About Me

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I am a mother of one with a background in public relations and communications, and a degree in Psychology. Before becoming a mom I was very career focused and traveled across Canada working for the Canadian Forces before moving to a job with the Yukon government in order to settle down. This blog is about my transition from working bee to full-time mom and maybe back again. It's also about what it means to be a mom and a home maker.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Two Big Announcements

Here's an exclusive for my blog readers that I have been patiently waiting to post. Keith and I are very excited to announce that we are expecting baby #2! That's right, Kaitlyn is going to be a big sister around November.

Our other big announcement is that baby #2 (we will have to come up with a better nickname) will be born in Victoria, BC. After six years for me, and 31 years for Keith, we've had enough of the very long winters and are headed for the beach! We are abandoning the daily slog so that Keith can go to school and I can be an at-home mom for at least a couple of years. It's a big adventure and it's a bit scary but we have lots of friends and family on the island so it's not as scary as when I first moved up here all on my own.

I know, all you northerners are thinking "but what about the rain!" and I'll tell you that I have missed the rain every single winter since I've been here. What can I say, I'm a West Coast girl. And for Keith, the opportunity to pursue education and live in a different town is likely going to be life-changing, just like coming North was for me.

The next few months are going to be intensely busy as we wrap up our commitments here, pare down our belongings and perhaps get the house ready to sell. Part of me wants to keep it, just in case we come back, but I believe in giving 100% to whatever adventure we take on, so on the market it goes.

We both can't wait to be close to the water, closer to where we really want to be in life, and of course closer as a family as we welcome our new addition.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Today, I lost it

Today I lost it on my family. I had an all-out mommy tantrum that included throwing boots, rotten cucumbers and my purse.

It started with Kaitlyn falling off the bed. No, wait. It started when I woke up to blowing snow. In April. But I wasn't too mad about it. Yet. Back to the bed.

I put her there while I was getting dressed this morning, and when I turned away to grab a pair of tights she took the opportunity to lunge sideways, hit the soft stool that we have for the cat, and land on a giant euro-pillow. I'll note here that she has gotten safely off the bed several times all by herself and there was absolutely no reason to fall, or freak out about the fact that she landed on a pillow. Disregarding that fact, I scooped her up and consoled her while frantically hunting the house, in my underwear, for a soother. And where was Keith? Holed up in the bathroom, of course. He claims he didn't hear a thing.

Then, as we were getting ready to leave, Kaitlyn started grabbing at the electronics in my purse, knocking everything else off the chair by the door in the process. Normally I have ultimate patience for her curiosity but for some reason, today, this was the last straw. I hurled my purse onto the dryer "No, for the last time you can't have mommy's phone!" I screamed. Keith, sensing that things weren't normal, scooped her up and out of the room immediately. I turned my rage to the boots. "I hate this room, why can't anything ever be put away!" I cried, as I hurled boots and baby shoes at the wall.

Next, I had to pack my lunch. We are getting ready for a trip to Vancouver so we don't have much food in the house and we're somewhat scrounging for meals this week. "How come there's never any groceries unless I plan everything?!" I wailed. "Everything in this fridge is disgusting!" Doors were slammed, old containers of leftovers flew in the general direction of my lunch bag. Two chunks of rotten cucumber were thrown at the compost bin. I missed and there is now rotten cucumber splatter all over my counters. I picked them up and chucked them in the garbage, slamming cupboards and screaming "Screw the compost, screw the stinky garbage, I hate everything!" As I write this, I'm amazed by the fact that I didn't actually lie down on the floor and start kicking and screaming.

Finally, we were all in the car, ready to go. Then I realized it was compost day and the bin needed to be taken out to the road. My final act of rage and frustration was taken out in a stomping, kicking-the-can march down the driveway, in boots and a skirt.

I wanted to share this today because it's the first time I've really lost it as a parent and I hope that some of you can relate, and maybe even feel better about your own frustration, by getting a chuckle out of mine.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Vegucation isn't working

I officially declare the end of our attempt at vegetarianism. Two weeks of a grumpy, hungry family is enough for me. The simple fact is that even though we both want to eat more ethically, we don't have the knowledge or resources to make this switch right now. And we don't have enough time to do the research we need to do.

We weren't getting enough protein or fat in our diets and let's be honest, getting a baby to eat vegetables can be a really frustrating experience sometimes, especially after daycare has let her fill up on crackers. We will still incorporate some vegetarian meals in our routine, and I'm sure that I will still feel just a little guilty when I buy mass-produced meat but until we get to a place where other choices are more accessible, it's back to meat for us! Unfortunately, getting Kaitlyn to eat meat is also a really frustrating experience sometimes. What kid doesn't like deer shepherd's pie?!

Kaitlyn enjoying Easter dinner at grannie's house. That bowl is full of veggies!