New Favorite Website - sidetaker.com

So I thought I would share my new favorite website with everyone:  www.sidetaker.com 

SideTaker is a place to vent out your frustrations and see if you are justified. You can even have the two people who are in an argument tell their own sides and people vote on who is right and give advice. AMAZING!

Honestly, people bare it all on that site. From a woman wondering if after being cheated on should she give back the engagement ring, to a man wondering if he should tell his sister-in-law she is obese, to a man being upset that his roommate wants him to remove his sex machines, sex swings, and sex toys out of their basement... 

If ever in need for a good laugh, hit it up. A sure way to make you smile, because at least 1 person has a harder/weirder life than you!

Top 5 Reasons I Couldn't Live In A Small Town (again)

Before I moved to Calgary at the age of 14, I lived in a small town with a population of 226. I went to school 15 minutes away in a 'metropolis' with a population of roughly 3500. While this was fine when I was young and didn't know of anything different, I would simply go crazy if I had to live there again.

So, here are the Top 5 Reasons I Couldn't Live In A Small Town (again):

#5 - Relatives

The smaller the town, the more people you are related to. The more people you're related to, the more people you have to be nice to (even if you don't like it). The more people you are forced to be nice to, the more you want to blow your brains out... you see where this is going

#4 - EVERYONE knows you

or your parents, or grandparents... and trust me, if you 'step out of line', your parents and/or grandparents are going to find out. And forget going to the grocery store wearing your sweats, because you WILL see someone you know, and they WILL talk about you

#3 - NO 7-11's or Macs', or anything else that is open 24hr a day

I NEED to know that if I wake up in the middle of the night and want a hotdog that my lovely husband can drive to get me one. Or that I can pick up aspirin at 6am, instead of waiting until 9 or 10am for the drug store to open

#2 - No Walmart

I NEED A PLACE TO GET GREAT THINGS FOR BEYOND CHEAP. And this 'place' needs to be 20 minutes or less away from me. That is all.

#1 - GOOD internet.

Honestly, every time I go 'home' I feel as though I am going to die without my internet. I'm not used to get booted off and having bad internet at certain times of the day anymore. Without being able to check my e-mail, be in facebook, and watch a youtube video all at the same time, I will explode. Call it snobby, but it's my addiction. I put up with all your guy's alcoholism, drug use and smoking, so you can handle my internet!!!

Top 5 Reasons I Dislike Calgary

I moved to Calgary when I was 14. While I enjoyed growing up in a small town in Newfoundland (honestly, 250 people, 75% elderly), I was pretty happy to have my teenage years in a city. It didn't matter that it was Calgary, just a city. Somewhere to stretch my wings and become my own person. Somewhere that had a 7-11, a movie theater that had more than one screen and more than one playing time per day, a place that had groceries stores open on Sunday's, etc....

I say, 'just a city', because I actually really dislike Calgary. While most of mine and my husband's immediate family live here, which is great, I find this city revolting. Everyday I say to myself or my husband, "I HATE THIS CITY! WE HAVE TO MOVE!!".

So that you can feel my pain, here are the "Top 5 Reasons I Dislike Calgary"

5. CONSTRUCTION
Calgary is constantly under construction... roads, condos, developing neighborhoods, you name it! You can not drive anywhere in the city without seeing it or it slowing you down. The projects NEVER seem to end, and when they do, the project needs to be "updated" because it took so long to finish!

4. 3 1/2 HOURS OF RUSH HOUR
In this city of 1.5 million people, rush hour lasts from 3:30pm until roughly 7pm. City planners really dropped the ball when it came to developing the roads here. And the thing is, it isn't just Monday-Friday. There is still rush hour on the weekends, it just doesn't last as long. YUCK!

3. POOR CITY PLANNING
When new communities are developed,  schools, fire stations, and ems stations are after thoughts. Some new communities don't get schools for 5+years after being developed... This makes NO sense! Who moves to new communities: FAMILIES. These kids have to go to school somewhere, and busing them up to 45 minutes is unacceptable!

2. SNOW REMOVAL
Or should I say LACK of snow removal? You'd think an oil town could get their acts together and have clean roads, but no. It's too much money to clean the roads, but lets spend obscene amounts of money on a footbridge!

