Twitter - A Game Changer

Okay, so I may really be behind in the game, but I just finally took the jump and discovered Twitter.  I have an account that I keep more professional as a teacher tweeting or mostly retweeting things that hit me in the world of education, politics, science, social justice, the environment, etc.

I also just created a more personal one where I tweet, retweet things with respect to motherhood, marriage and faith as a continuation of www.MomsMoments.ca.  @DeeperMoments.

Its amazing to have so much information at my fingertips!  Twitter makes it so much easier to scan the news, see and easily share what authors and speakers I respect are tweeting and blogging about when I just have a few minutes on my cell.  I'm not one to sit on the home computer very much because frankly, there's not enough time in the day, so I otherwise am terrible at keeping up with blogs or randomly searching online for anything at all.

But Twitter... well... that's a game changer.  Its opened up a whole new level of awareness of the world, of innovation, of encouragement, challenging me to continue to be  more intentional in motherhood, marriage and faith, as well as a teacher and human being in today's society!

If you haven't already, check out Twitter and see the world come to you rather then you having to feel in the dark because there's no time to keep up with what's going on in the world!

See you on Twitter!  @DeeperMoments

Mélanie

My Best Birthday Gift Ever: The Toronto Zoo Oasis

After training all spring for my first 10 km races, I shifted my focus to training with my not quite 10-year old to get her ready for the 5 km Zoo Oasis run late September 2012.  The running began back in March and was very sporadic throughout the spring and summer, and picked up more late August and September as race day was approaching!  We started slow and work our way up, adding distance each step of the way, taking it back a notch from time to time.  We worked to help her to develop a more positive internal talk so that she could motivate herself to keep going when she would get discouraged and want to quit during a run.

I had to learn how to encourage her rather then frustrate her... know how much to push when she felt that going a little bit further was unattainable, and recognizing when to call it a day... a fine line with my sensitive girl.  I learned about myself in the process and we learned to better communicate.  I got to learn how my girl ticks a little better and saw her confidence soar as she began to see herself improve -- we kept a running log with distances and times.  It was a gradual process, but worth all the joys and frustrations along the way to see my baby girl be more confident and so proud of her accomplishments at the end of the day!

She wasn't so sure she'd ever be able to do a full 5 km.  Though we did a number of trail runs, come the fall, she began to get motivated by running the 0.8 km loop around the block.  She could track her distance and knew how many loops she had to do to reach the goal she had set for that day.  It seemed to help her to keep going mentally, and one day, she surprised the both of us when she set a goal she hadn't told me about and was determined to go from 3km to 5km.  She did it!  And before race day so that her confidence grew rather then fear with the upcoming race.

On the whole, it was a fantastic experience that led to my best birthday gift ever: a day where I got to share something I love to do with my entire family.

Julia and I ran the 5 km race together in 32 minutes!!!  AMAZING!  My younger two ran the 1 km Cub Run with my husband.  Every one of us got to participate in this race day.

I am so excited that we are able to begin instilling confidence and self esteem in our girls through sport (soccer too), while adopting a healthy active lifestyle as the norm for them.

I look forward to my younger two being old enough to join Julia and I for the longer distances!  Who knows, maybe we'll even get my husband to join in on the longer distances in the near future!

Thanks to my family and the Toronto Zoo Oasis Run for making this my best birthday ever!

Parenting - Goals and Intentionality

I find myself to be very reflective by nature.  I strive to be very intentional in all that I do, parenting included, but I can so often miss the mark despite my good intentions.  I've read two articles recently that were awesome to refocus that intentionality in very practical ways, so that I can think twice before blowing it again!  Both are worth a quick read!!

10 Habits to Strengthen Your Relationship with Your Child - from Aha! Parenting.com (hmmm what was that about putting electronics away?  Got it... I don't ever want my girls to feel like they weren't as important to me as my phone!)

The Key To Your Child's Heart (7 Ways It Works)  - The Key:  ACKNOWLEDGE. (something I need to work on when I get busy and impatient...)

It takes strong relationships with our children, developed through intentionality, to wade through the emotions and turmoil of growing up (especially in a house with three daughters, and one just crossing over into the pre-teen years!!)

My goals as a parent are that our daughters would grow to be :

• independent adults with the confidence to try new things that stretch them out of their comfort zones in order to discover their gifts and talents, and grow to be all that they were created to be; 
• emotionally and spiritually healthy with strong roots in their faith, and solid and close ties to their family;
• strong in their character and in their values -- displaying love and compassion for others, servant hearts rather then entitlement, and the courage to fight for what they know to be right.

In short, my parenting goals can be summed up by the following (my parents modelled this well - and for that I am thankful!!)

  

It all comes down to ROOTS and WINGS.

Praying for wisdom along the way as we pour into these beautiful girls that God has given us.

Running Mama - setting goals!

