When I rustled up an “old school” iPod touch for my son last summer, I started finding him podcasts to listen to and for us to listen to in the van together. Given current circumstances, we aren’t driving around much anymore, but when we do, we’ve been laughing and learning along the way. (Our primary…
If you’re expecting me to propose this list of sanity-saving activities as a remedy to the excessive and toxic screen time you are irresponsibly allowing your children to consume … you don’t know me very well. Normally, the two months of summer break are the longest stretch of time when I have all four of…
If you’ve been following me since the beginning, back when I had more cats than children (it was a 2:1 ratio), you’ll know I’ve always had a soft spot for felines. The truth is, although I guilted my parents into not one but two dogs as an adolescent, once I moved out and left them…
The learning curve when it comes to a twin pregnancy, twin birth and twin parenting is hella steep. It’s pretty much vertical. One of the things I learned quickly was that my doctors couldn’t tell me if my twins were identical or fraternal. This was confusing. For the past two years, when folks have asked…
Are you ready for a flowery blog post about treasuring this unexpected bonding time with your children and your spouse? No? Good. If that is what you were looking for then you’re in the wrong place. This pandemic/quarantine/self isolation/social distancing/coronavirus/COVID-19 is poop on a stick!* *I went through a variety of more colourful adjectival phrases,…
My 7-year-old loves to read so much that he sings songs about how much he loves reading. When I send him upstairs to get dressed for school, I’ll often find him in his room, with one leg in a pair of pants and his nose in a book. I have to harp on him to…
First of all, I did NOT stay motivated to pump for my twins. At least, not all the time. This story is NOT about how the miraculous “liquid gold” properties of breast milk was all I could ever imagine feeding my precious cherubs and how knowing that my milk was the best milk for them…
Happy birthday to me! Yes, today’s the big day when I’m closer to 40 than I am to 30 but still feel like I’m 12. Remember when you used to know exactly how old you were? Like, exactly how many months … possibly days … until the next important birthday? Well in recent years I…
My son was only 2 and a half when we left Montreal for Calgary. There were lots of positive things about heading out west, including a better job for my husband and being significantly closer to my family in BC. But I was worried about my son losing his French. I have a BA in…
Ever noticed that your children always choose the perfect moment to ask you for something? No? Well, me neither! Here are 12 examples of my children’s impeccable timing. I’m sure you can relate! 1- When they wake up crying in that exact moment right before I fall asleep when my brain has finally gone quiet…
This post is brought to you by nepotism. Eye exams for kids are super important! When I moved to Calgary in 2015, my mom told me that her cousin’s son also lived here, and he was an optometrist. So, like the creepy cousin I apparently I am, I showed up to get my kids’ and…
If you’re wondering how I physically go about tandem nursing toddler twins, it’s often sitting cross-legged (on the kitchen floor with my back against the cupboard door, at the bottom of the stairs, on the couch if I’m lucky) with each one straddling a thigh. Or I just lie down on the floor and they…
The very first time I took my very first baby to his very first immunization appointment, I was a bit of a wreck. I honestly think the entire experience was worse for me than it was for my little dude. Would he cry? Would he be inconsolable? Would he have a reaction? Would he ever…
This blog post is sponsored by Philips Avent. The opinions expressed are my own. There are so many things I did NOT know when I had my first child. And that’s okay: you don’t have to know absolutely everything about babies before you have one. It’s important to know that you can trust your own…
By Randi van Wiltenburg, Owner of Butterfly Baby Doula Services and Infant Feeding Educator 1- I’m bottle feeding—I don’t need any help! Did you know there is a preferred method of bottle feeding that helps prevent overfeeding your infant? Did you know that oral issues can impact how well a baby feeds at the…
My name is Lindsay and I am a 40-year-old mama of four trying to live an eco-friendly, budget-friendly life! I am a substitute teacher and Child Passenger Safety technician in Calgary, Alberta. Join me on my adventures!
