Recess: By a Boy for Boys

Long Live Recess

by Roland Spencer

  Basically everything at recess started getting banned around the end of September.  And by everything I mean…

Soccer:  I personally don’t play soccer but I see the soccer boys get frustrated every time the game gets banned.  Soccer is their life at school and the second thing to hockey for most of them.  When it is taken away they feel mad and sad.  They need to be given chances to cooperate, and practice team work without adults.  Getting put ‘on the wall’ every time they touch each other in the game, feels abusive (offensive and insulting) to them.  If someone is being ridiculous, pull them off, to cool down, talk, BUT let them get back to the game to play and have fun.

Manhunt (hide and seek, tag):  Manhunt is one of the only games that we like to play.
The teachers are always mad at us for getting muddy and bringing it in the school, but you don’t get it cause most of you have kids that are younger (or don’t have kids) and aren’t into this stuff yet, and boys are supposed to get a little muddy, what do you expect from an 11 year old kid? For me I feel TRUE, I feel how I should, getting a little muddy is as close to how freedom feels in the summer as we can get.  When you take Manhunt away we feel like bags of potatoes because we can’t do anything.  We feel restless and stir crazy when awesome games are taken away.

Just imagine if we kids banned coffee because you spilt it and were getting too talkative because you have too much of it.

Being boys (fighting, running and body slamming,hands on): Being a boy means that you are a daredevil, sometimes you just “do” before you think.  Most boys Do first then think.  e.g.. riding a toy dump truck off the pier.  It’s hard for boys to sit still, and not touch each other, it looks like we are being rough and sometimes aggressive but that is how boys are with each other, that hows we get along, thats how we understand each other.  Being boys is hard at school because most of you are female teacher and you can never know what it is like to be a boy, but we need you to understand that we need you to stop (what feels like) picking on us, bully us, and you are getting mad at us for bullying when we aren’t.


Bringing scooters inside:  Most scooters that we have, have nothing to lock them too.  Most scooters that are good are well over $100 and a lot of us have saved up our own money for them, so if we can’t bring them inside it feels stressful to us.  Maybe we could have a scooter corner in our class, or keep neatly tucked in at the coat room by our hook, if its not put away it goes in the office for the rest of the day, and get it at the end of the day to bring home, but you get the chance to do the right thing the next day.

Lets Make Recess Fun Again

 Let Boys be Boys - Means let them work things out for themselves sometimes.  Give them time and space to do the right thing.

Add scooter, skateboard and bike at recess.  It would really make me and a lot of kids happy and we are more likely going to pay better attention for our classes after.  My Dad and I and my buddy will volunteer and make a mini half-pipe for the yard.  And obviously we will wear helmets, if kids don’t wear helmets they don’t get to ride.  We could even teach other kids how to scooter at recess, maybe the Home and School would donate to get a few extra Razor Ultra Pros from Walmart ($400 for 4, plus helmets) to keep at school as good learner scooters.

What if we could get some Volunteer High Schooler Boys for the 2 recess times to hang with us for free play and ‘organized’ games.  Energetic, fun, cool, teenagers to look up too.

What if the recess Teachers and Monitors learnt to trust us more?  Cut us some slack?  Give us the chance to work things out in our own way?



Sometimes us kids feel so overwhelmed at school because of all the rules and every teacher has different rules on top of the school rules, we have rules at home, we have rules with all different family members and we have our own personal rules.  Wouldn’t it be nice to at least take some of the rules away.  We all know we need to play fare, we all know to be nice and we all know to not hurt each other too bad.  We also know sometimes we will get hurt and thats okay, and most parents are okay with that to…isn’t that what life is about sometimes….learning from experiences and from our mistakes.


When you see two boys bump shoulders in passing, we are just saying “hey” with our bodies.  It’s just in fun.  Your office would not be as busy if you let stuff like that go.

Boys like stupid jokes and acting goofy and being rowdy.  We can’t help it.  My mom says “its obnoxious to people but we all need to be understanding.”