I have not been able to figure out how to carve out the time to get my running in on any sort of regular basis since my running partner's injuries have forced her to stop running.

I have missed it.

Greatly.

Such a great stress relief.  Sanity "me"-time where I don't have to think about anything at all.  I can think or pray if I want to.  Or I can zone out and just run.  Alone.  No one vying for my energy or attention or needing something from me.  Just me and the trail... putting one foot in front of the other.

LOVE IT!

This spring I have finally made a way to prioritize my running again.  Strengthening workouts, varying my runs in lengths and intensity, and the big difference: I set some goals. 

I have had my eyes set on running a 10km for some time, but an old injury and lack of time to train kept me away from pursuing it.  I decided this was finally the time to do it. I registered for a race.  I've never raced for running before.  Only for cross-country skiing back in high school and university, where training was always done as a team and running was always just for cross-training.  Never my main sport.

What a difference setting a goal has made!  As I longed for a Garmin GPS watch like my friend's, I chanced upon "Runtastic" a free app on my blackberry which made all the difference to my running!  I could now not only track distance and time, but my PACE.  Suddenly, I started racing against myself (I'm rather competitive).  And what do you know, with a race in sight and my pace being the only thing on my mind as I ran (so amazing to for a moment forget all the other stresses of the week!), I started to get faster!

My first race was April 22nd on the hilliest course ever.  My cross-country skiing training came in handy there with all that hill work!  I exceeded my goal on that frigid day:  I ran the 10km well under an hour.  Actually 7 minutes faster then I had set as a goal for myself!  Not only that, I came in 5th out of the 37 women running and 2nd in my age category!  (okay, small crowd that day, but man did that feel good!!)

Have you ever surprised yourself??  I sure did that day!

Knowing that I could not only break 60 minutes on a hilly course like that, but actually compete, my goals got loftier!  I wanted to get even faster!

The next race was set for a month later.  May 27th.  This time, I would be running with a friend.  A seasoned runner and his son.  That would be different.  Having never run together before, who knew if we'd keep the same pace, if we were best to run alone?  But being as competitive as we were, it ended up being a personal best for the three of us, keeping a crazy fast pace that we didn't even know we could keep (because we didn't want to get beat by the other)!  That day we broke under 50 minutes and I again pleasantly surprised myself!

So yes... now my eyes are on the next goal... finding the next race... finding a way to keep up my running in the summer once the kids are out of school will be the challenge, so I believe repeating the results from my last two races come the fall would make me happy!

For now, the next goal is training with my 9 year old daughter for her to run her first 5km in September, then I might sneak in a 10km race the following weekend.

What a difference goal setting can make!  And what a high you get from not only meeting your goals but exceeding them!  Pushes you to keep discovering what you are capable of!

I've got the bug... So exhilarating to be doing something for myself that's so good for my mind and body!  Makes you stay young I think... Haven't felt that rush since university!  LOVE IT!

The 100/0 Principle

Do you have a relationship in your life that you are ready to give up on? You're so frustrated with the person you don't know why you even bother?

Well, we all know the golden rule:

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.

But its not always so easy to live out when we face frustrating people that make us want to throw our arms up in the air...

So what do we do? Give up? Is the relationship worth all your effort when it feels like they're giving you nothing back?

The golden rule was summed up in practical ways in this 100/0 Principle that really resonated with me. Its meant for the relationships that you feel truly matter... whether it be a coworker you just need to get along with because you work so closely together... a friend... a sibling... an in-law... a spouse... whatever relationship you find yourself in that might be strained at the moment.

Check out this brief video to see what its all about... you'll get the idea.

The 100/0 Principle - see this brief video to get the gist of it.

Relationships that matter are worth the time and effort. I truly believe it. We need faith that things can and will change. I do... do you?

Christmas

I now find myself in full Christmas spirit. Working on the holiday issues of Women on the Move and Deeper helped me to transition from the busyness of marking and report cards!

The Christmas lights are up on the house, we put up our Christmas tree last night, and Christmas music has been playing on the radio and on the piano as my girls learn them in their piano lessons, and we've been having fun playing duets! There's even snow on the ground (as I write, we'll see how long that lasts...). It doesn't feel like Christmas without snow for this Northern girl so I'm loving the "light dusting" we just got!

Christmas is a beautiful time of year when people come together, regardless of their backgrounds and interestingly regardless of their beliefs too. Love, giving and compassion abound as we exchange gifts and seem to go out of our way to do kind things for others, "in the spirit of Christmas."

At least for this season, many of us stop to look beyond our own busy lives and consider those around us, our family, friends, coworkers and the less fortunate in our communities and around the world. If only it was a more common practice to be more giving and selfless throughout the year... that is how Jesus lived His life everyday isn't it? A friend to all - the rich, the poor, those hated by society - the prostitutes, the lepers and tax-collectors... and caring for them in real tangible ways: feeding crowds, healing the sick, raising the dead, forgiving the burdened, taking the time to really listen to their stories and answering their questions, in essence: serving others. I love that the world still stops to celebrate Jesus, over 2000 after his birth... amazing.

