Yes, I have big feet.

I have size 10 feet. It's the biggest size that a lot of women's shoes come in, although in recent years you can actually get 11s and 12s from some stores. Now, since the population is getting taller, there seem to be more and more women with size 10 feet. This means there are never enough size 10 shoes to go around.

So, I can never buy shoes on sale, because by the time they are on sale, they are always sold out of my size. In fact, I often just can't buy shoes, because apparently they only get one pair of size 10s in of any given style. It's my theory that there are always a couple women with size 10 feet that work in every shoe store that get first dibs on those.

Anyways, whenever I see a pair of shoes I like, I ask the salesperson if I it comes in a size 10. Almost every time, they respond with "the biggest I have this one is a size 8.5?" (or 9 or whatever smaller size it is). Then, they look at me expectantly, like they're wondering if I'll take them up on their offer. Umm, sure, why don't I shove my giant foot into your too small shoe? I might hobble around and cripple myself, but what the heck.

I mean, I know people wear too small clothes all the time (that's another topic), but shoes? Seriously, is there anyone that can wear shoes that are actually 1-2 sizes too small?

I think I need a job in a shoe store.

Where we are now

Well, loyal blog reader. It's time for an update. I'm afraid there will be no pictures today since I am upstairs typing on the laptop. All the pictures are downstairs on our desktop.

It's been over 6 months since I posted and a lot has happened in that time.

I took a trip in the spring to visit my grandparents. I brought the kids, but left my husband at home to work. It was a wonderful time and I feel so lucky that my children got to meet their great grandparents. Spud missed Daddy and got pretty needy and clingy while we were gone. I learned that while I can deal with the kids on my own, I don't like doing it, and prefer to have him around.

Then we moved. There were things we compromised on when we bought our last house. Mostly the location. We bought in an area of the city that was lower priced so that we could have a detached house with a bigger yard. That came at the price of being on the opposite side of the city from the mountains. We realized that wasn't a compromise we wanted to live with anymore, so we put our house on the market and started looking in a town outside the city.

We ended up buying a lovely house with lots of windows and vaulted ceilings. Compromised a bit on the yard, but after some serious landscaping work, it will be really nice. We have a peekaboo mountain view from our front window. (The full mountain views are on the other side of the street and have a much higher price tag). We're across the street from the pathway system and a 2 minute walk from the river.

On the same day we took possession of our house, my little girl turned one year old. So, technically, that means Sweetpea is no longer a baby. Interestingly enough, I was willing to call Spud a toddler once he was that age, but I'm not quite there with Sweetpea. Perhaps it is because Spud is still a toddler now, but they are at much different points. Perhaps it is just because I know Sweetpea will be my last baby and I'm not quite ready to let that go.

In the last few months, having my kids so close in age has gotten easier and easier. In that first year, it seems like only a crazy person would have 2 kids 17 months apart. As they get older, they're playing together more and more. Don't get me wrong. It's not all roses, but it is nice to have them close now. They're both interested in similar activities so it's easier to keep them both occupied with the same thing. Like every parent, I'm hoping they'll be close as they grow older. I don't think the age gap is a determining factor of that though.

A few weeks ago, I recognized the third anniversary of the due date of my first baby. It's funny to think that Bugaboo would have been older then either of my living children are now. But Bugaboo is the baby that remains eternally a baby.

My business has been growing and evolving. I've started focusing more on craft fairs and less on my etsy store. I've realized that I like making the items and selling them, but I'm not so keen on packing them up and going to the post office. For now, I'm keeping the etsy store, but I'm also considering other options year round.

I'm also thinking about branching out with what I make. Already, I've started making tutus and boy are they cute! I'll try to post a picture of Sweetpea in one soon. I have a few other ideas for things I'll start in the new year. Look for some sewing - including some fabric toys. That's right, something for boys! Right now, my craft shows and Christmas sales are keeping me busy.

