dancing all the way through high school. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I also remember swimming lessons, soccer and even theatre classes for a while.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Fast forward to today, and the extracurricular activities of my children.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My oldest is 6 and half. The middle daughter is almost five.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">They've been in swimming lessons, and a smattering of ballet classes and sports programs through the city's parks and recreation department. And last fall, in our first attempt to commit to a more structured extracurricular activity, they took a weekly class at a local gymnastics club.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It was a weeknight class. From 6 to 7 o'clock for Kindergym. And 7 to 8 o'clock for the older kids' recreational class. The program lasted about ten weeks, and it nearly killed me. Rushing home from work to pick them up from daycare, driving them to the gym, eating a packed dinner to eat before class, during class, or after class, waiting for my husband to arrive at the gym on his way home from work, him driving the younger two home once Kindergym had finished, me sticking aroung until 8 o'clock, taking transit home and ushering the oldest to bed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We decided that weeknight classes are not worth the stress. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But weekends are precious. Do we really want to schedule more than one activity per weekend? Potentially multiplied by three.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">With two full-time jobs plus commuting times, and our desire for priority on family dinners and down-time, will we ever be able to commit to the time and schedules of extracurricular activities for our children?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's not that I want my girls to follow in my footsteps. And let me be clear: I do not want to be a dance mom.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">But I worry that I'm not giving my daughters the opportunities they deserve to find a passion. Or at least an extracurricular activity to pursue.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I know. They're pretty young. And I know this sounds crazy. But I don't want to be responsible for denying them the chance to get good at something. I think of talented musicians, elite level athletes, and skilled artists. It kind of goes with the idea that it takes <a href="http://www.gladwell.com/outliers/outliers_excerpt1.html" target="_blank">10,000 hours to achieve mastery</a>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">My daughter is coming up to 7. If she doesn't start at something soon, how will she ever get good at anything?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">How do you decide what activities for your children to pursue? And how on earth, do you manage to fit it all into your busy schedules and life?</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-78832406122807733962013-03-04T10:19:00.000-05:002013-03-04T22:19:39.322-05:00On why the option to work-from-home is so important<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm sure you've heard about the <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/post/the-yahoo-memo-and-marissa-mayers-big-innovation-gamble/2013/02/28/7e28266a-81b3-11e2-a671-0307392de8de_blog.html" target="_blank">recent decision by Yahoo! to ban telecommuting</a>. There has, of course, been much discussion among working moms about this latest decision of Yahoo CEO and new mom, Marissa Mayer. I particularly like <a href="http://www.workingmomsbreak.com/2013/03/01/the-lesson-of-marissa-mayer/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+WorkingMomsBreak+%28Working+Moms+Break%29" target="_blank">this post at Working Moms Break</a>, one of my favourite working mom blogs. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I also really enjoyed listening to this fascinating radio segment from CBC's The Current, which addressed the question </span><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/episode/2013/03/01/is-there-a-future-for-working-from-home/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Is there a future for working from home?"</span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although part of me can appreciate the rationale behind Yahoo's decision to put an end to their working from home policy, mostly, I can't even believe that it is a question that needs to be debated. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I don't work from home on a routine basis, but I believe that for jobs where it is possible and makes sense, having the option and flexibility available to work from home is important to all employees, with children or not. And that it is incredibly important to parents, maybe even to moms in particular. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've written about <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-wonders-of-working-from-home.html" target="_blank">the wonders of working from home</a> before. But working from home isn't just about having a day every so often to catch up on laundry in between focused, uninterrupted writing and editing sessions, or doing the dusting while on a teleconference. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It's more than just a wonderful opportunity to gain some ground in the struggle for work-life balance.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Some parents consider the option to work from home as a necessity. A friend and former colleague and fellow mom to young kids, recently told me about her difficult decision to turn down a job offer because the position did not include the option to work from home:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-family: Verdana;">"I truly struggled with this decision and feel (the need for) work from home is going to ruin my career possibilities... Until I look at the kids... I also felt weak. I should be able to have it all. But I just can't. I love being home for the kids and having flexibility when they are sick."</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Being given the option to work from home when needed empowers the employee. It reduces the stress of worrying about caring for a sick child, following daycare and school protocols for keeping kids home with a fever or lice, or scheduling appointments with teachers or physicians during the school day. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">By having the ability to work from home when we really need to, employers are validating that employees are more than just automatons pushing for a bottom line. That they recognise that there is more to our lives than work. And that makes employees feel more committed to their employers. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I mean, how could I work positively or passionately, even, for an employer who didn't value me as a whole person? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We have the technology. It doesn't make sense to me to not let us use it.