30 fun things to do this Holiday Season and the rest of the winter

I love the lists of important stuff to do with your kids during every season. I found many kinds online and decided it would be fun to make our own! So together with Connie we compiled a fun list of activities to do this winter. Technically, the winter just begun a few days ago, so here it comes!

1. Decorate for Christmas differently than last year.
2.  Light up the decorated tree every night. 
3. Build a snow castle (almost done! Not enough snow still...) 
4. Bake some cookies for gifts and eat them instead. 
5. Watch Christmas cartoons and movies all day. 
6. Make snow angels. 
7.  Light up the fire in the fire place and cuddle around it. 
8. Burn an aromatic cinnamon-scented candle. 
9. Have a slumber breakfast party with friends. 
10. Cook and eat a new dish.
11. Cut down a real Christmas tree at a farm 
12. Take a winter train ride 
13. Go for a winter hike in a forest 
14. Go crazy carpeting (mom and dad too!!!) 
15. Peak in your stocking  
16. Write a "special" Christmas coupon for your spouses stocking  
17. Go skating!! 
18. Jump in the snow and then into a hot tub.
19. Watch at least one foreign movie, something different about the Holidays Season
20. Catch some snowflakes, look at them closely 
21. Cut snowflakes out of paper 
22. Make a bird feeder. Here is a great idea!
23. Learn a new song 
24. Forgive somebody 
25. Check out a book from a library and read it 
26. Dance every morning... no time? How about while making breakfast! 
27. Visit an old friend.
28. Make a plan for the rest of the year and follow through.
29. Make a snowman out of something other than snow.
30. Have a late night up with kids. 

Please comment! Add your things-to-do and I will add them to this list.

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Is it OK for my boy to be a boy and for a little girl to be a girl?

Well, this is a long name for a short article, but I just really wanted to put my 2 cents.

This article here talks about fuss some moms created, signing petitions against pink and purple Lego game "Friends", which is clearly targeting little girls. And its not that I care about it or those moms, I just do have an opinion on this matter.

I think there is nothing wrong with a girl liking pink dolls and flowers, yellow butterflies and fluffy doggies and teddy bears. Mind you, I don't see anything wrong with the same girl enjoying a car toy, but it has to be by choice, not because other things are not available to her.

 Same goes for the boys. I noticed how my son, who is not even 2 years old yet, goes crazy about trucks, diggers, cars, buses, airplanes and power tools. I didn't teach him that, and he didn't learn to like it from TV or an in-store ad. That's just him. He likes these big machines and powerful tools, and doesn't really give a damn about fluffy toys and flowers.

What I'm trying to say, is the kids are born like this. Its a part of nature. Naturally, a little girl will like to take care of a doll, will feed it and pat its back, the same way her mom does it to her. Why would one want to take this girly girl and turn her into a tom boy? Who will she turn into, when she grows up, if we don't nurture her instincts of being a caring woman, and will put in her mind artificially, that girls and boys are the same, NO DIFFERENCE?

I'm expecting all of you hate me right now. Yes, I do think there is a difference between boys and girls, and men and women! Not the kind of difference, that allows some get paid more for the same work done, but the kind of difference, that sparks love and desires, the very emotions, that inspired generations of poets, composers, artists, builders to create beautiful things, works of art, worthy of keeping on Earth for hundreds of years. (Yes, some of them were gay, but that's besides the point).

Such aggressiveness in keeping boys and girls "the same" to my opinion, in the long run separates the society and promotes "aloneness" and isolation, because genders are complete by themselves, and are not looking for "the other half" any more. So the society will gradually just die out.

Mind you, I am not a sociologist, I don't have any research studies data handy, and to have scientific proof is not my point. All I'm trying to do here, is to express my feelings and thoughts about such trend among some moms and also media, that is trying to please everyone, and is so afraid now to come out and say "men and women are different".