1. THE CALGARY STAMPEDE
For 12 days the entire city, along with it's thousands of tourists turn into drunken cowboys. People who are 'fashionistas' all year long bring out the Wranglers, cowboy hats and boots, bad western shirts, shirts with sayings like "save a horse ride a cowboy', and all that cheesy crap! As if that isn't bad enough, everyone drinks until they pass out, and then they drink again. Crime spikes, emergency response teams are over-worked, the city looks like a dump, and smells like urine. This one time of year is Calgary's sad attempt at culture, and it makes me so sad. Calgary has a reputation or being a closed minded, conservative, stuck in the past city, and Stampede only reinforces this idea. You can't go anywhere to escape it. EVERYWHERE is decked in western crap! City Transit is packed and basically un-usable for the duration of the Stampede. The only good thing this 'event' offers is free Stampede Breakfasts, and even that isn't enough to make up for anything else. Honestly, I just want to stay in my house for 12 days... it's disgusting!

Disclaimer

OK, I thought I had already did this, TWICE.... but I guess I need to make it VERY PROMINENT! 

THIS BLOG IS MY WAY OF VENTING MY STRESS. 

If I have to keep all this in, I will lose my mind! If you don't like what I write, don't read it! All you have to do is close your screen.

winter wonderland and sky high insurance

Yesterday in Calgary there were over 200 accidents!!! Good day for the insurance companies! 

Those of you who are unfamiliar with Calgary might look at that number and be in shock. I used to be like that too. I am from Newfoundland, where even roads that service communities of less than 15 people get plowed/salted on a regular basis. Here in Calgary, only main roads get sanded, and maybe plowed, and all secondary side roads are left to the way side. Every year the snow comes, and every year the city releases a statement saying not to call the city about the state of the roads. And year after year the city goes WAY over it's snow removal budget, yet never increases their budget by more than a few percent to change it's problem!

This is my recommendation, stop giving yourself high raises ever year city alderman and mayor Bronconnier, and amp up your snow removal budget! Sand and plow every road on a regular basis! How many people need to be in accidents, get injured or die, and get insurance rates they can't afford before the city actually does something that is worth while? Trust me, if the mayor's or someone in his family got in a serious accident on a side road, or a main road that was un-plowed, it won't take long before things changed!

But of course, all the citizens can complain our asses off, but the city won't change a bit. They will cry back to us "a chinnook is coming! a chinnook is coming! all the snow will go away then", even if the chinnook doesn't come for 3 weeks! Great idea Calgary combat Mother Nature with Mother Nature... your sure to win... NOT! So drive safe Calgary, be on your toes, because no one else will be making sure your driving conditions are adequate. Your life is solely in your hands!

Routine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Some people are free spirits who do whatever they please. Other people are more structured and need routines and order. I am one of those people who needs the structure. And luckily for me, my daughter is too.

My daughter is the kind of baby who will NOT sleep if constantly stimulated, not in her own crib, swing, or stroller.She eats at regular intervals, poops at regular intervals, sleeps at regular intervals and is only her happy self when her daily routine is kept up.

Now as I have said before, everyone seems to think they know better than me. Things like, "come over at 6", when her bedtime routine starts at 7:30, "if she stay up later, she'll sleep longer", when she wakes up the same time no matter how long she sleeps, and "it's ok to break her routine every now and again" when she she won't get back into her normal routine for at least 4 days, are said to me often. And you know what, it's all well and good for someone to say all those things, but guys, guess what? YOU DON'T HAVE TO HANDLE THIS CRANKY, UNHAPPY, CRYING & SCREAMING BABY WHOSE ROUTINE IS SCREWED TO SHIT!!!

I understand my daughter is adorable, lovable, and fun to be around, and that EVERYONE wants to spend time with her, but the reason she is that way is because she is on a schedule! Mess with it, and she becomes a whole different person (much like if you mess with this mommy's sleep!!). But why can't people just understand that the saying "mother knows best" is actually true for young children? Oh, and then when the EXACT thing I say will happen, happens, these people with their 'advice' and comments are shocked! It's almost as though they don't know my daughter as well as I do or something.... C.R.A.Z.Y!! 

Am I trying to keep her from people? Of course not! My daughter has a family who loves her so much, but it sure would be nice if they would take her in to consideration before planning events!

