Lets Talk Hard Work.

So many years of walking, he was so dedicated to Braden's recovery...thank you for that Paul~
 

I have been so blessed to be apart of some pretty amazing peoples lives. I have seen some rotten situations that some have pulled themselves out of. Strong people. Determined to change their lives, and make them better. When I say better...I mean down right, pick yourself up off the fuckin ground and straighten the bow on their head and move on.
There is a small handful of these people who have crossed in my life path, and still today I admire their strength and determination.
 My own struggles have been real, they have been difficult and I have continued to change my life accordingly. However my battles were a few years ago, thankfully my life has ironed out and we've been fairly stable for some time now. I am sure there will be many more things to overcome in my future, I will handle those like I did 20 years ago..like a boss~
Those whom I am speaking about today have been dealt some pretty shitty situations much out of their control.
Lost marriages, abuse, cheating, drugs, job loss, alcohol and illness all of which have inflicted and tortured many lives. It amazes me how some people can see the problem and take action, change the course of their lives. It takes a very strong person to do this.  Its much easier to ignore the obstacle and fall on your ass while waiting for others to pick you up. I've always wondered how people can deflect their problems on others and put expectations on those around them to clean up their mess.

I have also been blessed with an amazing husband, who has always worked very hard for his family. You see long ago when we had been released from the hospital and able to go back home, I had started to  receive an income from our insurance company. Before my accident I was working part time and going to school, but once Braden was injured I wanted to be home with him. I needed to be in charge of his care, health and rehabilitation. Back then, I wanted Paul home with me. I have mentioned before that I do hold some anger towards him because he didn't stay home with Braden and I at that time. I look back now and realize he was right to continue on in his career. When I had bad mornings, when he was still just a baby and reliant on a life sustaining machine, needing an NG tube for feedings....I never had the choice to be down. I suppose if Paul would have been home during those days, back then...I would have taken the time to cry, be angry, sad and very well may have spent days in bed. Feeling sorry for myself, not dealing with what had to be done and not carrying on as a mom. He was right, and I do see today that it was the right thing to do. ALTHOUGH.....I have had some VERY hard times and I have felt VERY alone, and sometimes I would call him crying, begging him to come home. Not often would he come home, I don't want to vilify him. He did what he had to do, and 20 years later we are all in a really good place. I'm not sure if I would be who I am today if he would have surrendered to all my desperate pleas and phone calls. Those crying moments, when I was begging him to come home and he couldn't....I had to hang up that phone, wipe my tears, breathe and move on. Straighten myself out, shoulders back...put a smile on my face and go tend to Braden. The moments passed, and I comforted myself. I know for sure, if he had come home every time I wanted him too...I wouldn't be who I am today. I wouldn't have had the opportunity to soothe or comfort myself.
I believe my family is a warm group of hard working individuals. I am pretty proud of my children, they are determined and goal oriented. Not at all lazy, or dependant. I like to think its due to Paul and I, we haven't let them grow up with excuses. They know what they need to do to be successful, they can be dependable and follow through with expectations. Both are well educated, volunteers and working young adults. That didn't come easy and thanks to Paul's work ethic our children are aware of what it takes to be thriving in todays society.
I have to mention not only can I be thankful to my husband but also those who have crossed our paths. They have witnessed themselves the desire of friends and the will they have to change their lives. Some have gone back to school much later in life, they had to give up homes, jobs and many material objects. Each of them knowing its only temporary, that within time and patience the things they lost will come back again. You can't put a price on self respect, or self improvement. As challenging as it was for them to loose the things they cherished most, they put in perspective what was truly important in life. Its the same scenario in many families..One Step forward, two steps back. I have a small handful of friends whom have changed their lives, sacrificed the things that make them happy and comfortable. Due to their bravery over came the trials and tribulations.
I suppose my reasons for blogging about my experience with our choices regarding hard work and not taking the easy way out is just so you can understand what we had sacrificed. You see, as years went on we met more people living in our "world". Families torn by tragedy, forced to make decisions that will effect the course of their lives forever. Some did exactly what I wanted Paul to do, both parents stayed home. Gave up their jobs, lived off the income from the insurance companies. We very well could have done that and in the beginning its what I had wanted. But Paul refused, and thank god he did. I get it now....
We met families that ended up fighting over the money, families that ruined their lives and their child's by getting settlements and blowing it. Eventually sending their child or spouse to live in a group home. Sad sad stories, I think they took the easy way out. Eventually ending up in the worst possible of situations. We did good, we stayed true to our son and his needs. We also stayed true to eachother, always remembering who we are. We worked hard. Both of us, and for that I can relate to my friends.
They are happily now working in a chosen career path making money that is getting them back on their feet.
I adore their noble efforts to remove themselves from a situation that is causing them or their families stress. Working towards harmony, peace and a positive happy life. That's the beautiful thing about life, you can change it. Its not easy, it takes a lot of courage and devotion. But its do-able!

