Mom Central.....Canada

Mom Central now has a Canadian site and they have kindly asked me to let you know all about it. I spent some time browsing the site this weekend and found it to be filled with information.



The purpose of Mom Central is to be a "one stop resource dedicated to providing busy moms with smart household and parenting solutions" and a place where "Moms can trust they'll find helpful information they need to make their lives easier." Well, who couldn't use that, I say?



The tagline of their site reads "When mothers talk, great things happen." I have found that to be so true. Whether it is with family and friends, co-workers, or friends I've made in the blogging world, just hearing that other mothers struggle with the same things I do is a huge relief. Maybe I'm not totally screwing up my kids for life! When I complain about my teenagers and their totally random and sometimes unreasonable behaviour, it's comforting to hear another Mom say the same things are happening in her house too. Hearing about things that have or have not worked for them can give you the strength to take a deep breath and face another day. And let's just admit it - when I hear some stories that make my life seem like a breeze, I realize maybe I shouldn't be such a whiner and should show a lot more gratitude for the blessings in my life.



Mom Central has info on things we all can relate to. Planning a vacation with your kids, trying to save money, relationships, food, shopping, the environment, book reviews, and the list goes on. They also have a Testing and Survey Panel you can join. You get the opportunity to give your opinion on products you love and the ones that you think are a waste of time and money. You can also win free stuff, and come on..who wouldn't want that? Anyone who signs up now gets entered to win one of these babies -




I'm personally hoping I win the really nice blue one.


Go check it out and get entered to win the Canon Camera.


(Another plus, someone really wants to hear my opinion - good or bad. Doesn't happen with teenagers, that's for sure!)


It's only for Canadians this time. I feel special.

Speak Up

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a tendency to stick my foot in my mouth on a fairly regular basis. I seem to blurt out all sorts of uncensored thoughts and opinions and then wonder "Was that my out loud voice? Oh, shit." It's like there is no pause switch between my brain and my mouth. I think it - therefore it automatically comes out. This is not always a good thing as you can imagine. Afterwards, I can sit and list dozens of ways I could have handled people and situations better and perhaps not been quite so fancy and free with the comments, ya know?

In some situations though, this has served me well. Sometimes, just opening your mouth and letting it fly can be very good for your sanity. And for your hostility towards an ex-husband. Just saying. I am regularly the one who says what everyone else in the room is thinking but too afraid to say. I figure if we are all thinking it, why not just get it out in the open? For the most part, you can see the relief in people's eyes that someone actually brought it up. Others roll their eyes and think "Here we go again," I am sure. Whatever. I am also the one who will acknowledge the elephant in the room that others are tip-toeing around. I've never seen the point in that. We all know it's there, do we not?

When I have too much time to think of what I want to say, I can obsess and stress myself right into speechlessness or anxiety attacks. Or I can censor myself from saying the things I really want to say. Things I really need to say. Repressed comments or opinions get bottled up and cause a lot of stress and resentment, which generally leads to a major explosion at some unrelated point down the road. Which causes the other people involved to look at you like you are a crazy person, when you know damn well you do so have a valid reason to be angry.

I have passed this trait down to my son. In fact, he may have gotten the point just a little too well, as that boy has never filtered one single thought coming out of his head. Ever. However, you will always know exactly where you stand with him and what he thinks about any given situation or person. He does not let others intimidate him - except for the occasional beautiful girl, which has been known to make him stutter and lose the power of speech altogether. Coupled with his excellent sense of humour, he is generally the life of any party and always guaranteed for some laughs. I love this about him.

My daughter, on the other hand, has not learned this skill yet. Except when it comes to arguing with her mother - then she has no problem letting me have it. ( A whole other issue for another day and post. ) This girl will generally let people walk all over her. I believe she feels like it's not worth it to argue most of the time and does not want to engage in confrontation where, God forbid, someone's feelings might get hurt. The horror!! I worry about her standing up for herself out in the world next year and letting others be aware that she has wants and needs as well.

