Ode to Motherhood

Man Cave

2012-01-15T15:05:00.002-05:00

I'm amazed what kids say nowadays. In fact, I'm beginning to think my boys have a sense of humour. During the last week of Christmas holidays, my boys were free to play computer games and watch their favourite movies. I was busy cooking dinner when I went to briefly check on them upstairs. I asked where they were and what they were doing. "We're in the man cave!" Oh. Man cave? How the

Wonderful Memories

2012-01-01T23:49:00.002-05:00

It's been a month since I last posted. Oops. You could say December was a busy month. There were Christmas parties, school concerts, shopping and even a huge birthday bash for my twin cousins at The Fairmont Royal York. It's hard to believe we did all those things before the holidays! This time around I was so behind schedule - I ended up shopping just days before Christmas! That was crazy!

Believe

2011-12-02T10:12:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, J.P came home from school with a letter he wrote to Santa Claus. He was very excited for us to read it and then mail it. Every day, he would ask if he had a reply. And each time, I would soften his disappointment, "Honey, the big man is busy this time of year. Don't worry, he will send you a letter soon." This week, his letter arrived. "Mommy, I'm on the nice list! The nice

The Voice

2011-11-23T09:58:00.002-05:00

What a weekend! It began with a wedding celebration - my cousin finally tying the knot. It was a beautiful evening of love, laughter, tears and joy. And the whole family partying the night away. When I returned home, I was completely exhausted. My throat felt coarse and dry. Had I been laughing and shouting too much? Hmm. The music was awfully loud to carry a decent conversation. Oh dear, I

Some Books Take Longer To Read

2011-11-16T10:55:00.003-05:00

"Mommy, how many pages are there in the book you're reading?" "Oh, over seven hundred pages." "Wow! And you're on chapter 50!" "Yes." To tell you the truth, it has taken me about a year to read this book. I started it last December, and only read a few chapters. Honestly, I just couldn't get into the story. Weird. Could it be the new author selected to finish the epic fantasy series?

Unbelievable

2011-11-08T10:00:00.001-05:00

A week ago it was Hallowe'en. A.R dressed up as a Trojan warrior and J.P was "Harry Potter". At seven o'clock in the evening, we took the boys along with their cousins around the neighbourhood. Oddly, the streets were quiet and it seemed not many children were out this year. Where were all the kids? Door to door, we made our way in the dark. Homes were decorated with pumpkins, scarecrows,

Stronger

2011-11-03T13:35:00.003-04:00

I've been pumping iron for three weeks now. Can you believe it? Neither can I. I'm not sure what possessed me to begin but I'm not turning back on my decision. I didn't realize how much I missed weight training. I used to be a fitness freak in my twenties; working out and playing volleyball three times a week. After having children, I stopped being physically active. Too busy. Too tired.

Sentimental

2011-10-26T11:43:00.000-04:00

Have you ever watched Hoarders or Consumed?Two similar shows that feature clutter, and chaos that surround the lives of people.My house isn't picture perfect but I would like it to be more organized.So, every week we make the purge - donating household items, used clothing and toys.Lately, I've been cleaning out the boys' closet - only to find their baby clothes.Cute diaper shirts, sleepers,

Hula Time

2011-10-24T10:05:00.002-04:00

It's never too late to learn something new.I've always believed that we should keep growing and keep learning.As a young girl, I would dream of becoming a dancer. I wanted to learn jazz, tap, ballet, and ballroom but never had the chance to.And Mr. O has been the voice inside my head, urging me to dance. He has been asking me for years.You see, his mother teaches hula and is getting older. He

That's My Boy!

2011-10-19T09:35:00.001-04:00

Last month, we attended Meet The Teacher Day at J.P's school. As usual, there was an evening barbeque, and afterwards, parents could visit their child's classroom.J.P was excited to show his classroom, and present his school work. I was pleasantly surprised to read his autobiography and see his artwork.Here's what he wrote about his faith:I believe people can live in peace and harmony together. I

Wired

2011-10-17T11:06:00.001-04:00

I'm having social media fatigue.I need a break.It's nice to know what your family and friends are up to once in awhile but not all the time.And when Blackberry experienced a service outage for three days, I couldn't contact my closest friends on Blackberry Messenger for a day. But I was still receiving my Facebook updates and Twitter feeds.I laughed when my brother stated he had to resort to live