I would love to talk more about this with you.  I would like to thank-you for (reading) or listening and I hope you will take some time and think about my ideas.  It would mean a lot to me.  I have copied some links to a great video, a must watch and an article my mom and I found.

Hi.  Just a quick note.  For months (and part of last school year) my son has come home sad or frustrated about recess. Recess for him is one of his only reprieve from classes that are a struggle for him.  And now recess is a struggle too.  We have talked off and on about this topic for a while now and the other week I said “Well do something about it.  Make a change.  Start a conversation about it.”  Our kids are full of insight and ideas, (even (especially) the ones that are struggling with the teaching style.)  They are (as all kids are) so worth listening too, they are begging to be heard and trusted and matter in the school that just doesn't fit them.

We brainstormed his ideas first on paper.  Broke it down into his top issues. Then went from there.  I sat at the computer and typed while he talked.  These are his words, his ideas and his frustrations  and his solutions.  We talked about who he'd like to read this essay, and what he would like to see come of it.  He mentioned sharing it on my blog.  I reminded him some or many people may read this...to which he replied "Good". 

I also want to point out I have the utmost respect, admiration, and love for anyone that choices teaching as a profession, just like parenting it is not for the faint of heart, and just like parenting, we do or should always strive to be better at it than the day before. 

This Minecraft Moment Brought to You By...

Mom and the Number 8.

My Daughter LOVES Minecraft.  She is so happy when she gets her time on her mini iPad to play Minecraft Pocket addition.  She's almost as obsessed with it as my Mom and Sister are with CandyCrush. (Sorry for "outting" you gals) The one big difference though with this obsession is my Daughter doesn't feel bad or guilty using up her time playing one game, and she's never mad at herself for even getting started on it. ha!

Even after she has played it, she is drawing pictures, creating 3D homes out of paper, crafting diamond swords and fashioning Minecraft outfits for her smaller stuffies.  And she LOVES to talk about it, she will tell me anything and everything that is going on in her Minecraft worlds...and at risk of sounding like I'm really, really, old...I have no idea what she is talking about.  When I ask her questions she looks at me like "oh you poor dear, how do you not understand what I'm talking about? I feel sorry for you."  So I just kind of play along and mirror her excitement, and I can't help but get caught up in her happy energy over this game.

She asked me last week if she could teach me how to play it.  Of coarse I said "yes".  So we sat down and she showed me.  I'm just not a gamer. at. all.  I could tell she was disappointed in my lack of Minecraft Awesomeness.  So I suggested every week, her and I snuggle for half and hour while I watch her play Minecraft and she can show and explain everything to me, hence our Minecraft Moment.  (Disclaimer: We do snuggle all the time, not just for this one half hour a week)

It's such a small amount of time, but reaps big rewards on the connection front.  Minecraft is something that is really important to her at this time in her life and she wants to share it with me.  (Can you see where this is going?)  I feel this is one of those times that I needed to wake up and hear whats really happening.  She wants to share this important thing in her life with me.  I'm hoping this mindfulness transfer over for when she is older and still wants (needs) to share her important stuff with me.  I want her to always feel validated and be confident in knowing that I make the time for all her important things. 

What's your kids Minecraft Moment? 

Love
Marcia
XO

Update from "Anniversary of Motherhood"

Update from my previous post: “Anniversary of Motherhood”

After I posted and put ‘it’ out there, I was feeling a little raw and exposed, but relief as well.  I was overwhelmed with the comments I received on Facebook, on the blog itself and many through private message.  It just solidified what I thought might be true…we are not alone, we are all in this together. I am happy to have started a little dialogue about some the struggles and the magnificent triumphs parenting our school age children have, this is something we can do with tact, honesty and integrity.  I just want to say a heart felt thank you to those that read my post and to the people that wrote me and exposed a little bit of themselves.  I feel blessed.

