I’ve always been big on celebrations, up until recently.  In a span of 2 weekends I had 6 birthday parties to attend.  Yes, I know I had a choice and could have said no, however I do it for the kids.   Yes, it’s all about the kids.  Yes, the kids.   

It’s great to see the kids running around having fun at these birthday parties.  All the parents thinking the same things, “it’s better here then at home” and “yes, that’s good go ahead and tire yourselves out”.    

In theory it may seem like a great idea to have your kids get tuckered out at a birthday party and then when they get home they will be too tired to act up. Unfortunately for me this usually back fires.  

There are a few things going against us.  First of all, do your kids really eat a good meal at a birthday party?  Not mine!  It’s bad enough that I have trouble feeding them on a regular basis but try getting your kid to eat at a birthday party, it just isn’t going down.

Second, The Cake.  Can you imagine the amount of sugar in that piece of cake that your kid is eating?  I would gestimate that it would be more then enough sugar to fill a cavity.

Third, The Candy.  Now my kids love to go through the loot bags before leaving the party.  Luck has it there usually is something good and sweet in the bag. 

So after the party is over and all the fun has ended, my kids get that last surge of energy from the sugar.  Yes they are wound up like the energizer bunny and there’s no stopping them now. “They keep going and going and going”!

It takes us a while to get them into the car and buckled into their seats.  Finally we get them strapped in and we start the car and are headed for home, they crash.   Yes the sugar rush has peaked and dropped, now they are down for the count. 

The question is, do we wake them up when we get home or do we let them sleep? Either way we are doomed!  You wake them up they are going to be irritable and cranky.  You let them sleep and they will be up all night!

I’ve been humming and haaaing about what to do for my kids birthdays. So, what am I ing to do to celebrate?  Well you lucky parents guess what? It’s payback time!

If you are smart, you will have your child’s birthday party at an indoor playcentre which also hosts birthday parties.   Visit MomsofMississauga.com for your links to Alpha’s Discovery Club and Pippi’s World Indoor Play Centres.

Living in the suburbs we often rely on our cars too much.   I know that not everyone owns a car, however I must say that those who don’t are at an advantage when it comes to longevity.  Those who don’t have cars do a lot more walking than those of us who do, and according to Deepak Chopra’s book Ageless Body, Timeless Mind you can extend your life by simply walking.

After my first child was born a group of women and I used to get together for walks at Jack Darling Park.  Once my second child was born I found that I had no time for walks. It seemed that I spent most of my time in the car driving  my older daughter to her school and activities, with the youngest one in tow. My husband and I occasionally took walks in the winter along the waterfront trail, but those days were few and  far between.

Now that spring is here I look forward to going for long walks with our family and meeting all the friendly, happy people along the way.  I look forward to joining the group of women who have formed walking clubs in our area, and perhaps I will shed the insulation that has accumulated over the winter.  I  also look forward to seeing the buds on the trees, tulips in bloom, the sound of the birds chirping, and the green grass beginning to appear but most of all I look forward to experiencing  all the splendour of spring with my family and friends.

If you are tired of spending most of your time indoors, especially if you are a new mother, I highly recommend that you  get outdoors with your infant, it will do you and your child some good.  If you don’t want to do it on your own join a group of women or form your own group and get walking!

You will be amazed at how good you feel and  your baby will probably sleep better with all the fresh air. 

If you have an existing walking group and are looking for other Moms to join you, or if you are interested in joining a walking group send us an email or visit Moms of Mississauga online.

We will be pleased to add your group to our website or help connect you to  the nearest walking group in your area.  

I have a few breastfeeding stories that I find hilarious.  You may or may not find it as funny as I do so I will let you be the judge.

Optometrist Visit

Just recently I decided I needed to change my eye glasses.  So I took my kids with me to get my eyes checked.  This place was great, I had an instant babysitter the moment I walked in and they really took care of me.  So while an employee entertained my kids, I was able to have my eyes tested.  While my oldest played with the toys in their treasure chest, my youngest decided to join me in the middle of my test.   As I was sitting on the chair with that big contraption at my face my daughter indicated that she wanted to nurse and she wasn’t going to wait for anyone.

So I said, “please excuse me” and quickly picked her up, put her on my lap and nursed her as I was getting my eyes tested.  It was really a sight to be seen and quite comical.  Some may think that it’s rude, however I believe breastfeeding is natural and I saved the Optometrist the agony of hearing a piercing cry from a hungry baby. 

