tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29954386593022320612024-02-18T20:38:43.899-08:00my birth treeThe Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-43143200666261425962011-08-07T09:07:00.000-07:002011-08-07T09:27:49.626-07:00coming back<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQtDLbjW7xAMN49cg37RYacO0i7i6QFbL0cuqoCIsjb6oy4uTJwLkWbtIfZ4-XFOB682YdKTNHC_nzjCzmV9S6Kk3qUDi4fFU9LFzsD7rY-KpsIZHdsSvePfiV_tlD6QdMLzj0sVxF84/s1600/all+pictures+on+camera+october+09+605.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQtDLbjW7xAMN49cg37RYacO0i7i6QFbL0cuqoCIsjb6oy4uTJwLkWbtIfZ4-XFOB682YdKTNHC_nzjCzmV9S6Kk3qUDi4fFU9LFzsD7rY-KpsIZHdsSvePfiV_tlD6QdMLzj0sVxF84/s320/all+pictures+on+camera+october+09+605.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5638151350604848674" border="0" /></a><br />After a break from work to be with my family, I am coming back to teach in Comox in the fall. It has and continues to be an interesting journey, choosing to be home instead of working, I'll share more on that later. But for now, if you are looking to be part of a wonderful group of people that are preparing for the birth of their babies, I have two classes coming up. These are the dates:<br /><br />September 16, 17 and 18<br />and<br />November 4, 5 and 6th.<br /><br />I am having troubles with my website, so the dates are not up there yet. If you would like to register, there is still room in both classes. Please contact me for more information.<br /><br />And as for being home with my family, I am still here but I am really looking forward to coming back to share in this time with you.<br /><br />Happy Summer!The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-86883022290438593532011-05-11T10:05:00.000-07:002011-05-11T11:29:52.946-07:00breathing in the time of trees<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6ituTBSwspI5A5rYBdwK6oht8YlWiza78KN0P91PCn-DkNvukm-BYAwFk0d1NkyW6Ns_ecVXlQlcl0jDs68vMyKvSar98UBy870UwAgdiidmvf0lZ6NEVh7XU06kihw-lx9fqD1WIa8/s1600/all+pics+May+2011+627.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6ituTBSwspI5A5rYBdwK6oht8YlWiza78KN0P91PCn-DkNvukm-BYAwFk0d1NkyW6Ns_ecVXlQlcl0jDs68vMyKvSar98UBy870UwAgdiidmvf0lZ6NEVh7XU06kihw-lx9fqD1WIa8/s400/all+pics+May+2011+627.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5605524667587398450" border="0" /></a>It's been a long time since I posted here. A lot has been happening. And a lot has been changing. I have been working in the birth community for 7 years now and this past January, I started to hit my wall. I have two children, 3 and 7 and while they are not babies, they still need me most moments in every day. When I am not busy with them, I am busy with our home, our garden, our kitchen (I revel in the pleasure of cooking and more so, eating), and time for myself? Hmmm, not sure where that happens. Oh and I have a husband who I would prefer didn't turn into a room mate which means he needs love too. Trying to do all of this and care for my business, my clients, is well, a little tricky.<br /><br />I have been struggling with this for some time now, actually since my daughter was born. I had a moment a couple of weeks ago when I wanted to go back to 2007 and give myself a hug, a good, honest loving hug. I was trying to do too much, be too much, prove too much. I couldn't keep all those balls in the air. Sometimes I would drop the business ball, sometimes the dinner ball, lots of times the mothering ball. And my own ball? I'm not sure it was really in there most of the time.<br /><br />So, in February after a transformative weekend painting with <a href="http://www.annierousseau.ca/Circle_Tree_Studio/Circle_Tree_Studio.html">Annie</a>, I came home, clear as a sunny day, that it was time to put my work on hold for a while and give my attention to the job I already had. It's not been an easy decision, nor a light one, but it is a good one. Being home with my family, spending my days, for the first time since my son was a baby, being at home, being a mother, enjoying food, creating our garden, feeling more like a whole woman again (sometimes I still feel scattered), is the best thing that I could have done for myself and my family.<br /><br />Now, before you start emailing me with the virtues of the working mother, this decision of mine is not a comment on stay at home mothers vs. working outside the house mothers. It is not a judgment at all. In fact I think most women can pull of home, family and work way better than I can. This is just what I need to do for my own sanity right now. And no, I am not considering changing my name to June, Clever that is, nor do I own a string of pearls (yet). Caring for my home, the kitchen garden, enjoying beautiful food and a dinner table surrounded by the day's chatter is what feeds my soul right now.<br /><br />I'm sure I'll come back to work, when exactly, I don't know. My littlest one is going to be 4 this year and the time with my children feels as though it is slipping through my fingers. I want to be awake for every moment of it, even the rotten ones. Because as I look back on myself when she was just a baby and I spent so much time getting this business to where it is, I missed so much that I will never, ever, get back. I'm not going to make that mistake twice.<br /><br />So, if you are looking for prenatal classes, I am still offering private sessions, you are welcome to contact me if that is up your alley. Art classes are always available for those who want to explore their hearts through a creative process. Just let me know and I will open the space for you.<br /><br />There will be a time for me to embrace this work on a larger level again, everything happens in seasons. But for now, I am simplifying my life, enjoying the gift of creating my home, being with my children and trying to breathe in the time of trees.<br /><br />P.S.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2008/05/09/mothers-salaries.html">CBC reported this past week</a> that if a stay at home mother earned what she was worth, she would be making $126,593 a year. What we do is work and clearly, we are gravely underpaid : )The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-77845854991545308742011-02-23T09:51:00.000-08:002011-02-23T10:03:09.825-08:00good, honest, chocolate love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4u9GWFC-Us88cCqwAxniz2v6LTR-NfxLV63g2Yqb9I5LTGWJ1Ks5DGPwRqs7pEIsVz-x48k0G5TkMMSvouRw_eXFiDzemOo3uu2aDGsNTXN0po7YpncHkBYH7FWbnANfW5MQ1xWsgTkM/s1600/main.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4u9GWFC-Us88cCqwAxniz2v6LTR-NfxLV63g2Yqb9I5LTGWJ1Ks5DGPwRqs7pEIsVz-x48k0G5TkMMSvouRw_eXFiDzemOo3uu2aDGsNTXN0po7YpncHkBYH7FWbnANfW5MQ1xWsgTkM/s400/main.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576945322561015602" border="0" /></a>Well, I never did take a picture of that cake, we ate it too fast. Then this past weekend I made another one, and again, eaten too fast. How's that for an endorsement for this cake? Seriously, everything in this cookbook is this good. Last night we had Saki Salmon and Edemame on the side. Heaven.<br /><br />If you want to make this cake, which you absolutely should, <a href="http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/flourless-chocolate-lime-cake-with-margerita-cream-5146">click here for the recipe.</a><br /><br />Photo Credit: Nigella.comThe Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-2192629338496259132011-02-06T15:10:00.000-08:002011-02-06T15:27:46.299-08:00in love am I<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZ0HrjPYyePfzWtZXgNqUgKdEN0prmyh41S-VZmV87ch029WSqIQZop5oM25cvxqP1cchCeAbUZPamIspo1_TrbDvP09wtRj-WQCSDx7fWni5abP_Zi81dWN2ehnoZvvl9VxY6plyD2M/s1600/51GlP8Oe-yL._SL500_AA300_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjZ0HrjPYyePfzWtZXgNqUgKdEN0prmyh41S-VZmV87ch029WSqIQZop5oM25cvxqP1cchCeAbUZPamIspo1_TrbDvP09wtRj-WQCSDx7fWni5abP_Zi81dWN2ehnoZvvl9VxY6plyD2M/s320/51GlP8Oe-yL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5570721109251296674" border="0" /></a><br />So Valentines is just around the corner, but this post has nothing to do with the love I have for my husband, nor my family, at least not directly. The love that I feel so deeply, so passionately, so enthusiastically has everything to do with<a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Kitchen-Recipes-Heart-Nigella-Lawson/dp/0307398552/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297034500&sr=1-1"> this cookbook</a> (and it's writer, but not in a weird way-I promise : )<br /><br />After a night of hitting my culinary rock bottom with a recipie from The not-so-Joy of cooking, salmon croquettes, to be exact, I had literally thrown in the tea towel. I don't know about you, but coming up with interesting, yummy, easy to make suppers each night can feel like a chore worse than scrubbing toilets with a tooth brush. And after my Salmon croquettes became one giant pile of dogs breakfast in the fry pan I thought that would be the end of me.