Back to School

Back to school.

It was almost as if it wasn't really happening.  I've been pushing this day to the back of my mind for over a year now - not only because my youngest is entering Kindergarten, but because it's been a loooonnnng ride getting there.

To make a long story short, the past year has been riddled with anxiety for me just thinking about Zoë going to the big school.  I know I'm in the same boat as most parents with kids going to Kindergarten, but this was a first for me.  With Jadon, I was like "bye, see ya" (and that's pretty much how the drop-off went with him this morning LOL).  With Zoë, it was "will she have support?", "how will she be able to keep up with her classmates?" and "what will her mode of transportation be when the entire class ventures to the local park?".

I've spent close to a year gathering Zoë's doctors' and therapists' reports, and submitting them to her school.  Out of pure luck, our Vice Principal is also our learning assistance coordinator and very well versed with cases of muscular dystrophy.  When she told me this, it was as if a weight was lifted off my shoulders and I could really concentrate on the other little things of getting a child prepared for their first big day.  Of course, the preparation would still be different from my experience when Jadon was entering Kindergarten, but at least I had that piece of mind that Zoë was going to have the support she requires and the understanding that I so desperately hoped for.

I could go on and on about the rollercoaster of emotions that's plagued me in the past year, but that can wait until a later post.  Let's get right into the part where Zoë is Zoë and she's been waiting over two years to join her big bro and his friends at the big school!

With the help of Sport Chek, the kids were absolutely spoiled with back-to-school gear for their first day (insert raised hand emojis):

Honestly, Sport Chek has always been my go-to, one-stop shop for all things sports, fitness, back-to-school, Father's Day... you name it!  As a working mom, it's extremely convenient for me to stop at one store (especially when I have that long ride home ahead of me!) and be able to grab whatever the kids need for back-to-school shopping gear, as well as pick up anything that hubby and I may need.

A huge thanks to my Sport Chek fam for spoiling me AND the kids with back-to-school gear!  Jadon can't get enough of his never-ending Under Amour backpack - that thing is like a bottomless pit and perfect for our newly-minted grade three-er!

xo,
kristina

Disclosure:  All opinions in this review remain my own and do not reflect the opinions or views of Sport Chek and/or their affiliates.  We received a form of compensation from Sport Chek in order to complete this review. 

summer unplugged

Summertime should be all about beaches, fairgrounds, playgrounds, ice cream and cotton candy, am I right?

Wrong.

It's more like giving your kids (who are usually at school, but because it's summer....ah, don't get me started!) whatever electronic device you have that will keep them occupied for the next five minutes, so you can start chipping away at your to-do list, emails, orders and whatever else you have up your sleeve.  For five whole minutes.

{All my work-at-home-moms, put your hands up!}

Of course this practice only encourages and enables my children's love for electronics.

Every day feels like I'm fighting an uphill battle of trying to balance our days with outdoor and indoor play, reading, errand running and the 20-odd meals that my children seem to consume, all while limiting their screen time to 30 minutes per day.  Zoe is usually fine when I tell her her time is up, but Jadon can be relentless.  He'll beg me all day long to 'play' on my phone until it gets so annoying, I take the privilege away indefinitely.  It's almost as if I have to wean them off electronics (I've done it before and I'll do it again!).

This obsession just couldn't go on any longer.  I knew I had to do something and I had to do it now.

A few weeks ago, I introduced Jadon and Zoe to IndigoKids' summer reading guide, themed Passport to Reading.  Indigo's experts have picked the top books for every age group and stage of reader, and rounded them up to create their summer reading guide to ensure kids get the most out of reading this summer.  Passport to Reading introduces kids and their families to take countless reading journeys to places they've only imagined, wished for or dreamt about.

Both Jadon and Zoe were given the opportunity to make a list of their favourite books from IndigoKids' summer reading guide, with the intent that they would continue to challenge themselves by reading a book a day.  I saw this as a definite advantage for Jadon, as he had some difficulties with his reading skills during the past school year.  His teacher was able to act on it as soon as she realized that Jadon would benefit from additional resource assistance, and was she ever right.  After only a month of being supported by his school's learning resource teacher, Jadon had already moved up two levels in reading!  Seeing this made me realize what I had known all along:  as soon as Jadon gained the confidence, there was no stopping him.  So why not continue encouraging that throughout the summer?

