An Apology and an Excuse - or an Excuse and an Apology.

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will have noticed that I have not put a post up since January.

If you are a long time reader of my blog - you will have noticed that I follow a pattern like this.

I made up this picture as a "surprise I am pregnant" for my blog and meant to post it again and again... However, I have had the most horrific morning sickness that I have ever had for any of my pregnancies - and for the most part (for the last 14 weeks) all that I have been able to do is scroll facebook on my smartphone.

So, yes, this is my excuse for neglecting you dear readers. I hope that you will forgive me.

I promise that I will get back on track in the next couple weeks!!

Homeschooling, Kindergarten, and School Memories

I have been thinking a lot about what I am going to do next year. Next year all three of my children will be "school aged". 
Now, I know what you are thinking. I am a homeschooler. Why do I even care?
Well, the problem is that I care a whole lot and that is why I have no idea what I am going to do. See, in my province we get funding for our children's education when we homeschool, but this is only true for children between grades 1 - 12.
Kindergarten children do not get any funding. Yes, there are a couple boards that do offer funding for Kndergarten, but it is few and far between. (plus the driving to those boards would take me forever.
I really wish that the program my older son is in had funding for Kindy as it would be so much easier for me.

When we started down this homeschooling journey we looked at a lot of factors and you can go back and see how much I worried about it. If I was making the right choice, if he would be okay, if I could do it… all sorts of worries really. But as we have been on this path I am becoming more confident in my choices to homeschool my son. A lot of his doctors and his psychologist also commended me for tailoring this learning path for someone with ADHD.


But, my second son is nothing like my first. My husband wants to put him in full time kindergarten at the local school. Coupled with the fact that he can't sit to save his life and that 4 days is a long time at school for someone who hasn't been…the idea isn't really sitting so well.
My friends say just to homeschool Kindy, or to send him to the homeschool kindy school, or even skip kindergarten all together and just send him to the blended in grade 1…The problem is though is that I am torn. I want him to get as many good memories of Kindergarten as I did and sometimes I think everyday kindergarten would be the best option…that or the private school down the road.
My best memories of school were in Kindergarten. I know that they are old, and that Kindergarten is nothing like it used to be…but it was the first time that you were alone to make friends and be somewhat autonomous. I remember playing house and baking cookies, listening to Sharon, Lois and Bram - "peanut, peanut, butter, jelly."
I remember reading in this special nook (maybe not actually reading), sitting there with my friends, looking at all those pictures. I remember having a nap, which I know does not happen any more. I just remember this loving and caring teacher who let me learn as I wanted to, no pressure and being happy.
And I don't want him to miss it. This decision is going to be a doozy…I can already tell.

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

I'm participating in the Our Kids Private School Expo Blog Hop.  Yesterday's School Memories post  can be found at Raincoast Cottage.  Tomorrow, the fun is happening at Linkie's Contest Linkies
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Halloween Treats to take to School

A lot of you may be thinking by now that I must have nothing better to do that spend time in my kitchen. I promise you that this is not the case, I have actually spent more time blogging about this week of food than I have making it!

I have been trying in this series of blog posts to show you that making themed food is so easy and a really great way to show the kids that the holidays can be a whole lot more fun than just going Trick-or-Treating and overdosing on high fructose corn syrup.

In this post I am going to show you some really simple ways to make Halloween "treats" for school and in tomorrows post I will be sharing some more lunch ideas - so make sure you come back!

Ghost Yogurt

Even I run out of ideas when it comes to Halloween and every day I thank goodness that there is such a thing as Pinterest. Before I was a pinner there was half the ideas out there and they were incredibly hard to find.

The yogurt ghost was something that my son actually thought of, he saw the grapes and threw them into his breakfast one morning (not even in October) and laughed and said how it looked like eyes.

So grab a whole bunch of yogurts, take the tops of or spoon them out on to the plates at preschool add a couple grapes and there you have it! Instant Halloween!

Pumpkin Tray


What is easier than throwing some carrots on a circular serving tray? Nothing, that's right!

This is the easiest themed food ever. Honestly. Look at it.