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-30946002197835621132013-02-28T16:25:00.000-05:002013-02-28T18:19:54.740-05:00Girls' Night<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last weekend I was invited to a:</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RajQ4INCwqw/US4i8hWECqI/AAAAAAAAA_k/Fpyqdbu_3Qo/s1600/Girls+Night.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" gsa="true" height="120" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RajQ4INCwqw/US4i8hWECqI/AAAAAAAAA_k/Fpyqdbu_3Qo/s320/Girls+Night.PNG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The invitation read:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>No trying to fit into some hot pair of non-mom jeans, </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>no sweaty 19-year-old dudes, no cover charge, and NO KIDS! </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Just a bunch of ladies, calories, and uninterrupted</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>conversations. Plus, maybe you will leave with a </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>new outfit or two for you and your kiddos!</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Like most parents, I don't get out much. Especially just to hang out with friends. So, although I often shy away from social situations, especially ones in which I don't know everyone there really well, I was excited to accept the invitation and have the chance to hang out with some other moms and women.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The evening wasn't anything exceptionally exciting. We stayed in. Drank wine. Ate sweet treats. Played board games. Swapped clothing. And talked. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />It was a really good evening. I laughed, I enjoyed myself, and I appreciated the opportunity to listen and share.</span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In fact, the evening really reminded me how important it is to get out of the house, away from our husbands and kids and maternal roles. Time to be yourself, by yourself, with your peers. No children to distract us from talking about stuff. Stuff that really mattered to us. And stuff that doesn't really matter at all.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It was reassuring to talk things out with other like-minded moms and women. We talked about children sleeping in our beds, trying to fit into pre-parenthood clothes, trash-y television shows, vacations with kids, toiletting experiences in exotic countries, how our tempers have worsened with children, what we remember from our own childhoods, what we hope our children don't remember from theirs, crazy stories about things our kids have done, and how things do seem to get a little easier with time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">The experience actually reminded me a little of the pre-natal classes and mom's groups that I was part of way back when... before the little lives and routines of our children got a little too complicated to fit in women-only social activities. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Just as before, it was such a comfort to talk things through with other women. To hear that we're not alone in some of the challenges we face every day.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-79781331543375619122013-02-26T21:20:00.002-05:002013-02-26T21:24:06.111-05:00Totally Louse-y<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dear Lice,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You really know how to spoil a mood.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We've been having such a good week, filled with lots of things to celebrate. And then, you made your reappearance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">It wasn't enough for you to come home with our daughter in January. You liked it so much, your nits decided to make themselves comfortable there once again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Hearing about you today was so. totally. not. welcome. news. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sure, you are tiny. And you don't pose any health risk. But you are such an incredible nuisance.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Getting through each day, each week, looking after our girls is challenging enough. The additional worry of your infestation prevention and eradication just throws our routine all out of whack, and adds another stress that we could really do without.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Sure, Bill has taken up the daily lice check and nit removal. But it's just one more troublesome chore to fit in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Plus the initial whirlwind of an unscheduled shower, shampoo, lice treatment, wait, rinse, and replacement of all the bedding. Right at bedtime, of course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And don't you realise that I can barely keep up with the laundry as it is! Your arrival puts me about five loads behind schedule. And washing all the hats, scarfs, bedding, towels and everything in hot water - do you know what that is going to do to our hydro bill?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Oh, and the vacuuming. Well, at least of the couch and the cushions. But really. Vacuuming? C'mon? Now you're also expecting me to tackle something from seldom-gets-done-list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Just give us a break, won't you please, Lice? Won't you please make this visit your last? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">From a super-frustrated, tired, and overwhelmed,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Average Working Mom</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-25562564779241820822013-02-14T14:49:00.000-05:002013-02-15T09:26:38.700-05:00What I want and what I do are often quite different<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For example:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wish I were slim. But I crave chocolate and sweets and eat them irrationally and uncontrollably.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love my kids to pieces. But often I’m not really present with them when I have the chance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want to do something different, more challenging, and more meaningful in my career. But I am incredibly comfortable with where I am and what I have. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want to be fit and toned. But I fail to make fitness a priority.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I actually really enjoy managing our household: making sure there are groceries, planning the meals, sorting through all the stuff, keeping our lives organised. But I go a little crazy trying to balance it all with a full-time job. But I'd go crazy if that is all I had to do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I’m at work, I think about all the things I could be doing at home. When I’m at home, I’m often thinking about work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want my kids to participate in activities like swimming and dance and gymnastics and soccer… There are things I’d like to do more of too. But I dislike too much running around and there aren’t enough hours in the day or days in the week, so we all do less than we'd like. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd like a simpler life, with more time for me and my husband and my children. But we have three young girls, two full-time jobs, two pets, one mortgage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">During the week, I look forward to the weekend. But by Sunday afternoon, I’m looking forward to going back to work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want my girls to grow up being confident and proud and to feel good about their appearance and abilities. But I’m not sure I feel this way myself. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I often feel inspired by motivational quotations and ideas. Yet I fail to follow through with the suggestions they make.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I think about doing things differently, making changes and challenging myself. But I continue to live with what I have and what I know because it's comfortable. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Maybe it's time to start doing things differently. But am I ready? </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-18469702417605884832013-02-08T13:07:00.000-05:002013-02-08T13:08:53.922-05:00No, I haven't forgotten about my weekly challenges<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's just that these posts about my <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2013/01/little-challenges.html" target="_blank">weekly challenges</a> aren't very interesting to write. But I don't want to be accused of not following through, so here it is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I did get a week's reprieve while we were away on <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2013/02/skiing-at-smuggs.html" target="_blank">our ski trip</a>, (although I did bring and play my ukulele one night!) but back on track this week with both a kale and a crock-pot meal in one night.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm trying to avoid basic stews in the crock-pot because, although convenient, they usually aren't very good. But I thought maybe soup would be okay, so I tried this Old-Fashioned Beef and Noodle Soup recipe from my Slow Cooker Revolution cookbook. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I didn't use blade steak, as suggested. I used plain ol' stewing beef instead. Turns out, I should've used the blade steak. I thought long, slow cooking in the crock-pot with lots of liquid was supposed to mean that tougher, less expensive cuts of meat could be used and end up tasting moist and tender. But no, it still tasted like tough, tasteless stewing meat to me. The kids too, apparently. But they did eat the noodles and most of the vegetables. Maybe next time, I'll dredge the meat in flour and brown it first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The kale was even less exciting. Pressed for time and stuck for ideas, I thought I'd try sautéing it again, but this time with bacon. Like in this <a href="http://www.dinneralovestory.com/tag/brussels-sprouts/" target="_blank">yummy Brussels sprouts recipe </a>from <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2012/12/suppertime-with-shirley-bassey.html" target="_blank">Dinner: A Love Story which I reviewed here </a>a while back. But kale isn't as yummy as Brussels sprouts. Of course it was good - it had bacon in it! But it felt a little like cheating. And entirely counter-productive to pair a nutritional superstar like kale with the guilty goodness of bacon. Oh well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As the storm whirls away outside, I realize that there are still many winter weeks of kale and crock-pot meals to go... Who can help me with some recommendations? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-91981960188627877372013-02-05T13:18:00.000-05:002013-02-08T13:01:47.193-05:00Skiing at Smuggs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm still in the first couple of days back to reality after our family holiday last week. After a wonderful vacation, followed by a busy weekend, it has certainly been hard to readjust to routine. I don't quite feel ready to give up the holiday mindset. Not just yet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So please allow me to fondly the details of our trip...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was our annual family ski holiday with our in-laws. Although we've skied in Vermont many times over the years, this was our first trip to </span><a href="http://smuggs3.reachlocal.net/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Smugglers' Notch</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Excited to have our three young girls learn to ski, we chose Smuggs this year because it is always highly rated by national ski magazines as a great resort for families, with excellent kids' ski programs. Smugglers' Notch certianly did not disappoint!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Thanks to the incredible generosity of Grandma and Papa, the girls were registered for a week's worth of ski lessons. Alice, not quite 3, and 4 1/2 year old Sophie were registered for five days of Discovery Dynamos Camp. Six year-old Madeleine was signed up for four days of Adventure Camp and an additional half-day lesson.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Aside from lunch and bathroom breaks, the kids were all out in the snow from about 9 o'clock in the morning until 2:30 in the afternoon. The afternoon program involved cookies, hot chocolate or lemonade and entertainment from the likes of The Friendly Pirate, a Magician, or a Science Show.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We couldn't believe it, but Little Alice was on the chair lift at Sir Henry's Hill by the third morning! And Sophie and Madeleine were going past mid-station and skiing down from the top by their third day! The teachers were kind, fun, supportive and overall amazing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">At the Cookie Races on Thursday afternoon, it was absolutely amazing to watch them ski down their little race courses. And the pride on their faces when the reached the bottom to get their cookie and Snow Sport University diploma from Billy Bob Bear was priceless.