The thing is, it seems like everyone and their dog has started making hairclips. I actually know of at least 3 people that have bought from me and have recently started making and selling clippies themselves. I can't fault them. Everyone gets their ideas from somewhere, but it's becoming a saturated market and I'm wondering if I should open up my options a little more. After all, with their rise in popularity, it's only a matter of time before Walmart commissions a factory in china to make them.

Christmas is coming. I've never been much of an early shopper, but running a craft business has had me thinking about it for months already. I'm not done my Christmas shopping, but we're getting there. I don't think pictures with Santa will happen this year. Sweetpea was rather terrified of him at my husband's kid's Christmas party. I think we'll hold off on scarring her.

Well, loyal reader, how's that for a lot of information, but not a lot of depth?

Back again

Boy, have I ever been neglectful of this blog!

Well, now that I am probably down to about 1 loyal reader, I make this pledge to you. I will update my blog more often. I'll shoot for twice a week, but will accept once, okay?

Public breastfeeding

Recently a Calgary woman created a lot of press with a campaign intended to force the city of Calgary to clarify their stance on breastfeeding at and around public swimming pools.

I am not looking to discuss the swimming pool issue at this time, but, this issue brought into the limelight something which I consider a far bigger issue. Breastfeeding in public.

For various reasons (that could be a completely different blog entry), Spud was a formula fed baby. I fed him wherever we were. Unlike many formula fed babies, he was never on much of a schedule, so he was still demand fed. While I occasionally felt like I was judged for giving him formula, I never hesitated to pull out a bottle when that was what he needed.

When Sweetpea was born, I fought harder to breastfeed her, and after some challenges, was successful. If anything, Sweetpea has been fed whenever, wherever to an even larger extent. With Spud, I barely got out of the house for the first month. With Sweetpea, I had to get out for the sake of Spud, so she became well travelled from the very start.

Early on, I used a nursing cover to feed her under. I was more comfortable with it, and it helped me to get past the early stages of breastfeeding. Somewhere around the 3-4 month mark, I stopped using it. Like most babies, Sweetpea likes to look around and be aware of her world. The nursing cover became a bigger distraction as she would alternately try to play with it or get it off her head.

Now, at 7.5 months, the nursing cover is a distant memory. I require one hand to keep Sweetpea latched on, one hand to keep my breast in place for her and 1 (or 6) hands to keep Spud from running off, climbing inappropriate things, or taking other children's toys. If you've done the math, I'm already short a few hands, so using an extra hand to keep a blanket over the head of a baby that doesn't want it there just isn't going to happen.

Now to the main point of my post. I thought that public breastfeeding had gained general acceptance. I'm not naive enough to think it doesn't bother anyone, but I thought that it had reached the point where those people would simply turn their heads, and carry on.

Apparently not.

There are nearly hundreds of comments following these stories.

http://calgary.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090405/CGY_breast_feeding_090405/20090405/?hub=CalgaryHome

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2009/04/03/cgy-pools-breastfeeding-calgary.html#socialcomments


Aside from the comments specifically about the pool, the comments following are largely vilifying public breastfeeding. If they are in support of it, the writer is often very clear that it is only acceptable when covered up.


Comments like this:

"Do it in the changeroom or lobby covered up"
"I'm a woman and think breastfeeding is appropriate in your own home on your own terms or anywhere in public UNDER A SHEET!"
"We don't need to see breastfeeding in public thank you very much. For the sake of the public, yourself, and your baby, practice a little discretion."


One person even claims that babies prefer blankets over their heads:

"Infants like quiet and a blanket over their face when feeding."

Not any baby that I've met.



Another common theme is even more offensive. Many people seem to think breastmilk fits into the same category as urine, feces, and snot.

"urinating is just as normal as breastfeeding, but you don't see people sitting down on a mall bench to do it."
"Proponents of the breast feeding in public brigade always defend themselves by claiming it is 'a natural function'. Well, so is defecating, but I wouldn't do that in public either."

Last I checked, breastmilk was a food, not a waste product.



There is another theme that shows just how little some people know about the actual process of breastfeeding:

"I am actually disgusted by women who feel it is ok to "whip it out" at any location."
"don't expect me to have to see your breasts flapping in the wind and not say something to you."