For this season, all of us, in the church and amazingly beyond the church walls, are challenged to love, serve and help others. That's a beautiful thing!

I'm not stressing about the list of things to do that often comes with Christmas... I'm just excited for time off from work so that I can spend more quality time with my family near and far. I'm also enjoying taking time out with the girls to stop to consider the true reason for season. So many wonderful opportunities to deepen faith in our kids in the weeks leading up to Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all! May this be a season rich in quality time with loved ones, and one where we all reach beyond our little bubbles to show love to others and to help those in need.

Here are a few songs that are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit if you too have been struggling to make the transition.

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus

Deck the Halls - my absolute favourite jazzy version of this song from "Count Your Blessings" with Holly Cole

A Holy Thing (Who is this Child) from "Count Your Blessings" with Victoria Williams

Remembrance Day & Afghanistan

I was struggling in the early weeks of November to even start thinking about Christmas... I was still sorting through Halloween candy and struggled with so many people rushing to get Christmas decorations up before Remembrance Day on November 11th! I suppose I like each season to have its time... and I didn't want to rush past Remembrance Day without taking the time to remember.

For some reason, this year, I was very touched by Remembrance Day, which left me reflecting and praying for much longer then the usual 1 day (or worst, just for the moment of silence). Perhaps its because I now have friends and family members of friends who have served and are serving in Afghanistan, so it all seems much more closer to home.

The CBC put together an amazing 2-hr commercial-free television program Nov. 11th which honoured the fallen soldiers in Canada's mission to Afghanistan, giving us a window into their lives to get to know who they were. The program also gave us insight into the mission and why the soldiers serving so believe in their mission. Its well worth watching: "We will remember them" - the website has the TV special and much more.

I was also really taken by a song by The Trews, which I shared with all my classes and listened to time and time again. The song is again honouring our Canadian fallen soldiers from our Mission in Afghanistan, called "Highway of Heros" referring to the 401 on which all fallen solders drive when they come home with people gathering on the overpasses above waving their flags.

I think with all that reflecting and the talk of the government making November 11th an official holiday, it took me a while to transition to the Christmas season... lights and decorations going up all around me... I was too busy with school and report cards and wasn't ready to rush through November just yet.

We forget too easily the sacrifice of those who serve and the sacrifice of their families...

Thank you to the members of our Canadian Forces. Not just on November 11th, but all year through.

Women on the Move!

Wow, is it ever time for an update! The Mom's Moments Newsletter found a new name this fall thanks to your help with our many reader submissions! Drumroll please.....

The newsletter's newfound name is....

WOMEN ON THE MOVE

It's the perfect fit for we are all busy women on the move, whether we're moms or not, the newsletters are full of great practical articles, ideas, resources, recipes and more - don't forget the health column! There's something for every busy gal striving to keep health and balance in their lives... And the best part? It's women encouraging, challenging and inspiring women by sharing their stories and resources.

Join us and be a part of it! You'll find Women on the Move, a wealth of online resources and so much more at:

www.momsmoments.ca

Help us find a new name for the "Mom's Moments" newsletter!

The planning team - myself, Andi Hawkins & Nicolle Huggins - has been busy as we look to next season! Now we come to you with a request. Mom's Moments began as a newsletter, but over the past five years, it has grown to be much more! (see www.momsmoments.ca for recap of all that we do).

"Mom's Moments" will remain the name of our website and organization, but we feel that the newsletter itself is in need of its very own name.

WILL YOU HELP US?

Why a new name?

First, because we've found that some women are intimidated to contribute to the "Mom's Moments" newsletter, feeling like they're supposed to be "mom" experts (but who is, really!?). Secondly, many women who aren't moms still get a lot out of the practical articles that aren't always motherhood specific: the health column, "My Story" articles, recipes, etc. Plus many women have children in their lives -- nephews, nieces or students -- but may just not have any of their own. At Mom's Moments, we want all women to feel welcome to read as well as CONTRIBUTE to this newsletter.

That said, we believe a new name for the newsletter is in order. We would love for you ALL to help find a name that reflects the newsletter vision. Here is what we are about:

• We aim to empower women by giving them a voice to encourage and equip one another through this newsletter where they can share their stories, resources, recipes and practical tips, experience or expertise.
• We hope that through the newsletter, women would be challenging and inspiring each other to live more balanced and healthier lives.
• We long to simplify our days as we remind and challenge each other to live more intentionally on the homefront so that we never lose sight of the things (and people) that truly matter (this happens so easily in our rushed and hectic lifestyles today when everyone and everything is vying for our time and energy...who really misses out?).
• Women don't have to be experienced writers to share their stories, etc., the idea is that we all have something to share, and we can all learn from each other - we can help you through the writing process when needed!
• Our readers come from a wide demographic from across North America (and beyond!) with different backgrounds, cultures, traditions and belief systems, from pregnant women, to moms of preschoolers, school-aged children, teens or empty nesters, some are single, married or have blended families, some don't have kids, some work outside the home, others stay at home, homeschool or run a business from home... and the list goes on. It's a mixed readership and we love it that way as we can all learn from each other!

