Open Letter To Mom's At Our Pool

I wouldn't normally rant like this...but since what I witnessed at the pool this morning during Arabella's swim class has been bothering me since, this might help to get it off me chest! I do however want to preface this by saying that I am not trying to tell this parent how to handle their child, but rather I am speaking from experience - I was a life guard and swim instructor for many years.

Dear Mom at the Pool -

When your child is screaming and clutching onto you do you think you should just drop her in the pool for her swim lesson? As she is clawing into your leg, isn't she trying to tell you something? You child was mortified and scared to death to be in the pool. Didn't her screams for "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" for 20 straight minutes in between the scream get to you? You daughter was beet red and hyperventilating, yet you made the instructor take her? Do you not see that this will only make her more scared? It seemed that you were alright with this behavior...I was not. I was scared and concerned for your child as well as my own.

Did you think that by walking from one end of the pool to the other as the class was taking place would make her stop crying? It didn't. Did you think that sending Dad to get the stuffed animal would make her feel better? I didn't see any change in the crying. Did you think that allowing her to take the stuffed animal into the pool with her would help? Nope, it was just one more thing that the instructor had to pay attention to during the class. I could go on with the behavior that I witnessed, but is it important? Not really. What is important is your child was asking, no, begging for you to comfort her and to help her. But you ignored it.

By having a child that is out of control - screaming and thrashing about in the water - made it unsafe for my child and yours and the rest of the children in the class and pool. The instructors are there to teach our children how to swim, not try to calm them down for 20 minutes. I would imagine the screaming child is and was a distraction for the other life guards who were on duty watching over the pool. I know that when I was guarding, when I heard screaming and/or crying, my attention would automatically be focused on that rather than what was going on in the pool under my watch.

Please, don't force your child to take swim lessons. Next time stay with them at as they sit on the edge of the pool and watch the class. Let them ease into it. By forcing her, you could have made her forever scared of the water. I realize it is important for children to realize and face their fears - but what happened today tortured me as I watched. And you risked the safety of my daughter today. My daughter was also concerned for your child and her swim class today was not beneficial...that is one swim lesson that she won't get back. It was a missed opportunity for my child. Please don't be so inconsiderate.

Sincerely,

A Concerned Mom

PS - On another pool related topic...can you all please teach your kids to share and not be mean??? It breaks my heart when my sweet daughter ask "Can I please play with you?" only to get a nasty response back of "No!" Seriously, what happened to manners? All this behavior makes me want to join a different pool next summer...

Now, I feel better.

Funday Sunday

Since I have been spending most of my waking hours doing school work, Jay had been picking up for my slack! This weekend he has been on duty all the time...morning, noon and night! I like to think of this past weekend as a little dose of what I do when Jay is traveling for work...but with that said, I am very thankful that he took over this weekend to let me catch up on my work. Yesterday, he took Arabella to the pool for fun - an old standby by, but good to get in as much sun and water now since it will be turning cold here, very, very soon! Today, they did something even better. They packed some snacks and grabbed the kite that we bought last year on PEI (Prince Edward Island for those of you who don't know) but never used and headed to a lake shore park in Pointe Claire. It was a great morning filled with kite flying, duck feeding and tree swinging! Arabella had a blast and even flew the kite all by herself...you are getting to big too quick my little Arabella! Aside from the blisters on Arabella's feet - she insisted that she wear shoes that were too big for her - which is took off and then walked barefoot which led to a splinter on the bottom of her foot - they had a ton of fun!! Thanks again Jay for picking up my slack this weekend!

Beauty In Every Room

I was up much earlier than normal yesterday, and when I came down the stairs, the blooming hydrangeas out the window caught my eye. They were so beautiful in the early morning sun and it reminded me that a few weeks ago I had wanted to cut a few for a vase on the dining room table. So once I got Arabella's breakfast and I started my coffee in the French press, I went to the basement to see what I had for a vase. I found the jackpot...I forgot that I had so many glass vases (mostly they were from the candy table at our wedding and one or two make their way out over the course of the year for various projects or flowers0, so instead of just pulling out one, I pulled them all out! So instead of cutting just a few blooms, I cut a ton, but you can't even tell since there were so many - they were just weighing down the plants, so I look at it as doing them a favor by taking off the extra weight! When I came in with the first batch, Arabella was so excited, she wanted to help me put them in water. When I went to cut the second batch, she came to help, which was fun. We spent about 45 minutes cutting flowers, putting them in vases and then putting them in each room of the house. I am serious when I say this - even the guest room has flowers, and we don't have any guests coming this week! Arabella even has 3 vases in her room. She was such a good help and was so proud to show Jay what we were doing. I loved watching her see the beauty in her natural surrounds and I love how the flowers make the rooms look so beautiful!