<br /><br />And then I found her...Nigella, unadulterated home cook, mother and lover of all things delicious and easy in the Kitchen. So I ordered it straightaway and I haven't been able to stop myself from cooking out of this book. As I speak a <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">flourless chocolate lime cake</span></span> is cooling on my counter that I am taking to a party tonight. Ymmmmmmm!<br /><br />So why tell you about this? To put myself on some Uber-Mother pedestal, to make you feel poorly about buying food at M&M's or to make myself feel more superior? No my friend, none of the above. I tell you about this because I'm sure if you are reading this you are either already a mother or about to become one. Nothing makes us feel worse than bad food and even worse, feeling too overwhelmed to make good food. This ladies, is the answer to your prayers. The food is easy, delicious, different, nutritious and down right, feel-good food. Sure there are a few odd things like Tamarind paste and Nigella seeds (yes, really), but it is a bit like a culinary adventure that is forgiving. Can't find Tamarind paste? It's ok, you can leave it out, or <a href="http://www.silkroadspices.ca/">you can order from here.</a><br /><br />Now I know the zealous home cook cooking out of her favorite recipe book is not a new idea (We all loved Julie and Julia). But what I am going to do here is nothing of the sort. I'm not going to cook aspic (yuck!) or write about every recipe I make (well, maybe). What I want to do is share with you how much you can fall in love with your kitchen again, cooking again and I dare say, eating again. I'll take a picture of my cake later and in the meantime, please check out this book, it is no ordinary cookbook. Oh and the love for my family, yes, I share it with them every night over a very yummy supper. My son has actually started asking "can we have Nigella food tonight?" And my answer, "Absolutely!"The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-9325330446962039642011-01-13T10:50:00.000-08:002011-01-13T11:28:01.610-08:00please listen<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwbWj14uQTcdMvg8TH_DmWKZqrCFIe6BQJDzoK5aH01m6I3-um7tFPpijMXhpyJn4ZZIyamSNKXRZX5VLblYCc6ZGSHSFWZWde2gfxAzAcvh4d29CQNEpSMgGf4JL1drYJlpmjmZl4YM/s1600/all+pictures+on+camera+october+09+034.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWwbWj14uQTcdMvg8TH_DmWKZqrCFIe6BQJDzoK5aH01m6I3-um7tFPpijMXhpyJn4ZZIyamSNKXRZX5VLblYCc6ZGSHSFWZWde2gfxAzAcvh4d29CQNEpSMgGf4JL1drYJlpmjmZl4YM/s320/all+pictures+on+camera+october+09+034.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561753094543026834" border="0" /></a><br />Listening is a skill that I think for many people is going the way of the Dodo bird, kind of like customer service (more on that another time). We are so busy with our own lives, thoughts and opinions that many people have lost the ability to really listen to one another. Haven't you ever been with someone, sharing what is going on in your life only to have them interrupt you with their own thoughts before you can even finish your own? How can we truly hear what the other has to say if we are already formulating our response while they are talking?<br /><br />Ok, what does this have to do with birth and children? Everything. Listening is THE most important thing you can bring to pregnancy, birth and mothering next to your intuition. When we listen to our bodies, we know how to move in labour. When we listen to our hearts, we know what we truly need. When we listen to our babies and children (just because they are 6 doesn't mean that they don't need to be listened to as well), then we can really hear what they are trying to tell us. We have such a tendency to run to experts, books, courses, some other place to tell us what to do. How can we look for creative solutions if we do not first take the time to listen to what the problem is in the first place?<br /><br />Our bodies and children are telling us things all the time. Our bodies and children want to been seen for who they are, for what they want to say, for what their experience is. When we ignore the messages or place our own ideas in place of theirs, they just get louder and louder until we finally listen to what they are saying. This often manifests in illness, tantruming children, labours when women feel unheard or relationships where we don't feel seen. We need to take the time to stop, to be still, to really hear what is being said. We need to acknowledge what the other, or ourselves is feeling and respond with love and gentleness.<br /><br />Your body wants to be heard, your child wants to be heard, your partner wants to be heard, heck, we all want to be heard. So please, stop, and listen. It is such an amazing gift to give others and to yourself.<br /><br /><a href="http://laurelbconnell.blogspot.com/">Thank you friend</a> for your inspiration to write this post.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-63827919302984421022010-12-14T09:51:00.000-08:002010-12-14T10:23:43.375-08:00children deserve beauty<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmfxBB8UHhjR_xI8Z8dv_ty2yga73BMc3WH3AkB2DS5QWQCzh7LJDinFecQffO9NmR3eObsHT7i5DdfhxwxgRcw1r-ZFpliPihLAB5Rq-ql-qEL0EO6HOk4LpI2Sg5YvNCaqwKsXzEOE/s1600/kids+dec+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYmfxBB8UHhjR_xI8Z8dv_ty2yga73BMc3WH3AkB2DS5QWQCzh7LJDinFecQffO9NmR3eObsHT7i5DdfhxwxgRcw1r-ZFpliPihLAB5Rq-ql-qEL0EO6HOk4LpI2Sg5YvNCaqwKsXzEOE/s320/kids+dec+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550601773860696834" border="0" /></a><br />Christmas is less than two weeks away and I realize every year that tis' the season for plastic junk. We North Americans are addicted to plastic in our throwaway world and immerse our children in it. It is everywhere, but no where more prevalent than in toys. We have somehow come to believe as a culture that children are not worth giving good quality, beautiful things to. We buy them the cheapest of everything thinking "they are just kids, they are going to wreck it anyway." I have a different belief.<br /><br />Children, like the rest of us not only appreciate beautiful things, they crave them. They can see the beauty in the smallest of things, a leaf falling from a tree, a bird on a branch, the way the light shines through watermelon on a sunny day. Their little souls seek out the beauty and mystery of life all around them. Beauty also tells them that the world is a good, safe place, a message they need so much when they are little. So why wouldn't we bring beauty in a conscious way into our homes to continue to nurture that impulse in them?<br /><br />I was at Superstore last night and was overwhelmed by the plastic, crappy toys spilling over the isles. I know that most of that stuff will have a play life of about a week. Then the kids will get bored of it, pieces will be lost and mum fed up with stepping on little plastic pieces will throw it away. It's not beautiful, it doesn't feel good in the hand and it is not meant to last.<br /><br />We talk so much about living green and reducing our consumption, but when it comes to children, we somehow think that not longer applies. So here is my thought. When we create beautiful spaces for our children and give them things that not only look good, but also feel good in the hands, they learn to appreciate and care for what they have. There is a soul connection to what they see and hold and the idea that we could just throw it away is no longer a possibility.<br /><br />Now, I know that the natural toy business has exploded in the past few years and most of the things that are for sale can be really expensive. Somehow the idea of quality not quantity has gotten lost even in this well intentioned world. But it is up to us as parents to choose carefully what we give our children. Do we fill the tree with whatever it takes to make it look full? Or do we give a little less, but in actuality more because it is something truly lovely that doesn't need a bunch of other stuff around it?