Summer Peas Please

Do you lie to your kids? Little white ones or big whoppers?

We get psyched up for Santa and over the summer I couldn’t bring myself to explain why kitty made a hasty exit. He now excitedly points out our cat every time we pick berries at the berry farm.

I have swapped out yam fries for potato ones. When he suspiciously sniffed at them I told him they were coloured orange for Halloween. He wouldn’t eat baked yams so they became Christmas potatoes. Dried cranberries became Santa raisins. And the list goes on.

He is determined to find the eyes on the back of my head and regularly tests them by asking me to read the clock without turning around.

And when he and a friend painted their faces green on a playdate (yep, on my watch) with neither willing to confess who did what, the threat of rewinding the video tape had them folding faster than lawn chairs.

I thought about this last night as I tucked my sweet little kindergartener into bed after I just finished pulling the latest wool over his eyes at dinner.

He hates peas. Always has. As a baby trying the smashed peas for the first time, he made gagging sounds, screwed up his face and yelled. Was not happy with mama at all. It was a pretty honest reaction that hasn’t changed in the last 5 years. If a lone, solitary little pea found its way stuck to his steamed carrots, he would angrily point at it and demand it be removed. If one was hidden within a bite of stew or pot pie he would start heaving and spit it out. Very attractive. Since the child eats lots of veggies and eats them well we never pushed the peas.  Last night as I mashed up steamed carrots and peas for his baby brother, the latter of which we ensured was nowhere near the vicinity of my older son’s plate, he asked if his brother likes peas. We told him his brother loves summer peas because they are sweet and yummy. Our older son contemplates this and says he doesn’t like peas (we know) but maybe he has never tried summer peas. You could just tell he was itching to try it but had to save kindergarten face as he has refused these quite steadfastly for a long time. I put one on his plate and pretended not to watch. He ate it. No icky face. Hmmm.. I put one more single pea on his plate and he ate that. I asked if he wanted more and he said a couple spoonfuls would be good. Then he ate spoonfuls of them while my husband and I covered our smirks. He announced he likes summer peas but not those winter ones. Good to know. He later asked me to ring our favourite turkey store to ask them to only put summer peas in their turkey pies. Right, gotcha. I think I may need to start writing these down…..

So back to my question…. do you?

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Contributor:

Sam is a busy mom of 2 boys sharing her mommy-isms.

@samorjj

January 30th, 2012

Announcing: Mommies N Munchkins Baby & Family Fair!

We are excited to announce that we are one of the sponsors of the Mommies n Munchkins Baby & Family Fair!

This new annual event will take place on April 15th, 2012 in Langley and will feature businesses and services geared towards new and expecting families. This wonderful event is a not for profit event to support the CKNW Orphans Fund. Be sure to mark the date on your calendar and come by to support some fabulous Lower Mainland businesses and the CKNW Orphans fund!

January 23rd, 2012

Kids Matter Provides Real Results for Autism and ADHD

Millions of children in North America are diagnosed with things like autism and ADHD, but a therapy being offered at Kids Matter Inc. is helping many of those families.  Integrated Listening Systems combines a listening therapy with visual and balancing games. Doctors say that combination allows the brain to make new connections and improving brain function.  It is an enjoyable activity, or “exercise,” which can be customized for all ages and skill levels.

“When our son Joseph was diagnosed with Autism, we were crushed. Without losing a moment, we researched the web and found many resources for ourselves and for our son. After employing numerous solutions from nutritional supplements to dietary restrictions to neurological retraining exercises to behavioural modifications, we stumbled onto iLs. After Joseph’s first intensive, his receptive language increased dramatically as did the quality and quantity of his vocalizations. By his third booster, words started to pop out, his eye contact was perfect and he was now a listener!  This program has been nothing short of miraculous for our family. It has returned our son to us and given him the ability to achieve his full human potential.” S.R. Danton, parent.

Using music, iLs stimulates multitasking in the brain. The therapy is based on the concept of neuroplasticity, “which is the ability of the brain to change its function, its organization, its growth and make new neuro connections in response to sensory input,” said Dr. Ron Minson, who helped identify the benefits of combining auditory stimulation with occupational therapy. He said the applications of iLs are numerous.  “We know (attention deficit disorder), autism, learning disabilities, sensory processing disorders, attention, concentration, all of these are issues that require optimal brain function,” Minson said.  The design of iLs programs is based around the listening component. Each product has a specific listening schedule, into which the balance and visual activities are included. These “integrating” activities comprise 15-20 minutes of each listening session, and are explained in a Playbook which accompanies each product.

Although ASD varies significantly in character and severity, it occurs in all ethnic and socioeconomic groups and affects every age group.  Some sources estimate that one child out of every 80 will have ASD. Males are four times more likely to have an ASD than females. iLs appears to be an answer to many prayers from parents and families.