Writing Woes

2011-09-30T10:20:00.001-04:00

"Mommy, what are you writing about?""Nothing.""But you're writing something in your notebook.""Yes.""Can I see?"Silence."Come on, J.P. Let's go!"A.R gets the hint, and pulls his little brother away. J.P is reluctant and disheartened.If there is one thing you shouldn't do; and I mean this in the nicest way - do not disturb the writer.The truth is, I need my space - to think, to write.Hmm.An issue

Fun at Ontario Place

2011-09-22T16:06:00.001-04:00

Today may be the last day of summer but luckily, we were able to take advantage of the beautiful weather on the weekend. A day trip to the big city is always an adventure!A visit to Ontario Place means plenty of fun on amusement rides. J.P took his first ride with his older brother on the Cyclone Speedway, then Free Fall and First Flight rides. We loved seeing his reaction to all of them.

J.P's Crush

2011-09-16T09:30:00.019-04:00

An intimate conversation with my youngest son on Monday morning. It caught me off guard but nonetheless, I loved his sweetness and candor:"Mommy, there she is!""Who?""Emily.""Oh, she's very smart.""I know, and beautiful too."Huh? What did my little boy say?I looked at J.P in disbelief; and he beamed as Emily walked by.My boy has a crush! No! He's only eight!"Mommy, I held out the chair for her in

Summer 2011

2011-09-12T11:10:00.003-04:00

Oh, summer! Where did you go?Won't you stay awhile longer?I'm back to the normal routine - waking up early, making breakfast, packing lunches and taking kids off to school.Could this be a bad dream?Shall we sit and reminisce the good times we've had?Like the time we took a family trip to Ottawa, and celebrated Canada Day. Guess who came to visit on that long weekend?There were large, enthusiastic

Flowers In Bloom

2011-06-29T11:12:00.003-04:00

Thank you Frankie Flowers but I'm hooked on gardening! I practically read your Get Growing book every night!Just when I thought I was done weeding, digging and planting. I found myself going back to the garden centre. I couldn't resist picking up this lovely hydrangea.I also found this ornamental shrub in my backyard. Mind you, I never even planted it! I believe it's Abbotswood Potentilla.Take a

Supermarket Mayhem

2011-06-20T08:22:00.001-04:00

My boys are well-behaved in school, in church and in restaurants.They also do extremely well in formal settings like weddings.But when we take them shopping - it's a disaster!Arggh!Why must they run around amok in every aisle? Chasing each other other, laughing out loud and paying no attention to other shoppers.I just don't understand.I pull aside my eldest boy, and give my youngest a menacing

Happy Gardening

2011-06-07T11:43:00.001-04:00

"Mommy, gardening is hard work."Wise words from my little boy who is supposed to be pulling out weeds, picking up twigs and debris.Instead, he's exploring nature than gardening."Look there's a worm! There's a beetle!"I catch my breath from digging, and squat beside him. We stare at the insects, and play in the dirt for awhile. J.P reminds me to take a break, and enjoy the outdoors.However, our

Spring Cleaning

2011-05-24T10:15:00.001-04:00

It only took one look and I knew what I had to do.I just hated the clutter that was accumulating in every corner of our home. Do we really need all this stuff?No.I think it's time for some spring cleaning.Every room was dusted, vacuumed and polished. And closets, cabinets, drawers and pantry shelves were organized.Clothes, household items and toys were packed for donations.Oh, Martha Stewart

This Is For You, Mom

2011-05-10T09:50:00.001-04:00

It's official, I'm going to start training - to run.Call me crazy, ambitious but I'm determined to prove the naysayers wrong. It's about time I made the leap from couch potato to runner. Mind you, I did say running a marathon was on my bucket list of things to do.On Mother's Day, I didn't have to look far to find inspiration - there's my mom.Despite her ongoing battle with breast cancer; she

A Royal Wedding

2011-04-28T11:05:00.000-04:00

Poor Mr.O. He's tired of all the news coverage of the royal wedding.Not his cup of tea. Pity.I admit I've caught royal wedding fever in the last few days. It stirs up fond memories when I was a ten year old girl. I recall waking up at four o'clock in the morning to watch Prince Charles marry Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.That spectacular event left a vivid impression on me. The glass carriage, the