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Guest blogger, Nellie Johnson: Stages of Childbirth

Since many of our Goober Gang moms are expecting now their second babies and with the due dates approaching fast, I think this article from our new guest blogger, Nellie Johnson of Laborade.com, would be an interesting read.

Nellie Johnson is a registered nurse and certified Lamaze educator. Her work is based in organic practices that help mothers and mothers-to-be gather the knowledge that they need to trust their own intuition and do what they believe is the best for the physical and emotional health of themselves and their families.

If you have questions for Nellie, just email her at: nellie [at] laborade [dot] com.


It looks complicated at first glance: 4 rows, 4 columns, ranges, pie charts, new terminology.  However, focus your eyes on the far right column with the pictures of the little pregnant lady faces.  Those four images sum up birth.

1st Face: “I’m having a baby!”  Contractions have begun but are not painful or frequent enough to get in the way of life.  You go for  a walk, bake a birthday cake and call your mom.



2nd Face: “Let’s do this.”  With contractions getting longer, stronger and closer together you get more serious and instinctually activate your plans for baby’s arrival.


3rd Face: “Oh sh*t, I forgot this was going to hurt.”  This brief phase is intense with lots of contractions and few breaks.  Feeling helpless is common and support people are key.


4th Face: “I need to push!”  You can’t deny this feeling and find a new sense of determination, strength and relief.


Ta-da!  Cute little baby on your chest.
If you find more comfort in knowing the numbers and terminology around , explore the rest of the picture.  You’ll discover that that 1st Face represents “Early Labor”, that Stage 2 starts when the cervix is 10cm, and every other detail about the phases and stages of labor.
(photo courtesy of Childbirth Graphics)

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For The Love Of Grandparents...

Yesterday, by our families Roman Catholic Faith, is "Grandparents Day" or the Feast of Sts. Anne & Joachim ~ parents of the virgin Mary and thus grandparents of Jesus.

Sts. Anne & Joachim ~ parents of the virgin Mary and thus grandparents of Jesus.

As I reflect on this day, I remember how ever grateful I am to have grandparents in my life and, even moreso, for my son to have his grandparents to grow up with. This became even more apparent to me only recently actually when a friend shared his sadness over the fact that they no longer have living parents and thus that their children will never know the love of a grandparent.  He shared the fact that he somewhat envy's the joy that he saw in my husband, Joe, and I's parents and my son when they see each other.  Something perhaps I took for granted in the past.

My mom continually tells me to "wait and see!".  She tells me that .... "you think you love your child?  ....Just wait until you have grandchildren!"    Sometimes a very little piece of me smuggs at the fact that the first thing my own mom does when we open the door to her is her screech and holler for my son, Jonathan.   Its kind of like... "ummm....Hello....!   Your daughter is here too you know!"....LOL    But I can honestly say that this selfish feeling is very short lived as I see the joy that Jonathan has and love for all his grandparents and the love that his grandparents have for him.  How blessed he is to have both grandparents, great grandparents and actually while he was in womb still; a great great grandparent...God Bless Ava Joanna who lived to 104 years old!

Avoa ("grandma" in Portuguese Joanna).  My husbands great grandmother. Lived to 104.  I was still pregnant with Jonathan so she didn't get to meet him.  Although she did experience the love for great, great grandchild.

Let alone all the love they display for our children; grandparents are wonderful assets to new parents for many other reasons as we all know.  I would say "babysitters" but my husband continually reminds me that its not babysitting when its your own flesh and blood :)    From my mom staying with me for 2 weeks after I had Jonathan, to my in-laws who are constantly on call if I need them, to surprise visits, camping trips together, vacationing, family dinner.. etc. etc. ....the list goes on of great memories we share.