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">True to their accolades, the children's programs and activities at Smugglers' Notch were incredible. And we didn't even get to take advantage of them all. We did spend some time in the pool, and we checked out the FunZone, but with all-day skiing, the kids were very </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">tuckered out by dinnertime. One night, they were all </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">asleep by just after 7 o'clock! So we never made it to the skating rink, or to go tubing, and we unfortunately missed the Showtime Characters Dance Party on Thursday night, where winners from the Cookie Race are announced and race videos are shown. Thursday nights also feature a Torchlight Parade and Fireworks. We didn't get out to see the torchlight parade down the mountain, but we were able to watch the fireworks from the bedroom window in our condo. It was a thrill for our little ones to watch fireworks for the first time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We grown-ups were pretty tired out too. Somehow I always forget how tiring a ski trip can be. Being with Grandma and Papa for the trip, we would have had free babysitting if we were feeling lively enough for an evening out, which we never did. But even for families who don't travel with their own babysitters, the Treasures daycare centre at the hill offers an "Kids Night Out Package": for $30 a child, you can leave your kids (ages 3-11) at the centre for dinner and entertainment. How cool is that!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Perhaps the biggest downside to our trip was the weather. (Thank you global warming.) Not enough snow at this time of the season meant that my husband wasn't able to try out some of the expert runs he would have liked to ski. And the +16oC weather on Wednesday, unfortunately made for some soggy skiing, and closed even more runs. We were glad to see it get cold again on Thursday, but the rapid thaw followed by freezing temperatures left the slopes like 'skiing on a washboard', according to my husband. I wouldn't know since I chose to stay inside that morning and nap. (Also important to any good holiday.) By Friday morning though, after some snowmaking and grooming, conditions were good again for our final morning of skiing on our trip.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We were also a little disappointed by the choice of restaurants and lack of shopping. We brought and food for breakfasts and lunches, as well as meals for two evenings. But part of the fun of a ski trip is heading out to check out some local restaurants at the resort or in the town nearby. We had a decent meal at<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Morse Mountain Grille & Pub</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span>in the resort village on the night of our arrival, and ordered some great pizza from <span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Riga-Bello's Pizzeria</span> </span>one night too. But a trip into Jeffersonville to scout out restaurants for another meal left us a little disappointed. We ended up at <a href="http://www.threemountainlodge.com/menu.html" target="_blank">Three Mountain Lodge</a> which had a charming ambience and fireside dining. And although the kids menu was enjoyed by our little ones, I think our adult meals were little more than satisfactory. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, all in all, it was a great trip: </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The girls can ski! Really ski! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The highlight of the trip for Daddy and Papa was skiing with Madeleine and Sophie after the Cookie Races. (Poor little Alice was exhausted and desparately needed a nap!) Sophie even asked to go for another run - It was like a dream come true!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">We're looking forward to returning again next year. And hoping for more snow!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-30843764064961669582013-01-31T11:51:00.000-05:002013-02-09T08:19:39.053-05:00Pet peeve - Articles on choosing a day care centre<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although I really like their magazine, I am always bothered by articles like this recent one from <a href="http://www.todaysparent.com/10-things-your-daycare-may-not-tell-you" target="_blank">Today's Parent: 10 Things Your Daycare May Not Tell You.</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well-intentioned, yes, and true, it provides valuable information. But I find it frustrating. And here's why:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">To begin, the idea of 'carefully selecting' the right child care is difficult to comprehend. For many families who are living in cities with very limited child care spaces, <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">who have spent months, even years, on <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.com/2012/05/waiting-games.html?m=1" target="_blank">wait lists</a> for a spot in regulated</span> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">child care centres, "choosing" the right day care centre for your child is not really an option. As your maternity leave nears its end, after months of desperately searching for any day care centre with an opening, most families excitedly accept and register their child at the child care centre which has granted them a spot. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please don't make me feel guilty about not having performed a whole research, audition and selection procedure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was also bothered by the concern for poor communication between the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">parents and the child care staff. I don't know about you, but the end-of-day-day-care-pick-up-rush-home-to-make-dinner time is my least favourite time of day. The child care centre is a flurry of activity as most parents arrive at about the same time, the children are crazy or clingy or excitedly telling me about their day, and I have three different rooms to visit to pick-up three different children. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I, for one, am certainly not in the right state of mind for a detailed delineation of</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> my child's day. Our centre has used daily or weekly logs at different times, particularly for the infants and toddlers. But let's be honest, the routine is fairly consistent day-to-day, and the paper logs are just another piece of paper junk I </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">need to bring home and recycle.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> I'm confident that any major issues will be brought to my attention. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please don't add to my guilt by making me feel as </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">though I must actively interrogate the staff each day.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm fortunate, I guess, but I truly believe that my kids are being cared for by qualified and caring staff in a high quality centre.</span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-37749535214499501402013-01-26T08:39:00.001-05:002013-01-26T08:45:24.725-05:00Crock-pot Challenge - Weeks 2 and 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This will be quick, since I want to start getting ready for our ski trip to Smuggler's Notch (we leave tomorrow :o) !!!), but I wanted to remain accountable to my challenge. So here's the update on my crock-pot activities for the past two weeks.