I don't usually present a moving target when I am try to feed my daughter...



On a more serious note though, when a baby is breastfeeding, there is actually very little to see. Far less then there is to see in a bikini or even many low cut tops. In fact, I have been in public places and been halfway through a conversation before somebody notices that I am feeding my baby at the same time.

It is largely accepted that breast milk is the ideal food for a baby. It is also natural and has been the way to feed babies for centuries.

So why lack of acceptance of public breastfeeding?

In the past years, it has been largely publicized that "breast is best". Companies that try to stop mothers from breastfeeding find themselves the target of "nurse ins", where dozens or hundreds of mothers come together and breastfeed on the premises of said company.

This brings attention to the issue, but I wonder if it has actually succeeded in bringing understanding. I wonder how many people are offended by the "idea" of a woman breastfeeding in their presence but have never actually dealt with the "reality".

I also wonder what needs to happen to change the public attitude?

Someone is having a laugh

For Sebastian's birthday, he was given a very cool new toy. It is a set of thing-a-ma-jigs that fit together. I'm not even sure what they are called, but they are a lot of fun and very easy for a toddler to use.






They also ended up being something that Spud and Sweetpea both enjoyed and played together with.



However, my husband pointed out a couple of the shapes. Do you ever wonder if toy designers are having a laugh at our expense?

Clingy or Cuddly?

I have 2 children that are fairly clingy children.

As a baby Spud always wanted to be held. It was pretty much the only way he would sleep and whenever I put him down, he would wake up and start crying. I hear people talk about how their baby cries all the time unless they are held. That was true of Spud. Except he didn't cry all the time. I held him. I would spend hours with him on my chest surfing the internet or reading books.

At night time, it would take me a long time to get him settled enough to sleep. This was back when I was still very opposed to co-sleeping. So, I would sometimes sit with him for 30-60 minutes after a night time feed until he was in a deep enough sleep that I could put him down. Even then, it was still iffy as to whether he would sleep on his own.

Now when Sweetpea came along, I was a little more prepared for this, and it was a good thing because, if anything, she was more clingy then her brother. I couldn't just let her lie on my chest while sitting around, but I did put her in my wrap from the very start. This left me with free hands to deal with toddler Spud. Spud still wanted his Mommy though. I became very skilled at contorting my body in such a way to be able to breastfeed Sweetpea while still cuddling Spud.

Now there are times where I find this dependance on me exasperating. When I leave the room and Spud bursts into tears. Or I hand Sweetpea off to Daddy and she starts to wimper. Sometimes I feel like my personal space is constantly invaded. Who am I kidding though? When you become a mother, you give up all rights to personal space.

It also goes against my parenting philosophy to just put one of my kids down and let them deal with it or work it out. I realize one argument is they need that to become independant. I side with the other side of the argument. I believe that human touch and contact is a need. When my children want to be held, there is also a need to be held. Because of this, I will do what I can to accomodate that need. If I allow them to learn that I am there for them when they need me, they will gain the confidence to venture further out on their own.

Hence the reason I spend so much time with two children attached to me.

It has gotten gradually better though. Since Sweetpea started crawling, she's liking being put down more. And Spud isn't clingy all the time. Mostly when his teeth are hurting, he's tired, or we're in a new place.

And, I consider the fact that they are going to become more and more independant as they get older. Then the day will come when one of them pulls their hand out of mine while we are walking. Or they'll get embarrassed if I hug them in front of their friends.

Suddenly, the cuddles don't seem so clingy. I don't mind so much that Sweetpea needed to be in the wrap to fall asleep. I find it endearing that Spud grabs my hand to put my arm around him.

It's a oft quoted phrase, but they are only little for a short time. I'm going to take my cuddles when I can.

My newest item

So, I haven't been adding alot of new things to my store lately, but the wheels have been turning and I've had some things in the works.

My newest thing: Mini clippies!