The blooms are huge...this one is bigger than my hand!


Where is Arabella???




And finally, on the dining room table!

Can Someone Please Explain...

why the frozen baby carrots that I bought at the grocery are from ISRAEL? Yes, you read that right, Israel?


I had no idea that Israel was a big carrot growing region. And I am not sure how it can be less expensive to pick, freeze and ship the carrots across the Atlantic than by using carrots that are grown in North America. They didn't taste any different but it was odd to see that on the back of the package.

Just Like Mommy

One of the habits I have when I get out of the shower is to put my hair up in this special towel that literally sucks the water out of my hair. Sometimes, if we are not rushing out of the house or when I take a shower in the evening, I will leave my hair in the towel and get things done around the house. Such was the case the other night. I took a shower when we got home from Village du Pere Noel while Arabella washed the car with Jay. When they were done she came up to take her bath and I still had my hair in the towel. She asked to "be just like Mommy" and pointed to the towel. I told her I would look for a towel when she was in the bath and we would put her hair up when she was all done. It was the cutest thing when she got out of the bath...she was so excited to put her hair up in a towel like me. She had to climb up on her step stool and look in the mirror and then she ran to show Jay! I had to grab this picture of her in her robe and with the towel on her head, she just looked to sweet!

Village du Pere Noel

Yesterday, we decided to take a little road trip with a few friends and head north to the Laurentians and Val David to visit Santa on his "summer vacation" from the North Pole. Arabella knows all too well that Santa lives at the North Pole, which she will gladly show us on the huge map that we have on the basement wall, so I had to make up something so she wouldn't get suspicious. Seriously, she is so smart and she might have figured it out. I told her the night before that we were going to see Santa and that he was just coming down south to take a little vacation from all the snow at the North Pole. It was the perfect day for our road trip that included a trip across the Oka-Hudson ferry.


Arabella and Allyson had a great time eating snacks and watching Tangled on the drive North. And while the girls were engrossed in their movie, Laura and I were able to enjoy some great conversation. It was also nice to hear some of the "history" of the area from a local and to find out which ski resorts and spas were better than others. I love my inside connections to the area - thanks Laura and I am going to hold you to that girls weekend at Spa Excelsior!

The girls did great on the ride up, however, when we arrived, they were ready! Laura warned me ahead of time that this was going to be a "true Quebecoise experience". The girls couldn't wait to get inside to see Santa and I was almost afraid of what I was going to see! The first stop we made was the animal petting/feeding area. I will admit, not my type of thing, but the girls loved it and it was so nice to see them interacting with the animals.






After some lunch, the girls were ready to see what else Santa's village offered. It was total over stimulation, but they had a blast. And the activities were varied, which was nice. They did keep an eye out for Santa at all times since they were not sure where he might turn up. Santa was also used on more than one occasion when a melt down was about to happen...all we had to say was "Santa can see and hear you right now and he doesn't want you to be fussing"...it worked like a charm and we had a meltdown free day - even with 2 very tired and over stimulated 3 year old who missed their naps!





After the pony ride, it was time to see if we might be able to see Santa...and sure enough, after standing in a long line and making it up a decent hill, he was waiting for us! I was nervous that Arabella was going to have a major freak out like she did last year when she met Santa, but not at all. It is amazing what 6 months can do. She was so excited and she asked him for Barbies and Fancy Nancy, it was so wonderful to see the wonder in her eyes when she was talking to him.



After Santa, the girls had a great time exploring the rest of Santa's village - there were tree houses to climb, slides to ride down, a water area with splash pad and a train!


Yes, that is Arabella climbing just as fast and as high as a little boy twice her age...my little daredevil!

She loved climbing the ropes...I think WIMGYM is going to pay off in the Fall!



When the girls were officially done (and the Mommy's too!), everyone but me (I stuck to my diet) had ice cream and then we packed up for the ride back home. It was the perfect day! We all had a fun time and Arabella was so excited to tell Dad about it when we got home.
Yum, caramel soft serve ice cream...she is turning into a little Canuck.