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Pulled Pork</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'd never made it before, but it's the one thing that is consistently recommended to make whenever I ask for crock-pot recipe recommendations. I'm sure there are more complicated recipes, but I went for quick and simple: </span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">pork tenderloin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">can of root beer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">cook on low all day</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">shred the pork</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">drain the excess liquid</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">mix in some barbeque sauce</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">serve on toasted buns</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Couldn't be easier! And it tasted good too. We served it with some cut up vegetables for the kids, and coleslaw made from the cabbage I picked up at the local CSA winter market box.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I understand now why it is always recommended as a go-to crock-pot meal. Quick, easy and yummy. Sold.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sausages, Potatoes and Cabbage</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When looking for a crock-pot meal for this week, I found this one <a href="http://greenlitebites.com/2010/12/07/potatoes-sausage-cabbage-slow-cooker/" target="_blank">here</a>. It seemed perfect. I had everything on hand: yummy sweet Italian sausages from our favourite local butcher, the <a href="http://www.sausagepartners.com/" target="_blank">Sausage Partners</a> in the freezer, and of course, potatoes, onions and still more cabbage from our winter market box. All I needed to do was chop it up, add some water, and cook it on low all day. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Unfortunately, we were disappointed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our house smelled like cabbage. Which was overcooked. The potatoes were soggy, and the meal did nothing for the sausages.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I only had three sausages on hand. Not really enough for our family.
But I was actually quite glad that we had sacrificed more of the most
delicious sausages we've ever eaten to this disappointing meal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fortunately, I had also made applesauce. The applesauce saved the meal.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I think I agree with the recipe author, it might have been improved by adding some tomatoes and turning it more into a stew. But as it stands, we won't be making this one again. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">No crock-pot next week - HOLIDAY!!! </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-21335695356905397892013-01-23T13:48:00.002-05:002013-01-26T08:45:34.260-05:00Kale Challenge - weeks 2 and 3<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wasn't feeling very inspired in week 2, but I did make good on my challenge. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As suggested by many, we tried kale chips. I used this <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-kale-chips/" target="_blank">recipe</a> from allrecipes.com. However, based on a previous experience which resulted in burnt kale edges, I lowered the temperature to 250 degrees and increased the cooking time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They turned out perfectly!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, my oldest daughter refused to even try them. The 4 year-old ate them somewhat reluctantly, while my youngest munched away happily. I enjoyed them too. They have a very satisfying crunch that then kind of melts in your mouth. But I can't eat very much at once before I feel like I'm just noshing on overpoweringly green health. Perhaps it's the slight aftertaste. I'm not entirely sure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Another suggestion was to throw some kale into a smoothie. So I did. To our traditional smoothie of milk, yogourt, frozen banana and berries, I tossed in some chopped up kale. Maybe I tossed in a little too much. Again, my oldest daughter refused to even try it. But the other two didn't seem to mind the little green bits in their smoothie. I was a little put off by the chewy green blobs. I'll try less kale next time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I froze the leftovers into smoothie popsicles which all of the girls have enjoyed without any concern about the kale at all.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For week 3, I tried this recipe for</span><a href="http://nutrisue.ca/2013/01/03/eating-more-veggies-made-easy-kale-with-hazelnuts-and-dried-cranberries/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> kale with hazelnuts and cranberries</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. Except I used walnuts. And I served it, as suggested, with quinoa and dressing as a warm salad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It went mostly untouched by my children, but my husband and I thought it was delicious. And, it was even better the next day for lunch!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sadly, there was no kale in my winter market mix this week, so my stock has been depleted for now. Plus, I'll be away next week so kale probably won't make it into my meals. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But keep posted - I hope there's more kale to come!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-59621994564423223082013-01-21T15:19:00.001-05:002013-02-09T08:28:06.878-05:00Breaking the Rules<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My husband and I consider ourselves reasonably strict parents. After all, we need some order just to control the chaos. But sometimes, there seems to be an awful lot of rules. I know that the kids feel that way too: </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've seen how they love to play school so they can be in charge and make the rules up for themselves.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some of our house rules are etiquette rules. <span style="font-family: Verdana;">Some rules are in place to guide our children's behaviour so that they can develop into considerate, courteous adults. Others are about making sure we keep our kids healthy and safe. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Some, admittedly, are made up on the fly. Others are enforced inconsistently, </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">depending on my mood; how tired I feel; if other parents are around; how many kids are involved; and mostly, if I really feel like insisting the rule be followed and then following through with a consequence at that given time.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The ironic thing about all these rules is how good I am at monitoring and guiding my children's behaviour and how poor I am at doing it for myself. There are lots of rules that I try to enforce with my kids that I don’t follow myself. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At all. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />Some of the double standards in our house are:<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>1. The two cookie rule. </em>According to Bill, there was a strict 'two-cookie-rule' in his house when he was growing up. I'm sure we had something similar when I was a kid. In principle, I think it's a good rule for teaching and practicing moderation, and we use it with our kids too. But not me. I allow myself three cookies. And I've often been known to go beyond that limit too. I should probably start enforcing this rule for myself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>2. No snacks before dinner. </em>The 'no snacking' rule seemed so revolutionary to me when I read about it in <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-manger-comme-les-francais-to-eat-like.html" target="_blank">French Kids Eat Everything</a>. I was ready to whole-heartedly embrace it. I haven't. It's hard. I'm much better at managing my kids' snacks than my own. In addition to a glass of wine, I've ashamedly been known to nosh on some chips, crackers or cookies in the midst of making dinner. Usually while shooing the kids down to watch TV so I can get away with </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">it. I also confess to doling out a small, usually healthy, snack between getting home from the daycare pick-up and making dinner. It just makes things a little easier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>3. Unless you’re wearing sandals, you need to wear socks with your shoes. </em>As for me, except in really cold weather, when my toes can no longer stand it, I avoid socks. I can't stand wearing socks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>4. Keep your shoes on outside, even at the playground.</em> I mostly follow this one. Unless I'm in sandals and need to break into a run to save someone (usually my four-year-old) from some daring feat on the monkey bars. It's hard to run in sandals in the sand. However, my husband is a barefoot runner. While he doesn't technically run barefoot (he wears aqua socks to protect his feet), he often 'conditions' his feet in warmer weather by walking outside in bare feet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>5. If you get up from the table during dinner, it means you're finished - no dessert. </em>"Can I have some milk?" "I spilled my milk." "My fork fell on the floor." Enough said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>6. No chocolate for breakfast. </em>For me, this rule generally only applies if there is no chocolate available for breakfast.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>7. Sunscreen and hats. </em>I shouldn't admit this one. I usually do, but not always, wear a hat. And my face moisturiser has sunscreen in it. But sometimes, that's all I get. Especially as the summer wears on. By mid-August, I'm tired of slathering my kids in SPF60. I call it sunscreen fatigue. After getting them all sun-safe, the extra time it would take me to do the same just seems like too much. And I certainly don't reapply every 2-3 hours like I'm conscious of doing </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>8. Wearing coats or sweaters and hats outside when it’s chilly. </em> I don't like being cold. But I certainly worry more about my kids being warm than me. And there are many times when they're wearing winter hats, but not me. Why is hat head okay for them, but not me?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em>9. Put one activity away before starting a new one. </em>Yeah, right. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><em>10. No eating in the car. </em>I wish i didn't do this. It's right up there with the no snacking rule. But I do<em>. </em>Worse than that, it's usually chocolate. Sometimes more than two.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>What about you? What double standards are there in your house?</em></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-46492627821782395512013-01-16T23:01:00.000-05:002013-01-26T08:45:48.868-05:00Kale, a crock-pot and a ukulele<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Week one of my challenge and I’d say I faired pretty well. Three for three, actually.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The kale is the challenge to which I feel most accountable. We’ve been getting a bunch of kale each week from our <a href="http://leslievillemarket.com/winter-food-mix/" target="_blank">local winter farmer’s market</a>, and knowing that I’ll be getting another bunch each Sunday challenges me to use it up by the end of the week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span> <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Tuesday, I simply sautéed some kale with mushrooms. It was alright. But nothing special. I know, I know… it’s kale. How exciting can it get? We’re eating it for its nutritional benefits, not its taste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On the recommendation of another market volunteer, I used up the rest of this week’s ration but chopping it thinly and adding it to our chili con carne. I was also inspired to add some thinly sliced radishes which worked well, but next time I’ll skip the thinly sliced parsnip. As for the kale, it was picked out by the girls, but enjoyed by me. My husband was a little less convinced and suggested blanching it first. Maybe.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Using the slow cooker is an amazing dinnertime saviour during the work week. All day long, I pat myself on the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">back, knowing that dinner is preparing itself at home while I am at the office. I’ve received a few new slow cooker cook books lately, and since my husband professes that all crock-pot meals taste the same, I’ve been both limited to using the crock-pot more than once a week, and challenged to find some good recipes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This week I chose Chicken with Baby Portobello Stroganoff:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course, I adapted the recipe. I rarely follow a recipe exactly. I used normal mushrooms instead of portobellos. Chopped fresh onion instead of frozen pearl onions. And since I couldn’t find cream of onion soup, I used cream of mushroom. Plus, I only had half as many chicken thighs as the recipe required. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But it turned out fine. Tasted decent. Definitely acceptable for a weeknight crock-pot meal. Although, as far as crock-pot meals go, I prefer the ones that require little, if any, last minute preparations before eating. For this recipe, I had to cook the egg noodles, of course, but it also required about 20 minutes of thickening with the flour and butter mixture, and then with the sour cream. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, the girls mostly ate it. There was some mushroom- and onion-picking out, needless to say. I ate everything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Finally. I did it! I played and practised my ukulele at least twice this week. And it reminded me how much I enjoy it. Enough to make me want to do it more. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And maybe learn some new chords. I think I'm ready to graduate from "Skip to my Lou" and "You are my sunshine". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Suggestions for kale and crock pot recipes and ukulele songs welcome.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-89654367556390546712013-01-14T10:52:00.000-05:002013-01-15T10:13:09.349-05:00Maybe a career counsellor would help<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every year around this time, I seem to fall into a bit of a motivational slump at work. It may have to do with the reassessment of personal priorities at New Year's, thoughts of career objectives for the current year, or the flurry of activity in the office that doesn't seem to involve me. Whatever it is, I start to feel quite conflicted about what it is that I want to do with my life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Should I be striving for more, climbing for the next level, changing career directions? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Is that even possible for me? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After finishing my undergraduate degree, I couldn't decide on what further education I'd like to pursue, and I considered myself lucky to land a good job. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Then, before I could decide what I really wanted to do when I grew up, I kind of did. I got married, and later had our three kids. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now the idea of getting another degree or going back to school to pursue a different vocation is overwhelming. And although I don't discount it completely, it certainly would require a shift in mindset, a huge leap of faith, and lots of support. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Plus, I still don't really know what I'd study.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So for me, although part of me aspires to being more influential and important in my career, at this point of my family life, I just don't see how it's possible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But then I also worry that I use having a young family as an excuse: "maybe I'll go back to school, focus on career development when the kids are a little older." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or, maybe I'm just not driven and bright enough to move up the "ladder".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As you can see, I can get myself caught in a real spiral of self-doubt over my true potential and desire.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">However, whenever I worry that I'm not doing enough, I remind myself that </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">to my kids, at least for now, I am the most important thing in their world. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mostly, it helps.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-63746728911942568162013-01-07T15:43:00.001-05:002013-01-26T08:45:59.942-05:00Little Challenges<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm not really big on New Year's Resolutions. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After several years of resolving (and failing): to work out more, to take the stairs at work, to cut out sugar, to abstain from chocolate, to spend less money, to lose 5, 10, 15 pounds... I've decided to change my approach. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd rather feel proud of little incremental accomplishments throughout the year instead of suffering the defeat of a failing to achieve some larger goal. I'd prefer to set myself small goals and challenges to meet little-by-little, rather than trying to commit myself to some lofty ambition for the year. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I've also learned that I'm usually more successful at goals to do or add something to my life, than goals in which I try to give something up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So, I've given some thought to some small projects I might be able to work into my life this year:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">1. Eat more <a href="http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38" target="_blank">kale</a>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">2. Use my slow-cooker more often.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">3. Go to the hair-dresser more than once a year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And, oh yeah,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">4. Play <a href="http://justanaverageworkingmom.blogspot.ca/2012/12/one-lonely-ukulele.html?m=1" target="_blank">my ukulele</a> more often.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">And since all goals should be <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_criteria" target="_blank">SMART</a> goals, I'll aim to eat kale, use the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;">crock-pot and play my uke (not necessarily all together) once a week, and to keep me accountable, post my recipes and experiences here. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">As for the hairdresser, since I obviously need some help in this department: does every three months sound right?</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-37891315350371183022012-12-22T21:36:00.000-05:002012-12-22T21:45:08.608-05:00A letter to Mr. Claus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I haven't sent a letter to the North Pole on my own behalf for many years. I try not to ask for too many things for myself, and I don't really like having too much "stuff". Like most moms, I focus most often on the needs and wants of my family with minimal attention to myself. But for once, I'm going to be selfish, and prepare a list of some of the things that I really want for Christmas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd like to not look and feel so old, tired, dishevelled and frumpy. To accomplish this, I suppose I'd need some sort of makeover: hair cut and colour to do something about all those grey hairs that keep appearing on my head; a facial treatment of some kind to reduce the wrinkles that have found their way onto my face; and maybe a new wardrobe to make me look and feel like a 'celebrity mom'.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'd also like some willpower. Maybe with some of this magical strength, I'd be able to stop eating all the chocolate and junk which is cumulatively adding on pound after pound year after year. Oh, and some self-discipline so I could commit to an exercise program to make me fit and trim. This would also help with the frumpiness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I still can't really justify spending money on a cleaning service. It seems like a waste of money to pay someone else to do something that I'm perfectly capable of doing myself, if only I had the time. But since there are never enough hours in the day, it might be time to admit that I can't remember the last time I dusted, there are stains on our carpets that our older than our youngest child, and my oven has needed to be cleaned since Father's Day 2011. So, if I'm really well behaved between now and December 24th, could I please borrow some of your elves during the off season for a regular house cleaning routine?