Bye Bye Google Reader - Help!!!

So I keep getting this message that google reader is no longer after July 01.  ACK!  How am I going to keep track of my favorite blogs?  Suggestions?

Oh Hi!

I was thinking today about all the blogs I've loved and then lost over the years.  You see the thing about blogs is that people often start them, sometimes get really into them, and almost never continue on with them forever.  Because as life changes and moves, the blog often does too.  It moves, changes direction, or is no longer necessary.  Except that normally when someone stops blogging they don't say why.  So all those people in real life know the person is still around.  But the blog readers wonder.  Or at least I always wonder... "what happened to so and so's blog".  There are a few blogs I've always wondered about.  And not that this blog is especially big or that I really have many readers anymore.  But you know.

So, the truth is that I actually am just kind of busy and the blog is the last to get attention.  Chicken goes to preschool three days a week now so I am doing a job I normally do in three days in only two days.  I'm also selling Stampin Up! and have 4-5 events a month that keep me busy.  And having a special needs child I attend many therapy sessions a week with him.  Which leads to little free time.

Oh yeah, so that's probably the main reason I haven't been blogging.  Last June my oldest son was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (he's a hypo-sensitive, sensory seeker) and later with ADHD.  And the truth is that while it's consumed me personally, I haven't really been ready to "come out" publicly with that info until now.

Well, the truth is that I have been blogging a bit, I just haven't been publishing my posts.  I'm not going to lie or sugar coat it.  It's been hard.  Coming to terms with the fact that I have a child with special needs (where did I go wrong??), dealing with his special needs, teaching myself, dealing with the ignorance of others, losing friends, having friends and family judge him, my parenting, etc.  It's all been a struggle and not that it's been awful but it's been a lot of work.

The dilemma of telling people has also been a struggle.  In the beginning I didn't want to tell anyone because I didn't feel it was my information to share.  But then I also struggled with not telling people and having them remain uneducated about SPD, ADHD, special needs, etc.  Would he be treated differently?  Would that be a good or bad thing?  And then when I did tell people they often seemed uncomfortable.  When I tell someone I have a child with special needs they often change the subject.  Typically the only people who ask me about it are people who have special needs children of their own (it's okay, you can ask me questions about it.  It means a lot to me that you want to know more).  I'm also learning how to deal with unsolicited advice.  Which I'm given a lot of these days lol.

But in the last month I've come to terms with our "new" life.  While it's not what I imagined for my son, I'm okay with it.  Everyone has their cross to bear and this is his.  It's not good, it's not bad, it just is what it is and I'm trying to just make it a fact.  Something that can be mentioned but does not have to be all consuming (although there are days it feels that way for sure).  

So yeah, I'm still here, still happy, still living a good life.  Just a different one!    

Say No To Sexual Abuse in Alberta!

Recently in my community of Airdrie, Alberta I heard a horrific story.  A story of a woman named "Arizona".  Arizona is one of the few sexual abuse survivors who had the courage to speak out against her abuse and charge her abuser.  If you've been the victim of sexual abuse you know what a big deal this is.  If you haven't chances are you know someone who has (stats say 1 in 3 girls and 1 in 6 boys) and know how difficult their struggle was.  Many will never speak out because of fear.  Fear of their abuser, of judgement from family and friends, of being perceived as different, dirty, wrong, etc.  But Arizona took a huge leap of faith and spoke out.  I'm not sure of her reasons but I assume it was because justice needed to be served.

And then the most horrific thing ever happened: our system let her down.  Not her family, not her friends, not the community, not the police.  The justice system.  Because of delays her abuser never went to trial.  And because of our current system's laws and rules she can NEVER go to trial again.  This person will never be held accountable.

But it gets worse.  There is a media ban on Arizona. She cannot identify herself and she cannot identify her abuser.  Imagine, she can not only not have the justice she deserves but she can not even talk about it.  Arizona was abused wrongly as a child and now again as an adult by our system.

I know you must think I live in a third world country or a country with a corrupt dirty system.  I live in Canada.  This does NOT happen in our country!

If you agree with me that this woman deserves justice please see her facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/arizonasvoice
and if you agree our system needs to be changed please sign the petition.  I have one in my possession and I can also email it to you!  

Little Bear Turns TWO!

Dear Little Bear,
STOP, please stop growing!  It is so incredibly hard for me to watch you grow up!  I love seeing you change and learn new things but with every fat roll you lose it breaks my heart just a little!

