She's got the Spirit

Mom, I think she's got the Spirit- Middle daughter referring to eldest
 

It's funny what sentences can set a mom off but this one today would be the one. My middle daughter was referring to her eldest sister not wanting to give up her writing book because she is enjoy learning the art of penmanship. But it was time for bed and I thought she should give up.

Well, look who is expecting something from my children that I don't do myself. I don't sleep and haven't slept much since the baby has arrived. Why???? You might all say well you have a newborn in the house, but my newborn is a prized sleeper, she sleeps well and for long stretches of time. I don't sleep because I want to keep working and doing stuff I want to do.  We officially launched our new business in July, ironically on our wedding anniversary. Seemed like the most fitting of days, also makes it easy to remember. But since we decided to launch, we've been go go go!!

I had assumed that things would be easier with my time, that I would be all work from 9-5 and then all mommy and blogger at night. Wow, was I rudely mistaken. I have missed sharing and sharing, my inbox is overflowing with messages of fun things to check out but most of all I miss the connection I have with people from blogging.

I can't promise a time schedule of when blog articles will come through, I also don't know when my next post will come in. But I want to be the girl with the spirit for her blog and start to post again semi-regularly.

~Cheers!

Mama of 3!

I am a proud mommy to another little girl...

She blessed me over 7 weeks ago, she is so easy, so loving and so cuddly. She's so different from my other 2. I don't sleep but it's not her fault (that's another blog post, but I am attempting to launch a different kind of baby) and she is really so great.

I am back though, and have some great things coming for Mommydoings.

~Cheers!

Keeping secrets!

Today I received a phone call about my open book quality...

Let me explain! My parents were secret keepers, from each other, from their kids, from their friends and their peers at large. No body needed to know anything about them that wasn't filtered through their well orchestrated facade. Now before you see it as a complaint of their upbringing to keep it all on the download, it's more about how their behaviour has taught be to be the utter opposite.

I am an Open Book... I share and share and share. Funny enough, I feel like I don't share it all. I feel like people sometimes still don't see the whole me, even though I try so hard to be as open as possible. Now I don't see myself as a brand and so my open and honest self is not a PR motivated self to accumulate a certain amount of followers for my blog, twitter or facebook.

On day to day I will share how happy I am, how in love I am, how frustrated I am, how tired I am, how confused I am, how politically charged I am, how get with the program irritated I am... it's a daily practice in releasing my personal thoughts, and the release is so great. I put it out there for the world and universe to hear, it's out there off my chest and floating around there not hurting me or anyone anymore.

But as of late I have gotten a ton of flack for my openness.., why do you share, why are you so happy, you think you are happier, smarter, or your issues are the only ones that matter. Say what? I am just sharing my life because I like to share. I believe if someone really doesn't want to know about my happy moments well they can move along and go read someones miserable moments.

I am not looking for approval in my openness... I won't change, I won't be silenced or filtered... just because this is who I am. Plus a ton more, I am a lot of person, a lot of thought, complex and individual but most of all I am ME. The sharer of moments, the open book generation X/Y blend of being born the year I was born, the social media lover, the life of the party, the dancer on the speakers... I have never been shy, never hid to not be seen, never wanted to be a run of the mill person who follows the fold. So if you want to stay secretive that's great, but I like being me... and thanks for the concern, I am really Happy with ME!

Evicting Baby!

I have been pregnant a great 39+ weeks... and I am ready to have this baby leave my body.
Look don't get me wrong, I knew I was pregnant a week before I could test because my body started to act pregnant, I was exhausted as of 3 weeks into the pregnancy... and the exhaustion never went away.
The pelvic pain started around the middle of the pregnancy... now don't believe this happens in all pregnancies, and as my Ob/Gyn laughs at me constantly when I walk into her room for my scheduled appointments, she says to me that is the beast of having more than 2 babies. Let me tell you Relaxin is a bitch, while it allowed me to cross my legs til the end of this pregnancy, I only could no longer do it as of last week. But I could do so much physically except for walking for long periods of time or changing my physical direction (been sitting for too long, ha walking is not going to happen/ been laying in bed, getting up is impossible).

I love having babies, I have already complained about never having liked the actually activity of carrying a baby.

My girls were both induced babies... Eldest came out early out of concern she'd be enormous, HA, she weighed a mere 6lbs. Youngest over went her due date and well she got forced out too... this child has changed the game... I have been in active False labour for a week. Don't get me wrong, I am excited, I am hopeful I will enjoy the chance to turn to my husband and say: "Hunny, It's time, contractions are saying it's time!" or "Hunny.... my water broke" these are privileges I never got to indulge in.