So, in case you didn't already know... that's what the "Mom's Moments" newsletter is all about... Obviously, there is indeed practical mom-specific content in there, but the title of the newsletter should not stop someone from wanting to contribute because they don't have any children of their own or because they don't feel they are "experts" or professional writers...

With all of the above considered, let it simmer and see what names might come to mind. PLEASE take a minute to post your suggestions in a comment below or email us! (even if you think its not a great catchy name... you might be onto something that we can work with, send it along)!! We plan to have a vote in the fall with the top names submitted....

Eagerly awaiting each of your responses,

Mélanie, Andi & Nicolle
Your Mom's Moments Planning Team

Soccer Mom

This past April, my oldest daughter went to the park with the neighbourhood kids who are a few years older... When I reached the park shortly after, I watched as my 7-year old walked off the soccer field to sit on the sidelines as the others went on to play soccer.

When I got closer, I saw that she was teary-eyed and was clenching on to the cell phone she was asked to hold on to. I asked why she wasn't playing soccer with her friends. She replied that she's no good at soccer. They had been playing tag and other games that had been fun, but once they switched to soccer, she chose to sit out, feeling like she might not be good enough.

I believe that what followed became a pivotal moment in my daughter's life (and I could have easily missed it). We walked home together and talked along the way. She shared about not really liking sports because she doesn't like the competitiveness, feeling like she's not really good, and not liking when she loses (who does really, just something we've all got to learn!)...

It's at that moment that I decided that my daughter would not be another woman who like so many grows up believing they just aren't the athletic types... then looking back on their life after having children, they wish they'd been more active... I believe that we all need to be active, regardless of whether we'll be winning Olympic medals. It doesn't matter if we're good in every sport, but it is important to find a sport or physical activity that works for us!

It would have been easy for us to label her as the "artsy type" and keep her out of athletics... but in that moment, I realized the importance of not doing that! I was already seeing her self-esteem being affected by it in that incident at the park. That was not going to be my girl, sitting on the sidelines as the designated cell phone holder. Not my daughter.

SO, my girl and I chatted some more when we got home. We looked up the town soccer club, discovered that we hadn't missed registration yet (it ended that week!), and we discussed the idea of her playing soccer. She got really excited about learning the sport, not too keen on the idea of playing games, but we talked about it all being a part of sport: practicing, learning, making friends, playing, winning, losing, all the while learning to be a good sport.

Her next question: "what would I wear?" The idea of having a team uniform and those special soccer shoes too was getting her pretty excited... and the possibility of winning a trophy (like her friends up the street)... well...(thankfully they apparently all win trophies in the soccer club tournaments ;) I talked it over with my husband, and we had her registered the next day.

Since April, she's insisted on joining me on a couple of runs (she ran 20 minutes straight without stopping! I know many women who can't do that!)... She has also gone to the park a number of times with our teenage neighbour (who is heading off to university on a soccer scholarship in the fall) to kick the ball around and learn more about the sport. She has been soaking up every second of it all.

Months later, we are a few weeks into the soccer season, and my girl who "didn't like sports" has developed a new found LOVE for soccer. She is watching the FIFA World Cup in South Africa any chance she can, learning where she is to be on the field as she watches the players on TV, and she gets SO excited for soccer night. She's eager, not afraid of the ball on the field and best of all, she's gained a lot of confidence in her sporting ability over the past few months.

This is the type of stuff in life that defines us and impacts our sense of self growing up (which I believe does carry on into adulthood). All that to say, I'm thankful that my girl will grow up to value active living with a stronger self-esteem and sense of self.

Phew... I could have easily missed that, after years of choosing to stay away from soccer because I didn't want a sport to rule our lives in the summer... all in all... I know we made the right call on that one. It is definitely worth it, and we can work our visits to the cottage around the weekly soccer practice/game.

So a soccer mom I have gladly become ;)

Time Well Spent

As I was cleaning the house this afternoon, two thoughts kept running through my head... The first is that my energy spent on cleaning the floors and vacuuming seems so futile... if only a house could go from chaos to clean as quickly as it goes from clean to chaos when little ones are around... My toddler has recently discovered our unbabyproofable pantry and a new hobby has become emptying cereal boxes and pasta everywhere... I mean I can't fit EVERYTHING on top of the fridge!!!

