Yesterday was Remembrance Day, one of the most important days in the year. My kids amaze me every year by their understanding of how terrible war is and yet so many are entertained by the movies war inspires.
I can't watch a war movie, classic or contemporary, without being touched by the sacrifice many made on my behalf. I have a hard time watching these types of movies and yet they make millions of dollars because society loves to watch them.
These movies should change the world to ensure that more young people don't die as a result of it. Yet men and women around the world are fighting different wars while we sit here watching, numb and detached from the realities of war.
My children fear that someone they know will have to go to war. My son especially is scared of the future and what war it will bring. We don't subject them to the news or any type of war movie or tv show. The only knowledge they have about the horrors of war come from Remembrance Day ceremonies and their imaginations.
Adults know more about the horrors of war and yet we don't hail our soldiers as heroes and many don't appreciate what they have sacrificed so we can enjoy freedoms and live the lives we do. War movies should be helping inspire empathy, gratitude, and peace not to enjoy watching how men and women suffered for our freedoms.
War Movies Should Inspire Peace not be a Source of Enjoyment
They Aren't Fighting but They are Driving Me Nuts
The kids are playing and being very very silly. The noise level is deafening and I'm exhausted after a long week at work so it's irritating. Sending then to another level of the house helps - I know I'm in trouble when their laughs are as irritating as their whining and bickering.
I am fortunate that they are able to get up on their own and play together keeping each other entertained until I get enough sleep. After another night of insomnia I really needed the sleep.
They were trained right from being little to amuse themselves Saturday morning, whether they grab a snack and watch Cartoons or play together. It sure has paid off.
There is Never Enough Time or Energy for the Working MOM
Oh man I'm exhausted which is keeping me from being motivated at work. Which during this week is a big NO NO, I need all the energy and motivation possible. As a working mom what do you do to get more time and energy in your day?
I am so exhausted at the moment any and all ideas are welcome.
Kids Lunches Made Easy for the Working Mom!!
Now that I'm back at work I find I'm too tired in the evening and too busy in the morning to get a decent lunch put together for the kids, let alone myself. Saturday has become a get life organized kind of day, including making lunches for the entire week. Now with traveling for work, this makes it even harder because I'm not there.
Stealing the lunchables idea without the high price tag I decided to make my own lunchables for the week. It worked out great!!!! There is a variety of different lunches already packaged ready to go, all my husband has to do is put them into the lunch boxes and away they go to school. The kids can build their own sandwiches at school making lunch a bit more fun!
Here are some items I used to put the lunches together:
Zyploc snack sized baggies
Zyploc plastic containers large and small round
Plastic Wrap
Food items:
Mini Bagels from Sobey's compliments balance selection
Tortilla wraps
Ritz Crackers
Ukrainian Sausage
Ham
Pepperoni
Cheddar Cheese
Grapes
Carrot Sticks
Celery Sticks
Processed Cheese and Cracker snacks
Halloween Candy
Cookies
I'd put all the different ingredients into the zyploc containers making 10 different lunch combinations. The kids had fun putting the food into the containers and deciding which Halloween treat went in.
I would wrap each ingredient separately and use the zyploc snack baggies for the grapes, carrot sticks and celery sticks. The kids will put the baggies back into the plastic zyploc containers to be used again next week.
Any extra meat I had was wrapped and frozen in individual packets to make it quicker for next weeks lunch making session.
The key is to stay organized, cut up the meat, cheese, carrots, celery and wrap them in portions then have the kids help put the different items in the different containers. Store in fridge until needed.
I also filled the small round zyploc plastic containers with yogurt and pudding to add into the lunch bags with a plastic spoon. My son will also get an extra piece of fruit because we can't fill him up fast enough he's growing so fast.
I hope this idea will help you make lunches easier and keep your mornings a little less hectic.
Do you have any other ideas or other items you love to put in lunches?
What Should Governments do With Criminals?
There was another gang murder and drive by where the victims had no links to gangs. Criminals seem to be running the streets and the revolving door of the court system is doing little to fix it. So instead of sending criminals to jail why not draft then into the army and send them to war.