Well I'd love to rant more, but I have a baby who is having an "outburst" from being overtired, seeing as she hasn't slept right in 3 nights...  But no, you guys are right, it's totally worth screwing with her routine!

Top 5 Reasons I have Become A Bitchy Mommy

For those of you who know me well/for a long time, you know that I have always had an inner bitch. It often remained buried DEEP inside, but it was there. Well in the past year, that has REALLY changed! My inner bitch has been set free and it has grown and flourished, transforming this usually opinionated yet quiet woman into a full on, in your face, not going to take your crap, B.I.T.C.H. A lot of people have been surprised by this change, so I thought I should explain my 'transformation'...

So, here is is, the TOP 5 REASONS I HAVE BECOME A BITCHY MOMMY:

#5 -People not approving of my marriage. 

My husband and I got married after just over a year of dating. We decided to get married after only 3 months of dating. I was also 14 weeks pregnant when we got married. Some people say we got married too fast. Other people think that we got married because I was pregnant. All I can say is when you are in love and you know it, nothing is too fast and I found out I was pregnant almost 2 weeks after we sent out of invites. Plus, didn't your mother's teach you that "if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing at all"? Keep your comments to yourself.

#4 - Everyone thinking they know how to raise my daughter better than I do.

While I will say that people who are mothers do have some great experience, I would love it if people would acknowledge that things change over time. More research is conducted, more technology is created. In just the 22 (almost 23) years since I was a baby, so much has changed. How to put your baby to sleep, when to start feeding solids, what foods your baby should and shouldn't eat, carseats and carseat locations in the vehicle and even certain toys that were considered 'learning tools' are now banned/against the law. What was normal even 10+ years ago may not be today, so advice from when you had kids may be out of date. Also, a mother's instinct is the best mothering tool there is. Chances are that will lead me in the right direction. And again, keep your comments (advice) to yourself. If I want to hear what you have to say, I will ask.

#3 - I'm sleep deprived.

I have not had a decent night's sleep since I was 4 months pregnant. So for 14 months, I have been sleep deprived. Even when Charlotte does sleep through the night, I still wake up to make sure she is ok. I think anyone would be bitchy after over a year of getting awful sleep.

#2 - An awful first Mother's Day.

For my first Mother's Day, my husband spent 5 hours with his mother and sister and my daughter had one of the longest she has ever had (6 hours!). So I spent most of the day by myself. Then when my husband did come home, his sister wanted to see our daughter, so my sister-in-law and brother-in-law came over for a BBQ. It was nearly 8:30pm before I got any time with my new family unit. This has been the start of my family not being allowed to spend special events alone together. Maybe I am selfish, but I want some good family memories of just my little unit. My family comes first, then everyone else comes second.

#1 - Not being the first person to hold my daughter.

Not only did we have 4 visitors in the hospital while I was in labour (2 friends and my husbands parents) when I said I wanted NO ONE there, because I wanted it to be a special moment for our new family, but I didn't get to hold her first. Now it isn't really anyone's fault as there where some minor complications with my daughter's birth. There was some meconium present before my daughter came out (essentially she pooped before she came out), so we were informed that they would not be able to lay her on my chest right after birth, my husband would not get to cut the umbilical cord, and that I special team would be present to check her directly after birth. While she was being checked, I was going through after birth, and complication #2 occurred. My placenta wouldn't come out in one piece. I had to be rushed to the OR so that they could manually remove it. SO it was about an hour until I got to get a good look and hold my daughter. In that hour my husband and mother-in-law got to hold her before I did. Now my husband holding her is whatever to me. I mean, I was in the OR, who else was going to hold her, but my mother-in-law holding her before I did really hurt. Not only had I expressed countless times that I wanted this to be an event for my husband and I and that went in one ear and out the other, but someone who wasn't her parent got to hold my daughter before me. I feel robbed of that special moment. I know that I get her all the time now, but I really feel as though that moment was ruined, and that my new family unit was robbed of making a special memory and having time to bond. 

Well there you have it... there is why I am a bitch. It isn't as though I woke up one day bitchy, it was a progression. Trust me, if all this happened to you, you'd be bitchy too!

Etiquette for Condo/Apartment Living

Anyone who lives in a condo or apartment (like my family) has had the ' I HATE MY NEIGHBORS' moment. If people would just follow the following rules, maybe we could all get along... wouldn't that be nice?