<br /><br />Beauty doesn't need to cost much. A candle on the supper table, branches from outside on a nature table or homemade toys, all bring the qualities into the home that children love so much. My 6 year old son and I made this window star together last night. The pack of paper that we barely made a dent in only cost $5.95. We spent time together, created something really beautiful and when we were done, he said, "Let's save this for next year." This is the whole point. Create something to last, make it beautiful and subtly you teach them to cherish the world around them. Beauty speaks to their souls as it does to ours.<br /><br />So this Christmas consider what you are buying for your children. Ask yourself, "Is this beautiful? Would I want to look at it or hold it? Is it destined for the landfill or will it stand the test of time?" All children deserve all the beauty that this world holds. Less really is more for them.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-18139410440158220912010-10-25T09:55:00.000-07:002010-10-25T10:44:58.588-07:00we all need a little love<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_V4kVZYasKiWAc9Zv1tnfE7VFCWiOaHbnjHx1gVmNir0LEVwZ-wghT6THLRgSzUa0a0_-rjH-YLDiKlWJpJ5immkX8wz20CSnvqtVM-Gacffwp7ALXjJgUCef5CMFBbkgR5YD2LnANNA/s1600/summer+kids+and+renos+050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_V4kVZYasKiWAc9Zv1tnfE7VFCWiOaHbnjHx1gVmNir0LEVwZ-wghT6THLRgSzUa0a0_-rjH-YLDiKlWJpJ5immkX8wz20CSnvqtVM-Gacffwp7ALXjJgUCef5CMFBbkgR5YD2LnANNA/s320/summer+kids+and+renos+050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5532039799082843074" border="0" /></a>I am not super mom. I have tried, believe me. Laundry, dishes, house, kids, work, meals, groceries, doctor's appointments, husband, garden, banking, nature time, book time, playtime....really, no me time. I am good at doing one or two things really well. 20 things, hmmm, not so much. But I try as best as I can each day because I love this little family of mine. I cook them beautiful suppers each night because I love the time we spend together at the end of the day eating a meal together. I make sure they have clean laundry in their drawers because I want them to know someone cares enough to make sure they don't have to wear their underwear inside out because there is nothing left that is clean. Everything I do here is out of love.<br /><br />But sometimes I need some love too. My family is wonderful at saying thank you, for bringing me the occasional bunch of flowers, maybe if I'm lucky a small masterpiece of crayon imagery from my littles. For all of this, I am always grateful. But sometimes, I want someone to take care of me a little, the way I take care of others. Sometimes, I wish I had a wife.<br /><br />This weekend my dreams came true. Friday our car was in the shop, I was spending the day getting ready for a party I was hosting the next day and taking care of the kids since there was a pro-d day. To say I was overwhelmed would be a grand understatement. And then it happened, the dryer smelled like fire. Immediately I rushed to turn it off and throw the breakers. With two loads of sopping wet laundry staring me in the face, I wanted to crawl into a hole.<br /><br />And then the laundry fairy came. She took my laundry on Saturday, dried it, folded it, put it back in the basket and brought it to me with a magazine she knew I would love tucked in between the towels. This is a different kind of love then poetry and chocolates. This is the love that only another mother can understand, the kind of love that we all need a dose of once in a while. The kind of love that feels like someone cares about those little corners of your heart that only a domestically exhausted women could truly appreciate. Thank you friend.<br /><br />We all need a little love sometimes, especially in the laundry pile.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-24046069331706170792010-09-29T10:34:00.001-07:002010-09-29T10:59:54.278-07:00Ruby Mamas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIk37DW8pJwlwMa-N8GBDDWBMpXRcGfbBmh05xunVW2yMJOJyYP0FMTpfcvKwvl-SsiVUyzTzMXkksqNWFnpdFpRYBi5ae4iMP7QOCsU2UIwT2BQ9WthaFuiMGahEUinm2t9g3mYYHXg/s1600/before+and+after+008.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFIk37DW8pJwlwMa-N8GBDDWBMpXRcGfbBmh05xunVW2yMJOJyYP0FMTpfcvKwvl-SsiVUyzTzMXkksqNWFnpdFpRYBi5ae4iMP7QOCsU2UIwT2BQ9WthaFuiMGahEUinm2t9g3mYYHXg/s320/before+and+after+008.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522390465643626850" border="0" /></a><br />The Ruby Slipper Studio is finished and open! Classes start tonight and I couldn't be more excited. This was such a process and it took a village to complete. Nancy who painted the room, Andy who donated tools and his time to help Stefan put in the floor, Doug who did the drywall, <a href="http://www.waterglassstudios.com/">Waterglass Studios</a> who refurbished my original 1920's light fixture, Dave who did the finishing, Stefan who built my easels and Laurel who has been behind me the whole way.<br /><br />So, now that I have my very own space, I am inspired to offer something I have been wanting to do for a long, long time. I am going to offer an art class for pregnant mamas....Ruby Mamas.<br /><br />We spend so much time filling up our heads with information when we are venturing into the unknown world of birth and mothering, filling up our baskets hoping we will be prepared for the unknown. What we don't do is prepare our hearts and internal wisdom that we all possess. Information isn't what will help a woman when she is trying to cope with contractions nor is it what will support her when she is trying to figure out why her baby won't stop crying. It is her intuition every single time. That is what will be her survival skill in this journey ahead.<br /><br />So on <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >Monday October 18th</span>, I am offering a <span style="font-weight: bold;">one night workshop</span> for those beautiful pregnant mamas in my community. You need bring nothing but yourself, an open heart and some comfy clothes. I will provide the space, art supplies and a wonderfully supportive environment where you can connect with your own creative resources, your baby and other mamas in the Cowichan Valley. You don't need to be an artist, this class is not about an outcome, it is all about the Process, just like labour. Dorothy had the answers within her the whole time as she journeyed to Oz, just as you do. Come and discover how wise you are and create art from the heart. The fee is only $25.00 and the experience will be priceless. You are most welcome here.<br /><br />For more information or to register please contact Catherine at: 250-597-2770 or catherine@beautifulbirth.ca<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kALkwZAJRUO1N13mNiAL5SkisoTG5W0OYHS2mn_EAsvSb26v0EsIZ5WblaklKYFAvTfytohvssv2wmcgsb6AILeWTX_qHb98qKP-OJM-034_ROfoBdIkf76e0BnTKN7hElijf1ebsSE/s1600/ruby-blog-header.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 146px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_kALkwZAJRUO1N13mNiAL5SkisoTG5W0OYHS2mn_EAsvSb26v0EsIZ5WblaklKYFAvTfytohvssv2wmcgsb6AILeWTX_qHb98qKP-OJM-034_ROfoBdIkf76e0BnTKN7hElijf1ebsSE/s320/ruby-blog-header.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522394090940096482" border="0" /></a>The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-63974833289190813592010-08-19T14:35:00.000-07:002010-08-19T14:55:15.983-07:00learing to be still<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3AEzS8H-_0jzHVc8KMgFBgaeCTxPSAJcAn3bjodbFW54zOgkez9owvRV-6-gokDrmv1ETMSTEAKC1pCZs7ZyCW_tfXhbbJ0Y3sYtEw58Bsba4lF7j9GDT5G-I03BTHVAv0QwzIkKqLc/s1600/Summer+2010+003.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt3AEzS8H-_0jzHVc8KMgFBgaeCTxPSAJcAn3bjodbFW54zOgkez9owvRV-6-gokDrmv1ETMSTEAKC1pCZs7ZyCW_tfXhbbJ0Y3sYtEw58Bsba4lF7j9GDT5G-I03BTHVAv0QwzIkKqLc/s320/Summer+2010+003.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507242787453325506" border="0" /></a><br />I <a href="http://abeautifulbirth.blogspot.com/2010/04/still.html">wrote about this</a> a few months back. I thought that I had been doing it. Not so much. Still in some ways, constantly moving in others. The result? A continuous state of overwhelm, burn out and some days coloured blue. Why? Because in my ever moving mind, there is something that always needs to be done. And because there is something that always needs doing, I am always reminded that I can't keep up. Painting, laundry, birthday projects, cleaning, cooking, shopping, advertising, gardening, exercise.... oh the list goes on and on.