If we could combine a little of my daughter's sensitivity with my son's exuberance, and temper it with a little of my well earned wisdom - we might actually end up with one person who manages to act appropriately and speak thoughtfully in any given situation.

And keep their foot out of their mouth.

Weekend Pics

It was hot and sunny this weekend, for the first time in a long long time. Of course, today it is cool and has rained all day long, so it's a good thing we got out and enjoyed it. Here's some random pics from our weekend. I'm definitely not claiming to be a professional photographer, by any means!
My sister and her new baby Lacey. She is the most beautiful and gentle shepherd, who has a serious problem taking direction at this point in time. This is the longest she sat still all day.

She is just dying to run.

My sister's horses.

This is Chuck.

My ferns actually started to open and grow!

Lola, lounging in the backyard.

How could you not love that face?

Tulips make me happy.

And that's about it. Just so nice for the snow to finally be gone, see some new life and new colors, and be able to be outside without 3 layers of clothing.

If It Doesn't Kill You....

My last post was February 19th!! 3 months of my life have disappeared in the blink of an eye it seems. While I wish I could say I've been too busy having the time of my life to even think of putting something down here, I can't. I'd like to, but it wouldn't be true at all.

So, what's been going on?

In one word - life.

The crazy, busy, messed up, overwhelming, stressful,worrisome, let shit get inside your head 'til it fries your brain kind of life.

Here's a brief rundown of the happenings around here lately:

1. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital at the end of February. Tried to avoid it with every ounce of my being but lost that battle and just couldn't. I waved the white flag of surrender and gave in. Too much stress, not enough coping. Fuck, I hate February!

2. Kid 2 had a miserable breakup with the boyfriend and a major breakdown about her life in general. Too much stress, not enough coping, and a one week stay at an adolescent treatment centre which was 2 hours away from our home. Which meant Mom had to be there and available. Which meant Mom had to miss more work after just getting out of the hospital and being away for 2 weeks. And Mom had to pay for a hotel and gas and food, etc. I also had to pretend I was a completely stable parent who was able to cope and be there 100% for her kid. I tried, although I'm pretty sure I wasn't fooling anyone there.

3. Gary still unemployed and getting passed over for job after job.Not a happy camper. Lack of money equals major stress and some very short tempers. Which also equals thinking Oh my God, what the hell have I gotten myself into and why are you living in my house?

4. Kid 1 going through some sort of something that I'm still not sure about. I'm fairly sure it had to do with a girl in one way or another though. And money, and debt, and problems with his living situation. As he put it, when he finally got his head out of his ass, "I've been a poor excuse for a human being lately." Well, yeah, a little bit, but hey, we're glad you're coming around.

5. Major goings on at work. New people believing change is the answer, old people liking things the way they have always been and don't mess with it, thank you very much. Power struggles, control issues, this side against that side, whispering in every corner. New boss who is so far in over her head she doesn't know what day it is, let alone try to be in control. Please, I've been to junior high and have no wish to relive it every day at the office. Let me do my job and go home in peace, for God's sake!

6. Gary getting a job. You'd think this would be a great big YAHOO wouldn't you? Well, it would be if he actually liked said job. I wonder, is it worse to be at home and unemployed or have a job that kills your soul a little bit each day? Standing by and watching it is not an easy thing. Feeling responsible because he left the city and moved to the middle of nowhere for you isn't easy either.

7. Dad having heart problems and undergoing angioplasty to repair more blocked arteries. Worrisome enough all on its' own. Having bleeding that could not be stopped for an hour after the operation and the fear of losing him - gnaw your fingernails to the bone worry.


Those are the major highlights.

There is more I'm sure, but it's all kind of a blur now. Some things are best forgotten anyway. The good news is that I have learned a great deal about myself and spent a lot of time examining me and my life and my choices. Put some things behind me and saw some things ahead of me.

And I survived....... yet again.