All I did was take some carrots throw them on a tray, and then take two ramekins and fill them with hummus and put them on top where the eyes would be. I added cherry tomatoes (a staple in a Halloween kitchen) and cut up a red bell pepper to look like a mouth. I have also seen people use olives or another type of dip instead of the peppers.

Whatever works for you!! I promise all the kids will eat it and it is healthy!! Win/Win!


Bat Hummus

Hummus is one of the best things that you can feed your kids.

Not only is it chock full of protein but it also has great fats in it, is low in sugar, and it tastes good too!

I use hummus in a variety of my Halloween meal planning as it is just so easy to add to dishes, sandwiches and the like.

This was one of those times that the kids were looking to get some quick protein and I was in the middle of making the Pumpkin Tray and so I grabbed a dollop of Hummus, added a couple of olive eyes, snap pea ears and rice crackers for bat wings. (it was a stretch I know) This year I went out and got some blue corn chips to make my hummus bat even more bat-like.

I hope that this post can help you to see that it really is that easy!

Please keep sharing your ideas with me on Twitter and Facebook. If you need any more Halloween inspiration please follow me on Pinterest as well.

So Easy a Kid Can Do It!

So are you getting pumped for Halloween yet? With only 3 days to go my house is buzzing with excitement.

This week is the week of Halloween Themed food in my household. I am sharing all of my creations on this blog, Facebook and twitter. I have been getting many comments about how much time it must take to prepare all these. Comments about planning and creativity.

I wanted to set the record straight. I am not that creative, however, I am a certified Pinterest junkie. 

Kits add a little something to pre-baked goods!

I don't think that there is a better website when it comes to keeping all of the holiday themed ideas in one place. My only critism is that I would like it if the folders had sub folders, just so my food and crafts were not on the same page for "Halloween" (this is only a problem when you have as many pins as I do.)

Some of the meals do look a little involved, but I promise that they are not. I choose the easiest ones for a reason. (that reason is laziness…..) 

My oldest son really loves to see all the creations and in the last couple years has shown interest in making spooky items for us all to enjoy. He is only 7 so they are more sweet than spooky - but I love that he is trying to get involved. 

Here are a couple of his creations. 

Spooky Apple. 

Can you see the face?

He honestly took a butter knife and carved the eyes out of this apple and then took a picture of it so I could "post it on my blog." 

I love it. It's just so simple, but conveys the idea that I wanted to show them at Halloween. 

                                                           

Boo!

Ghost Yogurt.

I shared this one in another Blog Post in this series.

Look how easy it is. He just put grapes in the top for eyes.

I love it!

This guy makes me laugh!

Monster Granola or Eyes Surprise Cereal

Continuing with the grapes for eyes theme, we have another great spooky meal.

If you add props it can make it that much more Halloween!

Seriously, if my son can do this, so can you!!!




Continue to follow me on both Facebook and Twitter to see what my family is eating this week - and please share your creations with me!

Deep Fried Bats, Worms and Monster Toads

Did you all enjoy last weeks Halloween Food post?

I am finding it harder to make dinner foods since we have gone vegetarian, but lucky there is a lot of meat alternatives that can do the stand in.

Next week is the week that I make Halloween themed food for my family for breakfast lunch and dinner so make sure you are following me on Twitter to see it as soon as it is posted.

Today I have both a vegetarian option and a meat lovers option, best of both worlds so to speak.

Deep Fried Bat on Squiggly Worms and Monster Toads.

Remember how I said a couple weeks ago that Cookie Cutters are really helpful when cooking Halloween themed food. This is absolutely true when it comes to cooking vegetarian food for little ghouls and gals.

Yummy Alternative

We now eat primarily vegetarian with a little cheating here and there when we go out to eat. I know that other veggie families would like to join in with the themed fun - but have no place in their menu for a deadman meatloaf.

My kids were just as excited for this recipe and I am sure that yours will be as well.

What You Need: 

• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1each yellow, red, orange and green bell pepper. You can also use green, and yellow beans if your kids don't like peppers. 
• 1 block of Firm Tofu
• 1 package of linguine or shanghai or vermicelli noodles. 

Pretty straight forward.