<br /><br />It wasn't until I spoke to my divinely <a href="http://laurelbconnell.blogspot.com/">wise friend</a> who said "maybe you don't need to do those things right now, maybe you just need to be still" Hmmm, I thought, maybe I do. But how? And what would come out of it? More things that I am just getting behind on because I decided not to do them right now? No, not at all.<br /><br />Our conversation continued on the vein of listening. I mean really listening. To ourselves, our bodies, our own wisdom, to our partners, friends and children. All of those facets are trying to send us a message, but how can we hear it if we can't be still enough to listen?<br /><br />Then it came to me. We are all searching for an answer of some sort. Some questions are deep and meaningful, others more practical. We are all waiting to receive yet how can we if we can't first listen? And how can we listen if we can't first be still? Hmmm, very Zen of me I know. Sound as obvious as the sky is blue? Sure it does. Can you do it? Ahh, the deeper question, it's not as easy as it looks. I wanted to write this post as soon as I had this epiphany, but I forced myself not to, just to practice being still and allowing the idea to fully develop.<br /><br />So the laundry, it's coming. The birthday project is on hold, the groceries got done today, but no one starved, the cleaning? I'm working on it. I feel more grounded, more able to listen and maybe one step closer to peace.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-29541655903826938622010-08-03T14:12:00.000-07:002010-08-03T14:18:09.974-07:00come on over...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylpb46HjHSjVA6rj9EMF_mq0Dhbz8piM7S1dZSVndpfK4KIjyDv1tLUeIyptV0CzTOJXpkfBCKAschXjJ8s3IRVbIlHrsFy2PBa6xDm9LqauLh7kZ8us3WaNhJZKMKO-4q-LExWuIk6M/s1600/Ruby+Logo+mid.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgylpb46HjHSjVA6rj9EMF_mq0Dhbz8piM7S1dZSVndpfK4KIjyDv1tLUeIyptV0CzTOJXpkfBCKAschXjJ8s3IRVbIlHrsFy2PBa6xDm9LqauLh7kZ8us3WaNhJZKMKO-4q-LExWuIk6M/s320/Ruby+Logo+mid.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5501295942592111906" border="0" /></a><br />There are exciting things underway for this mama. The Ruby Slipper Project is going to have a permanent home this fall. A new studio is underway and I couldn't be more excited. I have also started a new <a href="http://therubyslipperproject.blogspot.com/">blog</a> and invite you to come on over. Want to come to a class? There is a space for you. Do you think you are not an artist? Yes you are, you are creating every single day. The creative impulse is in all of us. This is a safe, fun, open place free of judgement and expectation. I'll even make you a cup of tea.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-16281584707499833322010-07-27T09:47:00.000-07:002010-07-27T10:05:58.816-07:00a new way<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjgrbnNx_ppnhhqDJ8Co3ZHlQ79Yvx8R9bW0vXj69DS-AP7gzxIqqRNqWQFh3K7ImwOIsoGoXro3iXG8Lx_7gQeIVU5xpB2T5eDjCU6juHe5QFzr6u18HvvefJz7u4jvt3Vu17kgqNok/s1600/June+2010+064.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIjgrbnNx_ppnhhqDJ8Co3ZHlQ79Yvx8R9bW0vXj69DS-AP7gzxIqqRNqWQFh3K7ImwOIsoGoXro3iXG8Lx_7gQeIVU5xpB2T5eDjCU6juHe5QFzr6u18HvvefJz7u4jvt3Vu17kgqNok/s320/June+2010+064.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498632339471440034" border="0" /></a>I have been teaching Birthing From Within classes for 5 years now. They are fun, informative, unique and honour all aspects of birth and parenting preparation. While I love this work and find it so rewarding there is one aspect about it that I love the most. That is the birth art. When most people hear the word "art" they can get a bit freaked out. So many of us hold stories about our ability or inabiltiy to create and can't understand why facing that fear has anything to do with birth preparation. The reality is that birth preparation is all about facing fears, discovering your own strength and experiencing moving through it. That being said, I often don't do as much art in my classes as I would like, somehow defaulting back to the information aspect that I don't really believe is as important as an exercise in self-discovery. I am always trying to strike a balance and let my own fears go.<br /><br />I have a very dear friend and colleague however who has developed a whole new way of approaching birth preparation. She calls it the pregnancy circle and I think it is genius. She brings her background in counselling, mothering, Buddhist mediation and childbirth education and marries it into an on going class that I believe truly has the ability to change how we look at birth preparation and women as a whole.<br /><br />Her classes begin when you are 3 months pregnant and continue up until birth. Each week women engage in soulful, meaningful discussion, meditation and art. Stages of labour and when to go to the hospital are left to someone else to teach. What she is doing here is truly preparing women in their own bodies and hearts for the journey they are about to embark on. If you live in California in the Ventura, Ojai, Santa Barbara or surrounding areas, I would <span style="font-weight: bold;">HIGHLY </span>recommend that you check out her class. You will experience something you won't get anywhere else and have the privilege of working with one of the most gifted women I know.<br /><br />You can find out more about The Pregnancy Circle <a href="http://laurelbconnell.blogspot.com/">here</a>.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-85642277928931292892010-07-12T15:27:00.000-07:002010-07-13T15:31:33.634-07:003<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01CBdr-DrJu2GyhzlP-hJH8xLezF8LarSB4Mp4hZgOcTRaveI990VT_Coj0Y7ly12ytKOe2QmUsaRJPlVYlZwPWcnsyJl0RibHHkdE1BdiKj51VOCgiY44eiur0roviBJuOM8n5uqx-g/s1600/Summer+2010+026.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi01CBdr-DrJu2GyhzlP-hJH8xLezF8LarSB4Mp4hZgOcTRaveI990VT_Coj0Y7ly12ytKOe2QmUsaRJPlVYlZwPWcnsyJl0RibHHkdE1BdiKj51VOCgiY44eiur0roviBJuOM8n5uqx-g/s320/Summer+2010+026.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493521408825995730" border="0" /></a>Well, my littlest one is now 3. It was a lovely day, tea party, party dresses, a fairy and of course cupcakes. She also potty trained last week in one day. That's my girl. She takes her time with EVERYTHING, but when she's ready, it's like she's been doing it forever. It's official, I am out of the baby stage. Moving on....although I'm not sure I'm ready. Happy Birthday little one!The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-6877456045477833952010-06-24T13:27:00.000-07:002010-06-24T13:37:07.745-07:00everyday adventures<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgHYyFfNUNEqFZ6DBxFJr6y-MNnTvGX6iP8QGSDrDeZe0rlJZxZcELxHuvgZyKonveaFhjLCXhRLpfjItY8MyomFbTD_ENr6Aj4SuI-ar6LDMKWwFc4Hh1X2R9PEtZdyGz1zLGN4_8sI/s1600/June+2010+010.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHgHYyFfNUNEqFZ6DBxFJr6y-MNnTvGX6iP8QGSDrDeZe0rlJZxZcELxHuvgZyKonveaFhjLCXhRLpfjItY8MyomFbTD_ENr6Aj4SuI-ar6LDMKWwFc4Hh1X2R9PEtZdyGz1zLGN4_8sI/s320/June+2010+010.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5486439975302262034" border="0" /></a>Well, the summer is here and I couldn't be happier. I realized that it has been a long time since I last posted and I suspect that my blogging may slack over the summer. These two are my full time job right now, there is no school and no daycare for either, so it's all me. <br /><br />So what will we do? Camping in Tofino, soccer camp for a week and lots of everyday adventures. We went to the beach yesterday and looked for moon jellies, we've been spending time in the woods and today we went to the local consignment store and found an old Fisher Price record player (it is almost 40 years old) and my kids think it is the bomb. Tomorrow we're going to another beach to look for sand dollars and the day after that, well, we'll see. It feels good to let go of the routine of school, even if that means taking them both to the way too small grocery store so that my daughter can knock over a box of pop and have it spray all over the floor and her mother just after she started opening chocolates. I really think it is a conspiracy that grocery stores put all of these things in the reach of little ones just to drive the mothers crazy.<br /><br />What will you do this summer?The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-12646956804566393992010-05-28T18:01:00.000-07:002010-05-28T18:38:39.627-07:00the most asked question....