It must have entertained the nurse in Triage yesterday when I called and asked for confirmation of how often my contractions should be and when I should go into the ward. Her first question was how many births have I already had I said 2... but never got to feel a contraction, please I never even had a Braxton Hicks with my girls.

So this is a love letter to my baby... you are being evicted now... come out please everyone wants to meet you!!!

Sincerely MOM!~

Greek Easter and the Lent process!

I have been famously been noted as saying Easter is hands down my favorite holiday of them all. And the Holiday pretty much started if you are a devoted Greek Orthodox. So I thought I would explain what our lent/fasting consists of because it's not like any other fasting I have ever heard or read about.

Greek Orthodox are the only Orthodox faithful community that follows many of the similar practices to many who follow the Catholic faith. Before Easter begins we celebrate and celebrate, in Greece itself you will hear about something called Apokries which is non-stop partying with Carnival like events full of dancing and food.

Why do we party so much right before what should be a religious pilgrimage of the soul... I guess Greeks believe we sacrifice so much during the Lent season, that we start it off with a real bang. The week leading up to lent are food dedicated days...

• we start with Grilled Thursday, a meat related date. I believe Greeks version of Fat Tuesday. You are to start removing all meats in your fridge this day and Barbeque them til your hearts desire.
• We follow up with Cheese Sunday... time to take all that Feta, Haloumi, Kefalotiri cook it, use it, eat it with bread. Because Greeks can enjoy a feverishly gross amount of cheese if need be.
• Clean Monday is the start of the fasting period... either used as the date to clean out the rest of your fridge of possible foods that aren't suppose to be there or you eat clean. Depends who you ask, this has been skewed by many of Greeks.

So now you've emptied your fridge let the Fasting begin.

I had a lot of friends of many cultures fast, a Catholic girl friend who fasted Chocolate one lent, many Muslim girlfriends who fasted for various Ramadans which consists of not eating from when the sun comes up til it settles again in the West. I will gripe that ours is harder... but let me explain why?!?!

Greeks fast Meat (For SURE) for 40+ days, I remember fasting one year for 52 days because that is how lent fell on the Calendar. This means at no point in time do you get to break this fast, not when the sun goes down, or before it might come out. Meat is NOT an option... the hard core cut out meat by products. So no Milk, Yogourt, Cheese, Eggs (this includes Fish and Bacon in case you didn't get the all meat sacrifice.

So for 40+ days you watch others eat and eat and eat food that you are dying to have... Not to mention food many devout Greek Orthodox will also fast alcohol and sex. To purify themselves to the fullest. While I haven't fasted for years since having babies, I really use to enjoy it because it was really a test of will power to me, how you can convince yourself that you can do anything you put your mind to. Not sure I am willing to sacrifice food lately. But I look forward to the day when I know I have it in me to do a full fast again.

Many days during Lent are church oriented days... But Holy week trumps it all! Every night there is service after Palm Sunday. This is also when Greeks will look to get Holy communion for all their hard work and appreciation of the sacrifice Jesus also took. Holy Friday is the beginning of the end of Lent and starts non stop Church attendance and in my opinion the celebration of Christ. Thursday night many women will stay overnight dressing Jesus' grave for that in the morning we are all welcomed to come and grieve and mourn his crucifiction, in the evening we will walk his body around the church with a candle lit vigil. It really is a beautiful procession.

Most Greeks wait til Saturday morning to begin the breaking of their fast with also having Holy Communion. This being because many will have opted out eating any oils the last week, and once they have taken their communion they don't feel as strict to eat oil, but meat is highly frowned upon til Saturday night after Midnight Mass. Many religions have a midnight mass for Easter, but our priest will come out of the church declare Jesus resurrected, many Greeks have customs of launching fire crackers at this time because it is a rejoiceful moment, some don't agree... but last year are people we're chanting and the fire crackers were exploding above us it was a little surreal of a moment.

After the festivities of Church, we tend to go home for most Greeks is the beginning of the breaking of the fast. We eat soup called Magiritsa (The best explanation I have of this is like a Haggis soup... or really an innards soup, Heart, spleen, kidney and most of all Intestine soup.) Many don't enjoy this soup, but it actually is surprisingly good. We crack our first set of eggs that night, yes we dye our eggs and then break them. I would cringe if we made ours as beautiful as per se the Ukrainians make their ornate eggs, but ours are usually dyed red (symbolising the blood lost for us all) and we crack them and eat them the same night.

Next day is Easter and other than stuffing ones face in every food imaginable... and hey we live in Canada so it gets culturally blended with anything under the sun plus the most popular Easter meat which is Lamb. Greeks consume a whole lamb, put it on the spit and let it charcoal slowly but surely all day long.