1. Boil water for Noodles. 
2. Cut Tofu lengthways into half inch bricks. Press Halloween themed cookie cutter into tofu to make desired shape. Place tofu in hot pan with oil and cook until both sides are golden brown. Remove Tofu.  
3. Place noodles in boiling water.
4. Cut up the onion and sauté it in the pan with a little bit of oil. Add the garlic. Cut up the peppers in to thin long strips. Add them to the pan and Stir Fry. Add the sauce/seasoning of your choice. Remove from pan. 
5. Add noodles to pan and re-season if desired. (skip this step if you want them plain). 
6. Plate it up. Noodles on the bottom, beans or peppers on top, with the Halloween themed Tofu to finish it off. 

Enjoy!

Monster Toads (Chicken).

This is one for the meat eaters out there. So easy. Make some peas or potatoes for a side and you have a full meal. Make up silly names for them though. Mashed Boo-tatoes or salamander eyes, the possibilities are endless.

My friend who blogs at Merry with Children shared this great roasted chicken recipe that is perfect for this Halloween themed delight.

What You Need

• A roasted chicken. 
• A red pepper.
• Some olives (pimento or stuffed are fine)
• Tooth Picks.

So easy that I don't even have to explain it. Just look at the picture. :)

Don't they look cool?

It's only 13 days until Halloween!! Are you all getting excited?! The week of Halloween (October 25 - October 31st) I will be posting every second day with cool meals to Spook your kids! Get ready for it!!!

As always follow my Pinboard to see all my inspiration!

Frankenmallows, Witches Hats and Monster Brownies

How is it already the second week of October?

We all know that half the fun about Halloween is the sweets, and what is more sweet than cakes and cookies? (other than candy of course!)

Every Halloween I volunteer to bring a treat to my kids' Halloween parties in their classes. Yes, I know I am the same mom who absolutely hates the cupcake in class, but Halloween is one of those days where there is going to be treats - no doubt about that - and by volunteering it makes sure that my kids can eat at least one cool thing…if not two or three..or four.

My favourite go to snack for these events are completely dairy free and can be made gluten free as well (with a little but more ingenuity).

So without further delay feast your eyes on these yummy treats, guaranteed to be fast and incredibly easy to make that even your kids can make them!

Frankenmallows, Witches Hats, and Monster Brownies! 

Franken Army

I love Frankenmallows. (Inspiration) These are my go to treat for Halloween. If I could give them out at the door for trick or treaters I would. These are absolutely the easiest treat to make, but they are a little time consuming since you will probably be making over 20 if you are sending them to a party.





What you need: 

• 1 Bag of Large Marshmallows. Make sure that you get ones that are not all stuck together. Also, if you are Vegan you can buy some from a health food store that are not made with gelatin. 
• 1 tube of Gel Food colouring (Green). You can get this at Michaels. 
• 1 tube of Cookie Decorating Icing. (red)
• 1 bag of Pretzel Sticks. If you are gluten free, there are options at the health food store. 
• 1 bag of chocolate chips. We use carob chips as we are allergic to dairy. 
• Coconut oil (any cooking oil or butter will do).
• Popsicle sticks and a little paint brush. 
• Flat styrofoam block. 

1. Take your marshmallows and stick them on the popsicle sticks just far enough that the wood peeks out a tiny bit on the top of the mallow.

2. Take your tube of green gel and a paint brush and paint the whole surface of the mellow. This is time consuming… place them into the styrofoam block with about a half-inch space between them.

3. Take a cup or so of the chocolate chips and melt them with a spoonful of coconut oil or butter… you can do this in the microwave, or a double boiler on the stove.

4. Take your marshmallows on the sticks and dip them in just far enough so that it looks like Frankensteins hair.

5. Use the cookie icing and pipe little dots to glue on two chocolate chips for eyes. Also make the mouth at this time.

6. Take a pretzel stick and break off a quarter inch piece and stick it into his head, repeat for the other side.

7. Eat them!!!

Witches Hats

So Yummy!

These are even easier than the Frankenmallows.