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8JGpp1mS_Tt7nzj7YKm0d-IHofKmQ8ofCdfSW2NcfduTaucaEjNk2vo02Or7BY_mX-BQIPCpYLCNDXzVUVMk68xb2dUbnSbdTGKREP4hbFDelQG7_lC2brfFemvok-FB-fhu2NRI3Wc/s1600/IMG_3310.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8JGpp1mS_Tt7nzj7YKm0d-IHofKmQ8ofCdfSW2NcfduTaucaEjNk2vo02Or7BY_mX-BQIPCpYLCNDXzVUVMk68xb2dUbnSbdTGKREP4hbFDelQG7_lC2brfFemvok-FB-fhu2NRI3Wc/s320/IMG_3310.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476496231021718898" border="0" /></a><br />Whether I teach prenatal classes or I have been walking about the world with a new baby, the question I always get asked is either "Is she sleeping through the night?" or "when will she sleep through the night?"<br /><br />I'm sure I've said this before, but because it is so important, I'll say it again. Babies don't know, neither do they care that it is 2010. For all they know it could be 340 BC. Their needs are basic and they have not changed. They want to be close to their mother or father, they want to be breastfed, they want to be comforted and they are not developmentally equipped to sleep through the night. Because of all of these factors, it is not only normal for them to wake frequently, it is essential to their health and survival.<br /><br />What has changed is not the <a href="http://www.nd.edu/%7Ejmckenn1/lab/">needs or behaviors of babies,</a> it is our needs as adults. Most of us no longer live in a tribal culture where we have aunties, sisters, mothers and friends to help us when we have a child. Heck, most of us don't even live in the same city as our families. Not only are we responsible for caring for the child, the home, the cooking, the cleaning, the banking, the car repairs... the list goes on, many of us are also returning to work. It is no wonder that sleep deprivation and naps during the day are not conducive to this lifestyle.<br /><br />I had a very brave mum call me a couple of weeks ago who was at her wits end. Her baby slept well for the first 3 months and then it all changed. Now her baby was waking every hour and a half and making her crazy. My daughter did the same thing and I used to say that it was like being in Gitmo. That's what they do to torture their prisoners, let them fall asleep and then wake them up. I used to physically hurt from the sleep deprivation. So this mum feeling like she was going to loose it, was also torn about what to do an not a little desperate. She didn't want to let her baby cry it out, which I applauded, but full Continuum Concept wasn't working for her either.<br /><br />This is one of the biggest lessons in the parenting journey. First, learning to be gentle with yourself and ask for help. Second, find something that works for you and that feels right for your baby. There are so many books out there on how to be a good parent, because there is no one right way. Some will tell you how to be BabyWise (actually not so wise, babies have died) or that The Baby Whisperer will solve all your problems or that you can have The Happiest Baby on the Block. <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(153, 0, 0);">These author's don't understand infant neuroscience. They just want you to buy their book.</span> You had to listen to your instinct in labour to birth your baby, the same goes for being a parent. It can be helpful to know that you are not alone, it can also be helpful to know that just as it has changed, your baby's sleep pattern will change again, and then again.<br /><br />There is no right answer, no quick fix, there are some <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/No-Cry-Sleep-Solution-Through-Foreword/dp/0071381392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275095828&sr=8-1">good books</a> , but at the end of the day you can remind yourself, this is just a moment in time and it will pass. My daughter sleeps through the night now ( except for the last few nights when she has been crawling into our bed at 4 in the morning), in her own bed, in her own room. I never thought I would see the day, but I did and so will you. Now, go take a nap with your baby.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-8399469199044492962010-05-18T13:02:00.000-07:002010-05-18T13:19:01.278-07:00You got time to lean...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9u6dL03cKrSDI-qsNhVTroaS5Y8gOB6_UwnxOvOxcr4IUZls98S51Ta4oYvwbPOexIIp8696fzQqST_Ay9OPs4XavTTo5LE9sH3nAfp04k7SDoQ9wODxTuiZPnA0tiL4vhdwvSe0TZnM/s1600/art+projects+and+chinatown+007.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9u6dL03cKrSDI-qsNhVTroaS5Y8gOB6_UwnxOvOxcr4IUZls98S51Ta4oYvwbPOexIIp8696fzQqST_Ay9OPs4XavTTo5LE9sH3nAfp04k7SDoQ9wODxTuiZPnA0tiL4vhdwvSe0TZnM/s320/art+projects+and+chinatown+007.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472706077739829954" border="0" /></a><br />I came home Sunday night from a really amazing weekend of teaching. This group was open, brave, full of laughter and even taught me a thing or two. It was one of those really special groups that you wish you could have every time.<br /><br />Then on Monday morning I woke up sick, really sick. I haven't been that sick since I was pregnant with my daughter 3 years ago. I spent the day either clinging to the couch or the toilet, not good times. As I crawled upstairs to bed at dinner time I started thinking about all I have been trying to keep together over the past few weeks. It's not uncommon for me to get sick, just as it is all over, as though my body has given me permission to fall apart.<br /><br />It's a reminder that I really need to let myself slow down on a regular basis so that I don't fall apart all at once. I was speaking with a very wise woman yesterday who suggested that I start taking some time during the day to sit outside and drink a cup of tea. Sounds simple doesn't it? I came up with lots of excuses why I couldn't. Then she reminded me why I needed to do it. I realized that for many years now I have been living into that old saying <span style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">"You got time to lean? You got time to clean"</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"> </span> It's not that I don't ever have a minute to myself, it's that I don't use that minute <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;">for</span> myself.<br /><br />So today instead of cleaning the kitchen, I took my beat up body back to bed to read a book while my daughter watched a show (horror of horrors!). Well, actually she loved it and so did I. So if you have a minute today, I recommend that you don't use that time to clean, use it for yourself. If you don't you might end up like me. Your body so tired of running that it gets sick so badly that you have no other choice to stop.<br /><br />You are worth the gift of a cup of tea. Go put the kettle on....The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-10049235194321378522010-05-12T20:19:00.000-07:002010-05-12T21:21:10.717-07:00quantity vs. quality<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVA-S8SwjAAw7J7nrtP9fVFMONGsd0GG0JgO9W_irQWiulYLnj4sWfuDRf35LLFgjQyRA_FBsBrh909DyseLZxu_ecmbBd_iaYOOwFNhUzeRu2wk578qCEzSiLewoVH2mhncdIMcaWP6Y/s1600/pile+of+clothes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 144px; height: 118px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVA-S8SwjAAw7J7nrtP9fVFMONGsd0GG0JgO9W_irQWiulYLnj4sWfuDRf35LLFgjQyRA_FBsBrh909DyseLZxu_ecmbBd_iaYOOwFNhUzeRu2wk578qCEzSiLewoVH2mhncdIMcaWP6Y/s400/pile+of+clothes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470603771937999250" border="0" /></a><br /><br />My summer wardrobe is seriously lacking. This is not a time of year that I tend to invest in and halfway through the season I always regret it. T-shirts with spit up stains, shorts with paint stains, dresses that don't fit anymore (even though I keep hoping they will), it's a bit of a motley crew, that wardrobe of mine. This is the first year in 4 years that I have not been pregnant or nursing and I feel that it is time to put myself back together again.