The second thought that's more importantly been coming back to me is this... I chose well today.

I could have kept myself busy at work all day, but instead, I chose to cancel an appointment and work from home, allowing me to drive the kids to school this morning and join my 2nd-grader on their class field trip to the skating rink.

I chose well.

We had a blast skating together. She didn't even care that her friends were around, my girl just wanted to skate with her mommy and didn't like the time I ever so briefly went around the rink chatting with another parent... no this was OUR time together, no other siblings around, just the two of us (the 50+ other 2nd graders on the ice didn't seem to matter). We started playing tag to catch each other on the ice, with a few of her friends even joining in at the end. Awesome mother-daughter time!

Best of all, I was so excited to see that in 2nd grade, though you're already trying to be a lady and mimic the older kids in the way they dress and do their hair, it's still cool to reach for mom's hand as we're walking to the rink with the class... That made my day ;)

The overriding lesson of the day?

The house, the laundry and my to-do-list from work... those things will all get accomplished eventually... As pressing as they sometimes feel, in reality, they can and must wait. The bottom line is this:

I'll never regret giving my kids more of my time... building bonds, communication, character, faith...

That will always be time well spent at the end of the day.

Compassion for Haiti

I woke up to the radio yesterday with the news of the earthquake in Haiti... Yikes... News of the poorest country in the western hemisphere being hit so hard is tough... My heart has been heavy...

I've heard of two separate instances where friends of friends had just left Haiti, in one case the day before the earthquake hit returning from working in an orphanage... in another, 90 minutes before it hit returning from a medical relief trip... too many were not so lucky... they weren't flying off to safe distant lands, but were hit... HARD.

As I write in my warm and comfy home, contemplating going to bed early or getting a bit of work done... CBC news today reported the Red Cross estimating 50,000 dead... others are reporting 100,000 dead... Emergency aid from around the world is arriving, struggling to bring supplies as devastation is all-around and search and rescue efforts continue.

We may not all be able to mobilize and hit the ground to help in person as friends' of ours have done... but we can all take some time to pray for the hurting people, for the search and rescue efforts, for the protection of all and for aid and supplies to get to those who need it most.

"Arise, LORD! Lift up your hand, O God.

Do not forget the helpless."

Psalm 10:12

We must also take a minute to donate to help get more aid and supplies on the ground. My inbox and Facebook are inundated with organizations pleading for help and donations to further their work where they have already been established for several years... Compassion, Canadian Red Cross, Power to Change, and World Vision... No matter where you choose to donate, lets work together to get aid on the ground to those who are so desperate for our help... here's a bit more info on one of these organizations for your info...

World Vision in Haiti...

World Vision is on the ground right now in the Haitian city of Port-Au-Prince, helping families and children devastated by the 7.0-magnitude earthquake Tuesday afternoon. Your donations are vital to the relief efforts and are needed today. Every dollar makes a difference and now if you give a donation to the Haiti Earthquake victims through World Vision, by February 12th, it will double in impact due to a generous contribution from the Canadian Government.

With an international response team flying in from around the globe to assist, our relief efforts are underway. World Vision Haiti is now distributing emergency supplies to families and children struggling to deal with this catastrophic disaster. World Vision has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, helping an estimate 300,000 Haitians each year to overcome poverty through providing access to education, improved access to food and clean water and improved nutrition as well as helping families with improved medical care.

Now, more than ever, your help is needed to help families in Haiti and let them know they are not alone in this emergency. Click here to donate now.

Marriages need protection!

In November, my husband and I were in Vancouver for his graduation from the Arrow Leadership Program. During that time, we took part in 1-day marriage seminars which was awesome and we still have things to debrief from that time together! I left there very encouraged about the state of our marriage and of our communication as a couple.

Oh how much we have grown over the last 10 years of marriage! Has it already been that long?? Crazy. (we celebrate our anniversary in a few months!) Making more time for fun as a couple and family being a priority on what to improve upon as we wrap up a crazy busy year of me back to work and a husband in school... We look forward to a change of pace in the coming months but in the meantime we continue to steal time away for quality time together and the girls and I have been doing a lot of skating to get outdoors while daddy is studying!

Back from Vancouver, I was already thinking about marriage when I was once again reminded of how important it is to PROTECT our marriages, investing in our relationship with our spouse instead of so easily taking it for granted, as I recently heard the crushing news of another marriage going south. I took this news hard... this was a family I was once very close to in my younger days... I was SHOCKED at the news and the circumstances. And it just reinforced the fact that we MUST invest in our marriages and do all we can to protect them. The greatest gift we can ever give our kids is to keep our marriages strong... It is clear once again as the kids in that family are now left in the balance trying to figure out life in light of their new hurtful circumstances... tough way to begin a new year...