1. Find a chocolate covered cookie. (or make one if you have allergies - Girl Guide Mint ones are Dairy Free FYI)

2. Use the same cookie icing as the frankenmallows and squirt a circle in the centre of the cookie.

3. Plop a Hershey's Kiss on top. (they do come dairy free if you get the dark chocolate ones).

4. Yummo!


Monster Brownies

Just a sampling.

These are the easiest of all three. Seriously! These are such a great hit for parties or for a Halloween themed craft!

1. Bake some brownies. (I use a box but a great recipe from Dinner With Julie is also here.)

2. Cut them into different shapes.

3. Give the kids some candy eyes, pretzel sticks, icing, gummies, etc and ask them to make monsters.






Now, how fun is all of that!! I would love to see your pictures of these! Make sure you tweet them to me here.

Boo - Baskets, Boo - Boxes and Skeletons Oh My!!

Completed Boo-Basket

Last week I talked about decorating my house on a boo-get. Get it? Boo-get?? I kill myself.

Anyway, I promised you that I would show you a couple crafts to put up on your walls so that it looks festive but doesn't break the bank. Doesn't hurt that it is fun for the kids too!

But first, I want to talk Boo-Baskets. A Boo-Basket is a way to get your friends or neighbours into the Halloween spirit. It's very easy to make.

Boo - Baskets

Eye Balls and Witch Hats

First you need to get something to put the goodies in. I like to get small disposible cake pans from the dollar store and then use a hot glue gun to attach spooky garlands around the top. I then cut a peice of halloween paper and put it on the bottom of the basket (you can also glue this down).

From this point you can put whatever you want in the basket. We made eye-ball cookies and put in little erases, pencils, spider rings, ghost puppets, halloween themed stickers, and a colouring sheet. We finished it off by printing out the door hanger from Skip To My Lou.

Boo Basket from a Friend

Take your Boo-Baskets and place them on your friends, family or even a neighbours door. We hid behind trees and cars to watch the kids shout with glee and look around to see who had left the basket of treats.

If you are lucky - someone may just return the favour!


Paper Plate Skeletons

Serious Work!

This is one of those crafts that are so easy and look awesome when finished. I found this great tutorial on how to make paper plate skeletons on Nap Time Crafters, we actually had everything that we needed in the house to make them that day!

I put them up outside on Halloween night to add to the spooky effect outside. It was so great how they just blew in the wind.

Coming Together!

Right now I have them hanging right inside my front door. It instantly transforms my foyer into a Halloween themed delight!









Boo - Box

Last but not least, I almost forgot to share one of my favourite things that I do each holiday (it's not just for Halloween!)

Diaper Box and Construction Paper

I have another type of Boo-Basket, but this time it is a Boo-Box.
My kids are voracious readers, or lookers, if we are talking the little guys. I think this is because my husband and I like books so much that we tend to collect them. We actually have a dedicated room in our house that we turned into a library (instead of an office). We admit that we are a little book obsessed. So why would this end during the holidays?

Every October the kids come home with Scholastic order forms that have Halloween Packs (and Easter, and Christmas), for a ridiculously cheap price. I buy a couple of the packs and save them to put into our Boo-Box for the next year.

Every night the kids get to choose a book from the box that they like to read - it's a nice way to keep them interested in reading and to keep the Halloween spirit every single day!


Please feel free to share any links that you may have for other fun Halloween crafts for kids in comments!

Sandwitch Ghosts, Vampire Bites and Pumpkin Seeds

Puking Pumpkin (Guacamole)

It's no secret that my favourite part about Halloween is the themed food.

Every year I scour magazines and websites and now Pinterest for some new ideas on how to make the best edibles for this awesome season.

There is just something about it that makes me smile. Maybe it's because my kids actually eat everything I make them in the month of October and maybe it's also because I get to get creative in the kitchen (I don't like to cook otherwise).

For the last 7 years this Halloween themed food has been only shared with my friends on Facebook, but a friend of mine over at This Bird's Day, encouraged me to blog about what I love and so - every Thursday for the month of October I will feature some yummy Halloween themed food.

Like I said, I am not a cook by any means. These are really easy and your kids will absolutely love them! Enjoy!!

Here is a really easy easy one.