<br /><br />So my mom, God bless her, sent me a bit of money to go and buy myself some nice things for the summer. And then here came the conundrum....do I take that money and go and buy myself 6 or 7 things at a discount store or do I take that money and purchase a 2 or 3 really nice, good quality pieces? It is the eternal question of quality vs. quantity. So yesterday I perused the stores, looking for sales and places I could spend my money. There were some cute things that would be fine for the season, but one close look and I knew that's all they would make it through. By September they would either be donation material or headed into the landfill. There is nothing that bugs me more right now than things that are designed to last for a short period of time so that we will go and buy more, it just isn't right.<br /><br />So today I went to my most favourite store in the world (I really do mean that) It is called <a href="http://www.sweetnancys.com/index.html">Lil' Sweet Nancy's</a> and they have two locations in Victoria BC. What makes this place so special you ask? Well beyond their wonderful, relaxed atmosphere that my daughter is also welcome to be in and their superior, honest service, the clothes are just lovely. I have been buying one of these brands for the past 10 years and not only do the clothes last and last, they are always designed with the next season in mind. So today I bought a few really lovely things, some will be just for summer and others I will definitely wear into the fall. The best thing is that by next year at this time, I know they will look just as good as they do today and won't be heading for the landfill at all.<br /><br />If you live on Vancouver Island it is worth your time and your money to go and visit. And if you don't live on Vancouver Island, but close by, I would highly recommend a day trip over here. Lil' Sweet Nancy's and Sweet Nancy's<a href="http://www.sweetnancys.com/"> </a>is one of those rare places that really cares about their customers and offers amazing service whether you are buying one nice dress or a whole wardrobe. This is also a place where you don't have to be a size 2 to fit into the clothes, which for this curvy mama is a godsend. Not to mention, the store owner is also a mum, so she totally understands what I need when I'm buying clothes.<br /><br />We talk a lot about self-care as mothers and for me, how I get dressed in the morning is part of that. So for this girl, quality will always trump quantity. And now I can be part of the summer without a map of spit up stains on my shirts.<br /><br />P.S.<br /><br />I normally don't do reviews on products or stores and was not paid to write this. I just really love this place and wanted to share. You can find them <a href="http://www.sweetnancys.com/contact.html">here</a>. Happy shopping!The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-53544095945338691992010-05-11T18:10:00.000-07:002010-05-11T19:03:44.808-07:00mother's day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsK_5xpA4UphDJWyQbDY8iSp3MhJy74uwRY9GdXuSqoaCG-xoa_GGzeew0zzML5vKYal5x_UtbPZZXvQnrPdn3rAusZSD9nsybul-OZDyPZMHAuuFBJSAE2XyW3dkB-XvUCyJJaRh2mQ/s1600/mothers+day+2010+002.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwsK_5xpA4UphDJWyQbDY8iSp3MhJy74uwRY9GdXuSqoaCG-xoa_GGzeew0zzML5vKYal5x_UtbPZZXvQnrPdn3rAusZSD9nsybul-OZDyPZMHAuuFBJSAE2XyW3dkB-XvUCyJJaRh2mQ/s320/mothers+day+2010+002.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470185232269328034" border="0" /></a>Ah, Mother's day. I love it. We went to Victoria for the day on Saturday and visited some of my favorite places. Murchie's for lunch, tea and treats, a tradition since I was a kid. Then to <a href="http://www.munrobooks.com/">Munroe's</a> for an <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Help-Kathryn-Stockett/dp/0399155341">amazing book</a> that I am already devouring. And after that? Husband takes the kids for an hour so I can go and shop on my own, bliss. It was also a day where <a href="http://www.salmonaresacred.org/">a courageous woman</a> walked all the way down the island to bring awareness to our threatened Wild Salmon stocks. We took the kids to the <a href="http://www.timescolonist.com/news/Salmon+crowd+over/3012511/story.html">very peaceful protest</a> and while they didn't understand why we were there, it felt right to be there as a family.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhXkKi3Z9M7VL275d8WjYrtE_xfACmBltSefKtIRwBZpPXTKTx9wDiWGk3CvhNPQ1Bq7erd1GasCQXu0zbwe5JQw8cxSfI0fSzbF3zjTsjSXDMyi2kBrcmGekmQ9qNMQEAiWRPjxXlf8/s1600/mothers+day+2010+012.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqhXkKi3Z9M7VL275d8WjYrtE_xfACmBltSefKtIRwBZpPXTKTx9wDiWGk3CvhNPQ1Bq7erd1GasCQXu0zbwe5JQw8cxSfI0fSzbF3zjTsjSXDMyi2kBrcmGekmQ9qNMQEAiWRPjxXlf8/s320/mothers+day+2010+012.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470185731604482770" border="0" /></a><br />On Sunday, actual mother's day, a long walk by the river with the family, more time on my own while husband took care of everything, some much needed bras (I'll write more about that later) and a carpet picnic. <br /><br />Life after kids can really change things and we can either fight it or adapt. It's not always easy for my husband and I to get out on a date together, alone. So on Mother's Day he made a super yummy dinner, that was not for the kids (they ate earlier and went to bed) and we had a date on a blanket upstairs in our room. We had music, candles, wine and most importantly, peace. There was no one to complain that the dinner was "too yucky, to big, didn't like it, too smelly...." Where my perfect eaters went to, I have no idea. Anyways, it was bliss. <br /><br />It was a really lovely weekend and a really lovely day. I hope you had a wonderful day too!The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-8922092320025430972010-05-05T18:52:00.000-07:002010-05-05T19:12:46.633-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOC5U3jFLURfVbfW_-5A4ZLD41p8oD-LjSSYjwdLYIBeSljo5sHgerY4YP3GANaQFe3u24NopXsVMJKUtaP61g3nxJhoUlAI0lQeSMKTTXfuEkeqJGzGLUqeHX8FeCtjTkzRlLIFYIBw/s1600/May+2010+118.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTOC5U3jFLURfVbfW_-5A4ZLD41p8oD-LjSSYjwdLYIBeSljo5sHgerY4YP3GANaQFe3u24NopXsVMJKUtaP61g3nxJhoUlAI0lQeSMKTTXfuEkeqJGzGLUqeHX8FeCtjTkzRlLIFYIBw/s320/May+2010+118.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467969932176204498" border="0" /></a>Since I don't have anything riveting to write about (before and after pics of the kitchen are coming soon), I thought I'd share some recent photos of our life. Hanging out at home, a trip to <a href="http://www.fisgardlighthouse.com/">Fisgard Lighthouse</a>, May fest, and crab hunting at Transfer beach. <br /><br />I received a touching phone call today from a mum who is so sleep deprived with her newborn, she's not sure what to do next. That post is on it's way soon.... <br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4P6qhM_3IV3x4KWdA1L4JbuEyOzli5blwenzMkhr6ObSQXnfscOGL0S0AhL8-lfJ8aNb_F-8gDJBe8cWheV8FxylTOfRVlZkZLpla7UXQKxNs9ds3WanK_AGPzIiUSSLYDXXpMkvMlY/s1600/May+2010+158.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4P6qhM_3IV3x4KWdA1L4JbuEyOzli5blwenzMkhr6ObSQXnfscOGL0S0AhL8-lfJ8aNb_F-8gDJBe8cWheV8FxylTOfRVlZkZLpla7UXQKxNs9ds3WanK_AGPzIiUSSLYDXXpMkvMlY/s320/May+2010+158.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467969760531747218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutDk-GNgEGm9gh3udK2st28IEFWeXRMkgUNJ9TSu8Ee0lquvpEgB5fdK6L_qQf1qBi157occRrAOL1t5vuZ8IcpKff_IFnirQUOloqBR6EzfDo4MvfnOJf_j1xdOMAHbMjB-XWVNzTms/s1600/May+2010+183.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiutDk-GNgEGm9gh3udK2st28IEFWeXRMkgUNJ9TSu8Ee0lquvpEgB5fdK6L_qQf1qBi157occRrAOL1t5vuZ8IcpKff_IFnirQUOloqBR6EzfDo4MvfnOJf_j1xdOMAHbMjB-XWVNzTms/s320/May+2010+183.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467970942489660418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofUqDJxDHro30KlOWpq8f8LOJzz0jR_NqqXZvR0LaHzSHDoL-Sg9cI4dok5OjTnTTwLzDDzvyN7Cjo056HkqCqDMYi5HFWT4SbUIcKOnGdAxYLCzRGljD73NRiA7RFEl7N0oEhfItbh8/s1600/May+2010+111.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofUqDJxDHro30KlOWpq8f8LOJzz0jR_NqqXZvR0LaHzSHDoL-Sg9cI4dok5OjTnTTwLzDDzvyN7Cjo056HkqCqDMYi5HFWT4SbUIcKOnGdAxYLCzRGljD73NRiA7RFEl7N0oEhfItbh8/s320/May+2010+111.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467972388859045618" border="0" /></a>The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-54385381042346189102010-04-28T21:24:00.000-07:002010-04-28T21:38:05.868-07:00writers block<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje_jkdVwA_9Iw4Tx2BbeRWmLj9TqKPtBrRz6R1NIUVMjweu1Q-LiZ9uf2o6Wa8kk8mAq_V0nPvyydhUM0HiB3AiWmpxWhnWS-5WreNG_XOMW1Pn24h0iEu0i7JRsZht8k6T-JiMvgAAc/s1600/cubikus-block-puzzle-l.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgje_jkdVwA_9Iw4Tx2BbeRWmLj9TqKPtBrRz6R1NIUVMjweu1Q-LiZ9uf2o6Wa8kk8mAq_V0nPvyydhUM0HiB3AiWmpxWhnWS-5WreNG_XOMW1Pn24h0iEu0i7JRsZht8k6T-JiMvgAAc/s320/cubikus-block-puzzle-l.