This past year has been really fun with you and if I had to sum you up in one word it would most definitely be: cute!  Yeah, you've got the cute market covered.  You say cute things: "gocks and does" (socks and shoes), "I Lub ew" and (my most favorite) "Shaw Shit" for your brother (which sounds nothing like his actual name).  And you do cute things (dancing, hugging, talking to yourself when you play, signing the ABCsong or counting while going up the stairs, etc).  But, you are more than just a pretty face!  You are also wicked smart.  You know most of your colors and can count to 10 (grandma taught you that).

Lately I've noticed you are really becoming two.  You love to be naughty and will run away and squeal with delight when I call you.  You have the occasional temper tantrum and you love to give your brother heck "Shaw Shit - no NO"! you will say at him while pointing your finger. You have quite the personality and you have very specific likes and dislikes (the other night while signing to you, you pulled out your bottle and said to me "shhh shhh, quiet, quiet").

At two you love to play with cars, reading books (I often find you quietly reading a book somewhere alone), playing (or fighting) with your brother  being held, being snuggled and especially eating!

You are an okay sleeper but still often up once or twice a night.  Usually it's just for a snuggle and to be tucked back in bed; sometimes it's because you've lost your soother.  You love to lay in your cribby and take the knots from your blankie and rub them on your nose (see, so cute!).  You nap for about 2-3 hours in the afternoon still and sleep from about 8pm to 8 or 9 in the morning.

And so that is you at TWO!  I still can't believe my baby is officially a toddler!  So thank you little boy for being such a sweet addition to our family.

Love always,
Mommy

  

Bean Bag Boss

The days of owning a four-legged object for the purpose of sitting on it are dead and gone. Think about it: college students have desk chairs, office workers have computer chairs, restaurants have wooden or metal chairs, and the list goes on and on. The chair – an object so simple, yet so timeless – continues to be part of the mainstream image of humanity. But that's exactly the problem: it's mainstream. There's nothing surprising about the chair. There's nothing sophisticated about the chair. And there's certainly nothing chic about the chair. It's just a chair. Look at this way: chairs are often created with the intent to fit a certain image. They're made to look this way or that, using elements of various genres to make the chair feel, well, more than a chair. No matter the chair's design, though, it's still understood that the chair was created in an effort to be stylish, an attempt to claw at style as if it were a cliff. And, as any sophisticated style connoisseur will tell you, no, a chair is far from stylish. They're out of date. What's replacing it? Well, think about it: what's a chair and not a chair? What allows for lounging, yet has no legs? Simple: bean bag chairs. Like the hands on a clock, style moves in a cyclical fashion, always returning to a point previously passed. Bean bag chairs were once popular decades ago, seeing an explosion of popularity that made it impossible to enter a house without wondering, “Where's the bean bag chair?” Now, though, enough time has passed for the bean bag chair to sink back into the secluded corners of style, waiting to be rediscovered by those venturing to look for something new, those looking for something more chic than a mere chair. (Plus, those who have sat in a bean bag chair understand the unrivaled comfort of these outstanding alternatives. The bean bag chair embraces the body, holding it close and snug, something that no traditional chair is capable of recreating.) For those individuals wondering about the interior design capabilities of the bean bag chair, simply take a gander at some of today's major bean bag chair retailers such as Bean Bag Boss. Chair covers come in velvet, leather, clothe and many other materials, not to mention the number of patterns that these materials come in. When presented with these aesthetic possibilities, one's mind may begin to spin from the wonder at why bean bag chairs are not more often utilized for decorative purposes. Being chic and stylish is all about staying ahead of the times – staying ahead of the cyclical pattern of items going in and out of style. Sure, it's not always easy, but it's also not impossible. Simply take a look around at all the items that are so integral to today's world. Look for the ones that no one else questions. Those are the items that may soon find themselves pushed off to the sideline, replaced by something better, comfier, and more pleasing to the eye and body. In today's case, bean bag chairs are the in, and traditional chairs are so, so out.

Healthy Desserts and Breakfasts (that actually taste good) TWO

It's been three months since my first post  about healthy dessert and breakfasts reviews.  That post had been viewed over 2500 times (and yet I've only gotten five comments)!  Since then I've lost another 10lbs (bringing my total to 18lbs) and 4" off my waistline.  Often people want to know what I'm doing to lose the weight.  The secret?  Moderation (I'm losing my weight slowly, typically around 2lbs a month and I'm not doing anything extreme), protein at every meal and finding sneaky ways to have dessert!  Yeah, I've got a big, huge, sweet tooth and yet I struggle with refined sugar (hello, I have only had one migraine in the last three months since I've cut out refined sugar).  So I've found awesome ways to have my dessert and eat it too!  Don't be scared by the different ingredients, most of them (stevia, coconut oil, etc) can be found at your local grocery store in the health section.  And as always let me know what you think of the recipes if you try them.