In all of that, I am more thankful then ever for my awesome husband. We are SO blessed with our beautiful children. I continue to commit to being intentional in loving my husband and family well... (read Nicolle Huggins' article in the Feb/March 2010 issue of Mom's Moments for more on that! - coming soon!)

Flying Solo... and Away

Last week my husband left for Vancouver for the week for the fourth and last session of a 2-year program.  I found myself flying solo on the homefront juggling the girls and work.  I have written about being Home Alone before... Though this time around I had work and puking kids thrown into the mix... that being said, I had more help then ever to care for my sick babe while I rushed off to work, and as a bonus, was pleasantly surprised by the meals I had prepared and hidden in the freezer for times such as this!  So I didn't really feel that alone after all.

I think I was more in overdrive mode as I prepared to go from flying solo, to flying away where I would be meeting my husband out west mid-week for 4 days for his graduation from the Arrow Leadership Program.  It was the first time EVER that our 3 girls would be left alone (without either mom or dad).  My mother-in-law stepped up and was an amazing help with the girls and carried on their school and weekday routine, and had a Saturday with them too. And thankfully my 16-month old was over her flu before I left (and the rest of us didn't catch it!)  

Now it's an interesting thing to prepare for your absence... it entails making many detailed plans and lists for those who will essentially be doing your job while you're away.  I've always said that its so much more work to prepare work for a supply teacher then to be there to teach it yourself... (so true - plans are so much more detailed... and there are only certain types of work you can leave to be done when you're not there to teach...)

How much more true is this on the home front!  Detailed lists for my mother-in-law about swimming lessons and speech therapy appointments, birthday parties, homework and school lunches... Notes for the teachers... Thankfully, I am a highly organized person who did much of the planning ahead of time, so the night before, I just had to look out for myself, pack my bags (and of course comfort crying girls who weren't too excited about me leaving early morn.)

Actually, my 7-year old spoke words that haunted me until I got back... She said she was used to daddy being away as he's had one-week trips before, but I NEVER leave her!  She was afraid she would NEVER see me again... YIKES!  Just what a mom wants to hear as she's about to step onto a plane for a 4-hr flight... We'd worked out a deal, when we were sad and missed each other, we would send each other emails (as time-change wouldn't always allow for us to talk in those moments).  The girls did great and my husband and I had a wonderful time together, and I'm so thankful for my mother-in-law!! (I even got a reorganized pantry, etc. out of the deal!)

We flew back in the wee hours of the morning and were woken up early Sunday morning after 4 hours of sleep by 3 girls SO excited to see us... and yes, I was dying to see my girls too... I've never been away from them for that long!  (I thankfully got to nap in the afternoon after letting my husband sleep-in in the morning!)

Now I'm a few days back into the swing of things at school... we're all sick and coughing like CRAZY.  And despite fighting with my middle-child (who has her daddy's stubborn streak) this morning trying to get her ready for school... it's sure nice to be home.

I missed my girls (and the sunshine... does it truly ever NOT rain in Vancouver?? - that's another story...)  I must say that it was such a blessing to sneak that time away with my man... SO AWESOME and I miss him so much this week after having been with him for 4 days straight!

PANIC MODE

Well I don't know how things are in your part of the world, but around here, the past two weeks, everyone seems to be in complete panic mode regarding the H1N1 flu pandemic...

News of the 13-year old hockey player and now the 2-month old baby who have died of H1N1 have for sure fueled the panic.  Add to that the vaccine shortage... people lining up 5-6 hours to get their shot... people getting turned away because they don't fit into the high risk groups (kids 6 months to 5 year being among the high risk group accepted at the moment).  Lots of indecisiveness and confusion about what to do with the vaccine... We are bombarded by conflicting information on a daily basis.   We have decided to go ahead with the H1N1 vaccine (despite my having been the biggest skeptic when it comes to the regular flu shot, I'm thinking that this isn't the year to be a skeptic and I'm trusting the advice of my friends and family who are in the medical world!)  I'm not writing this to get the debate going about whether to vaccinate or not... that's a personal decision... do your research and decide for yourselves!

Rather, I'm writing to address the mass panic... It is easy to live in fear... in fear of getting sick... in fear of germs everywhere... in fear of our children getting sick and ending up like the kids we've heard about on the news... 

PANIC

FEAR

WORRY

I have caught myself begin to panic a few times over the last couple of weeks... but I just need to recognize it, and change the fear and worrying into prayer... The panic around me has fueled my prayer to God for my children and our family... for health, for protection, and for so much more...

Prayer and looking to God's truths in scripture give me peace as they take my eyes away from my circumstances, and rather remind me that there is an all-knowing, powerful God who is present and at work - not just in a cosmic distant way, but in a close and personal way.  He knows me, my family and everything about us, and even better, He loves us and cares for us.  Prayer keeps me focussed on who God is and melts away fear and worry.

