Love From Maria

To my babiest boy: You're nearly seven months. Seven months. I can't believe it. We've made it! We survived that long first month when you thought the day was night and the night was day. We survived nearly five months of you napping in the ring sling, tight to my chest, so that you could sleep and I could still wrangle your wild cowboy of a brother. We survived those first four months when we didn't have a prescription for your silent reflux and you would only sleep on my chest in the recliner. We survived our first (and hopefully last) long stay the the Alberta Children's Hospital when you had RSV - you were such a trooper and your charming good looks had all of the nurses hanging on your every coo - you get that from your dad. We survived ice fishing and a vacation to Phoenix, you're always up for an adventure.  You've made your mark in our family little one. You had my heart the minute that I met you - not to mention your brother's. You'v...

Being on my phone was never an issue to me. I bought my first cell phone in high school and pretty much since then I have always had one, and always had it with me, like another limb. I never thought anything of it - it's reality now - everyone texts and checks their Facebook, Instagram, email, etc. and to do so we have our phones.  Enter children. My tiny little humans that look up to me as a role model. My sweet little boys with rapidly growing and developing brains. My little everythings. The last thing I want is for my boys to grow up thinking that it's okay to be glued to a screen all day long. Other screens have been easily eliminated - I don't find it hard to keep the TV off or not use the computer throughout the day. My phone however, that's another story.  My big little screen problem all boiled over last week when I had a meltdown. Last week I had a tough day. One of those days when, for whatever reason, you just cry. I didn't have a particularly t...

Did you know it's unplug and play week? This week, March 23-29, Participaction is encouraging Canadian families to unplug and play outside! Naturally I love this campaign and I sincerely hope that you'll consider pledging, especially if screen time is a big part of your everyday routine. Participaction is only asking for sixty minutes a day - sixty minutes of consciously unplugging and choosing to play outside with your kids. Play is so close to my heart and I love the notion of playing outside. I try my darnedest to take my boys outside every. single. day.  As much as I hope that everyone will try their hand at outdoor play I will not ignore the fact that it can be cold, and sometimes it can seem daunting to bundle up the littles and head outside. So if you feel like pledging to play outside for sixty minutes everyday might be too much, take it down a notch, and just pledge to play for sixty minutes!  Maybe you're not as familiar with play, so here are seven ways to ...

A proper introduction is always nice, so if you're feeling up to it - meet Maria. To borrow the words of a fellow Albertan, I am Alberta Bound. I was accidentally born in BC, but was raised in Alberta and am now raising my boys in Alberta. I love this province and forever will. My roots are planted deep in Stampede City - Calgary, I am proud to call it my home.  The cowboy culture has not been lost on me and my everyday life is filled to the brim with country class.  I am married to my best friend and we have been fortunate enough to have two boys, Stetson and Porter. I love nothing more than watching their brains grow as they experience and explore this world.   I love to run, I was born to run. I am a five year barefoot runner and will never look back. There is nothing that makes me feel so free yet so in tune with my body. I love to research, my sister calls me "Google" and I am often heard quoting Dorothy Ann from The Magic School Bus, "according to my resear...

Ice fishing. Toddler. Baby. MAGICAL.  So I would be lying if I didn't tell you that the thought was slightly daunting to begin with. Cutting holes in a frozen lake and waiting for fish to bite while keeping a five month old and a nearly two year old happy? Not sounding so magical? But here's the thing: we need to challenge the conventional! We need to expose our children to nature and teach them, through our actions, an active and nature filled lifestyle.  Thankfully I've been blessed with a relative expert outdoorsman of a father, so having him agree to take us along made all of the difference. Having an experienced ice fisher was incredible, and I highly recommend going with someone who has experience and knowledge in the field. I'm all for adventures but I'm also keen on safety and ice fishing isn't exactly something to "go try out" on a whim without the proper education and gear. Speaking of education and gear - i fishalberta.com is a fa...

Stampede City is infamous for her rapidly changing and extreme temperatures, especially during the winter. And if you're a momma, at home with littles, it is no fun being stuck inside all the time! Now I love to play outside, but when the temperatures threaten frostbite within minutes of exposure I just can't justify taking my two under two outside for extended periods.  So how do we beat the winter weather and still get our play on? One of my favourite things to do is to go to Cardel Place - our local sports and recreation facility. Designated gym times mean a wide variety of objects to play with and lots of running room for my toddler! Open gym time gives my son the chance to choose his activities and have unstructured play alone and with children of various ages.   I'm a strong advocate for play, and for play between children of all ages. When we visit the gym I prefer to stand back and let my son take the lead. He can choose where he will play, who he will play ...

The martyr sacrifices themselves entirely in vain. Or rather not in vain; for they make the selfish more selfish, the lazy more lazy, the narrow narrower. - F.N. Today is a good day to recognize someone, a good day to tell the world how proud I feel, a good day to let someone know they are the very best at what they do - and that despite the attitudes of others, they should never change who they are and how they conduct themselves. Today I want my sister to know how amazing she is. I want her to know that she is strong, amazing and impressive. I have been reading up on an old gal, Florence Nightingale, and my research has led to me to see something that I have always believed. Florence dreamed up modern nursing, she took nursing to a new level, she established the first secular school of nursing and she's known, with her lamp, for making her night rounds to check on her patients. Here are some of Florence's thoughts: - I think one's feelings waste themselves in w...