I've had people mention that they find the full sized ones too big for little baby heads. I've wanted to do it for a while, but shied away when I found instructions on how to make my own smaller clips. Basically, it said to cut down the regular ones, but be sure to fully line because of the sharp edges! Now, even though I do fully line my clips, that was enough to scare me off.

Until I found a source for little clips! Now, I have these small clips, and they are still safe, and BOY are they ever cute! See the final picture for a size comparison.
Stay tuned for more new items coming in the next few weeks!

Homeschooling

Homeschooling is something I have been giving a lot of thought to lately. Yes, admittedly Spud is not quite 2 yet. Also, given the time of year of his birthday, he will be one of the oldest starting his grade level. So, there is actually 3.5 years until Spud starts School. Sweetpea will be starting one year later.

However, I don't know if it is ever too early to start considering something as important as your child's education. Let's face it, even if they don't attend post secondary, most children will go to school from kindergarten through grade 12, so 13 years of their life. This is more time then many adults spend in a career. I don't think it is ever too early to consider how to approach it.

When we were children, there wasn't alot of thought given on "how to approach" school. You registered your child in their designated school and they attended it. If you were in a city, like we were, maybe you had a choice between public and catholic school. If you were rich, like we weren't, you might have considered private school. Home schooling was only for the kid who was so badly behaved that he got kicked out of school or for the family that was really really religious and didn't want their children exposed to heathen culture.

So I went to regular, public school. And I turned out alright. I had various challenges while attending school, socially, academically, and less often behaviourly. Challenges exist in all aspects of life, so in and of itself, I don't consider this a reason not to enter the school system.

I have 2 main reasons why I am considering homeschooling.

1. I truly believe that the school system is broken.

Really, truly broken. I'm not going to go into detail on the reasons why I believe this right now. (that would be a whole other post... or perhaps a book.) Suffice it to say that I firmly hold this opinion.

Having said that, I think that there are many people that can function well in a broken system, learn to play the games, get what they need academically and come out of it with glowing success. This brings me to my next consideration.

2. I don't think that Spud is one of these people.

Spud already doesn't like to follow the "rules".

I bring the kidlets to a weekly playgroup that meets at a community centre. One of the things that often occurs are group activities.

A few weeks ago the activity was a parachute activity. A group of children very close in age to Spud (some older, some younger) enthusiastically participated in parachute games, waving the parachute, mushrooming it, bouncing balls on it.

Spud ran on top of it. Spud pulled on it. Spud had no interest in following what the rest of the group was doing. I tried to convince Spud to participate in the fun the other children were having. But, Spud was having fun. He was quite happy with his activities. His fun only stopped when I had to pull him away so as not to disrupt the rest of the group.

Now, I realize that Spud is a toddler. It is very early to make large assumptions about how he will function in school based on one activity. However, it is just the biggest example of a tendency that I have been noticing over and over. Spud likes to do things his own way. He likes to explore and discover. If something can't be done, he is going to try to do it so that he understands why it can't be done. I already forsee the inability he will have to believe or do something just because a teacher "says so".

And I don't see this as a bad trait. But, I also don't see it as a trait that works well with conformity. I do think that our school system is all about conformity.

And so, I am considering whether home schooling might be the option that works best for Spud. I will certainly have to consider it all over again once I start seeing how Sweetpea grows up.

This is why toddlers should nap

Because when they refuse to take a nap, they end up falling asleep in undignified positions and their mothers take pictures of them.

Yes, that is a pink sock he is wearing. The boy does not like wearing his own socks, but is obsessed with stealing his sister's socks (sometimes right off her foot) and getting me to help him put them on.

Waiting for mail

Remember when you were a kid and it was always so exciting to get mail? If you were like me, you really only got it once a year, when you had your birthday. As you get older, the thrill of it kind of wears off. You start getting bills and junk. It becomes few and far between that the mail is interesting.

Lately though, mail has become fun for me again. I am almost always waiting for something to be delivered to me. Since discovering etsy and the joy of online shopping, I buy as much online as in person. Right now, I am waiting for: a ribbon order, some books, some infant hats, reusable produce bags, some gifts I ordered off etsy... That's all I can think of right now. Oh, and my husband has a computer thing coming.