Now does that mean that we will be free from illness, tragedy and heartache in our lives?  No.  But I do believe that God hears our prayers and answers them in ways that He knows are best for us in the long term.  That can be impossible for any of us to understand depending on what we're coping with.  In the face of those difficult times, I do believe that God gives us the strength to handle whatever we are up against just when we need it, and that it somehow fits into a larger plan that I may be unable to make sense of in the moment.

Here are two of my favourite verses that bring me hope and peace - as well as a few others!

"Ah Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and your outstretch arm.  Nothing is too hard for you."  Jeremiah 32:17 

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."  1 Peter 5:7

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest." - Jesus (Matthew 11:28)

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you"  Isaiah 43:5a

I leave you with this prayer from Romans 15:13 :  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

So much to be thankful for indeed!

At this time last year, I was brand new to this blogging thing and in the early months of a maternity leave, two daughters at home with me and the eldest in school.  Much has changed in the past year, two daughters now in school full-time and one in daycare, a husband back to school just about to wrap up his program, and I'm back to work teaching high school (happy to be part-time only!) and have taken on more editing duties at Mom's Moments.  Life is busy as ever and I long for the quieter days at home!

Many things have not changed however... For one, I'm still blogging (though maybe more sporadically)!  And secondly, as I blogged at this time last year in my post "So much to be thankful for" I'm as thankful as ever for the many blessings in my life!  

Last Thanksgiving, we were surrounded by friends and family as we dedicated our baby girl to God at church.  She's now eating table foods and running all over the place and even starting to articulate a word here and there (that's a change from last year!). I'm as thankful as ever for her and her sisters...

What a blessing my family is to me.  

Happy Thanksgiving to you this year!  Be sure to pause and thank God for all of your blessings as good and perfect gifts come from above!

Excited - The Start of Another Year at Mom's Moments!

We just kicked off the 4th season of Mom's Moments and I made my debut as the editor of both the Mom's Moments newsletter while continuing with the Deeper newsletter.

I am so thankful for all of the wonderful women who are already lined up to write for both newsletters throughout the year, and I'm excited to see what other contributions women will share as they engage in the Mom's Moments community!

Join us!  Subscribe on the website - www.momsmoments.ca and you'll get an email every 2 months (from moi) to keep you up to date with what's new - particularly when the latest newsletters are published! There are awesome topics to be addressed so you won't want to miss it!  Note that Mom's Moments is for all moms... regardless of age, stage in life, backgrounds or beliefs, so check it out!

Looking for more on the faith-front?  Then you won't want to miss the Deeper newsletters and www.deepermoments.ca - Mom's Moments sister site.

Cheers!

Mélanie

Tough Week

This week was a tough one on this working mom.

I've been back to work for a few weeks now, but this week was my 4-year-old-today's first full week of school (full days, five days a week in Jr Kindergarten), as well as my 14 month old's first full week at the daycare.

The first few days kept getting progressively worst... each morning started with me having to peel one off me to get her on the school bus. The crying and screaming would start before we left the house with her wanting to stay home with me and me replying "BUT MOMMY'S NOT EVEN STAYING HOME! I'm going to work!" Ugh...

It continued right until I literally had to plonk her on the front seat of the bus beside her poor concerned older sister (the bus driver later assured me that she was fine once the bus got going).

Thankfully at the end of the day a smiling girl came off the bus after a great day (she just seems to forget that come morning).

My baby's pick-ups at the end of the day... another blow to a mamma's psyche... she didn't want to have anything to do with me! All too happy when I'd drop her off, and crying when she saw me at the end of the day, reaching to be back into the daycare provider's arms... OUCH! One day she even ran over to ANOTHER child's mom, crawled up on her lap to give HER some cuddles... HELLO!? I get that you're mad that I'm abandoning you all day, but I'M YOUR MAMMA!!! Ugh...

Tough to see your baby not want you after having been away all day... It's safe to say that this mamma wishes she could just stay home and take care of her baby herself and put an end to this crazy attachment confusion! At least I know she's happy and well cared for when I'm not with her... but still... tough for a mom to take (my first two didn't do that quite so blatantly! And no, dropping of #3 at the daycare isn't much easier then dropping off your first... it's still tough! At least I know that its going to get better).

The adjustment period is just not always fun is all... It's accompanied with a heavy heart and a good dose of mom guilt.

How I love my girls and long for the slower pace of life which allowed me to put everything else on hold so that I could enjoy my days with them - we had such an amazing spring and summer together!

I now find myself having to cram a lot of house and computer work into my weekends which creeps into my quality time with the kids and leaving me impatient... I'll have to figure that out somehow!

For now, I pray a lot... for our girls... for wisdom and efficiency in how I spend my time... and for me to always remember what's most important in my days when I'm feeling pulled in 1001 directions: my family.