I had a long conversation with my son about my blog and the contents of my Anniversary of Motherhood post. He was so sweet and brave and said he thought it was cool.  He knows I like to help people and he felt good knowing he could help too.  I asked him repeatedly if he felt comfortable with me writing about him (and sometimes his challenges) and assured him if he ever didn’t I would take it down.  I also told him, I had received so many emails from people, some we don’t even know, thanking us for being so honest and that they feel the same or are going through something similar, he smiled and said “really, I did feel alone, that's awesome Mom.” 

I am so much more than a Great Mom (winkie face), and my blog will be a vehicle to my many clever&lovely interests, hobbies and loves.  As much as my kids would like my whole blog to be about them thats just not going to happen.  And, I made a promise to my kids that I would run by any post or picture that involves them to be personally hand stamped by them.  Such stellar kids.  

On a sidenote: The kids think I look old and mean and my neck looks creepy in my blog pic.  I told them I thought I looked artsy, brooding and thoughtful.  They stared at me and said, “uhhh No.” I guess that means I need a new head shot.

Love 
Marcia
XO

Anniversary of Motherhood

Yesterday I celebrated my eleven year Momiversary.  In more recent years I have thought why do the kids get all the celebration on the day of their birth, after all it is the same day a Woman is born into Motherhood.  And what a feat that is. The Queen of the family takes her throne and throughout her rein gets the heavy jewelled crown donkey kicked off her head many times.  Sometimes she is defeated, but always gets up, holds her head high and her family close. 

           

Mothering, for me, has a whole different meaning and perspective before having children and after having children. 

I worked as an Early Childhood Educator for about 11 years before I had children. I was given the beautiful, trusting privilege  to learn, inspire, help, facilitate learning, and play with so many 3-6 year olds, as well as support and advise parents on occasion, with parenting issues, children's behaviour issues, toilet learning, etc. And I gave it with confidence, I gave it freely, I felt great that in some small way I was helping families navigate through their journey.  After all I had studied it in school, attended yearly workshops, read every early years book I could get my hands on.  I was the perfect parent, before I had children, it was so easy to say what I would and wouldn't do when I had children of my own, or even better, what my children would and wouldn't be and behave like. Talk about a huge wake up call.  My goodness my socks could not have been knocked off farther.

The first time I realized this was shortly after my son was born.  We were in the second month of his life, he was a nursing machine, and I was in the throws of major exhaustion, yet completely overwhelmed with LOVE.  I remember a late night feeding, leaning back into the nursing chair, half asleep myself, and tears coming down my cheeks, and thinking who the heck did I think I was to even work as an ECE and claim all this expertise on Early Years and Parenting when clearly I know NOTHING….cry, cry, cry.  I remember silently apologizing to certain parents I may have judged (in my head), especially to one particular single mother, with 2 very spirited little boys, that I would wonder sometimes why she never could get her boys ears cleaned…years later realization…because she was TIRED, because she had to do EVERYTHING at her house, because some children are EARWAX MAKING MACHINES!  Actually all the single parents I worked with over those years popped into my head with more frequency when I was a 5-6 day a week single parent for the first 2 years of my daughters life and for my sons toddler/preschool years, my husband worked and lived out of town for those 2 years, I was alone.  I remember always having empathy, for those families and would never want that for myself, but, sometimes its just not a planned thing and everyone is doing the best they can with what they've got.  Even if you think they should do better or at least want to do better, know this, they are simply doing their best.  

“ One of the best thing for anyone to do for another parent is to feel empathy, send love and support, and wish them well.  A simple, effective, silent wish skyrocketed to the Universe.”

I felt like I was living part of my dream when the kids were babies, toddlers and even preschoolers years. I rocked the early years (for the most part) The baby years were my years, I loved labour and delivery, Loved nursing (once I got the hang of it), loved the slower pace of the day, loved the milestones, loved the cute cuddles and smelling the tops of there heads and kissing their chubby feet.  I was constantly amazed that I got to be a mom and these two are mine…just like that mine, I made them…I feed them from…my body….mind was blown daily because of these facts.