Etiquette for Condo/Apartment Living:

1. If your music is so loud that your ears hurt, your neighbors can hear it. TURN IT THE F#^K DOWN! Techno at 7am on a Saturday is not how I'd like to wake up.

2. The parking lot is meant for the ENTIRE complex, park between the lines so everyone has a spot. 

3. A dumpster is provided so put your garbage IN said dumpster. Leaving it in piles along side of it makes a mess and smells. Also, leaving garbage in the halls in yucky

4. If your going to have a fight with a friend or a 'lovers quarrel' please keep it in your apartment. It's hard not to hear you when your outside and my window is open or your in the hall. Also keep your sexual acts confined to your apartment. Seeing you grind on the grass in front of the building makes me want to vomit. And on the sex topic, can you keep that down too?

5. KEEP THE LAUNDRY ROOM CLEAN AND KEEP TRACK OF YOUR LAUNDRY!!

See, 5 little things is all it takes to co-exist peacefully! NOW DO IT!!!

Anyone else have any tips for peaceful condo/apartment living? leave a comment

Stay At Home Mom's Have the HARDEST Job In The World

So yesterday I said in a post that parenthood is a job where you don't get to have time off. Today I want to elaborate on that.


Being young, most of my friends can not relate to me and my way of life. By that I mean, they don't understand what it is like to be a stay at home mom. I hear them all complain about being tired and over worked, and how much they sacrifice and it makes me laugh inside. Trust me, these 'girls' don't know what tired is, and they REALLY don't know what sacrifice is.


For the last 18 months my body has not been my own. For the nearly 10 months I was pregnant (39 weeks is nearly 10 months - whoever came up with this 9 month thing is MENTAL) my body belonged to the daughter inside me. Everything I ate, everything I drank, every bath I took, every nap I had, EVERYTHING I did was all about the baby I was growing inside me. After pregnancy, the self-sacrifice did not stop. Since February I have be breastfeeding solely (my daughter WILL NOT take formula or a bottle at all). So I still have to watch what I eat and drink so that my breast-milk is not affected.


Not only have I been sacrificing my body for Charlotte in the last 18 months, but I also sacrifice my health. When I got sick when I was pregnant, I couldn't take anything and even most natural remedies were off limits. I'd just have to be sick and let it pass. Since  I am breastfeeding that still hasn't changed. Only difference is I can't get the rest I need to get better.


And all you women out there who think you are always tired, why don't you get back to me when you are awake for 20 hours a day for 3 months....


Being a stay at home mom is a 365 day a year job. You work at least 12 hours a day, Monday-Friday, every weekend and all holidays. It isn't as though you can take a sick day and someone can cover for you. You are the sole person who is 'employed' and the success of your job lies only with you. When your sick, you want to nap, but when you are a stay at home mom, there is no time for naps. If your child isn't napping (like mine NEVER wants to do) then you can not nap. Your life is not your own; it revolves around someone entirely different.


And you know, if being a stay at home mom was just about the childcare, then all would be great. But the stay at home mom is also the mom of many jobs. Aside from childcare, the stay at home mom also is a chef, a pre-school teacher, chauffeur, owner of a laundry mat, jungle-jim, maid, personal secretary (for husband and children), life coach/guidance councilor, doctor  and entertainment co-coordinator, just to name a few job responsibilities.


Truly, the hardest yet most under appreciated jobs there is. Everyone looks at the working woman in awe, but when they see a stay at home mom, they feel pity. Pity for the 'uneducated' woman with nothing to do. Well let me tell you, many of us are educated, and there is ALWAYS something to do.


So next time you complain about your job, how tired you are, and how you 'give so much', think about the stay at home mom. She has you topped! But chances are, as frazzled as she is, her job is a million times more rewarding that yours, and she wouldn't trade it for anything.

Good Mommy or Bad Mommy - take the test

So apparently talking on your cell-phone and using a stroller past the time your child knows how to walk, makes you a bad mommy. Or so Jane Brody of the NY times says. Apparently where she lives in Brooklyn, all the moms are pushing their babies and older toddlers in strollers while talking on their Blackberries or listening to their iPods and ignoring/neglecting their children.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/29brod.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=health

I think Ms. Brody is a little out of touch (taking a child who JUST learned how to walk to the mall or an airport WITHOUT a stroller is mommy suicide, and when she had young children there were no cellphones or mp3 players, so how can she know she would be any different?) 