So, every day, I anxiously wait for the mail man to come. Then, after going out in the morning, I run to check the mail to see if I have any new goodies. Today I was dissapointed, but the thrill remains.

Then the doorbell rang at around 4:00. A delivery person. Alas, just my husband's computer part.

Perhaps tommorow...

Plastic Bags

So, after my post about going greener, I guess I should follow through and say what I am doing this month. (and I did start it at the beginning of the month).

This month, my family will avoid the use of plastic bags whenever possible.

First are the grocery and shopping bags that are used everywhere. We, like most people, have some reusable bags. The problem is, I am lousy at remembering to bring them with me. So, my plan is simple in this regard. I bring the bags with me. If I don't have them, I stuff whatever I just bought in my diaper bag, or I run out to the car for them. I think I forget them because I can. If I stop viewing as an option to take a plastic bag, it fixes part of the problem right there.

Next are packing up food and leftovers. In all honesty, it is rare that I can't put these things into reusable containers instead. This is an area where I am usually fairly good, but plan to be even more aware of.

The next thing is a purchase that I am pretty excited about. I was considering the countless produce bags that get used and how to deal with that. I figured somebody must have made reusable produce bags and went looking on etsy. I found this:


These are available in a fabulous store: http://FickleFaerie.etsy.com

So, I ordered a bunch of them and can't wait to start using them. They are also based in Canada, which is awesome because it means shipping is quicker and it doesn't go through customs.

While I wait for them to arrive, I am still trying to reduce the use of plastic produce bags. Normally, I put any produce in a bag, and that's silly. If I buy a melon, why does it need a bag? Ditto for a single mango, bunch of bananas or even a couple of one fruit. I even used to put my grapes, which come in a bag, into another bag. Why?

There is one area that I don't think I can stop using bags. Raw meat. I am a little anal about making sure they don't drip or leak, so I will continue using bags for those. Oh yes, and garbage bags. I think those are still a necessary use.

Resolutions

So, as anyone that has known me for long can attest to, I am a chronically late person. I got better for the last year or two before Spud was born. However, if even I can admit that it isn't that hard to get places on time prior to kids, it is hard after. So, I am once again late for almost everything.

Keeping that in mind, it makes sense then that I would be late with resolutions. Having said that, I don't really believe in making "New Year's" resolutions. I believe in making resolutions at a point in time where you are actually ready to change something in your life. So, in that respect, it's okay to be late.

My big resolution right now is to be "greener".

Now, we're not bad. We recycle (some stuff), we compost (but not in the winter), we try to use reusable bags (when we remember). 15 years ago, we would have been considered pretty environmentally conscious. Now, well we're maybe average, but there is lots of room for improvement.

What I plan to do is make one resolution a month regarding the environment. Not necessarily huge things, but things I think I can actually do. In one way, it seems like small things, but if I try to overhaul our entire lives at once, I don't see us sticking to it. If we pick just one thing to change each month, it becomes habit. By the time the next month rolls around, last month's habit has become part of our normal routine and we're ready to add something new.

So, Happy New Year! And, perhaps it will be a greener new year in our house!

A recent photo shoot

So, while these are mostly product shots, there are also some incredibly cute shots of Sweetpea, so I thought it was definitely worth sharing with my loyal blog readers.

Big potato, small potato...

So, I have very good reason to believe that the owner of one of my big "competitors" bought some clippies from me. Now, competitor is in quotation marks because from my perspective we're not really in competition. I sell on etsy and have been doing it for 6 months. My "competitor" has their own site, has been doing it for a couple years, is in stores across the country and probably sells 20 times (or more) the merchandise I do.

I tried to think of the reasons.

Possibility 1: She likes my clippies since they are a bit different then hers and wants to use them on her daughter?

Nope. For the same reason Sweetpea will never have anything in her hair that is not made by me. If someone asks about Sweetpea's clippie, I will tell them to check out Hazel's Zippy Clippies. (link is on the left hand side). Definitely not the reason.