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Contributor:

Kids Matter Inc.

Since 1995, Kids Matter Inc. has been supporting and guiding families in British Columbia, Alberta and California, with ASD, Anxiety Disorders, FASD, OCD, ADD & ADHD.  Located in Abbotsford, Kids Matter provides therapy, intervention and programs like RDI (Relationship Development Intervention), Social Skills programs, Service Coordination, Advocacy and Spring/Summer Camps.  Funding for programs is available for those who qualify.

For more information visit their WEBSITE  or call toll free 1-877-897-0633, local 604-746-4331.

Follow them on Twitter @kidsmatter_inc

January 16th, 2012

Cry It Out

So as I write this, my hubby is on a boy’s trip and I am home with the little boys. Not that I mind…. huge king bed to starfish on, tea after the boys go to bed and all the girly TV I can handle. But I have also decided to make good use of the separation time with a little sleep training. See… I sleep like a rock. A cannon could go off in our room and I wouldn’t stir. I have been known to nap at speedways sans the earplugs and even fell asleep on a cooler. My hubby, on the other hand, will wake to the sound of a butterfly floating by. I roll over one too many times and he gets up the next morning looking like he tied one on.

Our first son takes after me in the sleep department. Slept through the night at 6 weeks and took naps on a tight schedule. At a year and a half he would take his blanket, walk into his room and rattle the bars of his crib to be lifted in. We thought we were amazing parents. We weren’t. It was just him. We learnt this when we had our second baby. Cute as the dickens. Super quick to smile. And has something against sleep. We went through what I can only describe as colic, irregular naps and waking up all night long.

So at 8 1/2 months, while hubby is away, I decided to try CIO. For the acronym challenged that stands for ‘Cry it out’. (The only other acronym I know is ‘lol’ so don’t feel bad if you weren’t on top of this one!) Now before the readers separate into the ‘tough love’ and the ‘you horrible mother’ camps, understand that I have tried almost everything. Feeding on demand (every 90 minutes), pick him up right away, don’t pick him up right away, too cold, too hot, soother (he refused it) and so on. I have read Dr, Weissbluth, Dr. Spock, Dr. Suess. Tried them all too. So since my older son can also sleep through anything, I am typing this to the sound of crying at 2am. I figure I will give it an hour…..

I gave it 2 hours. Apparently my baby didn’t read the books. I caved. So the next night I went in at the first peep to pat his back and soothe him to sleep. Fed him at the second wake up but not the third. The following night he slept through the night. I have no idea what I did or didn’t do to make this happen. Of course this was also the night my 5 yr old woke up with his very first nightmare.

One day I will look back at this and giggle I am sure. Right now I am just going to take a nap.

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Contributor:

Sam is a busy mom of 2 boys sharing her mommy-isms.

@samorjj

January 9th, 2012

FEATURED EVENT: Sportball FREE Family Fan Fest!

 

January 9, 5:00pm-7:30pm

Sullivan Heights Secondary – 6248 144th Street, Surrey BC

We would like to invite you and your family to Sportball Lower Mainland’s FREE FAMILY FANFEST at Sullivan Heights Secondary School in Surrey. Have a night out and enjoy some free family fun including your favourite Sportball games! There will be free food, games, and prizes for everyone and each child will go home with a loot bag full of cool stuff! Please come back for more updates!! BE SURE TO RSVP TODAY FOR A CHANCE TO WIN!!! CLICK HERE
  • Surrey Eagles and WINGER will be in attendance of the event!
  • Come try out the amazing STRIDER TYKE BIKE. Kids as young as 19 months have been able to ride this bike in only a couple attempts!
  • Snack on some free yummy dessert tarts by ABC Country Restaurant!
  • Bouncy castle fun brought to you by Sportball!
  • DJ Equipment sponsored by Absolute DJS
  • HighTouch HighTech Science Made Fun BC

January 9, 5:00pm-7:30pm  | Sullivan Heights Secondary – 6248 144th Street, Surrey BC   

January 5th, 2012

Events in 2012!

With 2011 behind us we are looking forward to some amazing events in 2012! Here is a short list of “Save the Dates” for you to look forward to!

January 9th, 2012 Sportball FREE Family Fanfest!

Be sure to RSVP to be eligible for the GRAND PRIZE, FREE SPORTBALL FOR A YEAR FOR YOU AND A FRIEND PLUS A SPORTBALL BIRTHDAY PARTY!

Time: 5:00pm-7:30pm 
Location:   Sullivan Heights Secondary – 6248 144th Street, Surrey BC
MORE INFO: http://tiny.cc/FanFest2

January 21st, 2012 Royal City Kids Fair

This is an entirely FREE event, and we welcome all families — expectant parents, new parents, and seasoned ones alike! Bring the kids — this is as much for them as it is for you!

