Life's Whirlwind Adventures

Five Places I want to visit this year I turn 40 this year, 40!!! Of all the milestone birthdays I have had, 25, 30 none of them have hit me like this one, so I have plans to spend this birthday year doing things that I want to do. So here are my plans for travelling through my 40th year! 1. Mexico (or somewhere tropical): this is a mom and daughters trip with my mom and sister.  We'd like to go on the February break but maybe we will just go somewhere together with two of the most important women in my life! I'm so EXCITED!!! 2. The East Coast: this is a trip I want to do with my husband for a week or two this summer. Just us, like a honeymoon or a marrigemoon (is this a thing, it should be).  The boys would be with my mom or sister or in laws and my husband and I would be free to enjoy some time alone without the children. 3. SAN FRANSISCO!! I love this area, for many reasons, because it's beautiful, there is so much to do and I have family there so it's awesom...

What would life be like if... So imagine if all personal vehicles were banned, the only vehicles that could be on streets or highways were buses, trains, transport trucks and all people with regular lives had to use public transportation. This is what I believe would happen.   I believe we would build our communities stronger because the communities we live in would be our main source for entertainment and supplies.  Since the internet is a thing because it's not like we haven't had all the this technology online grocery delivery would peak.  News in our communities would become more important and the global news though important might not be as high of a priority since distance is now a real hindrance.   I believe we'd also increase our outdoor activities, biking, snow shoeing, dog sledding.  There would be a lot of adults on long boards, skateboards and hover boards because we have grown accustomed to being lazy and dependent on our ...

This year has been a rollercoaster of new things. We moved into a new classroom, my team of paraprofessionals doubled in size and some extra changes were made and then undone in the first month of the school year.  To say it's been tumultuous, would be an understatement. Over the summer I was in the classroom doing set up and moving things around, setting it up so it was ready to go for the start of the school year and getting my own person stuff ready as well. (see teachers do work over the summer) My classroom is two rooms now, both are used as teaching areas but one area we've set up as a chill room. It has a lego table, puzzle table, a bean bag crash mat, a time out room (this is a room in a room that has a physio table and things to help with person needs of students) It also has a lot of twinkle lights to set a mood in the room of calm and relaxing. The other room is more tech focused.  We have computers and chromebooks and ipads and that is where the most teaching...

Friday Fives: Movie Edition!! 1.Toy Story 4 (and all other Disney titles): Let's be honest here I LOVE Disney and I enjoy watching all their movies so I cannot wait for the four other Disney titles to come on in 2019. 2. The Goldfinch: I read this book and it was so GOOD! I am so excited to see it being made into a movie and I know that this is one I will see in the theatre! 3. Men In Black International: I loved all the Men In Black films and have had my kids watch them for movie nights so this will be a great family date for all of us! 4. Little Women: I mean this was a book my dad got me as a little girl so I've read this book and seen all cinematic adaptations of this movie and I will watch them all.  Just a little bit of nostalgia for me! 5. The Escape Room: I don't usually go for scary movies, definitely not horror movies but this looks like a great suspense film and I think I will go see this soon with a girlfriend!

I've begun a new challenge. A new old challenge. I am going to be using the Arbonne 30 Day Healthy Living System to kick start my new year.  This means cutting down the refined sugar, the simple carbs, the salty snacks and all that liquor, ok liquor, I don't really drink that much so really, that's not a huge problem. The 30 Day Challenge is a way to reset your life by using the Arbonne Essentials System of Protein Shakes, Detox Tea, Greens Balance and more to help you make healthy choices without going into the full purge that some detox systems have you do.  It's about eating whole foods, real foods, and being mostly plant based.  It asks you to give up caffeine (this will be the hardest part), liquor, sugar, simple carbs and such and drink more water, eat more veggies and take in proper nutrition. I've done this system before in the past and I have had success, and I have many friends that have done this system too and have seen phenomenal results.  I h...

Welcome to What Would Life be like: Let's get philosophical for just one day a week and consider questions that maybe we wouldn't consider otherwise.  I am going to start this first question out from a book that I love and I am about to read the sequel to sometime in the next few days.  So this one isn't really about what your life would be like, but what would your first few moments in Heaven be like. Mitch Albom wrote the novel, the Five People you Meet in Heaven, and it chronicles the five people that had a huge impact on the main characters life or whom the main character had an impact on their life.  It's much like the movie, What dreams may come.  Who's going to help you set up your heaven? My five people are those who have impacted me, whom I feel a connection. Obviously, my dad would meet me up in Heaven. He'd be the first to embrace me in a hug and lead me on my path I'd have to take.  I know my dad would be there, he's always looked out ...