First go out and buy some quality Halloween themed cookie cutters. These are invaluable. You can get some at Williams and Sonoma, Pier One, Michaels, and I recently found these itty bitty ones at Home Outfitters. I use cookie cutters a lot. So easy to instantly make a Halloween meal.

Sandwitch Ghosts, Vampire Bites and Pumpkin Seeds 

Ghosts, Bites and Seeds. (Bat just for decoration).

I make these a lot during the month of October as I get really busy and sometimes forget to plan something for lunches. All you do is make a sandwitch - anything inside really - and then use the cookie cutter of your choice. 

Variation. Witch Hat, seeds, and pumpkin soup.

You can jazz these up by using peppercorns in the eyes, or ketchup for blood, etc. If you are worried about food waste use the cookie cutter first and save the crusts for a Deadman Meatloaf. 

I like to pair these sanwitches with Vampire Bites, which are also incredibly easy to make. Just take a ripe cherry tomato (you can also use cut-up tomatoes) and use almond slivers for vampire teeth. If your child is allergic to nuts, you could also use chow mein noodles. 

Don't these look amazing!!

By adding the Pumpkin Seeds, you add more protein to the meal and who doesn't like this seasonal snack? I got a great recipe from This Bird's Day that is really great. 

I found that washing the pumpkin seeds and then allowing them to fully dry before cooking them, and adding your spices was the best way to go. I love how crunchy and tasty they are! 

There are hundreds of variations to these three things and so if you are crazy like me and send themed lunches to "school" as well there are a lot of different things you can do with a little imagination and a cookie cutter! 

Devilish Decorations for all your Halloween Needs

My husband even gets in on the FUN!

Well, I warned you didn't I. Wasn't my last post just yesterday? I am crazy about Halloween and two posts a week (okay 3 this week) and one Vlog a week is almost not cutting it. I have so much cool stuff to share with you to make your Halloween as fun as mine.

Yesterday we brought the THREE big rubbermaid tubs from downstairs and started to transform the living room from summer decor to fall/Halloween decor. It takes a lot of time to do this. I have a lot of stuff!! 

Now, I may be crazy about Halloween and I know it - but I am not crazy about spending a fortune on decorations. Every year at the end of the month or early November, I go to the Christmas Store in Banff and also go to Pier One, Home Outfitters and Michaels to pick through their Halloween decorations that are literally 70 - 80% off. It's great! I have gotten some incredible pieces that way and love to bring them out the next year to get to enjoy them! 

I also have the boys do Halloween crafts all month long and crafts from Halloween past line my walls. I will be posting a couple cool crafts to do with the kids next week. 

Doesn't it look pretty?

One of my favourite decorations to put up is my homemade Halloween Advent Calendar. I bought the template from a fellow blogger at My Delicious Ambiguity and absolutely love it. I have decided this year that I am going to laminate it though as it is not storing very well over the years (it's only paper). 

A different activity everyday!

It was so easy to make I just went to the dollar store and bought seasonal scrapbook paper and some stickers. I used some to decorate the front of the poster and the rest I put on the back of the activities so that the kids were excited to see the which creature was next.

A couple of the decorations that I am really excited for this year are my new dip platter that looks like a witches hat, a couple of really cool skulls with crazy red eyes, battery operated tea-lights, an incredibly cute Halloween apron and a super sparkly haunted house.

So Much Fun!!

So there you have it, my house is completely decorated and I haven't spent a penny this year! I am also planning to check out the annual costume shop to save some money on the kids costumes, and mine too!

Do you have any money saving decoration tips that you would like to share? Send them to me on Twitter, Facebook or right here in comments! 

Spook-tacular October

Well, it's here.

Friendly Jack-O-Lantern

It's officially October.

I wait all year long for this month as Halloween is my absolute favourite holiday. I love the decorations, I love the food, I love the creepiness, but also the fun and sweetness that Halloween can be.

My 3 Ghouls

No other holiday takes you door to door to actually get to know your community. The community spirit and the true focus on children is what I love about this time of year.






Every year I go all out, so this month there *may* be many more posts than usual as I try to fit in everything that I do for just this one month - they will go back to normal I promise…

Franken-Army

I am also visiting BlissDom this month which is a social media confrene and the FIRST time I have ever left my kids for a weekend.

