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 Bombs away! So who would have thought that on our latest trip to the mall that I’d be able to fit in a science class?!?!?!? On a whim I decided to hit one of my old favourite stores….Lush (www.lush.com). Time really flies because the last I had been there I was pregnant with my daughter…..they have really cool massage bars and temple creams that helped through the delivery process. What I love about lush is that everything is natural and smells so yummy that their products are just irresistable!
Now, I was already on an adventure because I had left the stroller for my littlest guy at home but I thought…what the heck! So we walk into Lush and I give my stern mommy warning….”Now don’t touch anything!” Well….was I surprised! Not only could were the kids encouraged to touch and smell things but they were given a cool and interactive demonstration by the staff on how the bubble bath and bath bombs work! Now my kids are ages 2 through 10 and the staff was able to engage them all! My little guy kept saying “Bombs Away!” as he threw the bath bombs into the water! Where do they learn these things from!???!?!
So what I thought would have just been a 10 minute stop ended up being more like half an hour….and $27 later……LOL! How could I end up NOT leaving with a few bath bombs! My eldest is now convinced that he can make them at home- he sneaked away a box of baking soda from the kitchen cupboard as soon as we got in the door (like I didn’t see, right?)!
Let’s just say that bath time tonight will be very fun and aromatic!
You just never know what lessons you’ll learn at the mall!
 Bath Bombs at Lush!
 What we can learn from and impart to our children about the situation in Haiti….
I’ve got tears running down my cheeks….I admit that I’m a crier but seeing and hearing about the sheer human tragedy in Haiti has really affected my core. One can only imagine what it must be like to have your world rocked and destroyed right before your eyes. To hear cries for help but be helpless yourself. A time like this is when we are vividly reminded that every moment that we have with our loved ones is precious and that in a moments notice your life can be changed dramatically. I pray for the people in Haiti. I pray for their health and survival. I also pray for their strength, fortitude and resilience. The Haitian people have a long road of recovery ahead of them especially since the country was operating with minimal infrastructure and resources in the first place. Right now the country needs money, food, and medical supplies. Over time they will require more long term assistance like expertise to assist in rebuilding and resources.
Many lessons can be gleaned from such a situation. For one, on a global level we need to educate ourselves about the world around us and offer our support (whether physically and/or monetarily) to improving the existence of our brothers and sisters around the world. Do you remember Bosnia-Herzegovina? What about the genocide in Rwanda? How many of you have educated yourself about what is going on in Sudan? What about Romania? What about child prostitution increasing in South Africa leading up to the World Cup in June? We are a global community and it is important to do your part to improve the lot of those in your own community and around the world.
As the images and reports emerge out of Haiti, I began to think about what I can impart to my children about what has happened. I have chosen not to shelter my children from the imagery and the stories. I have the luxury of doing that because TV is not a regular component to our lives and I read the newspaper online so there really isn’t a chance that they may happen upon gruesome images that are difficult explain. However, I have sat my little ones down to explain why some of our friends may be a little preoccupied right now and my not be available to come and play. I have explained that there are many people in Haiti right now who are very sick and that some children have no mommy or daddy. I have explained that sometimes things happen in the world that we can’t explain but that what is important is how we and the world respond. We have talked about what we can do as a family to support our friends and loved ones and to offer our support to humanitarian efforts. My almost 4 year old daughter would like to donate some of the money she has collected in her bread bank (our version of a piggy bank) and my 2 year old brought me a few of his books that he would like to give to a child (I may add a few French language books to the pile). Children get it! Without you having to go into a deep and reasoned explanation, they can relate to other children who are in need.
Now I also have a 10 year old. He’s a lot more familiar with the concept of giving but he also has the capability of understanding what has happened in Haiti on a deeper level. Our conversation was a lot more involved and I had to educate myself in order to be ready for some of the questions I knew I would be inundated with! (Gotta love 10 year olds!). I used the opportunity to interject a learning piece as well. He is researching how and why earthquakes happen and he is also learning about plate tectonics. But the more important component to the conversation is how he can offer his support. How can he foster the responsibility that he knows he has to the community around him and to the global community? He was already planning another clothing drive for this spring so he has decided to step up his efforts so that some clothes and monetary donations can go to Haiti as well.
I urge each and every one of you to donate what you can. Whether it is donating $10 through your cell phone (text HAITI to 90999) or by going to your local Sears or Walmart store. You can also visit www.redcross.ca, www.worldvision.ca www.unicef.ca, www.globalmedic.ca, www.msf.ca, www.thehumantariancoalition.ca, or www.plancanada.ca. Please involve your children in the conversation, don’t leave them out!