I don't want to leave this post with the feelings that Paul wasn't there emotionally for me throughout the years. He was there. He did the best he could. He is the hardest working man I know, by far the most committed to his family.

(When Paul and Braden use to go downstairs to do therapy, Kailey would stand at the gate and yell down at them. She had no idea what was going on down there, she really wanted to know. So this is Paul coming up the stairs with Braden after a work out, and Kailey waiting for them. I had to get a picture of this. Such great memories. I believe Braden went through a phase when he wore his bat man mask he was better at therapy. I think he was right!)

 

He loves his kids, and I know he loves me too. In fairness to Paul, during the past 20 years he did take a leave of absence twice both times for a year. The first year was when Braden was in Kindergarten, ( I think?) he was not in school fulltime, because Paul took the year off to rehabilitate him. He worked along side two of Bradens physiotherapists and everyday he and Braden would head downstairs to the "work out" room and do some play therapy. What kind of man does that? A self-less good man does. 

(Braden walking around the furniture, just ways we could get him to do therapy)

It must have been difficult for him to do, I am aware today of how hardworking he really is...how much his job means to him.
The second year he took time off to spend with ME! He actually took a temporary lay off...he volunteered to be laid off, because there was another guy going to be let go of. Paul had went to his boss and told him he would take the time off instead of his co-worker.
Even though he didn't always come home when I needed him...he made up for that. We had wonderful days spent together, so much time to reconnect and rekindle the magic between us. :)
Its amazing how everything can work out, it takes time and work but eventually things iron out.
To those friends who are in the midst of chaos and disorder, you keep working hard. Don't give up cause in time you will be reaping the benefits. Best of luck, so proud of each one of you~

S'mores Treats and a little Post Traumatic Stress

 

Eeeeek......I did not know how to send my video from instagram to my blog. So I just uploaded the link. PLEASE go check it out. I will just have to share some photo's from my S'mores treats. Today I suffered from a terrible headache, I swear to god its Karma.(Long Story) Anyways for whatever reason when I get a headache I crave sweets. So what's better than a nice gooey s'mores when you have a headache?
I really don't think I need to go into details on how to make these delicious treats. Its the same recipe as Rice Krispies, except I substituted the Rise Krispies for Golden Grahams.

1/4 cup of Margarine
40 Marshmellows
1/4 tsp of vanilla extract
6 cups of Golden Grahams

You're gonna have to watch my video to follow the directions...lol
See Below.

https://instagram.com/p/3J9uZACfhh/

You know, I really feel like I am not giving my best to the blog. I'm starting to feel a bit discouraged.
There is so much that I want to blog, but I'm kind of fearful. I don't want to be vulnerable. I all of a sudden have developed an anxiety around what others might think. So weird, cause normally I wouldn't care. I eventually will have to put myself out there.
A few days ago.(.here is an example of the things I would like to blog about, but I have some problems with sharing).
So a few days ago, when I was getting Braden out of bed. He was showering, and I was bringing him out of the shower in his shower chair. While I was backing up and wheeling him down the tiled floor ramp, I had a flashback. Something triggered a memory, I think it was the scar on the back of his head that made me remember the day of my car accident. People who live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can relate to triggers... unfortunately when you have a trigger and you try to push it to the back of your min, d, it all of a sudden becomes more intense. So there I am backing up down the ramp, and my breathing becomes rapid, panic sets in and its almost like you black out but your conscious.
For me, when these moments happen I feel instant guilt. Sadness washes over me, pain controls my body. This phenomenon is not anything new to me, I have lived with it for 20 years. I know myself well enough to pull myself out of the downward spiral. I have my own coping techniques that I use, but in those few moments I do have to go through the feelings that my body, mind and soul are experiencing.
With myself being in a frenzy, and like I had mentioned I lose myself for a moment I accidently banged Braden's foot into the shower stall. Jesus Christ.....could I feel anymore badly? F**k I can't seem to win with this kid. I seriously hurt him, his foot was cut and will probably have a bruise. Yes it is my fault, but honestly I wasn't there...my mind was not present. I didn't even have the words to explain that too him. I just apologized and tended to his wounds. PTSD is not easy to live with, it does effect my life ALOT. I don't really talk about it, I'm not even sure how aware I was of it. I suppose being home again, and being a full time care giver it can take a toll. I am aware, and I do need to make changes. I am still learning, still coping and still healing. Its going to take a life time, but that's ok I have that~