Once my children got older, things changed a little for me.  

For one thing I realized they are not mine, as in mine to own.  We are all our own person, free to be, free to think our thoughts.  These beautiful children that are brought into out lives are here for us to guide, support, love and learn from and visversa. We are each others soul keepers, life encouragers and lesson learners.  Not possessions. 

The affects of two years as a single parent (not saying this was the cause, more like it was the magnifying glass) wore thin, separation anxiety from their dad being away, reared its ugly head.  My sons, behaviours were getting harder to handle, and since he’s been 4ish…my parenting spirit has slowly broken down. 

Parenting for me teeters on pure enjoyment and wonderment and overwhelming love to utter devastation, feeling like a parenting failure and desire to live on a private island by myself with conjugal visits from my husband, oh, and a personal assistant to make me food, clean up after me and give me pedicures.

As a little guy some behaviours were in public, but most were in the privacy and safety of our home.  He has very high expectations, for events, for himself, for us, for friends, but generally doesn’t voice them until after a complete melt down. He is extremely sensitive to how other people are feeling, he can read a person or the people in a room, in a heartbeat…and his mood will reflect it.  At school he appears, calm, cool, collected, never showing how he is feeling, keeps it together the whole day…plays the role of a student, of a friend.  But one little thing someone said or did, or didn't do at school can easily snowball into an evening of hell for us, and him.

It has been a good six years (he’s now 11) of learning how to parent this sensitive, beautiful, funny, active, intuitive, moody, creative, smart child, and I suspect this learning will constantly evolve.  My son has recently been diagnosed as ADHD with Inattention, Learning Disability and Anxiety.  So yeah…this makes sense.  A big discovery for me…choke…is that I am very similar to my son, but I developed some coping strategies at a young age (because no one talked about it and/or recognized anything was wrong) and am still learning about myself, ALL. THE. TIME. I am tired.  I am excited.  I am happy.  I am truly blessed. I am thankful.  Thankful that my son has someone like me (and my husband) to accept and love him no matter what, learn with him and guide him, relish in his strengths and hold him up through his weaknesses.  Thankful he has my heart and I have his.

I know its getting more socially acceptable to talk about Mental Health but it is very hard to do.  There are so many initiatives out there to get rid of the stigma of mental health…yet,still very hard to write about, talk about when you are the one dealing with it so personally, its a window into your cracked life.  When you don’t want to single out your child who is learning to live and thrive with it. When it is yourself, some days, just barely squeaking by.  But it has to be talked about.  If you and your family are dealing with this in silence I want you to know you are not alone.  I slick on the lipstick, do my hair, dress for the day, look like I’m put together and most days this is the case but sometimes, I am undone, and completely broken on the inside and you would never know.  And that is how I deal.  

Parenting is not for the faint of heart and most likely nothing like how you expected it to be. It is so many things.  Some days are sooooo long, tedious, heartbreaking, exhausting, frustrating, boring, not boring enough…to absolute and utterly joyous, heart-warming, heart- melting, heart-stopping happiness and Love, those days go by too fast.  And for it not the two extremes (in my case) , a divine paradox to blatantly  appreciate every, darn thing.

So yes, on this Eleventh Momiversay of mine, I am going to celebrate with a Pint down at our local Pub, with my King and a couple of friends. Perch myself upon the throne (bar stool), affix my crooked, tarnished crown, and toast to my rein as completely flawed Mom to my kids.

Love
Marcia

Updated "Anniversary of Motherhood"

It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's...Super Sassy!