Or you didn't because you follow me on Facebook/ Instagram/ Twitter and saw my life there, but I had stopped blogging for a bit. A lot happened to lead me to make this choice, to stop blogging.  Mostly I felt like there was so little in my life that I could actually control and wanted to share, so I just stopped.  For me blogging is a public journal, something I do that I want to share with others because I think it will make someone smile, or get people to question things or get a conversation started, I also blog for myself because it's a form of journalling and I need journals in my life. I am still dealing with my depression, mild as it is, I've found that my depression has really hit home in my writing. I'm working to be more succinct in what I write, not going for the descriptive, maybe you've noticed that as well. Part of it is because I just don't want to go into it, and another part is I'm writing a lot of this much later than when it happened s...

Here is my back to school post for this year. All my boys are back in school this year! Chandler is doing his first year of college, mostly upgrading but hoping to get into a engineering program. Leigham is in grade 4 at Camille and very excited because his best friend is in his class with him! Teddy is starting Pre K!!! I can't believe all my boys are in school!! Handsome devils they are!

After some thought and consideration we decided we would swap Leigham over to minor hockey.  It's all we heard about last year, how he needed to be in Minor Hockey, how he couldn't wait to be in minor hockey.  We weighed the Pros and Cons, (pro: essential skill development Con: cost, pro:fits his passion, con: huge time commitment).  It was one year, one year we could move over to Minor hockey see what it was all about and see how my kid did.  There were tryouts (oh man!) and we signed Leigham up for defense, he loves being around the goalie and we didn't want him to be a goalie.  First shift out on the ice, my defenseman child takes the face off.  Yup he doesn't know the positions on the ice.  But it seemed to get better after that and we were off to the races. Leigham was picked for a team, and then traded because they forgot about twins/ siblings that had gotten separated.  So Leigham joined the Cosmo Team, which was great because there...

We have had our first, of many, Neuro-muscular multi-disciplinary appointments.  We will likely have two a year, and they are a full day of talking with people. We were up early, sent Leigham off to school, then Adrian and I packed up Teddy and headed to the Glenrose in Edmonton.  We lucked out and found parking inside the parkade so we didn't have to walk a million city blocks to get to our appointment. Teddy did ok as well, he walked most of the way through the hospital because that place is a maze.  Our appointment was at 1:30 and we got checked in just in time. Upstairs we went to meet with the team.  After waiting a few minutes we were put into a room which looked out into the playground area.  In hindsight, and really at first sight, this seems like a terrible room to put a 4 year in who only wants to go out and play on the slide and equipment.  We spent more of the appointment telling Teddy he'd be able to have fun somewhere else but he had to co...

Golfing is a new past time for me. I started golfing four years ago and since then I think I've improved, but really I just enjoy getting out and golfing with friends. This summer I was able to get out a handful of times, I am not an avid golfer, but I get out four to five times a year and I am ok with that. I'd love to get out more, but it's about timing and planning and $$$.  Golfing is not a cheap hobby, but if you do it right you can find some great deals and it really is a great way to spend half a day outside. This summer I went golfing with my friend Tamara twice. We golfed in June on her birthday and then again at the end of the season in September at a steak night.  Both times were full of fun and laughter and my husband even came with me the one time. I also got out with Leigham this summer.  There is a program where Kids golf free at certain courses and it promotes having the kids get outside and away from screens. Leigham, given some lessons, is ...

Pandas, Penguins and Dinosaurs The Pandas came to Calgary Zoo and I knew we had to go to see them.  I knew my kids would love seeing them and they would have so many questions about them so we made a day of it and took a trip down to Calgary.  I've had a zoo membership before as have Leigham and Chandler, Theo didn't have one per se but he was registered because the year he was born we went to the zoo a lot that summer and winter.  So I renewed our memberships and we spent the day at the zoo.  Pandas are my favourite type of bear, I just love them! I am sure they are just as dangerous as the bears in Canada but they look so much cuddlier and they seem to be more at my speed! Not always go go go, but take they time enjoy life and eat all the food!  Teddy was the only one who would pose with the Panda because my other two children are scared of mascots.  I don't get it, but there you go! This was a lot of walking for Teddy so we rented a wag...

Have you ever taken a Mom-cation, or gotten one because you've been left alone while the family goes out to spend some time else where? For my own mental health I need these, I get that times are different now and some people could think it's a sign of weakness or poor parenting ability to need to be away from your children for a period of time, to them I say that is their opinion and we will disagree. I love my children and I would do anything for them, but you can't fill from an empty cup, so taking these two to three day sabbaticals is necessary, two to three days where the only person I am responsible for keeping alive is myself. I can listen to all the audio books I want, my own music and eat when I feel like it, not when my children dictate their hunger. This summer I took a mom-cation to Turtle Lake to hang out with my best friend Estelle and her kids.  It was a lovely holiday! By the first day of being there I was missing my kids and was looking forward to s...