Let's change the exterior~

Well its about time friends!! Finally Paul and I are painting our front door and garage door, its only been 20 years coming. I hope and pray that I have chosen the right colors, I have no problems decorating the interior of my house but for some reason the front causes high anxiety.

I did consult with a professional about my choices, and they seem to think I am on the right track. I am anxious about our trim work and eaves troughs because the current color isn't very flattering. I want it all painted but Paul doesn't want too do it, and I'm worried it will cost too much to have someone come in and do it. I stopped into Home Depot and picked up a few sample pamphlets, so I managed to find some colors that I liked. Of course once I went into Benjamin Moore they showed me their colors so I had more options to choose from. I am thrilled with my colors...absolutely love them. I think I will hold off and not show you until we are finished.

 

 

Here's a picture of Paul starting the garage door. We really debated whether we were going to replace both the doors or just repair them and repaint. We decided to just paint, and of course we will change all our outdoor lights and house numbers.

I'm excited...thanks Paulie for being the best husband ever!

Well friends its a quick post tonight, kinda tired. So until tomorrow good night and god bless~

52 Week Money Challenge

Hello chummies, I have decided to share with you something Paul and I started the first week of January. Next August, my wonderful husband turns 50!!!! Can you believe that?

So with hubby turning 50, we have decided that we are going to take a 2 week holiday somewhere absolutely amazing~

Paul and I have done some travelling through our years, but mostly trips to warm places. Mexico, Cuba, Dominican...you know vacation destinations. Kailey and I have travelled to Europe, we visited Greece, Italy and Rome. My dream destination would be Ireland, Scotland and maybe a jaunt over to Germany. Honestly though, I would love to take Paul to Capri, Italy. It was one of the most romantic spots I've ever had the privilege to visit. I would love to walk those cobblestone streets again, except this time holding Paul's hand.

Well we started saving money, putting money away monthly just so we can have a nice lump sum. We also started this Money Jar.

 

 

I bought an old Ball Jar from the local antique shop. I found this idea on Pinterest. So I printed out the weekly challenge and taped it right on the jar. Each week you have to put the amount of money according to the number of the week you are in. For example: Week One = 1.00, Week Two=2.00. Week Twenty Three= 23.00...etc etc

By the time you reach week 52 which is one year...you will have accumulated 1,378.00. That is a great amount we can deposit into our vacation fund. I think this is something we are going to continue to do. It really is so easy, and its neat to see the money grow.

 

I added the weekly challenge chart below, take a look....I challenge you to try it! Then you can take the money at the end and put it towards something you've been wanting, or maybe take a holiday like Paul and I.

 

Well friends, it was a wonderful weekend. Probably one of my favorites so far this spring. Living life, loving family and laughing the days away~

Until tomorrow my chum's good night and god bless xo

Go with your Gut, Always listen to your intuition~ 100 Things I want to teach my daughter #94

Oh my sweet girl...there is probably nothing more important in life than listening to your gut~