The Battle of the Books

2011-04-20T10:40:00.001-04:00

Did you know I have two little bookworms? Every night, they pick out a book, crawl into their beds and do some reading.And lately, A.R has been bringing two books to his bed. Sometimes, I'd catch him reading till midnight."Why are you up so late?"My son said he had a list of books to read since he joined the Battle of the Books. I told him I never heard of it, and he further explained that it's

Behind The Smile

2011-04-13T09:40:00.002-04:00

I live a simple, quiet life. And I consider myself blessed to have a wonderful family, friends and a lovely home. It would seem my life is perfect.But it's not.In fact, I've been feeling miserable these past few months. I'm sick, tired and weak. And I am not enjoying 40 so much. There are days when I don't want to get out of bed; I don't want to write, to think and to feel.However, I get up, I

One of the Boys

2011-04-04T10:30:00.001-04:00

A little each day, I feel distant from my boys.Let's face it, I'm not interested in Nintendo, Wii and computer games. In fact, Mr. O has taken up the hobby of playing Pokemon just so he can stay connected with his sons.As for me, I am having trouble making the connection. And lately, I feel so out of place.So alone.Wasn't there a time when my boys wanted to be with me? What happened?Now, they are

Spring

2011-03-28T10:20:00.000-04:00

Spring is here.And the birds are busy building their nest above our bedroom window. Each morning, I hear them chirping, fluttering and colliding against the window pane.These birds return every year, my alarm clock of the season. Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! A new day has begun.Can I stay in bed a little bit longer? I've been hibernating.Did March Break come and go? I could have sworn I had the

Tears of Joy

2011-03-09T09:20:00.000-05:00

On Monday evening, I received a phone call from my brother. The moment I heard his trembling voice, I became very concerned and asked him what was wrong. He began to recount the details of his day and said that he and his lovely wife had been approved for adoption.I was ecstatic! However, I was confused with his reaction. I could hear him weeping on the phone. Isn't this what he's been waiting

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-02T10:07:00.000-05:00

Little Dreamers

2011-02-23T19:45:00.001-05:00

When a talented ten year old girl sang her version of Lady Gaga's new song, "Born This Way" on You Tube; it not only caught the attention of the singer but she became an overnight sensation.A few days later, my brother messaged me and asked, "Can I be A.R's manager?"I laughed and said, "Yes". However, I stated that I want my son to finish his education first. He attends a French Immersion school;

The Life of A Tween

2011-02-16T10:17:00.000-05:00

The telephone was ringing off the hook on Friday evening.Almost every hour!Apparently, it was A.R's classmate; he needed help with his Nintendo game.Mr.O and I are used to quiet and uneventful evenings. Usually, the boys are reading, playing games and listening to music.We are not accustomed to being inundated with phone calls - especially directed to our eldest son.Mr. O was flabbergasted. I was

Guess Who's 40

2011-02-09T09:45:00.002-05:00

I've been dreading it for weeks.My husband stated I've been depressed.No. I've been in denial.Sigh.I'm forty years old! How do I feel? Numb? Speechless? Silly me. What's all the fuss?I'm reminded of a quote by George William Curtis, "Age is a matter of feeling, not of years."Despite having streaks of grey in my hair, and not being quick on my toes as I used to be. I still feel like I'm

The Calm Before The Storm

2011-02-01T10:25:00.001-05:00

Brace yourself, a major snowstorm is coming!Oh no!!!Let's be honest, if you live in Canada, you can expect plenty of snow and freezing temperatures around this time of year. No surprises here.And if you haven't noticed yet, did you know that February is the coldest month of the year?Brrr.Nice, eh?But I'm not complaining, this is nothing compared to the winters I grew up in. The frosty weather

The Boy and The Blanket

2011-01-26T10:15:00.002-05:00

It seemed like a typical laundry day - collecting, assorting and then retrieving articles of clothing in and out of the washer and dryer machines.But I never thought I'd get sentimental. While folding A.R's laundry, I came across his beloved Winnie-The-Pooh baby blanket. I held it briefly, reminiscing how I used to sing to him, and how I'd tuck him in his crib.Oh, those were the days!Sigh.As I

A Beautiful Winter's Day

2011-01-19T09:35:00.001-05:00

How do you mend a broken heart?Well, you think about your family, your children and the blessings that you have. Quite simply, life goes on... you just move on.And that's exactly what I did last weekend. It was such a relief to get out and spend some quality time with my loved ones.Last Saturday, we had our first snowstorm of the season. We canceled A.R's guitar lessons in the morning, and stayed