Time:9am- 5pm
Location:Sapperton Hall in New Westminster, BC
MORE INFO: www.royalcitykids.com

April 28th, 2012 Once Upon a Belly

Admission is by donation benefiting Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. Be sure to register!

Time: 11am-4pm
Location: Roundhouse Community Centre- 181 Roundhouse Mews, Vancouver BC
MORE INFO: http://www.onceuponabelly.com/

MAY 5th, 2012 Parental Guidance Conference

This is the first parenting Conference of it’s kind in the Lower Mainland! Be sure to get your tickets early!

Time: 10am-5pm
Location: Douglas College David Lam Campus- 1250 Pinetree Way Coquitlam, BC
MORE INFO: www.parentalguidanceconference.ca
 

MAY 6th, 2012 Bellies to Babies Celebration

Admission is by Donation to Basics for Babies

Time: 11am- 4pm
Location: Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive, Vancouver Auditorium I, Main Level
MORE INFO: www.belliestobabiescelebration.com
January 5th, 2012

10 Favorite Causes of 2011

Looking back over the year past we were lucky enough to meet and work with some fascinating people with big hearts and amazing goals to help others. It was an honor to be able to help in any way possible and we look forward to working with these great organizations again in the coming years!

  1.  Surrey Christmas Bureau, this organization is close to my heart. It hurts me to think of all of the children in our own backyard who may not have a Christmas at all without the help of the Christmas Bureau. I was lucky enough to go and tour the facility with my son (who has a whole lot to be grateful for)that was being used as their headquarters this past Christmas and learn about the behind the scenes operations and all of the hard work that the volunteers put in to make Christmas special for so many families. While they accomplish  lot each year it is never enough to meet the demand. If you can help out in 2012 please do, they are happy to accept all donations and even have a used goods store on site where they are always looking for shoes, womens/mens clothing and other items in good used condition.
  2. Samaritans Purse: Operation Christmas Child. I was introduced to this fantastic program through my sons school this past Christmas and we loved every minute of our involvement! This was a great family project we all worked on together filling shoe boxes to send over to Africa. The whole school took part in the project and provided shoebox gifts to kids who have never known Christmas.
  3. Canadian Cancer Society.What can I say about the Canadian Cancer Society? Almost everyone I know has been touched by cancer in some way and that is likely the case for you as well. There has been a lot of loss due to cancer in my family and I’ve witnessed first hand the devastating effects Cancer can have on a person even after they’ve undergone treatments. It’s the dedicated and caring staff and volunteers at the Cancer Agency that kept us going through the tough times and the Canadian Cancer Society needs our support to continue to search for a cure and provide the programs to help those who need support.
  4. Autism BC is another cause that I believe in very strongly. There are too many children being diagnosed with Autism these days and we need to show our support for the programs that are there to assist the kids and their families. Autism is the beneficiary of our Spring Fundraiser each year and we hope to continue to grow the support we have gotten thus far! Thank you for your support and if you are interested in being involved in 2012 contact us!
  5. Langley Child Development Centre serves families with children who have special needs in Langley City and Township.Langley Child Development Centre is a not-for-profit organization formed by parents and professionals in June 1975. The Society has grown from its original one room preschool serving 15 children to include over 800 children and youth, aged from birth to 19 years. They offer several programs and host annual events to benefit the children they help. Be sure to visit the Annual Langley Toy & Product Fair to show your support in 2012!
  6. Tuna 4 Training was a great campaign started by Catherine Dawn, owner of FloMotion Fitness and Yoga Studio, after she heard the news that seniors in her very own White Rock neighborhood were starving or eating cat food because they couldn’t afford to buy groceries. Read about more about Tuna 4 Training here!
  7. Canuck Place Children’s Hospice has long been a favorite organization to support. Before the birth of children and the having my world taken over by career and family commitments  I used to spend my Sunday afternoons volunteering at the Hospice. Something I plan to resume again in the near future! Canuck Place has a number of events and programs that require volunteers throughout the year, if you have some time click here to volunteer! Canuck Place will be the beneficiary of the upcoming Once Upon a Belly Show as well, go check it out and support a great cause!
  8. Matthew’s House is an organization that will provide respite for children with life-limiting disabilities. It is the first of its kind in Abbotsford as, within a campus of care, it offers children a safe, welcoming place where they can stay, while allowing their parents time to rest. It will offer long and short term respite based on the needs of individuals and their families.
  9. Ronald McDonald House BC is a safe, secure home-away-from-home where out-of-town families with seriously ill children can stay while their children receive medical treatment in Vancouver at BC Children’s Hospital.For over 25 years, Ronald McDonald House BC (RMH BC) has been providing accommodation for seriously ill children and their families.
  10. From one Family to Another is a local organization formed to help out families in the Lower Mainland who are in need. Whether they have lost their home to fire, lost their belongings to robbery or are just going through a tough time they are there to help. They have various drop off locations around the Lower Mainland and are always in need of donations to assist families in need.Find our more about them on Facebook.