There is so much that I would love to dive into regarding this topic, but I think i'll keep it simple. Cause really when listening to your intuition there's nothing complex about it.
Ever notice how animals can sense something that's about to happen, birds can sense a storm or dogs can tell when his human is coming down the street on his way home from work. All living creatures have a six sense. Humans are the only one's that don't tune into it as commonly as some of the other species might. We tend to let the things around us blur our sense. We are visual creatures, and unfortunately we get distracted by the many things that are going on around us.
One of the most common mistakes we make especially as women is being too "friendly" to others. We raise our daughters to be nice to everyone, smile be pleasant..don't want anyone thinking you're a b**ch.
Unfortunately that can get us into some trouble, being too nice can cloud our gut instinct. Don't ever feel that its more important to smile and be "friendly" if your very first thought about a situation makes your stomach flip or the hairs on your arms raise.
Listen to those clues, that's your body's way of telling you this is not a good idea.
Apply this to everyday living Kailey, whether its when meeting a new person. Or deciding on a job prospect. Deciding which way to take to work, whether to run the yellow light or stop abruptly cause your body immediately puts the thought in your head. Listen to your body, and don't ever feel bad for making a decision that may hurt another...because in the end it may save you from a world of hurt. When you are unsure of a situation, person or place...and you have nothing to say. Be still....listen to your body. Listen to the quiet cause it will speak volumes.
I am actually very proud of you, since a small child you have proven to me that you have acquired this skill. You have always been guarded, cautious and wary of the world around you. You can sense when something doesn't sit well with you, and thankfully you are not too concern with how others feel about your choices.
But remember this as you enter into university, professions, relationships and adult life things will get complicated. People are going to come and go, jobs will change and so may your relationships. Never apologize for making a decision based on your feelings, on your gut intuition.
 It's not about hurting people's feelings, its about taking care of your safety and happiness.
Take with you this...words from mommy,

Live Big Sweets...But Keep Your World Small~

Easy Cheesy Pasta and Ham Bake~

I really really wanted to share this recipe with you....I have to say it is a favorite. Its also something you can prepare and then bake when needed. Go ahead friends..give it a try!

Ingredients

• 1 (16 oz) box rotini pasta, uncooked
• 2½ cups milk
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 1½ cup mild cheddar cheese, grated
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups ham, cubed

1. Spray 13×9 pan with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. Cook the pasta according to directions on the box, drain and return to pan
3. Grate the cheese, reserving ¼ cup and cut the ham

In a large skillet, melt the butter, add the flour and whisk for one minute

Slowly add the milk, whisk constantly.

Turn the heat up to medium and stir until thickened

Slowly add the cheese, whisk until melted after each addition

Season the sauce with salt and pepper

Stir ham and cheese sauce into the pasta, mix well

 

Transfer to baking dish and spread evenly

Sprinkle with reserved cheese
Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes or until bubbly

 

So I didn't get a finished product picture. Sorry about that, when I prepared this recipe it happened to be a busy evening. If I remember correctly it was the night I painted. I really wish I would have gotten a picture because this recipe seriously was the best! The whole family loved it!! I would highly recommend this one friends.

Well its a quick blog post tonight, sorry...Its just been a busy week. So chummies, until tomorrow goodnight and godbless~

Double chocolate marshmallow cookies

Couple weeks ago I tried this amazing recipe. Its a Double Chocolate Marshmellow Cookie. It was so good...the whole family enjoyed these cookies~

Below I have included the ingrediants and directions so you can bake them yourselves.

 

ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cups cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cups of mini chocolate chips
• 8 oz. of FROZEN miniature marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Keep the mini marshmallows in the freezer until you are ready to roll them into the cookie batter (they melt very quickly and you need them to be frozen until they go into the oven).

Combine theflour, cocoa and baking soda in a bowl and set aside.

In a new bowl, combine the sugars, butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix at medium speed with an electric mixer.

Add in the flour mixture and blend until the batter is very thick (it really will be stiff!).

Take 3 marshmallows into the palm of your hand –
Spoon a heaping tablespoon of dough over the marshmallows and wrap them inside forming a ball.

 

Fold the marshmellows into the cookie...completely cover the marshmellows. Form into a ball.

Place the stuffed cookie dough balls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Gently press 7-8 mini chocolate chips onto the top of each cookie dough ball.

Bake for 8-10 minutes.

 

Ella Bean enjoying a mini marshmellow, she was so cute with it. She didn't know how to eat it!

Finished product...and boy are they delicious!!! My only advice with these cookies would be too use more than just 3 mini marshmellows. Much of the marshmellows melted into the cookie, I don't think I had them completely frozen either. So make sure you really freeze them well.