For now I'm thankful that on my birthday at the end of this past week, I had a better day with the girls... drop-offs and pick-ups... And as an aside, another up to my week was that my nearly-7-year-old was intent on my birthday being special. She insisted that we go out to dinner to celebrate and that my husband bring home roses for me. (It's nice to know that at least one of my girls isn't mad at me right now!)

I'm praying for a better week to come for our little family!

Oct. 1st Update:

Its been nearly a week since I wrote the above entry. We're nearing the end of week 2 of one in full-time daycare and the other in full-time JK, and I must say its been a much better week then last week! I'm happy to say that there have been no tears at the bus stop in the mornings, and no tears for the pick-up at the daycare at the end of the day... I'm SO THANKFUL!!! What a change from last week let me tell you... I though I was going to lose my mind.

It's always an adjustment period wen I head back to work, let alone one starting school and another in daycare... the adjustment is not over, there will still be rough days (and this week has been rough in other ways... sickness and constant running with early mornings and very late nights trying to fit everything in... ) but its worlds better then last week with the girls, and I think next week will be even better on all fronts! LOTS OF PRAYER continues to sustain me and our family... and hopefully I can catch up on sleep soon ;)

Starting off the Day

This morning as I lay in bed, I could hear my 6-year-old daughter singing quietly to herself in her bed. What a great way to start the day. I much prefer when she wakes up singing then when I have to wake her up, exhausted on a school day, and she's whining and complaining that she's too tired to get up yet... I choose singing over whining any day of the week! (if only it were my choice to make)

I do have other choices to make that affect my mornings though... will I press snooze, which results in a rushed morning to get myself ready and everyone up and going too... will I eat breakfast right away as I feed the girls, or will I get busy with 1001 tasks only to realize that I'm grumpy because I still haven't eaten (I don't function well without breakfast)... and the one which has the greatest impact on my day: will I sit and take a moment to read my Bible as I eat breakfast before I rush off and continue with the rest of my day (before or after the kids have eaten)...

Why is that last one so significant? Because I find that reading my Bible in the morning sets me up for a better day. It gets me refocused, invites God into my day from the start, and leads to a heart of prayer as I sit in the car driving to work, or doing tasks around the house - praying for my husband, my girls, friends, family, etc. In short, it puts life in perspective and reminds me that God is with me through each moment of my day.

I find that I've not been starting off my day right the past while, and I've been feeling it... impatience... rushing from one task to the next feeling like I'm not getting ahead... I have had seasons where I can pour into deeper studies, and others where I can barely get to just read a brief devotional with reflections written by various people based on a short passage. I'm in a busy season, and knowing that I've been missing the mark too often in past months, I'm back to picking up a devotional, though light, it at least is a start to get me focused in the morning and is better then nothing!

So I may not be able to choose if my daughter will wake up singing or cranky, but I can choose to take even just a minute to refocus my day by reaching for God's Word. What a difference it makes to my day!

Back to Work

So here it is... the moment you block out of your mind while on maternity leave (at least I do!)... the time has come for me to return to work...

I was back last week, but full swing next week with classes starting. I'm thankful that I'll be part-time (for the first time in my life) and have a more flexible morning schedule to be there for the girls before school and daycare. Ah... daycare... it always plays a number on my mind to put one of my babes in daycare... until we get settled and everyone gets accustomed and happy in our new routines. I'll also be there for them as they hop off the bus, so that works out wonderfully!

The first thing I find myself doing is selecting the perfect pictures to print off to have with me at school. It's so easy to get busy with work and not notice it taking over... I don't want to forget my girls in my days and that they need me more than any of my students do. I've learned over time that my only role where I am NOT replaceable is that of being a MOM to my 3 daughters. So when work and other responsibilities start creeping in, I want to remember all the fun we've had this summer so that I continue to prioritize making more time for my girls and family fun during the year when life is busy.

So here we go... another year at work... I already miss my girls. I already missed out on the beautiful sunny days last week and it drives me nuts! And I don't like that I'm turning the computer on again on a more regular basis... I LOVED the break I took this summer from working on the computer!

Speaking of the computer... I am also thankful for the help I've had with Mom's Moments in all the planning that took place last spring, so that I can keep up my newly expanded editing role there without it overwhelming me throughout the year. Great topics and people lined up to write for Mom's Moments and Deeper... I'm excited about that... stay tuned for the latest at www.momsmoments.ca (or rather just subscribe so you don't miss a thing and get an email every 2 months with what's new)!

I have a full plate this year... I pray that I can keep it all in balance! I'm feeling pretty good about it all so far with scaling back to being part-time, but I know it won't be easy to keep it all in check! I would give anything to be home full time... but its not an option for our family at the moment! Such is life... In the meantime, I'm praying for wisdom, PATIENCE, and energy so that I can keep up with everything while not missing out on the important things in life!