What a fun summertime picture to do.  Draw a city scape on the road have child lay sideways a la super hero flying and voila really sweet picture.  I found this fun idea on Pinterest.  When I started on Pinterest a few weeks ago I vowed to myself I wasn't just going to "PIN" ideas and never do them.  So...so far I've done this art with Sass, my niece and a couple of neighbourhood girlies and it was a lot of fun,  I've done 4 recipes that I "Pinned"  and I ordered 2 really great lunchboxes for the kids that I "Pinned".  Safe to say I am a "Pinspert" (Pinning expert) now.  If you have trouble with any type of addiction I strongly suggest you stay away.  It is that good.  Every "hit" of Pintesest is just as potent as the first.  You know what?  It is just good clean fun.  When my hubby is on Night shift it is a nice way to spend a couple of hours. It has everything from Homeschooling ideas, to travel, to tattoos, wardrobe...it has EVERYTHING all rolled up into one great site. I love it.  So check it woulda already.  Follow me and I will follow you.

Have a Pinteresting Weekend,

Love

Marcia

The Lone Ranger Rides Again

Our lovable American Bulldog Trixie thinks she is super stealth, as soon as someone leaves the livingroomshe slithers up on the sofa and curls up in a ball.  Well the other day she did it again.  I was in the kitchen baking and Sasha wandered into the livingroom and exclaimed "Moooooom Trixies on the sofa again", Me "Can you get her off please?"

S - "Trixie get off the sofa"
No movement
S - Hands on hips, louder voice, very firm. "Trixie...GET of the sofa."
Nothing
S - She looks over at me "I know what will get her off the sofa"
Sasha leaves the room.  Saunters back to the livingroom.  Positions herself firmly, shoulders back and lifts her right arm slowly and points a Lone Ranger Gun at Trixie and very calmly says "Trixie get off the sofa", as she starts pulling the trigger in a flurry of shots. Whaaaaat!!!!  Now that is clever and funny as hell.
Trixie was unharmed but I killed myself laughing.  Sasha looks over at me wondering what is so funny.  I cleaned my hands off from my baking and got Trixie off the sofa.  Seriously one of the funniest kid moments ever.
Don't you wish you had a video camera going at all times just to capture the hilarity that kids and parents experience on a daily basis'.  It is impossible to remember all the funny, smart, dramatic, shit that goes on.  I would give anything to capture my kids spontaneous characters and songs that are sung and the lyrics are so good but there is no documentation.  I try to jot down moments when I can.  (Notice I left out the tantrums, yelling and crying.  Those things are just fine to forget and do not need to be filmed.  Those are the character building moments for kids and parents that are done in private.)
I hope you are having as good as summer as us.  We are so gifted as to where we live (seconds from a sandy beach), We have good health, Are spirits are in check, Creativity is flowing, Grandparents down the street, visits from friends and family, Auntie has a new pool, the weather has been stellar, a damn good husband/father that makes our life triumphant.  Life is freakin' good.

Trixie

One funny little girl

The Lone Ranger Gun


Have a lovely hot day
Marcia

I am not a handy person...and that's okay.

Our main bathroom...is ugly. We have done a couple of things to make her feel pretty but when I go in there is just no covering up the ugly. One of her biggest flaws is the bath tiles. No matter how much I clean them the grout is still nasty looking and really warn down. So me being the brainiack I am thought I would re grout the "mutha ucker". Well holy hell I did a terrible job. Luckily I only did one wall before my hubby got home and the look of pity said it all. He felt so bad for me, wasting 2 hours on it when now I have to spend even more time scraping the grout off. He then shows me and "voila" easy, neat, tidy, no mess. This is one of those moments when you learn from your mistakes...I guess. But now I totally don't feel like doing the rest. ugh. These delicate hands were not made for grouting.

******************************************************************************

On a completely off topic note. The board is talking about CLOSING our over populated Elgin Market Public School and busing ALL our Children to KTTPS. There will be a meeting of concerned parents/guardians January 26th at 7pm, in the multi media room at Huron Heights, in collaboration with the Home & School.

We will be working together to make a proposal to present to ARC on March 3rd (it needs to be well researched and will not be ready by the 7th, March 3rd is the ONLY other date they are taking ideas).

We need everyone's input!!
See you then, bring a friend.