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">More hours in the day would also be a great Christmas gift. Or the ability to function, without being grumpy, irritable and too easily frustrated by young children, on much less sleep. You are magical, aren't you Santa?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">I know you're busy, Santa. But if you could help me out somehow, in some way, I'll promise not to break any more rules next year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Merry Christmas!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Average Working Mom</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2778078127508251353.post-39369189132058794202012-12-19T15:00:00.001-05:002012-12-19T21:56:03.257-05:00A Christmas Letter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wrote this spoof of an annual Christmas letter last year, after receiving one too many Christmas letters from distant relatives summarising the perfect events of their perfect lives with their perfect families.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I didn't send it. Obviously.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Dear Friends and Family,</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Well, another year has flown by, and it’s time to reconnect and share our news with you all. And since I’m really too busy to write personalised notes to those of you who I don’t contact regularly, everyone, even those really close friends and family who probably already know all my news, are going to receive this standard letter with my electronic signature on festive paper, that I hurriedly wrote at work while the boss was in a meeting.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>The year started off with a bang, literally, when our oldest, Rebecca, crashed into a tree while learning to ski on our family trip. Although she suffered a concussion, she had no broken bones and was a real trooper. So far, no long lasting effects of brain injury are evident.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>After Hannah’s first birthday in February, it was time for me to return to work. I was actually looking forward to escaping the chaos of a house full of 3 girls under the age of five with their daily whining and arguments over whose princess toy was whose. I figured that work would be somewhat of a vacation since it is easy to get away with looking busy at the office while not really doing anything productive at all. </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Being a working mom again is difficult, although I revel in the challenge of balancing my professional, intellectual self with being a caring mother, cook, house-cleaner and laundress. I deal with the stress mostly by eating a lot of sweets and baked goods, knocking back a couple of glasses of wine each night, and lazing away the evenings in front of the television. My face may be getting more wrinkly, my hair more grey and my figure more rotund, but Greg says he still loves me, as long as I’m happy.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>While we would have loved to have the girls return to the day care centre in the neighbourhood school, the spots were full. The cost would have been prohibitive anyway, so we ended up with the most reasonably-priced nanny we could find. The girls really like her, probably because she lets them get away with nearly anything, doesn’t make them tidy up (she doesn’t do it either), feeds them lots of McDonald’s and sweets, and lets them sit around and watch soap operas with her all afternoon.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Greg is as busy as ever at his job. He took on a new management role in May with a large team of mostly young women. While he often has to work late, and has even taken a couple of overnight business trips, he loves coming home to the family and tries not to be too grumpy with us. The women he works with are very nice, often staying late at the office with him to give him massages and help him relax. He is keeping in excellent shape; he frequently goes out running and plays in a football league every single weekend too. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Hannah has grown so much over the past year. Now 22 months old, she is just about ready to potty-train. She is also sleeping in her own toddler bed for at least a couple hours of the night. She also really loves waking us up several times a night, just to be tucked back in her blankets again. Hannah is saying many words, and even some partial sentences, such as “Hannah awake, back bed, please”.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Rebecca and Leah have both been enjoying lots of recreational activities: swimming, ballet, gymnastics, and trampoline. While Rebecca seems to excel in ballet, Leah loves gymnastics and trampoline. That she continues to fall off the balance beam and trampoline will not deter her. Hopefully by the time she is 4 next year, she will be better coordinated and less bruised. Unfortunately, her instructors have told us that it looks like she will be too chubby and uncoordinated to ever pursue gymnastics at more than a recreational level. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Rebecca started Senior Kindergarten in September. She really enjoys sitting alone at the craft table, and doesn’t seem to mind that the other kids laugh at her when she talks about the stars she sees in her head and the bumblebees humming in her ears. The teacher says that Rebecca is a pleasure to have in class and not to worry, eventually she’ll learn to focus her attention and figure out the sounds that the letters make.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>It seems that I’ll have more time on my hands come the New Year as I was just let go from my job. Apparently, using company resources and time for personal use is frowned upon, even if you don’t think anyone has noticed. </em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Well, that wraps up the highlights of 2011 for the Hargrove family. I wish everyone a joyous holiday season and all the best for the New Year. And while I hope that we might do a better job of keeping in touch in 2012, I know that the next time I will probably even think of most of you is when I print off your address labels for next year’s letter.</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /><em></em></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,</em></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>Average Working Mom</em></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13619563956023267410noreply@blogger.com0