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465411233984760418" border="0" /></a><br />Well, it's hit me. Writers block. I have lots of things I would like to write about but fail to have the mental capacity to put anything into an interesting post worth reading. It's been a flurry of kitchen reno's, school decisions (yes, we finally made one) and a tantruming two year old. Every time I sit down to write something meaningful, my thought is interrupted by something, be it laundry, children, pot of water boiling over on stove, what have you. So, I'm taking a bit of a blogging break until this fog I am in lifts and I have something more meaningful to offer.<br /><br />The kitchen looks amazing by the way. A lick of paint and some new light fixtures can bring forth a miracle.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-55850261657610099032010-04-11T20:45:00.000-07:002010-04-11T21:22:46.850-07:00walk a mile in my shoes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHkwZwzgUNeytB6FqipO9jMqvdYWjz-1rVPNTFXAF0I8sdyv4IGtFn4DTz9hJt-0ky5xm-QEU7upno_uAs-3ZvGTS6yy8WhONLMK9MXxOW6eKBCW1evVF4yGhjRyQ4meJpLx5llciiek/s1600/my+boots.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHkwZwzgUNeytB6FqipO9jMqvdYWjz-1rVPNTFXAF0I8sdyv4IGtFn4DTz9hJt-0ky5xm-QEU7upno_uAs-3ZvGTS6yy8WhONLMK9MXxOW6eKBCW1evVF4yGhjRyQ4meJpLx5llciiek/s320/my+boots.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5459099995245279890" border="0" /></a><br />I was the best parent in the world, before I had children. I knew why children turned out the way they did, how to get a child to sleep through the night, how long a child should breastfeed and I certainly was an expert on discipline. Then I had children.<br /><br />I woke up this morning to the familiar screaming of my two children, one bugging the other. I dove deeper under the covers hoping I could disappear into some other world where children woke up singing and played quietly until I was ready to descend the stairs for my morning coffee. No such luck. I managed to doze for a half-hour between the crying and giggles (the girl can be a bit dramatic) all until my son came upstairs with a handful of his sisters hair and a pair of scissors. Need I say more?<br /><br />I dream that there are mothers out there that take every challenge with stride, never loosing their cool, never dreaming of a Martini at noon. I wish I were that mother. I am that mother some of the time. This past week, not so much. Spring break and kitchen reno's have created a bit of a perfect storm where I am equally pulled between wanting to be present with my children and also finishing the painting that can't seem to wait until bedtime. It is hard for me to ignore my kids so that I can finish a job and it is equally hard to ignore the job so that I can be with the kids. I eventually gave up during the day and saved the work until night, but I am so tired.<br /><br />What really gets me in times like these is people who don't have children who are so quick to judge with their all knowing responses for repair. They are experts in child rearing and know just how to fix the problem. Everything is in absolutes and so simple. Just take them for a walk. I already did that. Spend time with them. I am spending time with them. Then the blank look of realisation that all of their tricks are not fail proof.<br /><br />The truth is, there really is no magic answer, no magic craft project, no magic story time. Having kids is hard. Having two kids is a million times harder. It can be rewarding, joyful, filled with moments of overflowing love for those two little ones you feel so blessed to have brought into the world. I often feel like this when I see them sleeping. I feel like this lots of times through the day too. But mothering can also be lonely, isolating, frustrating, maddening and bring you to tears. "Are you crying mummy?" "Liam, Why is mummy crying?" I couldn't speak through the tears, I just walked to the garage to get their bikes and helmets, wiped the tears away, took a breath and took them for a long river walk.<br /><br />So the next time you think you have the answers or feel that you are an expert on someone else's children (even if you have ones of your own), <span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Stop</span></span>. Walk a mile in her shoes before you speak, you might find you get blisters just like she does.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-56985019396266140632010-04-07T22:29:00.000-07:002010-04-07T22:49:51.513-07:00still<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrSP312ea_ejL__2AbnwWpEsKj8CD6GtxuLjYe-L232nVg0PZPVXhDCtDDtJK_4omV-6nkQ62Ai93F4au8lFJL9X6OMf6umrj8LOyfC2iOQOLcgWq8YXGft8TkcoHu2uElKYjV3tPzkU/s1600/Westcoast+summer+09+046.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrSP312ea_ejL__2AbnwWpEsKj8CD6GtxuLjYe-L232nVg0PZPVXhDCtDDtJK_4omV-6nkQ62Ai93F4au8lFJL9X6OMf6umrj8LOyfC2iOQOLcgWq8YXGft8TkcoHu2uElKYjV3tPzkU/s320/Westcoast+summer+09+046.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457635656793967522" border="0" /></a>I've been a bit uninspired to post lately. Maybe its because I have gone through a huge process in deciding which school my son will go to, maybe it's because I've been trying to be a more present mum and just don't go on the computer as much or maybe it's because I have so much to say, I just don't know where to begin.<br /><br />Whatever the case I feel like I need some time to be still. I need to be still with my family, with my work and especially with myself. So I have chosen to sign up for a <a href="http://www.processarts.com/pages/contents/studygroup.html">3 month study group</a> and allow myself to take some time to focus inward and get clear on which step to take next. It feels good to stop and pause, to see all that is around me and know that just because it is there, I don't have to dive into it right away. It's kind of like being on this beach. The waves are crashing against the shore, the coastline feels rugged and wild and yet, when I took this photo, I sat down on the sand and just took it all in. The ocean is funny that way, there is something inherently calming and humbling about it. And while you may want to dive in, sitting down and just being with it is also perfectly acceptable.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-84446954001670577482010-03-29T18:35:00.000-07:002010-03-29T18:45:53.666-07:00the best toy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5ZlHTbMIWKFjkzFG0aYcUojVcqIqnOkEL1-uJpoBQkCkxCLNG3UBzE6fXrqz39HjT6Gkb7aDemqC9b_RRfpHr2XmwfCyHQRH_sKaq1JxGSDuviTcgXbqTqpTQ6J4sdVQ7_86Dxp-61I/s1600/jan-feb2010+020.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5ZlHTbMIWKFjkzFG0aYcUojVcqIqnOkEL1-uJpoBQkCkxCLNG3UBzE6fXrqz39HjT6Gkb7aDemqC9b_RRfpHr2XmwfCyHQRH_sKaq1JxGSDuviTcgXbqTqpTQ6J4sdVQ7_86Dxp-61I/s320/jan-feb2010+020.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454235626318584242" border="0" /></a>I have purchased many beautiful wooden toys over the years. But really, nothing beats the cardboard box.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-49990758747179442402010-03-19T08:44:00.000-07:002010-03-19T09:03:40.439-07:00Reunion<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqJunxhW7IBgslGUYqIBo0xDvogfmtVRWntZcBBNo8-fLGLa5U8Cl2dUWc2TbUTjvLLB_1HHov5SHr7hjYBTi3iuQEtlh7WUC2L5Wq9bdADFWgYQKJXTyNX57UoLrk4WH95wRSGpJJcE/s1600-h/35+birthday+041.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzqJunxhW7IBgslGUYqIBo0xDvogfmtVRWntZcBBNo8-fLGLa5U8Cl2dUWc2TbUTjvLLB_1HHov5SHr7hjYBTi3iuQEtlh7WUC2L5Wq9bdADFWgYQKJXTyNX57UoLrk4WH95wRSGpJJcE/s320/35+birthday+041.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450375125759855026" border="0" /></a><br />A couple of weeks ago when I was in Comox, I had the privilege of seeing all these mums and dads again with their new babies (we missed you Kelsey and Steve, you too Sean). This group took my class last October and it is always amazing to me to see women and men born as mothers and fathers. Birth truly is a transformation.The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-3632927191844350832010-03-16T20:01:00.000-07:002010-03-16T20:35:37.302-07:0035<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdn-IfdHtcVPplUjZ6O7zATAkRmCuAtNav-birjTiXPDTv1eEmolWdpKOJq_WcSQNOwk5MjcFSBmDZ1t0ZGctxSwkGQzTO8SZ40xVXzz0S6EZRvg3Ym1_BPpRjLsmScNS1PdAn-vO5HSo/s1600-h/35+birthday+067.