And just like that...

Thirteen years ago I was just a few hours from having my 2nd baby.  My hunch the whole time I was pregnant was that I was having another boy.  I just always thought I would be the mother of boys.  Even though this pregnancy was so different from my first I felt in my bones this baby will be my son.  My husband and my oldest child (he was 2 at the time) both thought 'girl'.  In fact Roland would say "Mama it's a girl". I would say "It may be a boy too." "No. It's a girl!" Whose gonna argue with a 2 year old?  And around 3:50 am. May 8th 2005. Mothers Day that year my 9.9lbs baby was placed in my arms and was announced a 'girl'. . . for a little while . . .

As it happens I was right all along. (dust my shoulders off) It just took a few years to present. he he he.  I am the luckiest woman, that this beautiful soul of a child chose me to be his mother.  From the day he was born until this very minute he has brought so much joy, laughter and creativity into our lives. 

Edwin has the biggest heart, loves to make people laugh and smile, he is an artist, writer, animator, loves to make hilariously weird video clips, he loves music and researching the artists, he loves his friends and his cousins, and is a F*R*I*E*N*D*S #superfan spouting off random facts about the show, he loves to play hockey and basketball, skateboarding, biking and his newest endeavour is dirt biking (just like his Dad and Bro).  

Edwin has been such an adventure. Teaching us about ourselves ALL. THE. TIME....just by being himself.  His authentic, truth living, brave, strong, kind, friendly, wise self.  

So now on the eve of Edwin's 13th Birthday...I simply reflect.  I do this every year but tonight the lump in my throat is a little bigger...but so is my heart...because...so much has changed since that night... and...well....my chubby baby is now a TEENAGER. 

 The pure magic in the room when he made his way earth side, pushed out through my body, into the hands of his Dad, under the watchful eyes of my Mom and Sister.  It's a feeling i'll never forget. 

Love
Marcia xo

Welcome

After a few years off, I decided to resurrect my quiet little blog clever&lovely.  I really had no official idea of what I wanted it to be....actually scratch that...I had too many ideas of what I wanted it to be...became overwhelmed...so I did what any card carrying adult with ADHD would do and started a million other projects. Ha.

One thing I did these past few years is learn many, many lessons and gain a whole lotta wisdom.  Oh the lessons...oh the wisdom.  Some of those amazing, earth shattering, heartbreaking, hard, exciting lessons will be told and unfold...right here. 

This is my version of a lifestyle blog.  I have so many interests and I've always found it challenging to concentrate on just one or two. So I thought and envisioned my blog to 'look' and 'feel' a certain way...and it never did...and that bummed me out. So I did nothing... because...I got side tracked by life.  Which isn't actually a side track at all...simply life.

So I dug deep (meditated...often) and decided...I just want to write...just to write...and read it...and share...even if it's just me reading it. If you are not me and you're reading this....eeeeeeek...and thank you....you've made my day.   I also realized...it's my blog...and my life and I can write and share everything I love and want to.  

Clever&Lovely Living is my Lifestyle alchemy.  

Ideas, experiences, observations, research and opinions and love of Kundalini Yoga, Children's Yoga and Mindfulness and my biz Town Yoga. 

Heart project magiCALMess collective: Being the CALM in the middle of all the Magic and all the Mess of parenting Special and High Needs Children and Teens through my facebook page and once a month social.  

Sharing doTERRA Essential Oils and how they can elevate your life and are an amazing tool to add to your life, health and wellness for your whole family. woo hoo.

Happiest Outside - KTTPS Outdoor Learning. I LOVE LOVE LOVE being outside with children. I am a R.ECE in Full Day Kindergarten in the BWDSB. Together with my teaching partner and our class we started a provocation and made a presentation to our Principle to create an Outdoor Learning environment on our schools property.

PLUS all my favourite clever&lovely things. Like clever&lovely Home | Food | Health | Organizing | Parenting | Dating | Love | Yoga | Children.  

So Thank-You for being here. I'd love it if you subscribed or followed me. Please check out and click on the side bar for all the clever&lovely  communities.

Love Marcia xo

Kindergarten: The Rookie Years

So you're going to start Kindergarten.  

Good for you, it's time to move on from all your creature comforts of home and join the 'real' world kid.  Gone are your days of Childcare or hanging out at home with your sibs and parents or caregiver... with all the things you KNOW and LOVE...to be thrown into this unknown world of school. (They're not fully gone silly...I'm just being dramatic for the sake of an article *wink*) You'll be alright.  Everyone seems to go to Kindergarten. 