Why is the army filled with young men and women who have lots of talent and are a valuable contribution to society while criminals continue to drain the social systems and terrorize society.
OK the army probably isn't the best idea, the brave men and women there deserve better.
The gangs are getting the upper hand and I don't see anything really working to fix it. I don't know what the answer is, will another 300-400 police people make a difference? I'm not confident that the answer is more police. Is there a solution?
Which is Best? Kids in Daycare or Kids at home with Mom
I saw the cutest little kids today on a walk with their daycare, they must have been 3 years old. My heart ached for my kids to be that small again and wondered where all the time had gone. Time passes so fast and they are little for such a short period of time - honest it's true. I remember telling my husband that things could wait and his time with his son couldn't because before we knew it he'd be off with friends. That time came fast!!!
I have been a working mother, a stay at home mother and a work from home mother. The time I spent with my children at home was precious and I wish it would have lasted longer or that I had enjoyed and focused on it longer. When I ran a dayhome it was too chaotic and busy for me to really enjoy the time I had with my kids. Then I was too preoccupied with trying to find work to focus on the time with them. I just have to look at my kids scrapbooks to remember the times I was with them and to see how many years I missed recording their lives.
Is one situation better then any other for children?
Should kids be in daycares or home with their mothers? Does it really matter in the long run?
Let's look at the Pro's of Daycare:
1. Socialization
2. Schedules
3. Independence
Let's look at the Con's of Daycare:
1. No one loves you like MOM does
2. Don't learn to entertain themselves (for the most part every minute is planned and every activity explained to death - leaves no room for entertaining themselves.)
3. No real attachment to care giver if high turn over in daycare
Not all daycares are created equal, this is a very general look at daycare life. The Pro's and Con's of being home with mom are not cut and dry because every mom is different. Where some mom's are very structured with a lot of planned activities that entertain the child others are go with the flow and offer their kids more time to entertain themselves and figure things out for themselves.
Home life may be easier if someone cares for the kids and handles the daily chores of the house and home so the person working can spend more time with kids when home. Others may find it easier if both parents work and bring in money to hire others to help out with the daily chores and childcare. Each family is different and each child is different.
My son and I are very close and the first 3 years of his life was spent in daycare while I worked full time. My daughter and I are close in a different way and she never went to daycare. I can't say daycare made the difference, personality and maturity has a lot to do with it as well. Did my son suffer being in daycare? NO, he enjoyed it and loved playing with his friends. Did my daughter benefit being home with me? Probably in some ways and since I ran a daycare she received the socialization she would have had a daycare. I do believe that since both children were so different and needed different things from me they needed different types of care.
My son was social and lit up when he was around other children, my daughter was shy and had no interest in other children. My son was easy going and was very verbal and intelligent so he needed different types of stimulation through the day. My daughter was very particular and very clingy to me. Although she was very smart as well, she had an emotional need for me to be there with her every day. I am confident that both children received what they needed when it came to their day to day care.
Whether a mother should stay home or work outside the home is a very emotional debate which some feel their way is the one and only way. Mothers who stay home think mothers that work neglect their kids and have their priorities skewed. Mothers who work think mothers that stay home don't provide for their family's future. Is one side right and another wrong, since I was both and I believe I did what was best for each child's needs at the time I would say NO, neither is right or wrong. The only choice that is wrong is the choice that only takes into consideration the needs of the mother and NOT the needs of the child. The only mistake is believing you are forced to work by financial and social pressures, when you could have stayed home instead.
Winter Family Vacation - Too Many Choices for the Ameteur Travelor
How did we ever plan vacations before the Internet? With so much information it can be overwhelming to choose the best place to take the family this winter to escape the cold Canadian Prairie weather. Just trying to figure out which Caribbean country is a chore in itself.
I could spend hours surfing the net and reading all the different opinions and reviews to help me make a decision. This age of information and highly competitive prices means more options then ever. Options are great, but the amount of time to sort through the 100s of choices out there is overwhelming.
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