I am excited about Easter a little sad I will have newborn in the house as many activities I will not be able to participate in, like extreme fasting.

It's a very family oriented holiday. We see all our immediate family, but also God parents and God children, and coumbari (those who married us) where we give people baskets of eggs, breads and easter cookies. God parents are expected to get their god children new shoes... not sure what the tradition is exactly and where it comes from, but it's a cute one. But it's mostly a lot of good times, lots of sharing and feeling loved. Greeks are very proud of Easter and many ironically will tell you it's their favorite holiday.

So happy Lent to those starting, hope it brought some clarity to you what the next few months will feel like for Greeks. And Happy Easter Season to you all!

Cheers!~

French Mom, American Mom, Canadian Mom, what?

So much has been said and published about the Mom controversy about being a better mom if you were raised in another country. If you are a Chinese Mom (Tiger Mom) you raise your child one way, if you American you are overtly lax, if you from anywhere else so on and so on.

So the book "Bringing up Bébé" by Pamela Druckerman was highly publicised this week about parenting differences between French Mothers and their American counterparts. Now I am no American (but I love me some Americans and on many days I wish I lived south of the border) Mother, I am a Canadian Mother by proxy of where I am located on the map and albeit I am a Greek Mother because I was raised in a very strict Greek household.

This book focuses on key points that pretty much Children are to be seen, not heard. That adult time is reserved to the evening and patience is something taught because it's the french thing to do. You can further read a few excerpts that were post on The Wall Street Journal. As you'll see it's a highly flammable article with a ton of comments.

But when did parenting become something that has to do with your Geographic location. Without asking them, my mom friends from my Mom Board that I was on when trying to conceive are all uniquely different, some are raising their kids more religious, some have agents for their kids, others are in school still... how on earth can their parenting techniques be remotely the same. Some in Idaho, Rhodes Island, W. Virginia and California... such different physical environments how can the way I child is raised in either of those conditions be the same.

I live in downtown Toronto, love my city... but I know I don't raise my daughters the same as anyone else I know pretty much. Do my daughters run a free-for-all in my house? YES! Do they listen to every word I say with presence and awareness? NO! Do I hit them as a punishment? NO! Do I get mad at them and they get scorned with some sort of punishment? Of course!

Does this have anything to do with where I live, not at all! My father was far more heavy handed than the kids parents I went to school with. I was very much alone as a child so I was often silent. My daughter are a year apart so they are liking having a permanent friend in the house at all times. Don't you hate play dates? I have one every night.

But last year I went to Church over Easter Communion (I am not overtly religious, but religion is important to me and my daughters will be raised in this belief system) and there was a large line-up for communion. I was told Children don't have to wait in line. Now with newborns or very fidgety toddlers I have used this privilege as I have many times taken my daughter with my disabled mother and felt it would be easier for me to handle them. But my girls are fully capable of standing in a line for a while so this year I opted to well stand in line with them... at some point they'll have to learn to wait their turn. Why not today? What bothered me most and here was my judgemental self coming out was watching mothers take up their 10 year old or so... now it really is none of my business but these kids who are being taught they don't have to wait in line, when they hit the teenage years are not going to be so willing to wait; and where else won't they be willing to stay in line?

I think we need to raise our children in ways that will make our kids good adults! Yes adults! I know they are kids now, but soon they won't be and I am positive the tasks and behaviours we teach them now is only to set them up to continue to do those same responsibilities. There world we live in can be very Black & White... others might not like this reality (May I mention the British parents who raised their child sexless til it attended school) but it is what it is. People are raised to educate themselves (this is not archaic while I am sure I could debate what formal education is and how it could encroach in the personal freedom of our child but I digress), they are taught that at some point they'll need to make a living (albeit this is a choice of their own fruition), and then they will continue the process of life (become part of a relationship, live like a civilised person out of jail and chose to continue the family process).

But does any Group or Country do a better job? I say heck NO! Every day mothers across the world are praying they are doing a good job, that they are providing a nutritious meal, hoping they are allowing for their child to be and do all they can in the world. Do some parents allow for things to slide over others, yes.... I would rather my child get filthy from a meal so they can teach themselves to eat on their own instead of hovering over them til the age of 6 with a spoon. I would rather move my child out of my bed at 6 months from co-sleeping because I felt it was a good time to transition them to sleep on their own, while I am sure someone reading this would cringe that baby shouldn't be in my bed in the first place while someone else would say co-sleeping can go on and on without infringing on the child.