Make sure that you follow me on YouTube and Pinterest as there will be a flury of activity there for the next 4 weeks.

It's shaping up to be an incredibly busy month - and I can't wait!!

Ler's get this show on the road! 

                                                     

*Vlog* Car - Schooling

So now that I have explained a little bit more about homeschooling, I thought that you may all enjoy seeing me in action. Here is a new Vlog for you!

Corn Maze Fun for Everyone

Fall in Calgary the last couple of years has been as hot as the summer. Since the winter can drag on we try to get out and enjoy ourselves as much as we can during these warm September and October days. Finding things to do is never a problem, but we like to do things that are outside and close to home. Since the Calgary Corn Maze is only 20 mins outside of the city it was a perfect outing for our family to enjoy each other and the weather. 

Visiting the Calgary Corn Maze

We love visiting the maze, so much so that we get a seasons pass every single year. There is so much to do that we usually come at least 3 or 4 times a month, which is really well worth the value. Also, my youngest son is under 2 so he is still free. (which is always a bonus). 

The Calgary Corn Maze adds new attractions each year so my kids are always excited to try out the old and the new. Plus the maze itself changes as well. 

First thing on the agenda was to go to the "Little Kids" maze. This maze is a really fun one for both the kids and the adults. The point is to find 5 different stations and colour each one of your fingers with the chalk provided. It can change every time, and each person can have a different sequence depending on the fingers that they have chosen to colour. 

"Just one finger!!!"

This maze is small enough that you can let the kids take the lead and get "lost". One year the owners let us know that if you always went right, you would find all the stations and get out quickly (if you had small children that were melting). This maze only takes about 15-30 mins, depending on how many times you get lost and how much you allow your 4 year old to choose the route. At the end of the maze there is a big board with all the colour combinations that give you a "task" to do that corresponds. I felt it was ironic that my middle child was to "act like a wrestler." He joyfully accepted the task!

See the glint in his eyes?

After the kids corn maze we decided to check out the petting zoo. My sons love goats for some reason, and so they ran as fast as they could to their enclosure. On the way, we noticed people lining up next to the pig pen and a man came out to tell us that the piglets were going to be racing. Pig racing!! How cute! We each chose a colour and cheered on our little pigs. Pigs may be one the smartest animals on the planet - but these 4 pigs were a little slow to the gate. Green came away the winner for the first race and then for the second heat. I think this was because he was the only one not concerned with getting grass in his belly! The race after lunchtime was much more of a nail biter! 

"Here, piggy, piggy, piggy!"

We headed off to see the rest of the animals. There were bunnies, chickens, and ducks to see and they did not disappoint. My middle child spotted the "yellow ducky" race and had to challenge his older brother in a game or two (or three, or four or five - you know what? I lost count really). The duck race was really a hit. It is so neat to see as well as all it is; is a piece of pipe and an old fashioned water pump. However, this was a real draw for all of the kids there and they all really wanted to have a turn. 

"Yellow Ducky, you're the one!"

We stopped at this point to eat our lunch and play on the fabulous new playground. The Calgary Corn Maze does have a concession. It sells the regular food that you would expect. Hamburgers, hot dogs, fries, chips, pop, ice-cream and Popsicles. We decided that we would just brown bag it as we are vegetarian and you never know if concessions will have suitable food. I have heard that the food is really good - but I cannot comment for myself. After we had our lunch and played for a little while, the husband spotted a cow train. I have absolutely no idea how he squeezed himself in there. I had a hard time and I am only a small little lady. The sacrifices that we do for fun…I mean, our children.

Looks pretty cozy.

Since this was the first time that the husband had been to the Corn Maze with us, I wanted to show him the big maze. The kids were not as interested as there was a time when I owned my preschool that they had gotten a little traumatized by it. It was late October, it was super cold, and we were not properly dressed. We had a field trip and it was mainly little babies and their 3 year old siblings. We allowed the kids to choose the route and got incredibly lost. We walked for quite a long time before the moms started to bail out of the "emergency exits". I promised the kids that it would not happen again. (we were much more prepared and hey, daddy was with us!)