TPWHL Banquet~ What a memorable night~

On Saturday Paul and I attended Braden's Powerwheelchair Hockey Banquet in Toronto. My goodness what an evening. We were presented with the most delicious dinner, which was followed with an awards ceremony. The wonderful evening finished with a dance floor filled with some pretty shifty chair dancers, rippin up the floor like nothing I've ever seen before.

 

You know honestly, it's these nights when I look back at my life and analyze the events of my life changing catastrophe and realize...it really isn't all that bad.

Sometimes people ask me if I could change what had happened to my family, would I change it?

If I could take away the pain and suffering that Braden had endured, but come out of the experience the same people we are today...then, no...I wouldn't change a thing. I truly LOVE everything we have become together. I am so proud of the couple we are today, and more importantly the family we are growing into.

I have been asked through the years about my marriage, questioned around how did Paul and I make it through these years with all that has been put on our plates to tear us apart.

As I sat at the table and heard the director/owner of the Toronto PowerWheelchair Hockey League announce my husbands name in honor of Volunteer appreciation, I fell even a little deeper in love~ 

The man beside him is Nando, his son Saverio plays in the league as well. When Braden, Saverio and the team went to St.Paul, Minnesota Paul and Nando travelled with the team and assisted as Equipement managers. Whenever there was a problem with a wheelchair or any other equipment these two men stepped up and took care of whatever issue had come their way. These two guys, had a week of caring for and assisting their own son's needs as well as anyone else who may have needed some sort of personal matter tended too. They took care of all the equipment, and continued to cheer and encourage these athletes through the whole week. Both of these two guys are a special sort of man, not just any kind...you won't find too many like these two.  

 

When he got up to accept his award, we were so surprised. I was beaming, I was beside myself with excitement. They deserved to be recognized, in that moment I didn't think I could possibly love that man anymore than I did. I am the most blessed woman in the world, and I know that!

 

This is a picture of Monique and myself, this girl is truly one of an inspiration. She is the kindest, gentlest, happiest young ladies you'll ever meet. She plays in the league as well and is a very good friend of Braden's. Everytime I see her she is smiling and always ready to chat, it was so nice to catch up with her. I hope to see her a bit more in the future.

 

         ~Braden and Monique~

 

Below is another special girl and friend of Braden's. Brandy was on Braden's team this season, and  it is my pleasure to announce that Braden and Brandy along with their team mates are in first place this year.

Brandy is a mom to her beautiful son Jacob, her and Jeremy are doing a wonderful job loving him, guiding and encouraging Jacob to be the best he can be.

They have over come many obstacles, but finally things are sorting themselves out and Jacob is continuing to strive and grow in the loving arms of his parents. This is another wonderful young lady I hope to keep in touch with. Everyone looked so beautiful  dressed up, it really was a superb evening.

 

 

 

This line up of outstanding men are all the team coaches, once again a group of men who take time out of their lives every Saturday. When you have the opportunity to come out and watch one of these hockey games, you really do get the chance to witness their selfless nature. When you are raising a child with special needs, well when raising children regardless of any needs it can be a difficult task. But when you are a father who chooses to stay close and remain a constant in his child's life, it is a life long journey filled with many ups and downs. I can't even begin to express how rewarding it is to be a part of your childs life, with the rewards come the sacrifices. This group of men, are amazing and their dedication to this sport, league and players is admirable.





Braden here is receiving one of his awards, this one was the Best Defensive Forward. He deserved this award, he is a very smart hockey player..able to see the play before it even goes down.

hi
Below is the second award Braden won, Playoff MVP...that one was a shock! I can't begin to explain the feeling a mother of a special needs son has when her child is recognized for his accomplishments.
Well, I do have an able bodied daughter who is an athlete and has played Ringette at a Provincial level for many years. Being a parent and being proud is all the same..it doesn't matter what the obstacles are that your children face. I mean, Braden obviously faces physical challenges but that doesn't mean Kailey doesn't face different kind of trials. I guess I don't want to try to sound like I am taking away from every person who plays a sport or even take away from any parent who supports their athlete.
When you are a parent of a child who you have witnessed survive some of the most tragic moments possible, or you hold the hand of a screaming toddler who looks at you to make them stop. All while knowing the doctors are doing what they need to inorder to sacredly save your babies life. In these moments of accepting awards and seeing your child overcome all those years of pain, you see the smile and you feel the proud....my heart burst with pride~
I couldn't have been happier, what a moment we had. It was a sparkling instance that we knew was going to take the place of a sad memory. There's something about that for us parents of special need kids.  We just know not to take advantage of these triumphs.

