I yearned to be a mother for as long as I can remember. I have vivid memories writing a piece in the third grade that said when I grew up I wanted to be a mom and have my own daycare so I could take care of my baby and other kids. So when I became pregnant with my first born at 29 years old, I was beyond excited. I would finally get to follow in my mother’s footsteps and be a kind, nurturing and loving caretaker for my family.
When we moved from our small two bedroom apartment downtown to our current suite that still isn’t massive, but does have four good sized rooms, I was thrilled to make the extra room a play space for the kids. I was happy we could have an area that could house their toys and foster their creative sides.
I am the first to tell you that being a mother is the hardest role I have taken on in this lifetime, while at the same time, being my proudest accomplishment. It is exciting, humbling, exhausting, all encompassing and emotionally draining and fulfilling (all within a single day). To your children, you are the one that provides for them, the one who comforts them and the one they love unconditionally, although they may not always show or say it. For that moms should be celebrated…not just in May, but each and every day.
If you follow me regularly, you know that I have a slight obsession with children’s books and promoting literacy. Growing up, my mom would say “Readers are Leaders” and I truly believe encouraging children to pick up a book and read is more important now than ever. That being said, I always note the importance of finding books that interest the child in order to develop their connection to wanting to read more often.
When my little girl was finished with her crib, I knew I wanted to refresh her room and bring in a cute toddler bed. My husband will tell you that I have gone through room themes like underwear since she was born…hearts, woodland animals, and most recently palm trees and flamingos. It is just that girl stuff is so darn cute and I find it easy to switch out a couple elements (like different printable and a blanket or two) to create a whole new look.
So it is the day after Easter and the remnants of the holiday lay around the house. In particular the plastic eggs seem to be in every room. With the kids home from daycare and school for one more day, we emptied any candy that remained into bags and put the plastic eggs to use before packing them away until next year.
One of my favorite memories as a child was from Easter: My mom and neighbor decided to organize and host a morning full of Easter activities. It included an egg hunt, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and was topped off with a full on parade. All the neighborhood kids marched down the streets around our house while donning their Easter best (complete with homemade bonnets and batons) alongside a wagon blasting music. Despite this being over 20 years ago now, it still brings a smile to my face thinking about all the fun we had.
As I have mentioned before, we are lucky to live in one of the most beautiful cities in the world, but it doesn’t comes without sacrifice. The real estate prices are extremely high, and space is at a premium. We currently live in a 1,300 square foot home, and our previous space was just over 800 square feet. While I love our cozy little house, but I always say that when we move onto a different home, a bigger kitchen and white fireplace is at the top of my wish list.
When athletic leisurewear became a trend, I think moms everywhere rejoiced—I know I did. While many probably rocked the leggings with sweaters before it was popular to do so, now they’re actually the “stylish” ones at school pickup. Or at least, that’s what I tell myself, the many days that I throw on my black Lululemon pants, a sweatshirt with a jacket on top, and a pair of black runners.
My friends and I recently got our daughters together for a little Easter party. Inspired by the bright neon Peeps candy you can find at this time of year, the theme was bright and cheerful. More details for this fun-filled morning are coming soon, but in the meantime, I thought I would share the cute and easy canvas craft we did with the 3 and 4 year olds.