But this is not the only thing that makes mommies bad. All you have to do is read a parenting magazine, talk to your doctor, have a discussion with your mom or mother-in-law, or talk to another mother, and you will feel bad about how you parent.

So here is the test: GOOD MOMMY OR BAD MOMMY

#1. Where does your child sleep

a)crib/his own bed

b)co-sleep

#2. Did you 

a)Breastfeed 

or 

b)Formula feed?

#3. What do your feed your child

a)pre-packed meals, store bought babyfood

b)home cooked organic meals

#4. Do you

a)vaccinate your children

or

b)not vaccinate your children

#5. How often is your child in daycare?

a)never, I am a stay at home mom

b)very rarely, I work part time

c)Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm

d)never, I have a nanny

#6. Are you

a)a single parent

or

b)a married/common law parent

Results:

#1. Where does your child sleep

a)crib/his own bed - BAD MOMMY

How can you leave your child alone all night or put them in a sleep cage. Your child will have separation issues and will always have sleeping issues.

b)co-sleep - BAD MOMMY

How selfish of you to bring your child to bed with you. You could roll and smother your child at any time and you severely hurt your personal/sexual life when your child in in your bed. A bed is for sleep and sex, not a resting place for the entire family.

#2. Did/Do you 

a)Breastfeed - BAD MOMMY

While you did pass on some healthy food and immunities to your child, you forced them into an unhealthy bond with you. These children will have severe separation anxiety and will have concentration issues in school

b)Formula feed? - BAD MOMMY

How could you be so selfish and not breastfeed? You would rather feed your child artificially created food than latch a baby onto your breast? (that IS what it is there for) Your children will obese and be less intelligent than breastfed babies

#3. What do your feed your child

a)pre-packed meals, store bought babyfood - BAD MOMMY

You stock your child full of preservatives and second rate food. Your child will either be malnourished, lack essential vitamins or be obese.

b)home cooked organic meals - BAD MOMMY

You waste all your time cooking instead of playing and teaching your children. You also create picky eaters when you only feed a small variation of foods.

#4. Do you

a)vaccinate your children - BAD MOMMY

You put your child at risk for Autism! You sadistic woman!

b)not vaccinate your children - BAD MOMMY

You are the reason disease and sickness spreads across the world.

#5. How often is your child in daycare?

a)never, I am a stay at home mom - BAD MOMMY

Your child will not be properly socialized and will have an unhealthy attachment to you.

b)rarely, I work part time - BAD MOMMY

Your child will have severe separation issues and they never know when you will be with them or when you won't, or how long you will be gone.

c)Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm - BAD MOMMY

Your child will grow up and not know you. This will lead to identity issues and they will have trouble forming loving bonds

d)never, I have a nanny - BAD MOMMY

Your child will grow to view your nanny as their motherly figure. They will not be able to form a loving bond with you.

#6. Are you

a)a single parent - BAD MOMMY

You do not give your child enough outlets for love, and introducing many different people into their lives (your dates) confuses them.

b)a married/common law parent - BAD MOMMY

You do not show by example that there are many different forms of a 'family'. You give them divided attention (between themselves and your spouse) and you no doubt-ably fight in front of them, which isn't healthy for children to view.

OK, so hopefully by now you realize that I made that whole quiz up. There is so much differing information out there that no matter what you do, you are damned if you do, damned if you don't. I think that as long as you raise a healthy, happy, social child that you are doing a good job. Don't let anyone sway you from what you think is the right thing to do for your child, because let's face it: YOU ARE THE MOM. You know what is best for your own child, and a comfortable, confident mommy is a GOOD mommy!!!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

Dear Pycho Wench who emailed me about my blog, 

If you don't like what I have to say, DO NOT READ IT. Have a nice day!

 

 

 Sincerely, BitchyMommy

 

"FromName: Changed October 6 at 11:36am

Wow Sarah, quite the blog there. For someone who claims to be so grown up, it sure sounds like you rant like a teenager. How do you have the time to do this 'blog' anyway? Shouldn't you be watching Charlotte during the day? Never took you for a 'bitchy mommy' but I guess you have really changed since I have seen you last.