Bye for now
Marcia

Happy New Year...First Day of The Rest of Your Life. Rejoice!

My first entry into the new year. Why the wait? Well the end of 2010 was a bit glum and I really wanted to start out this fresh new year on a bright, cheery and healthy note and while I feel like I am moving forward and on the mend, today seemed a good day to write...I'M Still Here! woopie! yahoo! Life is GOOD.

I will ever so quickly touch on the subject of the glum. I got really ill with menegitis and was hospitalized for a week before Christmas. A few of those days I was in hospital I thought they may have been my last on earth. (hence the glum part) But through the power of love, family, friends, prayers, meditations, nurses and Doctors. I have pulled through. And let me tell you this "Reset button" in my life has not been lost on me. I am grateful for the many 'gifts' I recieved through this time. So much love to the people around me.

I have had a lot of time to sit with my thoughts and my dreams these past few weeks and I have some fun plans for my blog and my life in the next few weeks so please check back at your leisure or even a little sooner than that. One thing that came up is my son has asked that I not share anymore stories to do with him, especially when they are about behaviour stuff. I must respect his wishes and have decided to switch up the content a little. Both of my kids are a bit older now and I do not want there privacy disturbed so if anything is posted about them I will ask there permission.

My true passion is anything to do with home design, home decorating, home staging, furniture, wallpaper, colours, repurposing. Walking through the doors of Homesense and likes of gives me such a sense of peace it can only be discribed as home to me. I can stay up until the wee hours going through my design magazines, tearing and making notes and drawing. I lay awake in bed coming up with house plans big and small...mostly small to medium homes. I drive by homes and think up curb appeal changes for the homes I drive by, I love going on mls.ca and dream about going into the homes for sale and staging and rephotographing them for the agents. (come on people take the knicknacks down off the shelves, and would it kill you to strip the 1980's boarders off your walls or have someone do it for you. Many buyers cannot see past the decor)

Don't worry i'll still be writing about a bunch of other stuff I love and purhaps you do too, like food, health, kids, family etc.

I'm just so happy my heart was ready to start writing again and my fingers were thrilled too.

See you soon,
Marcia
xoxoxo

Tuesday.

A few things I am grateful for today.
* "Ladies Who Lunch" only we eat breakfast.
* Popping over to my neighbours for a sec. and having a giggle over our matching uniforms: Messy hair, sweat pants and cozy top (ie track suits)
* Finding all my ECE documents, workshop, project stuff all within five minutes of looking.
* Finding my "Sweet 16" ring I lost about 10 years ago.
* Rolands version of the Russian YouTube singer. Totally made my morning. Still laughing about it.
* Sasha wanting to play Mama and Baby Pig. "Your the Big Mama Pig and I am the baby pig and I'm going to drink milk from you, but not really mom, I'll just pretend over your cloths".
* Dalton's curly hair looked awesome tonight. Super handsome. Not so 'Vinnie Bobarino'.
* Sally our pet chipmunk, sitting on the chair looking at me inside. I almost let her in.
* My yummy dinner of Scrambled Eggs&Sliced Avocado (seriously yummy combo, sounds gross but for some reason it works) tomatoes, Sesame seed cookies, lemonade.
* Tea with my Dear Friend K. Always a pleasure.
* The lake looked breathtaking today, bright blue towards shore, almost purple blue in the horizon, SUNSET spectacular.


A couple of things I'm a little bummed about tonight:
* Really felt like watching T.V. tonight...we cut our cable.
* My new glasses still are not ready.
* The laundry is never done.

Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow,
Marcia

My New M.A.C. Spring/Summer Lipstick

Me and my girl wearing "See Sheer" Lustre M.A.C. lipstick.

I love M.A.C. make-up. I love the smell of it, the application, the packaging, the quality, it's Canadian and I love the creative spirit it was created from and still is. I was first introduced to this line in 1989, during my "trying to make it as a model days". I wore "Pecan" lipstick in matte finish for the rest of high school. (side note: holy crap that was 20 years ago!!!) We were in London this past weekend and I picked out new Spectacles and thought I should get a new lipstick to go with. What a nice treat. Fresh, smelling good, sheer lipstick. The simple things make me so happy.