Geronimo Stilton MiceKings: Attack of the Dragons

Lego Nexo Knights: Graduation Day

The BFG

Dragon Masters: Song of the Poison Dragon

Finding Dory: Ocean of Colour

Lego Play Book: Ideas to Bring Your Bricks to Life

Geronimo Stilton and the Kingdom of Fantasy: The Hour of Magic

Zoe Gets Ready

The Day The Crayons Quit

Let's Play

My Little Pony: Phonics Book

The Jungle Book (BabyLit)

Moby Dick (BabyLit)

Instead of packing electronics to keep the kids distracted while we're out, the kids are now bringing one or two IndigoKids approved books and immersing themselves into an imaginative and interactive world of play, dress-up, ponies, Lego and fantasyland.  I see how proud Jadon is when he masters that difficult word, and how attentive and curious Zoe is when she listens to her big brother read to her (not to mention I have full possession of my phone - haha!).  It's a win-win situation here, guys!

Make sure to check out Passport to Reading for this summer's hottest books.  The summer reading list is conveniently categorized according to age and stage of the reader, as well as the genre of the book. Summer may be halfway over, but it's never to late to get started!

xo,
kristina


{win it!}

IndigoKids is giving one of our readers a chance to win a prize pack full of some of the titles from Jadon and Zoe's summer reading list!  To enter, please follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and ends on Wednesday, August 24, 2016 at 9pm PST.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:  All opinions in this review remain my own and do not reflect the opinions or views of Indigo and/or their affiliates.  We received all of the books listed in this post from Indigo in order to complete this review.  Note that SwankMama does not accept responsibility for sponsors that do not fulfill their giveaway duties.  Winner will be contacted via email and will have 24 hours to respond, otherwise, a new winner will be chosen at random.

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Our WeDay Vancouver Experience with TELUS

It's not every day that you open up an email with 'WeDay' in the subject line, but the morning it happened to me, I nearly screamed and had to do a double take.  Then a triple take.  TELUS actually wanted me to join them in their suite at Rogers Arena to watch WeDay.  Ummm, YES!

Being a step-parent to my 14 year old daughter has allowed me to look back and try to remember the issues I faced when I was her age.  I feel that in doing this, I'm able to relate to her better and help her deal with any issues she may be facing as she grows into a young adult.

By having inspirational days like WeDay, which is geared towards positively influencing a generation of young citizens by making them aware of global issues and increasing their self-esteem and self-worth along the way, we're driving a generation to succeed and to empower each other in doing so.  I, myself, felt such a strong charge of positive energy in the arena that I couldn't help but be excited and feel uplifted, knowing that these kids have WeDay to look forward to each year.

Not only are these kids given support and guidance in how to make a positive influence in our world, they're also treated to special appearances and performances from their favourite celebrities such as Selena Gomez, Orlando Bloom, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and newcomer Shawn Mendes.

WeDay also introduced their global platform for social change to us:  Free The Children, Me to We, We Act and We Day.  Each one of these platforms have the same message; to shift the change from 'me' to 'we' and educate individuals to the power of community.

I'll never forget my first WeDay experience, which I was able two share with my good friend Jessica from North Shore Mama, as well as other positive influencers in the community.  To learn more about WeDay and their global initiatives, head over to their website and find out how their founders, Craig and Marc Kielburger, are driving their beliefs and bringing them to the awareness of our young communities.

Clean up the mess in your life with the Lysol® No-Touch Antibacterial Hand Soap System!

Messy. 

In a household full of kids, it’s hard to avoid messes.  Like the ones where you sweep up crumbs for the umpteenth time in a given day.  Or the ones that are wet and sticky, and seem to go on forever.  Or that pile of laundry or the mountain of paperwork. 

That kind of mess.

There’s also the one where your son touches something that sticks to his hands and he just has to get the stickiness off right away.  This situation is a perfect example of why Lysol® No-Touch Antibacterial Hand Soap System made hand washing easier for Lil J, as he tends to be very particular about how he washes his hands {and how quick he can get it done}.  With a simple hand swipe in front of the soap system’s sensor, the soap dispenses into his little hands and, voila, hand washing actually becomes fun!