Here is a picture of the winning team The Saints, they fought a battle in the last game. They won, and they deserved to win. CONGRATULATIONS SAINTS!!!

All three of Braden's trophy and Paul's award below...it was an exciting night, both my men came home with well deserved gold.

Once the awards ceremony was over, everyone made it too the dance floor. Overall the night was one to remember. Paul and I had a great time, I had the chance to catch up with a few great friends. I am so happy we banged into Paul that fateful day in Baddeck, Nova Scotia. Braden had just decided to not return to his sledge hockey league and was struggling a bit with what sport he would play. He loves hockey, and there is not much around for opportunity in our area for wheelchair hockey. I guess you could call it divine intervention. We were visiting family in Nova Scotia and out to dinner in Baddeck, when all of a sudden this man approaches our table. He was naturally a east coast kinda guy, so friendly, easy to talk too. He wanted to chat with Braden, seeing Braden in a wheelchair he felt the need to come on over an introduce himself. He asked if we had ever heard of Power wheelchair Hockey, we had no idea it even existed. So he ran out to his van, grabbed his laptop and joined us at our table to show us a Youtube video of his league. Then we found out his is in Toronto. It was so cool to tell him we are from Cambridge. So we were not that far, he invited Braden to come down for a visit. Once we got home we did check it out..and the rest is history. He has loved it from the beginning. We are parents are very thankful Braden found a new hockey family, we know how important that is too him. 

Well my lovelies, if you are reading this and you were a part of that evening I want to say thank you for being a part of our lives. Paul and I are very proud of each one of you, whether you won an award or not. It's not about the trophy friends, its about having fun. Of course, winning is important and valued I am not taking that away from anyone. But you are a family, and win or loose you need to be respectful and happy for eachother.
Thank you for a memorable, emotional amazing night. We are truly blessed to be a part of each of your lives. Continue to inspire~

Until tomorrow chummies, good night and god bless~

Disconnect Day - "What a Wonderful World"

Disconnect Day
Sounds like a great idea doesn't it! I think we need to bring this day forward into our lives. If you are a Millennium baby...please take this seriously and while you are raising your own babies keep in mind the importance of living, seeing, breathing and exploring the wonderful world around you. Our world is too tech happy. We are spending too much time on social media and most jobs are based around computers. Not that there is anything wrong with this evolving world, I love the internet, I am obsessed with Youtube and Twitter and Instagram are my vises for relaxation. Not to mention my blogging. Its how I can be creative and do the things I like to do, it helps with keeping myself mentally stimulated.
Lets be honest here..we have 10 years old walking around with cell phones, kids are texting, chatting, instagramming and facebooking daily. Who is allowing this?? Parents!
Its easy to get caught up in the whole "well, Sarah has a cell phone, or John has facebook".."why can't I have those things? I'm the only one in my class without a cell phone"....
We've all heard some aspect of those complaints through the years, and with it being our generation of parents we over enduldged our kids. Our Generation X as we are called are the the last generation to have truly low-tech childhoods, and now we are amoung the first of the truly high-tech parents.

We are the only generation to have experienced both worlds, pre-technology and post technology. We had childhoods spent outside, coming in when the street lights went on. We had the classic John Hughes teenage years, finding who we are during Saturday morning Breakfast club detentions. Now a days kids can have full on relationships over text messages, long gone are the days when we passed notes to one another. Do you like me? Please check the YES box or the NO box.
I do worry what a high-tech childhood will mean for kids these days. Will they know how to go out on a first date without checking in on Facebook or instagraming their OOTD? Will it even matter?
I do understand this is our childrens world, and they do have to understand all the highways and biways of technology. I do not believe there may even be a "right" way to parent with technology.
We can try as hard as we want to cut back and etch space into our childrens lives for treehouses, dollhouses and sunset playdates. But in the end reality is our children will grow up with the world at their fingertips, elegantly presented by any touch screen.
They will have to learn how to balance between their cyber and real worlds. It is kinda scary not knowing what this generation of ichildren are going to grow up and become. I suppose since we are all parenting the best we can in a world that we are unfamiliar with as the children we once were. When our kids are grown, we can't be blamed for the possible mistakes...cause we didn't have the guidance, we did the best we could.
So, back to Disconnect Day... this is never too late to start. If we start this now, it may be something our teenage children will take into their families. Take a day that's good for your family, and disconnect. Get rid of the cell phones, computers, tablets and ipods and spend sometime together as a family. Get out doors, it doesn't cost money to have a pic nic, go to the park, throw a ball around. Take a drive, go to the beach..go skating, tobogganing.