Next time you are in the city, go to the mall, seek out the M.A.C. counter and treat yourself to a new lipstick. It really does brighten your day.

Smmmmmmooooch,
Marcia



New Subject: "ManPacking". So recently (pretty much throughout the winter) there has been some pretty funny banter back and forth between friends about the dreaded "ManCold". Well, for all you ladies out there that know what I am talking about I have a new "Man Peeve". It's called "ManPacking". So, Dalton signed up about 2 months ago to go away for a 4 day ATV trip. Lovely, have fun Dalton. Two months he has know about this trip. Night before he leaves, "Mar, have you seen my rain boots?" "Mar, do you know where my back pack is?" "Mar, what tooth paste should I bring". He searched for rain boots for about 2 hours. Backpack, lifted a shirt, there it was. Toothpaste, decide to take the one that is almost finished, about enough to last 4 days. He took hardly any cloths with him. Not sure if P.J.s even made it in. I hope he is having fun. And can't wait to see him on Saturday.

Pink Shoes...Nuff Said!

It's no secret I love Pink!

And apparently I love Pink Shoes too. Mental note, stop buying Pink Shoes. (fully aware I need to toss the pink flip flops in the bottom. Um Nasty) Days just seem brighter when my tootsies are covered in pink.

Tuesdays Munchable

Love my Laptop Lunch Boxes, a must have for a litterless lunch.
Rolands Lunch: Dried Fruit Bits, Organic Skim Mozzarella, an Apple slice (which Roland said he had a teeny tiny nibble of to try)Chirizo,Flax Crackers (Bulkbarn), Half a bagel with non-dairy cream cheese, Roasted Garlic Hummus.
Sashas Lunch: Yogurt covered raisins&dried fruit bits,Apples, Celery, Cucumber, Blackberries, Flax Chips, Chirizo, Hummus and Organic Skim Mozzarella

Wildly successful lunch with Sassy, Roland not so thrilled about the piece of apple but all and all an enjoyable lunch.

I had a munchie kinda day today. Feed 1: Breakie at Sutton Park, 2 cups of coffee, 2 poached Eggs, 2 pieces of dry Rye and 4 slices of tomatoes.
Feed 2: Banana, 2 Brazil nuts, 6 walnuts and 6 cashews, green tea Feed 3: Homemade Gluten and Dairy Free Energy Bars (Nut free too so the kids can have them for school) Green tea Feed 4: Hamburger on really flat whole grain buns, topped with baby spinach, fresh tomatoes, Org. Ketchup, Mustard, veganaise, a handful of Snapea Crisps (Run don't walk to the Bulkbarn to get these little babies), Pickles and Artichoke Hearts, water and a big sip of Daltons Beer. Apres dinner coffee. (hence me not sleeping right now) Feed 5: Another Homemade Energy Bar. So not too bad, a couple of off track "Eat By Design" items, I know it and I can feel it. I did miss a proper lunch. I will do better tomorrow :) Must kick my coffee habit, the cream is killing me, and I am not fond of it black, plus the caffeine is a bugger. Hmmmmm do they make coffee scented candles?