We’d love to hear about your funny experiences with your kids or your comments about my experience. 

 Stay tuned for more funny experiences, there is more to come!!!!

How to enjoy yourself despite the cold. 

1. Dress Warmly

2. Particpate in a winter sport such as skating, downhill skiing, cross   country skiing, snowboarding, sledding.

3. Snow angels

4. Build a snowman

5. Snowball fight

6. Warm up to a nice cup of hot chocolate with marshmallows

7. Rent a chalet or cottage with your family and friends

8. Sit by a warm fireplace and read a book

9. Snuggle with your kids & loved one

10. Take a winter trip south

11. Visit an indoor play centre, OEYC, or Readiness Centre

12. Go to the movies

Find the child in you -  If you need some inspiration

Check out this newsletter article

www.momsofmississauga.com/newsletter11.html

BR Travel

Mississauga Arenas

Indoor Play Centres

If you have anymore ideas, feel free to add them.

 Organizing a picnic can be a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be.

 Here are a few tips to make your picnic go smoothly.

1. If you don’t mind paying money for a park permit, call and reserve your spot early.  There are advantages to paying for a permit vs just showing up on the day of the picnic and hoping to find a great picnic area.
2. In the summer people often book their weekends quickly.  If you want a good turn out invite them a month before the picnic date.
3. Have a potluck picnic where you ask everyone to bring something or have a catered BBQ and divide the costs per family.
4. You can find age appropriate picnic games on the internet.  Try to get everyone involved. 
5. Make a check list the night before to ensure that you have everything that you need. 
6. Get as much help as possible.   
7. Arrive early to set up the area. 
8. Take some time to enjoy yourself the day of the picnic.
9. Don’t forget to ask for clean up help.

My first child was born in the hospital with my husband and mother-in-law by my side. I had an OB-GYN throughout my pregnancy and I was familiar with Doulas but opted to have my mother- in-law present for the birth of our first child. Although my husband and his mother were great support after 23 hours of labour, they were tired and wanted to  see me out of pain so they encouraged the epidural (my preference was to not have an epidural).

My second child was born in the hospital with my husband and my Doula Tara Harkin by my side. I went with the midwives of Peel this time and really liked the extra time spent with appointments and  the additional encouragement when I was in Labour (I did not want to have an epidural). 

My doula experience was great.  Tara met my husband and I at the hospital, escorted us to where my midwives were, provided me with ice chips, a damp towel to wipe the perspiration off my forehead, a candy to suck on, comfort measures to relieve the pressure, and extra encouragement to get me through each contraction until my baby girl was born.

Both birth experiences were beautiful because the end result was the birth of my children. If I had to choose one birth experience over the other I would definitely go with a Doula again. 

If you haven’t considered a Labour Doula, here is why you should:

A Labour Doula is someone who can assist you through your Labour.  They are usually trained to act as your advocate, help create a birth plan so that you have an idea of your preferences for the birth of your child, provide you with comfort measures to help you through labour contractions, provide reassurrance to you and your partner, and help you
make informed choices.

A labour Doula does not replace your partner or your medical practitioner.

Are you considering a Labour Doula, and was this information helpful?

Doula Services

DoulaCare Association

Cappa Canada

Gentle Care Doula Services

Heart to Hand Doula Services

The great thing about Splash Pads are you don’t have any stagnant water, they don’t require any supervision by a public worker (therefore you don’t have to wait for a park staff person to open it), and the city and us tax payers save money (don’t have to pay someone to supervise).

If you’re looking for a place to cool down and chill out check out one of these splash pad locations in Mississauga.

SPLASH PADS IN MISSISSAUGA  

Where’s your favourite place to cool down?  

I received an email from someone I know and she mentioned that she’s had to stay home for personal reasons. I quote the ending note of her email “although I am stepping out once in a while, to preserve my mental health!!!”

I know exactly what she means. My youngest has had a temperature on Sunday that lasted up until Wednesday. Along with being her Mom, I played nurse 24/7 for a total of 72 hours. I am still breastfeeding my 14 month old, and when a child who is not feeling well needs comfort they go to the boob. So I played milk maid for 24/7 for a total of 72 hours. Not that I’m prone to complaining (my husband may disagree) but when you have two children hanging off your body for 3 days, that’s when you need a TIME OUT!!!!

You’ll be happy to know that I’m out of jail today! You know that you need a time out when you start to feel like you’re a prisoner in your own home! What shall I do today? Kids in tow!

When do you feel like you need a time out?