1) Pumpkin Pie Smoothe   3/5 stars

I LOVE smoothies.  They are so quick and easy and with enough protein can keep me full for hours.  M and I liked this smoothie but thought the yogurt made it too thick (to be fair, I make my pumpkin puree from scratch and drain it really well so maybe it would be thinner with canned pumpkin).  We now love it with water, half a frozen banana, 1/3 cup pumpkin, 1tsp pumpkin pie spice and vanilla protein powder.
Other smoothie ideas: water, chocolate protein powder, frozen banana, 1tsp cinnamon
handful spinach, coconut milk, pineapple, vanilla protein powder (it's like a Pina Colada but green.  I promise you won't taste the spinach)

2) Pumpkin Cookie Dough Dip 3/5 stars

The problem with this recipe is that it doesn't indicate the size of the can of beans (yeah, seriously this recipe has beans and it's still good) so I suspect the can I used was larger than should be.  I increased some of the spices and it was wicked!  It made A LOT so I froze half and it was even better once I defrosted it!

3) Pumpkin Boatmeal 5/5 stars

The kids and I LOVE these boatmeals and the pumpkin one was awesome; this one tastes just like pumpkin pie.  I added raisins and skipped the topping.

4) No Bake Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies 4/5 stars

These are 5 stars with the mini chocolate chips!  I reduced the sugar by half and added one packet of stevia. I made these for a friend who raved about them and the boys think they are the best treat ever.  I like that they use oat flour which helps reduce cholesterol (I make a big bag of oat flour at once and then have it on hand).

5) Pumpkin Spice Pancakes 5/5 stars (sorry I know that's a lot of pumpkin but it's fall)

I replaced the white flour with whole wheat and increased the milk a bit (any milk sub would work).  Instead of the sugar I used aguave and it was awesome!  Kids LOVED them!

6) No Flour Black Bean Brownies 5/5 stars

OMG these were SO good!  You would never know they had beans in them, never.  They were super moist and really fudgy.

7) Chocolate Zucchini Cake 5/5 stars

This cake was amazing!  I reduced the sugar further by cutting down the sugar to 1/4c and using stevia and I used whole wheat pastry flour instead of the white flour.  I didn't make the chocolate sauce and just sprinkled icing sugar on instead.  AMAZING!!  I served this at a girls night and everyone raved about it.  Very moist and lots of flavor.  

8) Overnight Oats (2 ways) 5/5 stars

I love that the recipe has protein and the kids devour this!  I typically make a triple batch at night and then add mixins in the am for the rest of the week.  Surprisingly we liked the strawberry banana version best!

9) Raw Chocolate Fudge Cake 5/5 stars

This is amazing!  I double it and then eat small chunks often.  It's really rich and so so good!

10) Low Sugar, High Protein Lemon Raspberry Muffins 3.5/5 stars

Everyone else liked these but me?

11) Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream 10/5 stars!!!!

If you make nothing else on my list make this!  OMG this is the best ice cream Iv'e ever eaten (and I'm no stranger to my local Marble Slab and Menchies).  Seriously, I can't say enough!

I'd love to hear what you think of the recipes I've listed and any modifications you tried.  Also, send me links to healthy recipes you like; I'm always on the hunt for new and yummy healthy treats!

Cheers,
CanadianMama

What A Difference A Year Makes

Chicken started his second year of preschool yesterday.  Last year he cried when I left and then the majority of the year h needed a million extra hugs and often told me he's rather just stay home.  Last year I was super excited for him to go to school, buying indoor shoes months early, making him a special waterbottle with his name on it, etc.  Last year Little Bear was still so tiny; I carried him in the Boba into school and out and he napped while Chicken was in school.

This year?  I forgot what day he started and didn't know the drop off time until the day before.  I forgot to pack his backpack until the last minute and found a TON of stuff in there that I didn't clean out in June.  I even forgot to take pictures of him the night before at the school so we had to do it with the point and shoot a minute before he went in.

This year?  Little Bear promptly marched into class and began to play with the preschool toys.  He happily made some soup in the kitchen while Chicken and Dad did his routine (indoor shoes on, sign him in, snack out of his backpack and into his cubby and name on the board) and then SCREAMED as we took him away and back into the car!

This year?  Chicken didn't even say goodbye to us!  He went over to the play table and said to himself "oh, these log trucks are so fun" and then started playing.  "Goodbye" we said to Chicken... no response.  He's just that big.

When I came back to get him he was THRILLED and gave me a huge hug.  He was proud to tell me he didn't touch any of his friends (the biggest challenge last year for him was keeping his hands to himself) and showed me his picture where he used two different colors (everything was monochromatic last year).

And it's crazy just how much difference a year can make!  Although next year for Kindergarten I'm not sure I'll be so nonchalant about it all!