August Inspiration

One of the blogs I follow, Pink of Perfection (http://www.pinkofperfection.com/2011/08/the-charmed-life-challenge/), had a very inspiring post today. What she suggests is making a list of things that make you feel better instantly and open you eyes to the beautiful world around you. What makes doing something like this fun is that the items on the list are easy to accomplish and you only have to do one each day. I thought about coming up with my own list...but didn't have the time...I know, a very lame excuse. So instead, I have posted the list from the Pink of Perfection blog. I really like her list and it has some ideas that I would have never some up with on my own!

So without waiting any longer, here is the list from the Pink of Perfection blog:

1.Give something broken a new life (a skirt, a squeaky wheel, scuffed shoes).
2.Put something beautiful on a bit of blank wall you see every day.
3.Wear something you love that you think “just isn’t you.”
4.Send a thank you note, for anything.
5.Spend an afternoon reading.
6.Cook in a vintage apron.
7.Have luncheon: a slow midday meal with cloth napkins and wine.
8.Go out of your way to do something kind for a stranger (offer a seat, hold the door, leave your copy of Us Weekly on the elliptical).
9.Donate five items from your closet that don’t make you feel unstoppably gorgeous.
10.Take care of a nagging life admin item (a trip to the post office, filing an insurance claim, making a doctor’s appointment).
11.Buy an utterly frivolous piece of lingerie.
12.Invite friends over for cocktails, dinner, or brunch.
13.Wake up an hour early to have a leisurely morning.
14.Try something that looks like pure fun (accordion, crochet, burlesque).
15.Dance. In public, in the living room, with a partner, with yourself.
16.Flirt with a stranger. (Smiling counts.)
17.Get rid of five things in your home that don’t bring you pleasure.
18.Go to a parfumerie or department store in search of a signature scent.
19.Buy flowers for your home or office.
20.Make a recipe from a fruit, vegetable, meat or fish you’ve never cooked before.
21.Walk barefoot in the grass or on the sand.
22.Have a media-free day.
23.Write down everything you feel grateful for.
24.Hold a baby.
25.Pet a puppy.
26.Ask someone to tell you their life story.
27.Read a biography of your favorite glamorous screen star, or the bravest, most badass real life heroine.
28.Eat fresh berries, straight from the green paper pint.
29.Create an occasion to wear your most impractical pair of shoes.
30.Write down your wildest dreams.
31.Take one itsy-bitsy, teensy-weensy step to make one real.
32.Have a proper weekday coffee break: ceramic cup, idle gossip, and staring out a window.
33.Visit a playground and swing.
34.Make lemonade. (Literally or figuratively.)
35.Go to a junk or antique story; consider what your favorite object has seen in its life.
36.Jump in a body of water. Float.
37.Give someone a hug; let them let go first.
38.Look at the stars.
39.Replace one utilitarian item you use every day––a measuring spoon, a file folder, a key chain––with something really, really beautiful.
40.Pamper your body with a massage, an overdue haircut, a trip to the sauna, or a soak in the tub.
41.Research something that sparks your curiosity (Arthurian legend, photosynthesis, investing). If you’re still curious after a 15-minute google session, dive deeper.
42.Make a collage of beautiful images that resonate with you.
43.Read aloud to someone you love.
44.Forgive yourself.
45.Forgive someone else.
46.Spend an hour in silent reflection.
47.Dine by candlelight on a weeknight.
48.Take a walk after dinner.
49.Wear your no-fail, cheer-me-up lipstick.
50.Give a genuine compliment to an acquaintance.
51.Have a glass of champagne, just because.
52.Spend one day taking pictures of everything you find beautiful.
53.Describe your perfect day in writing.
54.Block out an afternoon (or day) on the calendar to make some (or all) of it real.
55.Select one drawer or surface and organize it.
56.Write a love letter.
57.Do something you loved as a child.
58.Upgrade your sleep wear, or go Marilyn-style.
59.Do the one thing you were relieved/sad wasn’t on this list.
60.Pretend for one day that you are as confident and amazing as you want to be.

I will be printing up this list and checking one thing off each day this month. Check back to see how I am doing and what simple pleasures I come across! And maybe, this post will inspire you to do the same!