We used our Lysol No-Touch Antibacterial Hand Soap System in the bathroom, but it can be used in both the bathroom and the kitchen.  Why not make hand washing fun for the kids while giving parents, like yourself, piece of mind that the millions of germs that are spread throughout the day are eliminated with the use of the Lysol® No-Touch Antibacterial Hand Soap System?  I know I’d rather prevent germs from getting on my children’s hands, face and body as much as I possibly can!

The great thing about the Lysol® No-Touch Antibacterial Hand Soap System is that it automatically senses hands and dispenses the right amount of soap each time. We also love that the Lysol® Antibacterial Hand Soap comes in a variety of scents containing rich moisturizing ingredients.  I can say from experience that the moisturizing Aloe Vera & Vitamin E and Refreshing Citrus scents are very, well, refreshing!

Head to your nearest grocer and try the Lysol® No-Touch Antibacterial Hand Soap System today!

{Try It!}

Easter egg huntin' with Kinder® #KINDERmom

It’s that time of the year again and the Easter Bunny is gearing up for our annual Easter egg hunt!

This year we’re going to try to stay away from too much chocolate and candy, but one can’t really shy away from the coveted Kinder® egg. Since there’s quite an age difference between Miss S and the younger kids, she will get the bulk of the Kinder® eggs, with Lil J getting most of the toys inside the eggs. A win-win for both, right?

Of course we can’t forget about Baby Z, who is finally old enough to somewhat participate. She’s obsessed with books and reading, so my best bet is to get her a few books and a couple little toys.

Just a few of the goodies!

As for the actual hunt? In the past, I’ve always put candy and chocolate in those small little egg shells and hid them around the house. This Easter I’m planning on doing the same but, instead of candy and chocolate, I’ll include little toys or trinkets {and a few Kinder® eggs here and there!}. Each egg will also have a note inside with a hint on where the next egg is, with each location containing three eggs – one for each kid. I’m hoping this will make it more fun and less competitive in terms of who gets more eggs, {although the kids are usually pretty good with splitting them up in the end}, and it’ll also help them think and strategize. Plus, I’m hoping it’ll prevent us from “forgetting” about lost eggs and finding them weeks later!

At the end of the hunt, a big surprise will be waiting for them, which will be new this year. I couldn’t help myself!

The Importance of Early Dental Health with the BC Dental Association

As a child growing up, I remember my regular visits to the dentist and how, after each visit, the dentist would determine my teeth were in excellent condition and that they remained cavity-free! It wasn’t until I became pregnant with Lil J back in 2009, that I realized how important dental health was during pregnancy.

In addition to the obvious physical changes your body endures while pregnant, it’s encouraged to maintain your regular dental checkups to ensure that your and baby’s health remains in top form. The main things I remember learning during my mass pregnancy research was that there is an increased risk of dental disease during pregnancy and flossing is extremely important. So much so that an occasional flosser, such as myself, started to floss once a day to ensure that my baby’s health had the best start possible. Other issues, such as the fact that bacteria in your mouth can transfer throughout your body possibly exposing health issues to your unborn child, definitely alarmed me and made me extremely conscious of the importance of maintaining my dental health.

{Convos with Lil J} That dreaded question + his second language

Living with a four year old equals some pretty funny conversations - especially if that four year old seems to be learning a number of things from preschool.  Here are some of the highlights from this week:

CONVO #1 - in the lobby of the Old Spaghetti Factory, no less

LIL J:  Where do babies come from?

Finding your voice with the Children's Hearing & Speech Centre of BC + a Giveaway!

When a representative from the Children’s Hearing and Speech Centre of BC reached out to us to help spread the word about their dedication to helping young children with speech and hearing impairments develop their speech through listening, consistency and practice, I couldn’t say not say yes.

Many of you may not know that I, myself, am hearing impaired.  Diagnosed at the age of five, I’ve been wearing hearing aids ever since, and had it not been for the amazing audiologists and speech therapists that helped me through my journey, I may not be who I am today.

Why the late diagnosis?  Back in the 80’s, there wasn’t a mandatory newborn hearing test like there is today.  My parents started to gradually notice that I wasn’t hearing things as sharp as I should have been and began realizing that the way I was pronouncing words seemed to be a little off.  At five years old, they found out that I had inherited hearing loss from my dad’s side of the family.