So how have I / We thanked our parents and grandparents today?  This week? In the last few months even?    Have we shown them how much we appreciate them?  Have we taught our children to love and respect our parents and grandparents through our own actions?  This is something that I, myself, need to work on; however I trust that its also a common theme in many homes.  Whereas in the "good old days" it was common to have 3 or even 4 generations living under 1 roof; today this is very rare.   Joe, my husband and I, always joke about how nice it was to live with his parents for 2.5 years after we were married and how we always beg them to let us move back in...ha!  How awesome would that be?   But I know that this isn't the typical relationship that people have with their parents and grandparents, thus once again I reflect on behalf of all new parents out there.  THANK YOU GRANDPARENTS.  WE LOVE YOU ~ even if we forget to show & tell you sometimes :)

Happy "Grandparents Day" or the Feast of Sts. Anne & Joachim

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Camping With Little Ones

My husband and i have been camping for year now.  I camped right up until the week before Jonathan was born and we have been determined to keep at it every year since.

Camping is still a lot of fun in our house.  Granted that things are different now that we have a little one (and arguably a little more challenging); however its a family tradition that we feel is an important one that we'd like to keep up in our house.  So here is some information on how we do it!

Tip #1 -- Plan in advance!

We camp on long weekend in order to maximize the vacation time my husband gets off of work.  Long weekends tend to be very busy but also a lot of fun!   So for this reason you will find me booking for July long weekend camping in January and for August long weekend in February.   Its hard in the depths of winter to be thinking about your summer plans; but its a must if you want to make your life easy and your site!  Mark the date in your calendars and set it up to recur each year to remind you!  You won't be disappointed.

Note that we only camp at Ontario Parks and that their policy is to release camp sites 6 months prior to your check in date for reservations; thus the reason for us booking as early as January :)

Tip #2 -- Be Smart about where you camp!


Long car trips + tired mommy and daddy needing a holiday + cranky toddler DOES NOT equal a good start to a camping trip :)  For this reason; we try and stick really close for our camping trips.  Our favourite while I was pregnant and even now that we have little ones is Sibbalds Point.   For us who live in Newmarket, its only a 40 minute drive away; however its on beautiful lake Simcoe and we feel like we are in the Muskoka's (without having to drive 3+ hours!). 

Ontario Parks I prefer as they are equipped with flushing toilets, running water stations and showers which are a must for us!   We like to rough it up but not that rough :)

Tip #3 -- Make a List... and check it TWICE (or three or four times)  ;)


A lot of stuff is required to camp.  Especially with little ones.  Each year my husband and I squabble over how we manage to fill our full size truck for a 4 day camping trip!  But we do!  What are we going to do when we have 2 kids we always wonder?

To make it easier on us over the years; I slowly created "camping bins".  These are 2-3 CLEAR Rubbermaid-type large bins that have dedicated camping things in them. i.e. misc. kitchen utensils, gadgets, sunblock, beach items, etc.    I slowly created these bins with old items from my kitchen and home that I replaced with new items so that I don't have to raid my homes "good stuff" each time we go away. This has been our saving grace!   Highly suggest that if you plan to camp regularly (yearly) with your family that you create such bins.

I also have devised what I like to call "the best ever camping list!".   You can get a copy of it here.   Follow this list and you won't forget anything you need to camp!   **you may wish; however; to customize it for your family**   Save it on your computer, update it each year you go with things you'd like to add / change and check off each and every items before you leave the house.

Jonathan Playing In The Sand @ The Beach

 

*SPF bathing Suites come in really hand!!  Also sand toys!

Daddy providing for his family by cooking up a campfire meal :)

Mommy Sporting his nursing canopy while camping!  How easy it was when everything I needed to care for my child was attached right to me :)  lol

Family Camping Trip

More Fun At the Beach.   This is one way to keep the kids still :)

Family camping Trip Hike.  Jonathan chooses to take a nap instead :)

Camping Bellies :)   *left* --> Daddy's belly contains beer.   *right* Mommy's belly contains a baby who was delivered 1 week after this camping trip!  YES YOU CAN CAMP WHILE VERY VERY PREGNANT.  I did :)

Best thing about camping while pregnant --> all the FOOD!  And I got to go first!

There is lots more to consider when camping. This is just to get you started!  Share your ideas and tips too!

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