Anyway, take care and say hi to Tim for me. Hope to meet Charlotte next time I am in town

Name Changed"

Motherhoood - not everyone's a fan

I love my daughter. I love being at home with her, teaching her new things, seeing her smile, and stealing all the cuddles she can handle. But, some days, like days where there are no naps, lots of vomit, and crazy amounts of crying, I feel like running away and joining the circus! Children are a handful and they try you. Being a parent isn't for the faint of heart. But now, more than ever, there is help for mom's to come together and discuss everything mommy and maybe calm us down. My 'meeting place' is MomLogic (www.momlogic.com). It discusses everything a mom juggles: children, marriage/dating, recipes, the news, gossip, etc... 

Well, I visit this website several times a day to see if there are any new posts (yes I am addicted). Today I came across two lists that really peeked my interest (well three really).

Ten Reasons I Hate My Kids: 

http://www.momlogic.com/2008/06/why_i_hate_my_kids.php 

(10. I used to really like to have sex--that's how I managed to pop out two kids in the first place. Now I'm so tired, I'd rather stick a fork in my eye.)

Ten MORE Reasons I Hate My Kids:

http://www.momlogic.com/2008/09/10_more_reasons_i_hate_my_kids.php

(6. "Adventure" travel has been reduced to attempting to navigate two cranky kids through Costco without having a nervous breakdown.)

Top Ten Best Things About Having Kids:

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/top-ten-best-things-about-having-kids-255485/

(1. Little kisses from little lips that are wet, sticky and filled with an unabashed love of YOU.)

Now these lists made me giggle, aside from the fact 'hate' is used in the title (dislike would have been SO much better), but a lot of readers seemed to think that you can only either love or hate your kids. Not true! Haven't you ever heard the saying "I love you, I just don't like you right now"?? MOST parents love their children unconditionally, and would do anything for them (good parents anyway), but they can also be annoyed by what their children do! With any other job you can take a break, but not with Parenthood! It is a full time job for at least 18 years, and then only slightly tapers off, OF COURSE people have their 'I HATE THIS' moments!

Anyway, those 'top tens' gave me inspiration to write two of my own lists! ENJOY...

Ten Reasons I DISLIKE Having Children:

#10 - Getting out the door takes at least an hour. Gone are the days of spontaneity

#9 - All the gear. Our condo and car are completely covered in our daughters stuff...

#8 - Poop. I don't think that needs an explaination

#7 - SO. MUCH. LAUNDRY.

#6 - Mommy Brain. Did you know that it is medically proven you get stupider with each child you have, and that 'pregnant brain' doesn't begin to go away until your youngest child is 5? Also, women get even stupid when they look at their children/see pictures of them

#5 - Other Moms. Motherhood is the most competitive job there is. Frankly, it makes me sick when moms pit their children against one another. Get over it, all kids are different.

 #4 - The smell of baby food. How can peas smell so awful? YUCK!

#3 - NO SLEEP. When their babies they never sleep, when they are young they want to get up early to play, and when they are teenagers you are so worried about them you can't sleep!

#2 - Stains on all my clothes. Carrots and formula stains are a punishment from the gods for people who 'bump uglies' and reproduce!

#1 - Have I mentioned poop yet?

Ten Reasons I LOVE Having Children:

#10 - Hugs. Kisses. Cuddles. 

#9 - TOYS!!! Now I have an excuse to play!

#8 - Cartoons! Come on, everyone loves animation! My favorite movie is Disney's 'Beauty & the Beast', and now I don't have to feel guilty for loving it!!

#7 - Unconditional Love. I have never loved anyone like I love my daughter. She is the puppet master of my heart. And she loves me even when I look like crap... Trust me, this was a match made in heaven!

#6 - Cute Clothes! Children have the cutest clothes and shoes! Honestly, if I had the money, I'd buy every cute dress, shirt, and pair of rubber boots there ever was!

#5 - Photo Ops!  I love taking photos, and my daughter is always willing to oblige me. She is incredibly photogenic, and I love to show her off!

#4 - It has brought my husband and I closer together. Seeing ourselves in our daughter makes us love each other even more.

#3 - The Parking. Almost everywhere has expectant mother and families with young children parking! We don't need a blue tag, we just need a carseat!

#2 - An excuse to get out of any engagement. If there is something my husband and I don't want to do, the 'baby card' can always be used. "Oh, sorry, dinner won't work. Charlotte goes to bed at 8". It is true... but we could easily get a sitter. 