The result?  I was still a normal five year old going about my five year old business.  Hearing loss was a part of who I was and it wasn’t going to stop me from doing anything I wanted to do.  It didn’t stop me from becoming a competitive gymnast.  It didn’t stop me from playing basketball, volleyball, badminton or joining track & field.  It didn’t stop me from making friends, scoring honour roll status in high school or becoming who I am today.  And it sure didn’t stop me from starting this blog!

Lil J's Vintage Superhero Fourth Birthday Party!

Now that the busy holiday season is behind us, I've had a chance to think about some of the posts that I've been putting off for a few weeks months!  Can you believe that I still haven't posted about Lil J's fourth birthday party that happened back in June?!

Since Lil J was {and still is} obsessed with superheroes, I decided to throw him a vintage superhero party at 6 Pack Beach - a local indoor beach complete with volleyball nets and unlimited toys for the kids.  I loved the uniqueness of the venue and the fact that we could let the kids {and adults!} roam wild without any worries.

For the party favours, I ended up getting a 10-minute sewing tutorial refresher from my amazing mother-in-law and went to work on a much loved, but forgotten, hobby.  Here's a sneak peek at the party prep:

The birthday boy and his handmade Batman cape!

Party favours

dear lil j: i miss you like crazy when we're not together

Dear Lil J,

So we're two months into school and last Thursday you finally came home and declared that you had fun at school.  Mind you, it was Halloween and pretty much every kid has fun at school on Halloween, but the fact that you actually said something different from the usual "I didn't have fun at school" gist, I was taken aback.  And maybe secretly smiling to myself.  After all, it took you exactly two months last year to say you were having fun at school.  And you're finally "having fun" at school...maybe.

I suspect that you may have a slight problem with authority.  It's quite possible since you're at the age where you're trying to test everything and everyone.  I'm planning to talk with your teachers during my two weeks off {starting next week} to make sure everything is going okay at school.  You know, just in case.

Have I told you lately what an amazing big brother you are?  I try to tell you every day and I'm going to tell you again:  you're an amazing big brother to your baby ZoZo.  In fact, you call her "my baby" as if she's yours and only yours.  You love to "protect" her and help her anytime she needs you.  You like to share your food and toys with her but sometimes sharing can also be a challenge.  You don't fight much with you little sister but you sure like to get under the skin of your older sister {and vise versa}.  Sometimes it's a battle and I tell myself that you're just going through another "stage", and that it'll see itself through eventually.  I know it will.

dear baby z: my love for you is so big, i can't even describe the feeling

Dear Baby Z,

Where do I even start?  Not only am I in complete denial that my baby girl is growing up before my very eyes but last week, at 17 months, you gained the long awaited confidence to let go of the sofa {or chair or table} and try to walk towards another object - all by yourself!  You're also toying with the idea of standing by yourself without holding onto anything and you love using your big brother's old walker!  Just watching you discover your balance and newfound freedom is so entertaining!

In addition to your exciting milestone, I love that your personality is blossoming every single day.  I see a lot of your siblings in you:  from your sense of humour in being able to find every single situation funny, to your patience in trying to figure things out {this trait is one you definitely share with your brother}.  You also have a calm air around you {which your brother used to have and then he turned two...} and your smile is just so darn infectious.  I love that you fling yourself onto your back as soon as I sit you down on our bed and that you'll try anything that's edible {or not edible - we need to work on that one}.

dear baby z: where did time go?

Dear Baby Z,

It's like it happened all of a sudden.  One day you were a baby - babbling, crawling {or shuffling} and needing assistance in all aspects of your life - and then the next, you were an actual person - talking, pulling yourself up to a standing position and cruising along furniture, and climbing up on benches where you now prefer to eat your meals {no more high chairs for you!}.

Okay, you were always an actual person but all these things happened within a week and it made me miss my little baby!  But it also made me extremely proud that my baby was growing up.

No more high chairs!

captured in print: moments in time + a Sears Portrait Studio giveaway! #SearsBabysRoom

Remember those studio pictures?  The ones with the bad hair, questionable wardrobe choices and the funny grins that seemed to go on for miles?  The ones where you look at your parents wondering what on earth were they thinking?  Or maybe they secretly wanted to save those embarrassing photos for that certain once-in-a-lifetime slideshow - I cannot confirm nor deny that I may or may not have already started a collection of embarrassing photos of my own kids {shhhh!}.