Sadness and Loss

2011-01-13T14:30:00.001-05:00

I'm an emotional wreck.Seriously, I'm a mess.All I can say is that it began with joy, love and celebration.Could I be dreaming? Am I really expecting once again? Could this be true after so many years of trying? If so, it's a miracle!A home pregnancy test confirmed positive. Mr. O and the boys were excited to hear the good news, and J.P said he'd be the best big brother in the whole world.And for

A New Beginning

2011-01-05T22:32:00.000-05:00

A new day. A new year.A new beginning.And that's how exactly how I feel.Although I haven't made any New Year's resolutions, I feel hopeful about the many challenges ahead.I know there will be decisions to make, plans to arrange and most importantly, I hope this change brings joy and inspiration.Now that the kids are back to school; I'm still recovering from post-holiday celebrations - sadly the

Highlights of Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T19:15:00.001-05:00

A collection of pictures to highlight our Christmas:A few days before Christmas I baked and decorated sugar cookies - a fun treat for the kiddies, and for Santa!On Christmas Eve, we attended mass and watched my nephew and niece in the Christmas pageant. I took a picture of the nativity in the church.On Christmas Day, we visited my husband's family; then we headed over to my brother's house for

Christmas Wishes

2010-12-21T09:51:00.000-05:00

The kids are home for the holidays, and already the mayhem has begun."Mommy, just f0ur more days!"It's no surprise that little ones are counting down the days."Can I open my gifts now?""No! What would you open on Christmas day?"I settle for one gift on Christmas eve, and my little boy gushes in delight. I'm trying to play down the big day; trying to teach them that it's not all about receiving

12 Days Till Christmas

2010-12-13T19:50:00.002-05:00

It's mid-December, and we've already had our annual family Christmas get-together. Every year, we see our relatives from my mother's side, and celebrate the holidays. It's a wonderful evening filled with prayers, food, music and laughter. I don't see my dear cousins that often so spending time with them is special. I always look forward to watching the kids' talent show each time - the little

Distractions

2010-12-08T10:30:00.001-05:00

I haven't picked up my book in weeks.But luckily, my boys are reading their books.You see, we banned computer use in our home. It was a tough decision but I think it was the best thing we could do for our kids right now. We felt that the computer was more of a distraction than a benefit to them. On weekends, the boys would fight over schedules - who would play first and for how long. And then

A Day Trip

2010-12-02T10:20:00.003-05:00

Last Saturday, we kicked off the holiday season by taking the boys, along with their cousins to watch Beauty and The Beast. It was their first live theatre experience, and the kids were very excited! We headed downtown, arriving at the Eaton Centre; slowly making our way past crowded shops and up the escalator to see this magnificent Christmas tree - a Swarovski crystal tree. Oh, how the

The Christmas Tree

2010-11-26T10:02:00.000-05:00

"Mommy, the neighbours put up their Christmas lights and decorations. When are we going to put up the tree?"Good question."Are we going to the Santa Claus parade? Are we going to watch Elf later?"I told J.P that I'm wasn't feeling well but when I feel better, I promised we'd decorate the house.In the evening, he inquired again, only to be given the same answer.I thought watching a holiday movie

A Night Out

2010-11-22T10:55:00.002-05:00

You know you're old when you leave a rock concert before the main act ends.Sigh.Last month, my brother won tickets to see Canadian rock band Bedouin Soundclash at a local charity event. He kindly asked me if I would like to go with him. I told him I would love to go even though it has been years since I've been to a concert. I just couldn't pass up an opportunity to see this band for the first

Crossroads

2010-11-17T10:25:00.001-05:00

Lately, the voice inside me has grown quiet. I have retreated in solitude, and reflection.Things are fine at home, my relationships are good. I can't really complain about anything.My boys are getting older, and I'm slowly letting them go. They're changing, maturing faster right before my eyes. And it's incredible to see them transform.Whatever happened to all the mentors for young boys?

Remembrance Day: Lest We Forget

2010-11-11T08:55:00.001-05:00

On the 11th day of the 11th month, on the 11th hour, people all across Canada will honour the thousands of men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for peace and freedom. My sons along with many school children will take part in Remembrance Day ceremonies - red poppies will be distributed and this poem will be read:In Flanders Field by John McCrae, May 1915