We did both phases of the maze. It was in the shape of a big gorilla and the boys liked to jump on it's head and arms etc. My husband carried the map so that we could make it out in a reasonable amount of time. (and yes, I know it was cheating). The coolest thing is that they actually have nights where you can do the maze in the dark, and if we got some childcare, we would do that for sure. Flashlights and a corn maze, how fun is that?! (unless you are Mel Gibson.) 

Running through the maze! 

Last but not least the kids visited the 3 different slides that the Corn Maze has to offer. Tip for moms - dress the kids in farm appropriate attire. The bike track, and the bouncy pillows had to be the biggest hits for my kids. Now, I am not a huge fan of these things because I like to be in control and even the dads like to double bounce whoever is on the pillows..so if you have little toddlers that want to bounce, send someone with good balance or go during a weekday when all the big kids (and dads!!) are at school/work. 

My kids spent a good half an hour on these bouncy pillows. They loved to run across them and double bounce each other - much to my dismay. But, in the end, they loved them so mommy just has to learn to let go a little bit more. 

We stayed at the Calgary Corn Maze for over 4 hours and STILL did not see all of the attractions. We had an awesome time (as always) and we will be back again for sure. 

If you want to get more information about the Calgary Corn Maze you can visit their website here or like them on Facebook.

***This was not a sponsored post - I just love this place and wanted to share it with my local readers***

He and ADHD

My son was diagnosed with ADHD.

Lego Ninjago

How many times have you read that? Many I suppose. It's not like it is some new age diagnosis that has been over diagnosed by pediatricians that have no idea what they are really talking about since it is a brain thing - and not a body thing - or is it both?

The point is that yes, many kids have it.

It's not a death sentence. Its not something that can be cured. It's not something that needs to be worn on the sleeve if his shirt to let everyone know that hey, he may be a little different. It's not an excuse for bad behaviour. It's not an excuse for any behaviour at all.

It's the way he thinks. It's in his DNA. In his brain chemistry. And yes, some if the behaviours that are symptoms can be hard to deal with for me. But they are also hard for him. He doesn't think like me. He doesn't understand some social cues. He doesn't understand personal space. He doesn't understand why his playing really loudly can sometimes cause adults to be irritated - he doesn't realize that he is doing it. And he isn't doing it on purpose.

I can tell him a million times that he needs to "be quiet" or that he must "calm down" or "stop moving" but that isn't going to make him stop. It will just make me more frustrated. It will also hurt his self esteem. But I will still do it. I am only human. 

Loves to Learn! 

The worst part about ADHD is that these kids are smart. Not just book smart, but smart beyond their years. They are creative, and think outside the box. They are leaders, forward thinkers and trail blazers. They take risks. (this may be because they lack the executive functioning not to think about risk, before they take them... But this is beside the point.)

The reason why this is bad is because you, the parent, the teacher, the adult can forget so quickly that these children are different and your expectations of them will be off. You will expect more of them than needs to be expected - and that isn't fair to him and it certainly isn't fair to you.
But life isn't fair. 

The best thing I can do is educate myself and continue to ask questions. Try to view the world from his eyes. Try to remind myself daily that he isn't like his brothers and to stop comparing them. To see them as individuals with different strengths and weaknesses - not better nor different - but unique to them. 

Inquisitive

It has taken me a long time to write this post. We knew that he was a challenge when he was younger and had flags go up as he progressed in school. Why such a bright kid was having so many problems, we knew it was coming. I didn't want to know - and even now am wary of the diagnosis as it is a label..and who really wants the label good or bad or indifferent? 

But I need to own it. To be an advocate for him and for our whole family. To learn and share my knowledge to other families going through the same thing but maybe not as vocal as me.. (who is) who maybe don't have the same background as me and maybe don't know what questions to ask. 

I struggled when they gave me the 12 page report that outlined all the tests and issues and suggestions and considerations about my son. But you know what? Its just a piece of paper. He is who he is for a reason. It is my job as his mom to give him the tools to be the best that he can be just by being himself.
                                                

I love this boy!!

**update Aug 31 - After writing my blog I recieved some comments and so I decided to compose a Vlog for you. (sorry for the lighting and the crappy quality - working on it)