Keeping Warm

If you're like me (and I imagine, most moms), now that winter is here, you're looking for ways to make the outdoor experience a little more fun and a little less frustrating for you and your kids. You want them to get some sun and fresh air and to get their pent-up energy out. But they either come in too soon or they are constantly asking you to deal with the snow that is getting in between their cuff and mitt.


Well, one day when my eldest was a toddler, I came up with an idea that seems to help: "wrist guards".

Instructions:

1. Take a sock one size too small
2. Cut off the foot at a bit of an angle just before the heel
3. Cut a small hole at the heel corner (for the thumb).

When these are under the mitts, the kids seems to withstand a lot more snow getting in there and are more content playing. Try it! (email me if you have questions). The only thing I find with this very crude invention is that the thumb hole can rip/stretch and not provide proper coverage after that.

A Father's Legacy

Fathers are so important. I am thankful my father is still alive. Recently, I received a very encouraging letter from him. He has invested in me a great deal over the years, particularly in my musical education. I was delighted when, after he tuned my piano for me, I could play him a couple of pieces that showed off the skill he enabled me to build. A father's legacy lives on in his children. Here is a story of one father's legacy through the business he inspired his daughter to create.

After experiencing the loss of her Dad to cancer, owner of Green Please, Melanie Derwin wanted to do something to help others prevent a cancer journey of a loved one. At that time, with her 13 month old son in hand, she asked her Dad's oncologist: "Where does all this cancer come from and what can we do now to prevent it?"

The oncologist noted that some cancer is related to age or genetics. He went on to explain that the environment had an impact on his patients who were surrounded by toxic chemicals. This was the start of Melanie's journey towards "greening up my lifestyle", particularly for the sake of the children.

Melanie was again drawn deeper into green living when her 20 month-old son had repeated ear & throat infections with no relief from prescribed antibiotics. He then developed a persistent cough thought to be "Asthma". He was prescribed medications, including a puffer at 2 years old. Melanie had never seen her son short of breath, nor wheezing and was concerned about how a tiny body would metabolize such medications and endure the side effects. So, she embarked on a journey of searching out a wholistic solution instead. With the help of many health practices, including complimentary medicine her son is now 5, healthy and medicine-free.

More from Melanie:

Green Please Inc. is my “Inspiring Green Living” company. I have spent years questioning, searching and testing greener product options that are natural, more healthful and that work! My intention and hope is to help people create great health and well-being through greening up their life. In the process, I also help save customers money, time and frustration in their greening up journey.

Green Please Inc. coaches customers in making green, healthier choices without compromising their lifestyle. In a “Green It Up” Home Consult we visit a customer’s home, complete a room-by-room review, answer their eco questions/concerns and make suggestions on greening up their health/life-style, home and food. A customized report is provided to assist in implementing changes towards improving their shade of green. Green Please Inc.’s other services include: Green “Tea Parties”, Telephone consults and Daycare/Montessori Fundraising!

Often it is challenging to find greener product options. Green Please Inc. offers an “e-boutique” filled with healthy living items that range from:

- Baby items like bamboo crib sheets, 100% rubber soothers, glass bottles, organic cotton rattles, bamboo outfits, etc.
- Toddler products like natural wood, non-toxic Plan toys, green books, etc.
- Litterless Food containers like stainless steel food containers, bamboo cutlery,etc.
- Healthy Home items like wool & organic cotton comforters & pillows, organic soaps, creams, cleaners, etc.

Please check out the website for complete details at www.greenpleaseforyou.com

Self-care for mothers

Need a nudge to remember to take of yourself? Here's a good one:

http://www.winnipegparent.com/may10/mom/mom-1.html

An Expression of Motherhood

I was inspired to write a song for my kids a while back and thought I would share the lyrics with you all (it's not recorded yet or I would share the actual song). Although Mother's Day is meant to honour and give to mothers, I think it is a time for mothers to also reflect on what it means to be a mother.

The Three of You
(by Sonya Braun)

The three of you have changed my life immensely
No one can melt my heart like you
No one can move my heart like you

For the three of you I've lived my life intensely
No one can love you like I do
No one can change my love for you

It's just for the three of you...
As each of you made your entrance into this world
You made a special entrance into my heart
And as I held you, rocked you, fed you,
As I gazed into your eyes,
It was love,
Deep, deep love

As each of you become the person you're meant to be
So special, so unique, and on your way
Just know you can always be yourself
And I'll still look into your eyes
With love,
Deep, deep love.

(Feel free to use this poem and adapt it for the number of kids you have!)

New Use for an Old Toy

We discovered a new sport in our house a little while ago: ringette!
Baby toy becomes sports equipment...how fun is that?!

Parenting

There is so much to learn about parenting. My hubby and I have been attending a six-week course and are two-thirds done now. It has been so amazing to find out about how to truly grow strong roots of attachment with our kids as they develop in order for them to be truly themselves and ready to launch as empathetic, creative, and responsible citizens. I love the focus on relationship and the research that backs up what's being taught. I love the practical ways to achieve this...in the down-and-dirty-day-to-day challenges. Our instructor has been Pamela Whyte, a mother of three living here in Winnipeg. She has been working with this material for 17 years and is a dynamic presenter.

Thanksgiving…. a little late

I love thanksgiving, it’s one time of the year where we are really encouraged to be very thankful and to intentionally stop, look at life and be grateful. This year I have many things to be very grateful for; I have my wife Sonya without whom I don’t know what I would do, I have my three wonderful children who make me smile so often, we have my family and my in-laws all of whom are wonderful people that I am thankful for and God has blessed us with health and strength.

When I think of thanksgiving I’m also overcome with a sense of extreme gratitude for our clients without whom we wouldn’t have our business and without whom we would not be the people we are today. I feel so thankful for each one of you, you make me smile whenever I think of you, it’s an honour to know you as people and to have you as clients and I think the ultimate honour for us is when you refer us to your friends because then we know that we have been able to impact your lives in some way.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

This week I have a special thank you to send out, in the past few weeks I have had the honour of sharing in and capturing forever in print the nuptials of my cousins daughter, capturing the maternity and newborn images of both clients and close friends, creating family heirlooms in some family portrait sessions and of course our specialty capturing the beauty and mystery that is “woman”. This week I also had the opportunity to spend the best part of the day with a group of women that work together, the 4 of them decided to come in to do an Eve Session as a Christmas gift to the men in their lives who had everything, well almost everything. These men will soon find out they didn’t have what they wanted most, some amazing images of the women they love. Girls, thank you for an amazing time, I had so much fun with you as we laughed, texed back and forth to co-workers, talked about them, ate great food, drank good drinks (Pepsi for we, wine coolers for the girls) and created amazing images in one of the most fun sessions I’ve ever had here at the studio.

I’m trying to teach my kids to have an “Attitude of Gratitude” and instead of grumping about things to simply be thankful and as I try to live that out I find myself a happier and more fulfilled person; so thank you all for everything you do to make my life better, I really appreciate you more than you will ever know.

Rodney