Good Night and have a pleasant tomorrow,
Marcia

Passion: 300 Words or Less

Mabels Labels BlogHer'10 Contest
I’ve lived a life of searching for passions but knowing my truths, and now the two have collided because now I could not have one without the other. I once filled out a Dr.Seuss book and one of the questions was “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I filled it out at age 7 and my answer was “A Mother”. I filled it out again at age 11 and scratched that answer out and put “A Millionaire Mother”. So far so good on becoming a Mother. I am passionate about my husband, we don’t even have to work hard at our marriage, it just is, the ebbs and flows of our relationship makes married life exciting. Because of my husband and kids I have explored being an entrepreneur and have owned 2 business’. My true passion is finding what works for my family as a whole. My business’ while an adventure was not my truth. I am now a good old fashion housewife. Except for I don’t spend my days cleaning the house and mending socks and making sure my husband has a martini and a newspaper when he gets home. I am the housewife, who plays with my kids, has just as much paint in my nails as they do, I’m the housewife down at the beach collecting rocks and driftwood, I’m the housewife biking with the kids Saturday morning to collect our local fruits and veggies, goat cheese and meat for the week. My passion is now in my day to day living, I’m learning how to slow parent and be there, I mean really, really there. And when the kids are asleep and all is quiet I’ll sit on my front porch with my husband and cheers with a martini. A life shaken not stirred.

A Clever and Lovely way to live
Marcia

Eating Right

I am always reading about food, whether it is recipe books or magazines or books about food for kids, and more recently through the world wide web. I have been thrilled I can still keep in touch online with my beloved Chiropractors from London; Dr.'s Jamie and Joel Richards Me and my 'fam' had a year and a half of care from them until we moved to Kincardine. If I get a chance when I am in London I will pop in for an adjustment. What I truly loved about their Chiropractic Care was the education and support we received every single visit. Now this dynamic duo have come up with the best lifestyle healthy living program that just makes the best sense to me. The program is called "Life By Design". I am wishing I could take part in their seminars but for now I will have to practice on my own. One of the easier ways to get started is "Eating By Design". There is an easy grocery list for reference and recipe ideas. "Eating By Design" is seriously for everyone, there are a lot of old habits that need to be broken and for me a whole deprogramming of foods that I crave. The following pictures are of a lunch Sasha and I enjoyed the other day. (notice no dairy or grains) It was so yummy and we were super full. The other picture is of the kids lunches packed in their Laptop Lunch Boxes. It is of mostly "By Design" foods. And that is what I am trying to achieve a "Mostly By Design" Life style. Every now and then you need eggs, bacon, toast and coffee.
Nexts stop, joining the gym.

Lovely Little Hands

Lovely Little Girl

I woke up today in one of my most favorite ways. 
As I lay on my side in full dreamland mode,
 I felt a smoothness tickle my forehead,
 then smoothed all the way around my face. 
I remember thinking "Am I dreaming",
 then I felt my eyelashes being smoothed 
then a soft warm little hand rested on my cheek.
 I'm not sure how long it was there for,
 but when I opened my eyes the most beautiful smiling little face
 was staring at me about 2 inches from my face. 
I actually felt my heart 'heat up' just as it did the first time I ever saw her. 
We stared and smiled at each other for a few seconds,
 until I scooped her up and we spooned until we absolutely had to get out of bed. 
I am so thankful for this lovely little creature, 
she is a true little kindred I will cherish forever. 
Sasha Yvonne you are one lovely little girl.

Love

Marcia

This lovely lady melts my heart

I know a girlShe puts the color inside of my worldShe's just like a mazeWhere all of the walls all continually changeAnd I've done all I canTo stand on her steps with my heart in my handsNow I'm starting to seeMaybe it's got nothing to do with meFathers be good to your daughtersDaughters will love like you doGirls become lovers who turn into mothersSo mothers be good to your daughters tooOh, you see that skin?It's the same she's been standing inSince the day she saw him walking awayNow she's leftCleaning up the mess he madeFathers be good to your daughtersDaughters will love like you doGirls become lovers who turn into mothersSo mothers be good to your daughters tooBoys, you can breakYou'll find out how much they can takeBoys will be strongAnd boys soldier onBut boys would be gone without warmth from A woman's good, good heartOn behalf of every manLooking out for every girlYou are the god and the weight of her worldSo fathers be good to your daughtersDaughters will love like you doGirls become lovers who turn into mothersSo mothers be good to your daughters, tooSo mothers be good to your daughters, tooSo mothers be good to your daughters, too By John Mayor