#1 - OH MY GOD THE LOVE. I know I said this already, but it is so true. I wish I could keep her forever. But I know one day she will grow up and have her own baby... but lets just hope it isn't for 25 years :)

Love isn't reserved for all the straight-folk

OK, so I just wrote a post about abortion -I know, a topic SO controversial it should never be discussed! LOL- so I figured I might as well talk about the second most controversial topic out there: HOMOSEXUALITY

A lot of people think they can make homosexuals disappear, but let's face it, homosexuality has been around FOREVER. In all cultures, their is some sort of documentation of it (be it negative or positive). A lot of people think homosexuality is a choice, but I say , who the hell would CHOOSE the persecution and ridicule that comes along with homosexuality (at least in Christian and Muslim cultures). 

And a lot of people think marriage and adoption should be off limits to homosexuals. This makes me sad. I simply do not see how being with someone of the same sex changes the love you feel in your heart, your ability to commit to someone for the rest of your life, or the ability to care for and nurture a child. 

When people say gay marriage negatively affects the sanctity of marriage, all I can do it laugh. When in the heterosexual population the divorce rate is 50% or higher in most states and provinces in North America, I think "the sanctity of marriage" got desecrated  a LONG time ago! Am I saying that gay couples should force ministers to marry them, "NO". Just as everyone has the freedom to love whomever they want, people have religious freedoms, and should not have to go against their beliefs just to make others happy. That said, non-denominational and civil ceremonies should be available for all people to join together in love.

When it is said that homosexuals are unfit to raise children, again, all I can do is laugh. With a higher than ever number of single parent households and orphanages around the world busting at the seems, how can someone say that two people that are lovingly committed to one another could not lovingly raise a child? If one heterosexual can do it, why can't two homosexuals? Isn't it better for a child to grow up loved by two homosexuals than alone in an orphanage with no one who gives a rats ass about them?

Homosexuals are people who need all the same things everyone else does. Love isn't reserved for all the straight-folk. I just wish that everyone would realize love is love... I don't know why heterosexuals are so 'scared' of homosexuals anyway, it isn't like like they are going to kiss you and pass on "the gay"!

Parents who 'brainwash' their children make me SICK

"I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - Voltaire

 

I love that quote. I believe everyone should be able to have their say and believe whatever they want. 

 

People have to right to rally and protest and I truly think everyone should take advantage of that right at least once. I however think that only those the age of majority should be able to take part in this. If you aren't old enough to vote, you should not be allowed to take part in rallies/protests. The reason people can not vote until 18 is because before that age, most people are not mature enough to make up their own mind about such an important choice. I believe this should also apply to rallies/protests.

Ok, so your thinking, why does this woman care? What brought this on? Well this is what brought it on: A pro-life rally in Calgary

Now, I have to say, I am a Pro-Choicer, but like I said above, I believe everyone can believe whatever they want. If everyone believed what I believed, life wouldn't be as entertaining. I think that having signs SAYING your beliefs and rallying is a healthy expression of freedom of speech. I don't have to agree with your sign, and I can walk/drive right by you. If my daughter and/or my brothers are with me, they can pass without knowing what is really going on. However, when you have pictures on your signs, and have a truck that drives around with pictures of aborted fetuses on it (like the pro-life association in Calgary), you make it impossible for anyone, no matter how young, to not notice you.

 

Even though those pictures frustrate me, one thing upset me even more about this rally. Under-aged children as young as 4 were holding signs and shouting along side their parents!

From a parenting standpoint, how can someone justify showing their YOUNG children pictures of aborted fetuses, dead children, and killing Jews ON PURPOSE? That is just disturbing! And I can not even begin to understand how someone can train their young children to say some of the things these children were saying! 

Now correct me if I am wrong, but isn't the whole point of being a parent to raise a human to a point where they can survive on their own? To ensure they have the skills and tools to make it on their own? How can you know you've done this if you don't let your children make up their own minds about situations. Training a child to say, believe, or do anything from a young age ingrains it in them. Like saying "please and thank you" becomes second nature, so will "you go to hell if you have an abortion". Not exactly the most polite thing to say to someone in passing.