We all make decisions for our households that work for us, instead of saying I am doing a better job than you, or thinking ohhh her kids look put together why are mine terrors, just go over to your fellow mom and discuss. Maybe she does something far more interesting in her household, maybe we could be each other's support systems instead of each others enemies on raising one's child.

So French-smench... raise your kids to be good Adults I say, keep that in mind. When you see a behavioural pattern that your child has look within yourself and say, would I like them if they were an adult acting like this? If not nip it in the bud, if you like it and think it's cute than enjoy it.

~Cheers!

Ohhh and Baby is coming!

I've been so busy...

But aren't we all you might be thinking. But in all my stuff that I have been wrapping myself around realising that this baby is stewing away slowly to make it self a healthy happy to come out. But woah.... when did I get to the point where I only have 5 weeks left and the baby should be here.

I have been trying really hard to find myself for the last few years and one of the biggest obstacles I have struggled with is starting a business that is my own and in the vain of the industry I am so mentally attached and absorbed with Fashion. Some of you might now but if not I have been working on launching my Canadian Made Costume Jewelry line. http://www.nikiandlola.com/

I have been busy with the girls crazy schedule since going back to school since the Winter holidays, they both are fully scheduled from Monday to Thursday, and because of that it adds more to my plate. Right in the middle of my afternoon I am dressing up daughters in tutus, making sure they have sneakers in snow pant weather for Hip Hop, get a snack into them before dancing even though I only have an hour from the time the bus does the drop off til the class starts.

We also got a puppy at Christmas too... a few more things to do like make sure he has gone to the bathroom before we sleep, before I need to head out with the girls, before I need to grocery shop just to avoid any accidents in the house.

All and all totally forgetting that ohhh yeah I need to get on planning for this baby's arrival. It really hit me at the 33 week mark. I was just going with the flow, until I realised that 7 weeks doesn't really equate 2 months, I don't have anything no diapers, no outfits, no baby room planned. Perhaps I would have been more prepared if there was some sort of shower planned around this baby. But it's been so blasé of a pregnancy, just taking everyday as they come. But woah... I didn't expect it'd be here so soon. So anyday now this baby could arrive without any fair warning.

How have you been enjoying this New Year thus far?

Where we drew inspiration for our Master Bedroom?!?!?!

Mike and I are very similar but very different in our personal styling, I am very more out there, Mike is more clean. I like florals, he likes modern, I pinks, him concrete and white. I like classic lines, mirrored objects and Mike clean lines and casual feel. It's really hard to put into words how eclectic we are.

So when deciding to renovate the master bedroom we just couldn't decide on a colour... it wasn't happening, no pinks were allowed, he wanted nothing that reminded him of the room before we gutted it. I needed it to be comfy looking and fancy as well to a degree. So after thinking of going grey... because it was an option. I started showing him rooms that were black and white focused. And it sold us both, I can't see a colour going into that room at all... because this is the direction we are going into.

*All images were sourced from pressing Black and White Master Bedroom in Google.*

My heart might be in Dixie too...

So every once and a while I write a post about my TV watching... I use to be a severe addict, I don't get to watch a lot of it because of how different my nights have become after having babies. I either am on serious Mommy duty, I try and go out socially late at night when girls are sleeping to not disturb anyone with my need for an outing, or I just fall asleep in some one's bed that I completely miss shows.

But I started watching Hart of Dixie late into the season, had no interest in watching a Rachel Bilson show on the CW, but I happen to catch an episode and have been permanently hooked. Had to go watch all the past episodes.

The show is about a New York girl Zoe Hart (Rachel Bilson) moving to Alabama to pursue and further her Medical career. While there somehow she gets a little bewildered in the ways of those who live in the small town community and her brash New York ways. There is a pretty huge love Triangle, which isn't a triangle more like trapezoid. But I love the mini triangle that is George-Zoe-Wade. George (Scott Porter) is the small town attorney and Wade (Wilson Bethel) is the town do it all guy. Jamie King also plays Lemon. Something about this show makes me feel like I am watching something similar to Gilmore Girls which I was deeply in love with.

Here's the preview for tonight's return for the rest of the season...


But I think I might like the show even more now that they could spoof themselves on Funny or Die.com

Call Me Doctor with Rachel Bilson from Rachel Bilson

Have you guys watched this show at all? Are you as addicted as I am? You can catch it on the CW 9pm after Gossip Girl on Mondays or on CHCH at 8pm on Canadian TV channels.