Possibility 2: She wants to copy me?

Not likely. She has a good product and has no reason to copy mine. Besides, anyone with a basic knowledge of how to make hairclips can figure out how mine are made even if it takes practice to do it well. She definitely has a basic knowledge.


Possiblility 3: She thinks I am copying her?

Maybe. But, the idea of making hairclips isn't really that original. So, why buy mine when there are hundreds of other people on the internet making them? Besides, even if I was copying her (which I'm not), she doesn't have a patent on anything so she can't do anything about it.

Possibility 4: Scoping out the competition?

Maybe. But again, it comes back to the why, and remember, I'm little, she's big. There are TONNES of little people selling clippies on the internet.


Regardless of the reason, the thing I keep coming back to is: why would she bother? I'm small potatoes. And she is definitely a big potato. Having said that, she is a very smart business woman and a marketing genius. So, perhaps she does have a reason.

Ultimately, regardless of her reason, I have concluded one thing:

Either I'm bigger potatoes then I think I am, or more likely, she thinks I'm bigger potatoes then I am.

I sold the swing :(

Yesterday evening, I sold our rainforest swing.

We bought the swing when Spud was about a month old and I often wished we had bought it sooner. He loved it. I could pop him in there for a few minutes of hands-free time. When he wouldn't take a nap, the swing was often what convinced him. I also have memories of his 3 am awake times when I would pop him in the swing. I would drowsily look on while he would babble and coo.

Sweetpea? Well, not so much. Sweetpea tried to sit up in it and would tip hersef towards the side within a month and a half. She might tolerate it for 5 minutes before screaming to get out.

So, it was time to sell it. Sweetpea never really took to it that well and Spud is obviously too big for it. It is a popular swing with a good resale value, so we got a good price on it. I should be happy, right?

While I am happy, it is with mixed feelings. I have no particular attachment to the swing itself, but rather to what it represents. This is the first baby item we are getting rid of. One of the big ticket items we bought for Spud and then kept for a future sibling. Getting rid of it means that Sweetpea is growing up. And it means we are not having another baby.

It isn't even that I want another baby. I am quite happy with my two munchkins and I have that feeling of completeness when I look at my family. That feeling that this is how my family is supposed to be. But, there is something about little babies and knowing that while I may hold somebody else's, I will never have a little newborn of my own again.

Anyways, the swing went to a very nice couple who is expecting their first in a few days. Hopefully their new baby will enjoy it as much as Spud and more then Sweetpea.

I have a website!

Okay, so right now, it just has a few pictures and a link to my etsy store. But, my fabulous husband has begun the work of setting up my website. Check it out at: http://HazelsZippyClippies.com

Eventually, I will be moving everything in my etsy store to my website. That eventuality may be many months away though, so for now, feel free to continue shopping in my etsy store.

I have an admission to make

Even though I sell them, I have often said that I don't actually like headbands on babies. I've said I think they look silly. Now, either I have changed my opinion, or I never really thought it through, because I have to say that this is one of the cutest things ever:

(in my opinion as a completely unbiased mother.)

Canada Post - I don't hate you quite as much

So, if you have read my blog for long, or know me well enough to have seen my facebook status, you will know I have often professed a hatred for Canada post. For once, I am not too annoyed with them.

The new category of mail, "irregular oversized lettermail", did not end up getting introduced after all. This would have put me in a position of possibly having to double my shipping rates. Since it has not gone through, I am able to keep them where they are. So, I can continue to compete with American sellers who have more reasonable shipping.

As long as it is still under 2 cm thick...

(I didn't say I had totally forgiven Canada post. Just that I didn't hate them as much.)

Seat sales bug me!

So, I am trying to plan a trip to Ontario for this spring to visit family. Booking the flight is just plain annoying. I wish airlines could just set the fare and then if they have sales, it is off of the fare they set. Oh, and please be at least a little predictable in your sales.