I FIRMLY believe that children are their own persons. They are not miniature versions of their parents. That means that they usually have similar morals as their parents, but also believe many different things. But, if we are indoctrinating children to believe exactly what we do from such a young age, are we doing anyone any favors? We only get progress when we raise progressive thinkers...

 

Shouldn't we as parents give our children all the possibilities available to them? Shouldn't we allow them to choose the best path for them? It seems that the group of pro-lifers in Calgary do not agree. Forcing beliefs on their children before they can even read is more their style.

Am I saying this is true for all pro-lifers? Of course not! My mother is pro-life, but she would never dream of bringing my brothers to such a rally.

 

 

Anyway, I could rant about this for years, but I should really stop. My main points are this: 

-if you can't vote, you shouldn't rally. 

-exposing young children to gruesome pictures is just plain wrong

-forcing beliefs on children only slows down the worlds progress and makes us all bad parents

Look, I know it is so bad to 'choose' anything, but I think we owe our children some choices...

 

 

  

In Laws

First off, let me STRESS: I LOVE MY IN LAWS. They took me in when I was having a bad time with my own parents, and they love my daughter to pieces. They can be odd at times (but I chalk that up to the time period they grew up in - drugs and disco were bad for EVERYONE), but they are lovely people.


Now that I have that out of the way, I can say that sometimes we don't see eye to eye. Maybe my parenting style is too different, maybe it's because they are hippies (they aren't really), or maybe it is simply that we are different people and people naturally disagree.


One particular day after my daughter was born, I was talking to an old friend (JULES COME BACK TO FACEBOOK I MISS YOU) about my mother in law. I don't even remember what my problem was, but obviously something rubbed me the wrong way. My friend laughed, and told me a horror story about her own MIL (screaming in the waiting room "YOU ARE STEALING MY BABY FROM ME" as my friend was delivering!!). And then she told me about a website that would never allow me to take my in laws for granted again. 


http://motherinlawhell.com


OMG! I don't know if these stories are made up or not, but either way, those stories make 90% of in laws look like kittens!! Honestly, from not allowing their daughter in laws to sit at the adult table at Thanksgiving dinner, to used nightshirts for Christmas, to holding babies before the parents get to, to stealing money!!! It is unbelievable! 

Like I said, I love my in laws, but I can't deny that I go to read the posts on that website, at least once a week to get my fill of crazy. Also, a lot of it is funny. How needs enemies when you have family?!?

10 Reasons I Probably Don't Like You

I have to say, I actually do like most people. But there are quite a few people out there that drive me mental!

#1 - You touch my baby: My daughter is 8 months old and adorable, I know this. But she is MY baby. I don't appreciate it when people I don't know touch her. I don't know if you just sneezed in your hands or forgot to wash after using the bathroom. I don't know if you just ate something she is allergic to. I simply don't know you, so don't touch my offspring.

#2 - You think I am too young to have a baby: I am 22, not 12. I am married. My husband and I wanted a baby VERY badly. I am of a belief that age doesn't dictate how well you can love and care for someone. And honestly, you can say what you want, but I know I am probably a better mother than you anyway.

#3 -  You think you can steal my husband away: Honestly, all I can say is "HA"... if you come to my house and see my husband and I "after hours" and you STILL think you can 'steal' him, you are crazy!

#4 - You put your child on a leash: It's a child, not a dog... if you want to do that with your hubby, go ahead, but in the privacy of your bedroom please

#5 - You aren't polite: Please & Thank You, opening the door for someone with full hands, RSVPing, and speaking the language of the country you are in is good. Being a ass-wipe is not

#6 - You think playing keyboards, guitar, or any other instrument makes you cool: It doesn't. There is a reason you aren't playing on the radio... you aren't good

#7 - You make jokes about child abuse and spousal abuse: It isn't funny... if I punch you in the face, will you laugh at that?

#8 - You're a natural health nut: Eating a cookie every now and then won't hurt you. However trying to treat serious illnesses with roots and 'prayer' will...

#9 - You can't park between the lines: If you park like an idiot, I can't get out of my vehicle, or remove my daughter's car-seat. You make me want to key your car.

#10 - Your a 'Hipster': Wearing clothes that look like they came out of your parents closet back in the 80's isn't cool. It makes you look like your poor. Honestly, buy some timeless pieces, or clothes that make you look good. Oh, and leggings ARE NOT PANTS!!