There are so many worthy organizations and causes we would love to help them all!

If you want to shine a spotlight on an organization or individual in your community who is helping others please let us know! We would love to feature them in our monthly “GIVING BACK” post! Use the Contact us tab at the top of the page or click here.

January 4th, 2012

Remembering our Friends 2011

2011 was a year of goodbyes for some of our favorite local businesses. Here is a look back on friends who closed their doors.

Baby Cheeks

You Pillows

Toots N Tots, but have no fear! Maggie is still around with her gorgeous designs at Maxwell Designs!

Bouncing Babies (bought and operating in the USA now) check out Catherine and crews new venture Bundles and Buzz!

Eden Cloth Diapering

Off to Bed

Kidzown Boutiques

Movies for Mommies Cloverdale, Movies for Mommies did however open in Burnaby and they are still going strong in Vancouver and a bunch of other cities across Canada. Visit Movies for Mommies to see where and when the next show is!

 

 

January 3rd, 2012

Top 10 Events of 2011!

2011 was filled with great events supporting or promoting great causes around the Lower Mainland. We are proud to continue to be a sponsor of Once Upon a Belly, Sweet Pea Pageants and Kidz Concerts. We are also looking forward to our Annual Spring Fling Fundraiser to benefit Autism BC, the Parental Guidance Conference and the FREE Family FanFest presented by Sportball all coming up in 2012!

  1. Spring Fling Fundraiser on Saturday April 30th to benefit Autism BC and underprivileged kids in the Lower Mainland.
  2. Sweet Pea Pageants Mardis Gras Pageant
  3. Kidz Concert presented by the Chor Leoni Men’s Choir
  4. Once Upon A Belly
  5. Connect Youth Conference 2011
  6. Will Stroet’s Concert to Conquer Cancer
  7. Movies for Mommies GRAND OPENING in Burnaby
  8. Suburban Rush Kids Race
  9. Fundraiser for Japan
  10. SOS Children’s Village Run

Honorary mention to Toonies for Kids Society, their event was cancelled due to lack of ticket sales but it would have been fabulous and I am proud to have been a part of the organization.They are standing up for a great cause that we should all be concerned about.

 

If you have an event happening or know of one that you think we should be involved in please feel free to drop us a line! We are always open to helping in the community! Check out tomorrows Favorite 10 Causes of 2011!

January 2nd, 2012

Our Top 10 Post’s of 2011

It is hard to believe another year has come and gone. It seems that time is moving at warp speeds these days!

Thank you to all of our readers, supporters, contributors and advertisers who made this an outstanding year.

We would not be here without all of your support. We are looking forward to another successful year in 2012 with a lot of new contributors being added to our bunch of talent! We have some exciting events planned, great prizes and super fun offers from our partners!

Reflecting on the year gone by here are my top ten blog posts of 2011:

  1. Last Years TOP 10 Discoveries of 2010 was our most read post ever! A great way to kick off the year and it only got better from there!
  2. How does your Childcare Rate this was just a post announcing a searchable database that was created by the Vancouver Sun but it got A LOT of feedback!
  3. REVIEW: HOP I don’t usually count Reviews as “posts” but HOP was my favorite movie of the year and deserves a mention!
  4. How’s Your Vertebral Subluxation? A great feature on In Touch Chiropractic!
  5. Where have all the Water Slides gone? This post was one I wrote with mixed feelings…a sense of sadness because all of my favorite Sliding destinations where quickly becoming a thing of the past and fun because I had the chance to connect with some of the wonderful park operators and get their in-site!
  6. Today It Stuck was the inaugural post by Sam, one of our contributors and our Advertising Consultant. Sam did an awesome job and this first post became one of the most talked about and well received of the year! Find her on Twitter @samorjj
  7. Annual Passes You Must Have, this was one of my favorites, and a favorite of our readers!
  8. Halloween Party Planning Tips this was a guest post I wrote for Nugglemama.ca and led me to write several more guest posts for various websites over the rest of the year! It’s fun writing for other people!
  9. Should you Hire a Birth Doula written by Sarah Joseph of Prenatal to Parenting. Sarah and her partner Rhiannon offer a wide variety of services that can meet the needs of parents anywhere along the continuum from prenatal to parenting.
  10. Reducing the Stress of Co-Parenting Over the Holidays written by Tania Bryan one of our newest contributors, and a child and family therapist at Help for Families Canada-Counseling and Consulting

Check out tomorrows recap of Top 10 events of 2011!

 

January 1st, 2012