For our first family photo shoot, I took hubby and Miss S to a {surprise!} portrait studio.  It immediately brought back memories of the few times my brother and I had smiled and posed and looked so very proper.

Following that first photo shoot came many more over the years. There's something magical about capturing moments in time and seeing our kids grow up through the pictures.  After all, they grow up far to fast and we always say that we'll remember them as they are.  At least for me, I always think that I'll remember, and then when I look back at pictures, I'm in complete awe at how much my kids change - in as little as six months!

investing in your child's future with RBC RESPs #SaveWithRBC

Once you start a family, it's easy to get caught up with the present - the everyday chaos, new additions, sport activities and work - and it's also just as easy to forget about planning for the future.

When Lil J was first born, we wanted to make sure he had a head start in life with an educational fund that he can use towards his post-secondary education, so we ended up opening up an RESP account a few days after he was born.  It was something we could do for him to encourage his future and open up a world of endless opportunities.  A few years later, we repeated the same process for Baby Z.

For myself, I didn't have the luxury of an educational savings account and I remember feeling like I didn't have very many options because of my minimal financial situation.  My husband and I believe that education is a very important part of our children's lives, as well as into their early adult life.  Plus we figure the earlier we save, the faster the RESP grows and the easier it is to contribute over the years.

b life photography: an evening out with justine boulin

A growing family means many milestones, many laughs and many different stages.  From my experience over the years, I'm a huge believer of capturing these milestones, laughs and stages through a lens.

We were fortunate to connect with Justine Boulin of B Life Photography a couple weeks ago through a giveaway hosted by Mama In The City.  Justine was also a fellow 2012 Top 30 Vancouver Mom Blog winner - talk about a small world!

The tricky part about photoshoots is finding the best location that's comfortable for everyone involved.  Luckily, Justine was very relaxed and easy going about the whole process and we finally decided to shoot at Central Park in Burnaby in the early evening.

Justine's approach at her photoshoots is capturing her clients in their most natural state.  She doesn't as many posed shots as most photographers we've worked with in the past and it truly made for an enjoyable experience.  At first, I almost felt like I was "pretend" posing but the kids definitely made it more natural {picture me chasing after Lil J while he wreaks havoc on his scooter!} and Justine made the entire experience very comfortable.

giving your child the freedom to choose + a Sears Canada FacebookContest! #SearsBabysRoom #BTS

Back-to-school!

I never thought I'd be so happy to hear those three words together.  This is Lil J's first year going back to school, or preschool rather.  In any case, it's a good thing - for both Mommy and Daddy and Lil J.  Plus, we get to go back-to-school shopping!!

Last Sunday was reserved for taking a trip to our local Sears to see what they had in store for back-to-school {pun intended!}.  Over the past few months, Lil J has been more vocal about what he wants to wear and he takes the initiative to dress himself in the mornings, so I thought our shopping spree at Sears would be the perfect chance to get him to start choosing his own clothes!

Much to my amusement, Lil J chose a number of licensed character tees and I had him pick two out of the many that were on his "must-have" list.  He ended up with a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle long sleeved tee and a Ninjago t-shirt.  I may have added a pair of grey skinnies and a Canucks tee {my brother would be so proud!}:

siblings and the bonds they share

Before Baby Z came into the picture, Lil J was the complete center of attention.  Not only with myself, my hubby and Miss S but with his cousins, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  For a couple years he was the baby of the family.  And did he ever feed off all that attention!

Never one to be shy about expressing his feelings, Lil J was emotional and definitely went through all of his many phases.  As my pregnancy with Baby Z came to an end, I worried that Lil J would retaliate negatively as the center of attention would suddenly shift from him to the new baby.  They were the exact same worries I had for Miss S right before Lil J was born.  I wanted to protect the kids from the inevitable and make them still feel like everything was all about them.

And so Baby Z was born and Lil J, just like Miss S before him, took on his new role as the big sibling with ease.  He embraced his new title, Big Brother, proudly and told everyone and anyone who would listen about his new Baby "ZoZo".  I was taken aback and beyond proud of my little man - he hardly showed an ounce of jealousy and loved his new baby sister like crazy.