We have a choice when it comes to dealing with human tragedy. We can wallow and remain saddened, we can stare at the images and feel sorry for the people who have now had their lives turned upside down, OR we can see what is happening and decide what role we can play in alleviating some of the pain. We have a responsibility to have these conversations with our children….they are the politicians, diplomats, humanitarian workers, teachers, nurses, community workers, singers, sports figures, moms, dads and grandparents of tomorrow. If we don’t instill a sense of responsibility, community, and thoughtfulness in them while they are young, we will not see a better world in our future. They have the capacity to understand the responsibility they have to others both at home and on a global level…..just give them a chance to show you what they are made of!
So Barbara Walters has determined that Michelle Obama is the most interesting person for 2009. I gotta admit, I love Michelle Obama. I mean, it takes a seriously motivated individual to wake up at 5:00am every morning to get some time for herself. I remember reading about her daily routine in an Oprah mag and thought….whoa…now THAT’s a Motivated Mom! But seriously, Michelle is accomplished in her own right, she’s a great mom, a great wife (not many wives would be able to handle being the wife of the President of the United States!)and she has a great understanding of the responsibility that she has to the community at large. It also helps that she looks great doing it all and is not afraid to take risks.
So, while most of us won’t end up married to the President, or have people clamoring to interview us, write books about us, and to wear their latest fashion creation (One can dream though!- there is power in visualization exercises), we can learn some valuable lessons from Michelle. As parents we have a responsibility to pursue our passions so that we can be a good example to our children. If it means waking up a little earlier in the mornings so that you can tap into your inner spirit while all is quiet and your little cherubs are still sleeping, then so be it. Your children will learn to pursue their dreams and aspirations when they see you do it and the only way they’ll be able to handle all of life’s demands is to see you do it as best as you can. It is okay if they end up doing it better than you! In fact, that’s what we want right? (Whenever people see me with my daughter they always muse about how much she looks like me! I always tell them that she is the new and improved version….. my hope is that she will be able to navigate a lot better through life than I did….)
So…back to Michelle. What I like about her is that she is accomplished in her own right, she knows what she wants and the message that she wants to convey and she just does it! Her family is very important to her and so she makes decisions in her life while unapoligetically factoring in one of THE most important factors…her family! I really do not believe that it is either/or…..it may require some juggling of the schedule and bringing in (or finding) a support system and just doing it!
I learned that lesson the hard way….trial and error (I think I’m just an experiential learner). So here I was, a mother 3- my littlest was about 5 months old at the time) and tipping the scales at a little over 220…now on a 5 ft. 1 in. frame that was really getting hard on me. I justified the weight because I had just had two kids back to back, I suffered from sciatica, and I had suffered a pelvic injury delievering my second child. Admittedly, I went through a lot bringing my last two babes into the world but eventually the kids grow, the pelvis heals, the sciatica stays, and so does the weight. I got sick and tired of people asking when I was due because my tummy was so big….really did a number on what I thought was good self esteem!
I kept saying that I needed to get active…needed to get rid of the weight but I refused to pay an arm and a leg for childcare and didn’t have anyone nearby who could help- could I really ask my mom to come across town (over an hour away) on public transit so that I could go to the gym a few times a week?!?!? Then if I really needed a sitter who would I count on? So I called around….and found a fitness centre with inexpensive childcare and got to work! Almost 50 pounds lost so far and I can’t believe the positive impact ‘just doing it’ has had on my life the life of my family. More on that another day but it’s just a matter of getting started!
Have you ever met a kid who literally flies by the seat of their pants? My two year old certainly fits the bill! He epitomizes the “go hard or go home’ mentality! This evening he was careening through the kitchen and living room using a cardboard box as his race car. At one point he yelled to his older brother “get out the way!” ’cause he was NOT stopping. We all looked on in amazment at his energy. He doesn’t really think about consequences…he just does it (did I watch one too many Nike commercials while pregnant?) and he does it with all his might. There is nothing he does half way…it’s all or nothing.
I almost forgot the best part….he ends up tripping over the box because he is going so fast and falls head first INSIDE the box….hitting his forhead and nose. The crying ensues and he makes his way to Mommy to make it all better. I check his face, console him, and pull out his special ice pack (you know the one that I always take out of the freezer just for him?). Eventually, he is calmed down and feels better. Off to the next adventure!
So…after this experience I started to think about my own philosophy on life. Do I live by that ‘go hard or go home’ philosphy? I’d like to think most of the time I do but I can tell you not all the time. I realize though that it is all in my control! You can either live your life to the fullest or let life pass you by. You can put your all into everything you do..your spouse, your children, your work, YOU (Mom’s always forget to put their all into themselves!) and reap the wonderful rewards that come or you can do everything half way and feel like your life isn’t as exciting as you thought it would be. My little guy falls and hurts himself…(he’s got the scars to prove it!) but you know he certainly has no regrets and is passionate about being the best two year old he can be! If we’re not making mistakes then we aren’t learning and we’re certainly not living. It’s not how you fall….it’s how you get back up. So…I’m commiting to giving my all 100% of the time. Who wants to join me? We can all learn a lesson from my toddler…Go Hard or Go Home….no regrets!
Building Better Families has arrived.
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