Last week, I was looking at tickets and Westjet had an ad saying "50% off flights booked by January 5!" What a good deal, right? I thought so, and had every intention of booking. (they actually had the same sale the week before, supposedly ending in the new year.) Anyways, January 6 comes along and darn it! I forgot to book and missed the sale. When I go look on their site, the tickets are supposedly still on a seat sale, but about $50 more each.

Then today, I look and it says "40% off flights booked by January 14." Okay, not as good a sale, I think. But, since I missed the last one, I should consider this one. After all, it might only go up from here on in. Then I look, and the tickets are cheaper then when they were 50% off!

Okay, admittedly I am not a seasoned traveller, having taken less then a dozen flights in my life. But, shouldn't a 50% off sale be better then a 40% off sale? Why do they have to put us in the position of feeling pressured to buy, yet afraid to buy, always wondering if a better deal will come up? I just want to know what to expect people!

Okay, rant done. I think I may just have to buy my tickets this week and then stop looking so that I will never know if the tickets get cheaper yet. If anyone knows the magic formula to this, please let me know.

(While I am speaking of westjet, I believe this annoying phenomenon occurs with most airlines.)

2008

So, we have now entered 2009, but before blogging about that, I would like to take a moment to look back at the highlights of 2008.

2008 was a big year for my family and I. My little boy turned one and my little girl was born. My sister and brother in law came back to Canada to visit not just once, but twice. I experienced my final pregnancy and started a new chapter of my life. I officially became a stay at home mother when my maternity leave ran out without me returning to work. Then, I started a small business selling hair clippies which gave me a creative outlet, something I hadn't even realized I needed.

I learned more about myself and my style of parenting. I successfully breastfed and continued to breastfeed Sweetpea and finally forgave myself for stopping with Spud. I admitted that I am "one of those people" and embraced the label of an attachment parent.

As a person, I am constantly evolving and changing. I feel like, since becoming a mother, I am seeing new sides of myself I never realized existed. Now, the challenge becomes: how to embrace the mother in myself while still maintaining my sense of self? My children are the centre of my world and being a mother is integral to that, but I am still a woman, an artist, a hiker, a knitter, a gardener, and so much more.

Bring on 2009!

Toddler's Creed

(I didn't write this myself, but came across it on a forum. It pretty much describes my world right now, so I thought I would repost it. I should really add something about climbing though...)

The Toddler’s Creed

If it is on, I must turn it off.
If it is off, I must turn it on.
If it is folded, I must unfold it.
If it is a liquid, it must be shaken, then spilled.
If it a solid, it must be crumbled, chewed or smeared.
If it is high, it must be reached.
If it is shelved, it must be unshelved.
If it is pointed, it must be run with at top speed.
If it has leaves, they must be picked.
If it is plugged, it must be unplugged.
If it is not trash, it must be thrown away.
If it is in the trash, it must be removed, inspected, and thrown on the floor.
If it is closed, it must be opened.
If it does not open, it must be screamed at.
If it has drawers, they must be rifled.
If it is a pencil, it must write on the refrigerator, monitor, or table.
If it is full, it will be more interesting emptied.
If it is empty, it will be more interesting full.
If it is a pile of dirt, it must be laid upon.
If it is stroller, it must under no circumstances be ridden in without protest. It must be pushed by me instead.
If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.
If Mommy's hands are full, I must be carried.
If Mommy is in a hurry and wants to carry me, I must walk alone.
If it is paper, it must be torn.
If it has buttons, they must be pressed.
If the volume is low, it must go high.
If it is toilet paper, it must be unrolled on the floor.
If it is a drawer, it must be pulled upon.
If it is a toothbrush, it must be inserted into my mouth.
If it has a faucet, it must be turned on at full force.
If it is a phone, I must talk to it.
If it is a bug, it must be swallowed.
If it doesn't stay on my spoon, it must be dropped on the floor.
If it is not food, it must be tasted.
If it is food, it must not be tasted.
If it is dry, it must be made wet with drool, milk, or toilet water.
If it is a carseat, it must be protested with an arched back.
If it is Mommy (or Daddy), it must be hugged.
I am toddler!