What could go wrong?

I know, I know you're probably thinking your a little nervous, anxious...scared even...but you're also feeling excited, happy, ready for this...oh oh, but then your feeling a little sad (okay maybe a lot sad) too, but really stoked...happy, sad, scared, stoked, excited, anxious, nervous...jeesh... this is a lot.  

Guess what, soon to be Kindergartner, it's ALL normal, you're a human being, with a wide range of emotions, about to embark on a brand new adventure and it's super cool to feel all those things...you may even feel all those things every 5 minutes.  Lean in kiddo...there is a good chance your parents are feeling all those things too about your rookie year.  Cut them some slack, they are human beings too with the same wide range of emotions as you...true story.

Lucking for you, I have had the privilege of working with kids your age for approx. 20 years AND I'm a Mom too, and my kids were your age once, they felt all those things about starting Kindergarten, so did I.  I've got your back.  Part of my job is to help you feel safe and secure so that you feel happy, healthy and ready to learn.  So if you are sad, that's okay, be sad...if you miss your Mom or Dad, that's okay too, miss them, if you're excited and feeling wild, that's okay too, be excited and wild...I'm here for you.  I want nothing but the best for you and to help you feel good about starting Kindergarten.  In fact the whole Kindergarten team wants that for you and your parents.

I've made a little list of things you might find helpful to do this summer to make your first month of Kindergarten a little smoother.

*  Practice using your lunch bag and containers for a few lunches.  Sometimes those zippers and locking containers are a challenge for little hands. Plus, it's really helpful for Mom to see how well you can open and shut and put away your lunch kit.  (not going to lie...it's major helpful for us too with so many little ones having lunch at the same time)

*  Buy your Mom a Sharpie Marker or order some Mabels Labels and get her to LABEL EVERYTHING.  I'm not even kidding on this one...LABEL, LABEL, LABEL...EVERYTHING.  So annoying (yet so true) please for love of labelling, LABEL.  We will have approx. 130 Kindergartners at our school...with roughly the same size clothing, styles of backpacks, lunch kits, containers, freezer packs, Minion toy,  etc...you get the picture.  Label.  Okay I'm done now.

*  Practice putting your new Indoor shoes and Outdoor shoes on...over and over again.  All by yourself.  Practice will help you feel confident that you know what shoes are yours and that you can try.  It's okay if they are still tough to get on when school starts...we'll help you.  Shoes that slip-on or Velcro or have easy curly laces work best for the beginning of the school year.  Oh, and I have to say it...please label both shoes.

*  Definitely pack a couple spare changes of clothes... including socks and underwear...accidents happen to the best of us AND learning can be messy sometimes...I personally find some of my best learning is when I get the messiest.  Just saying.

*  Lunches:  Litter less lunches are best, that means lunches with little to no garbage.  Choosing whole foods for your lunches will give you the energy and nutrition you need for a full day of learning.  Make a list of foods you love with your Mom and I bet she will pack them.  It's pretty normal for you to not feel too hungry the first month or so of school...I bet if you are one of those people you will chow it down as soon as you get home.  Just with everything in Kindergarten, eating your lunch is another adjustment period.  (snacks high in sugars, preservatives and dyes should be avoided to help your tummy and brain feel good).  

*  Backpacks are a huge right of passage for Kindergarteners.  First of all they make you look super cool.  Second they hold all your cool stuff....third...well I guess that it.  Just make sure they are big enough to hold your mailbag and lunchkit and easy enough for you to pack them in it.  If your bag is too small it gets pretty frustrating at the end of the day to fit it all in.  You can also carry your special stuffie or blanket in there to for a nice snuggle visit to get you through those first few weeks. 

Finally, here is a list of my personal favorite resources for exceptional products that I use for my family.

Mabels Labels
Planetbox
Easylunchbox
Laptop Lunches

Each of the Lunchkits websites have awesome lunch tips too. 

My personal favourite for lunch inspiration is Pinterest (and I don't mean the pins showing you how to make every lunch an Art masterpiece.) Just good wholesome food combos, packed and ready to eat.

Planetbox

**On a side note, I use the word 'Mom' throughout this post, but I also mean, Dad, Grandparents, Caregiver, friend...basically any awesome person that takes care of you.**

Hope you find this helpful and I can't wait for you to start Kindergarten,

Love,
Marcia (aka Mrs.Spencer)

Registered Early Childhood Educator 
Kundalini Yoga Teacher (200h Oct. 2015)
magiCALMess Parenting Writer