Do those things we did as children, let them experience staying outside until the streetlights come on. Good ol'fashion game of road hockey, we don't see that as much anymore.
It is so important to disconnect from the world. Remember when there was the days we could retreat to our bedroooms, turn on our radio's listen to our favorite bands. Pullout our sticker books, lipgloss collections and diary's...that was our time to unwind, to disconnect from friends, parents, teachers and siblings. It was important to us then, we need to teach our children to do the same. They don't withdrawal to their rooms at the end of the day to sit on their beds and reflect. They turn on their devices and log in too their "cyber" worlds and check in on everyone else...teach them to check in on themselves. We don't want a lost generation...living their lives through screens. Look up kids, look around...theres a whole world out there to be explored. GO LIVE~

Throwback Thursday and a Little Painting Fun~

Well friends, tonight I went to another painting class. I had purchased a class for my friend Candy for her birthday cause she has never been and I thought it was something she would enjoy. I was right, she seemed to have a really good time and it was great that she got out for the evening cause she really needed it. My friend Colleen joined as well, she really loves the painting classes and we have lots of laughs while there. Lynn joined as well, always a pleasure to have Lynn there. Overall there was four of us ladies. I do not have a finished product of my painting posted, I do like it and i'm not ashamed..lol its just that I am not feeling well (again) and when I got home I was too tired to take a pic. Lame ass excuse but seriously I was exhausted. I only took a few pics tonight, mostly again cause I wasn't feeling great but as well the lighting was terrible. So below is the sequence of my painting..and how it all pulled itself together...

 

Once you get the sky done, you add your blue eggs. It was a challenge to find the right spot to put them, but I was pretty happy in the end.

 

Below is a picture of Candy's painting. She and Colleen both changed up their own backgrounds. Candy decided to do kindof a nighttime setting..and Colleen did a pretty blue sky background. Both were very nice, and I admired their sense of adventure to go outside the box and try their own thing.

 

Once your done the eggs, you add the nest and the branches that support the nest. Its coming together...I really like it :)

So this below is the pretty much the finished product...I had to add leaves, and I did make different colored ones. It's really pretty once its all pulled together. We had a great night, lots of laughs~

On a side note, I wanted to share this jem. When I was 19 years old I was hired to do a Children's summer reading program at the Hespeler Public Library. It was my second summer with my future husband, and it was probably the best summer of my life. I was accepted into a community college for Early Childhood Education..and working with children was all I had on my mind. I actually had plans on going further in my school career and hopefully eventually becoming involved with Child development.
Well this little summer job was the golden ticket, it looked good on my college application and on a resume. I remember the kids mostly, and how they'd pick their books each week and then report too me at the end of the day. I would ask them questions about the books they had ready, and if I was satisfied with their knowledge then they would proceed in the game "Quest for the Lost City". I don't really remember all the details, It was 25 years ago.
I do recall how it made me feel, I loved the feeling of the children being so proud of themselves when they'd complete their books and pass my questioning. Those smiles...sunburned faces, covered in sunkissed freckles, the smell of sunblock and the cute little summer hats.
 They loved advancing in the game, siblings would compete with one another...parents would be so proud. It was a great program, I hope we still have these types of things around. Its so important to encourage your children to read. The smiles on those kids...man I loved my life, it really was the course I thought I'd be on forever. When I look at that young Chrissy, so young, naïve, in love and happy. I was lucky, I am still lucky...cause I still love my life, every single bit of it~Blessed~

Untill tomorrow chummies, good night and god bless~