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdn-IfdHtcVPplUjZ6O7zATAkRmCuAtNav-birjTiXPDTv1eEmolWdpKOJq_WcSQNOwk5MjcFSBmDZ1t0ZGctxSwkGQzTO8SZ40xVXzz0S6EZRvg3Ym1_BPpRjLsmScNS1PdAn-vO5HSo/s320/35+birthday+067.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449436342017581522" border="0" /></a>Today is my birthday and I turned 35. For whatever reason, this birthday feels significant. I feel like I am at a turning point in my life, in many respects. Instead of feeling terrified, I feel excited, clear and renewed. My dreams for my life are very clear, I see myself differently than I did in my 20's, even when I turned 30. I think the most poignant part of 35 is that it is the end of the self-loathing era. All those years feeling that I wasn't good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, a good enough mother, wife, friend....oh it goes on...is now over. Sure I'll still have days when I feel down, days when I hate my jeans as though they have betrayed me by holding me a bit too close as I then blame the dryer. We all have moments like that. But moments and a lifestyle are two very different things.<br /><br />The other day my mother called me to say that she would give me $5.00 for every pound I lost. I was speechless. In the past I would have felt a pit in my stomach, tears welling up in my eyes and witnessing my mind race about how I wasn't pretty enough. Ah, but this time it was different. This time I didn't take that on. This time I responded with "are you on crack?" And I meant it. Now, I love my mum, and I know that her heart is in the right place, she wants me to be healthy, but honestly, this has been going on since I was 9. For a long time I bought into that story, and now it is over for me. I could be upset about what she said, but actually, I am grateful. It feels like it was a "how much do you really love yourself?" kind of test and I passed. 35 feels like a metamorphosis. Funny how my birthday is less than a week from the first day of Spring.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3aewk0pu_BZa6S03eIDn5hiAHu316ODKzMUHyKKi00VGRQ_z9MBJhfAiGNNyjZDohEuh8ri-8HIc71rM5_gCEZpEDkh1J7F1hxzsWf_-Su9xslH5khyZHPvFRyUyQ4zn7d1Fy0CB8Sk/s1600-h/35+birthday+096.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3aewk0pu_BZa6S03eIDn5hiAHu316ODKzMUHyKKi00VGRQ_z9MBJhfAiGNNyjZDohEuh8ri-8HIc71rM5_gCEZpEDkh1J7F1hxzsWf_-Su9xslH5khyZHPvFRyUyQ4zn7d1Fy0CB8Sk/s320/35+birthday+096.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449439105229321810" border="0" /></a>So to celebrate this day, I spent it with my children. We had the best day ever. All I asked from my son for my birthday was "a day of kindness and co-operation" And they both gave it to me. Best present EVER. I took them down to Victoria and I bought a cute little vintage medicine cabinet for my bathroom, we ate at my <a href="http://www.rebarmodernfood.com">favorite restaurant</a><a href="http://www.rebarmodernfood.com"> </a>and then went to a couple of my favorite shops including <a href="http://www.munrobooks.com/">this one</a>. We were going to go to the museum, but my son asked if we could go to <a href="http://www.beaconhillpark.ca">the park</a> instead. The sun was out and I couldn't think of a more wonderful thing to do. So we went to the park, played in the playground, walked through the meadows, went for an ice cream and off to the beach. As we meandered home, we stopped at Goldstream and looked at the water, it sparkled in the sunlight and the moss hanging from the maples looked like magic. We came home, made a yummy dinner (including the amazing cake my husband baked from scratch for me) and now, kids are sleeping and I am so thankful for this day. This really was a Happy Birthday!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQAPQfa264H-Ag2WQ5RHGqL_tiJnYVGbnnRpJNMQBfH0hbZWnarmxPTzC6pQ0vZQnV36y6i9zNU2CmXU_49j9WHn1EQh-TH_BdIkPxU8n2Ueoo-yfA5F4KT5v3WyxFEb-D9_KouA1B9c/s1600-h/35+birthday+079.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguQAPQfa264H-Ag2WQ5RHGqL_tiJnYVGbnnRpJNMQBfH0hbZWnarmxPTzC6pQ0vZQnV36y6i9zNU2CmXU_49j9WHn1EQh-TH_BdIkPxU8n2Ueoo-yfA5F4KT5v3WyxFEb-D9_KouA1B9c/s320/35+birthday+079.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5449440206135186082" border="0" /></a>The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2995438659302232061.post-48587671262215986822010-03-10T19:46:00.000-08:002010-03-13T20:45:21.332-08:00dreams<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kaEyTXwitv4Uup1Uj89QWLMypR6yMiTMS5YYRz0OXfVuMNj83Teayi2A8xdariJfPKLb6tLx73wRYepLFS8GbgaFtWtE6kR7NWL-B2dpXze_EBPkB3EH6gGnm0TAx4ltbr0-ttYGdug/s1600-h/IMG_3157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6kaEyTXwitv4Uup1Uj89QWLMypR6yMiTMS5YYRz0OXfVuMNj83Teayi2A8xdariJfPKLb6tLx73wRYepLFS8GbgaFtWtE6kR7NWL-B2dpXze_EBPkB3EH6gGnm0TAx4ltbr0-ttYGdug/s320/IMG_3157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448345973171949762" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I am a dreamer. When I was young it was endearing, as I grew older, some thought it became trite, almost inconvenient. I have dreams for myself, for my children, for my family. I dream about my career and what I really want to create, I dream about a beautiful home (which I am blessed to have) I dream about traveling and being blissfully anonymous. I dream about the kind of mother I want to be and escape from the mother I actually see myself as. I dream about having children that are fully embraced, allowed to have an unadulterated childhood, one where as adults they look back and know they are so wonderful because of it. Part of my dream has been that Waldorf education would be part of that.<br /><br />Now that I am on the verge of leaving Waldorf, mainly for financial reasons, I am having to check in with my dreams and realize that they are also stories. This story that I have been living, the one that says Waldorf will keep my children safe, happy and held has really challenged what I think about myself as a mother and us as parents. While we haven't made a final decision yet, we are leaning towards French immersion for the fall. This process has really forced me to look deep within myself and see that <span style="font-weight: bold;">I am actually a great mother</span>. I love my kids more than life itself and will do whatever it takes to nurture, support, encourage and embrace them. While Waldorf education is a fantastic option for many, embarking on a new form of education doesn't change who I am as a mother, it doesn't change our family. We will still have a nature table, we will still eat good food, the Christmas Angels will still come on Christmas Eve and we will still keep media out of our home (as much as we can). We are still loving, caring, creative parents, Waldorf or not.<br /><br />I had a dream the other night. Liam was 7 and going to his first day of grade one. As I stood at the entrance to the school, he and all his friends turned into Beluga whales. They all dove into the sea, free and transformed. As I stood on the shore feeling sad that he had left, I noticed a humpback whale going after them. It was clear that the children (whales) were in danger. As I stood helpless on the shore, my son and his friends managed to outsmart the whale and get away safely. They came back to the shore and turned back into children. My son, back into my arms.<br /><br />Transformation and letting go is difficult for most people and this experience has been nothing less than challenging for me. I realize that part of the struggle for me is that up until now, I have largely been able to control his environment, what he is exposed to and how he has been embraced in these all important first 6 years. And while I don't know what lies ahead, I do know that my son is an amazing person. He is outgoing, curious, energetic, creative, deeply imaginative all wrapped into one sensitive little soul. The part that is hard is not really about what education he receives, it is about trusting that he will be OK. It is about trusting that the world is actually a good place for all of us. It is also about trusting that if a new school doesn't work out, that we are resourceful parents who will find another option for him. This is the letting go. This is about standing on the shore, holding the space for him as he embarks on a new journey, always supporting him, always there with open arms. They grow up so fast.<br /><br />And so begins the journey.....The Ruby Slipper Projecthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13629720666239438745noreply@blogger.com1