Mommy does Hollywood Pt. 2

Standing on the steps of the Kodak Theater

So we hung around the very wet road of Hollywood Blvd that was scarce and empty from the day of rain, and walked and walked. It really was nice to have more quiet than crazy tourist like. In our search for the Marilyn Monroe star we passed right beside El Capitane theater another single movie theather which is so ornate even on the outside, it was showing the Muppet movie.







We bought gifts for our family members on Hollywood Blvd, easy as they had everything under the sun emblazoned with the words Hollywood, Oscars and Los Angeles.

But it got far more exciting as we got closer and closer to the Kodak Theater... because I am a serious award show junkie and the idea of walking up the steps of where the Oscars are held every year was a pretty exciting. I didn't realise they had banners up for every film ever to win best film. And banners set up for almost 70 years to come. Currently the theater was housing the Cirque du Soleil show Iris, I do wish Mike and I had decided to get tickets to see that, because it would have been just as cool to enter the theater as well. It really was strange seeing the Kodak Theater sitting in the middle of everything, and not as grand as I expected it to be.



The Kodak theater

So while I was gushing about things that were so cool, the husband desperetaly wanted to go to the Hollywood Wax Museum.  I will not lie I had no interest in seeing wax figures... but he really wanted to go so we did. And we got to see some great figures, curiously how short some actors are and how big others are. The pictures I added need no introduction, but love how comfy my husband looks with both the nicest character ever written and the most controversial man in both shots.

Hollywood Blvd was definitely different and unique, full of everything touristy and the only time I felt like an actual tourist in Los Angeles. Something about Los Angeles that doesn't let you stand out as a tourist.

Mommy does Hollywood Pt. 1.

 I am believing that a few people are awaiting patiently for my posts about my much talked about trip to Los Angeles. And without any further ado... I will start with the most touristy of places Hollywood Blvd.

The husband and I got stuck inside the hotel most of the day because the rain wouldn't let up, and rain in LA is a rarity. We were forewarned that it never lasts all day, but perhaps because we were there we got a full day of grey. Around 7pm the rain started to let up and I was getting antsy, we had seen a bunch of the nicer restaurants in the neighbourhood, why not see a movie at the Graumann's Chinese Theater dawned on me,  went online and only one movie to choose from so we went anyways.



The Graumann's Chinese Theater



We got there fairly early, perused around the Hollywood Walk of Fame, I hunted for Marilyn Monroe's footprints... there were a bunch of cool ones to see. We finally entered the theater, I can't begin to describe the majesticness of this place. I remember when I was little Toronto had these grandiose theaters that showed only one film, there use to be a beautiful one on the Danforth. But this theater was awe inspiring.So beautiful,so grand.... words really couldn't describe it's ornateness. We watched New Year's Eve movie, which almost seemed fitting since it was overtly filled will Hollywood celebrities.


The consession stand



They also had a ton of artifacts and costumes in the theater from movies past... seeing some of Cleopatra's pieces was pretty fantastic for this film buff.



Jewelry from the film Cleopatra

We got lucky or unlucky depending on how you see it but Hollywood Blvd was beyong quiet, very few tourists, few people dressed in bizarre costumes (we only got to see Spider-Man) and sidewalks that were easy to find and read every single name immortalized in the ground.

When my friend Julia asked us what we thought of Hollywood Blvd, the best description I could come up with is that at night it reminded me of Honest Ed's on crack (only an understandable referrence if you've ever been to Toronto) but you turn the corner and out of no where there is a barage of lights blinking and twinkling in your face. You can't miss the visual craziness but it definitely was different.



Marilyn Monroe set her hand prints for Men Prefer Blondes, Janes Russell's are next to hers.



Her star is actually further down the street, West from the Theater.

So much to be seen on this street, like the El Capitaine, The Kodak Theater and the Wax Museum... all coming in the next post. Have you ever been to Hollywood before?

Resolving to Resolute!

Happy New Year 2012,...

Welcome the new year with thought and emotion... I have so much on my mind and on my plate. But what a better time to think of ways to make the next 12 months a splendid experience than to have all of the social media universe discussing resolutions, affirmations and words to bring forth greatness.

My friend Sameer got my ball rolling with his concept of picking a word to use as your compass for the year ahead, I picked "Leap"; because I plan on leaping into every adventure I plan for the next year. Something about my trip to LA made me realise that there is nothing better than sinking ones toes into the sand because well leaping in the faith that it will work out really does work.

Where does the resolution come into play with this all am resolving to keep leaping, leaping into my work, my blog posts, my workouts (post-baby) and believing with all leaps of faith into the genius ideas I have. And I have 12 great fun tasks waiting for me... I am leaping into my happy past. I am reconnecting with those who brought out my happiest times. Because it's high time I acknowledge those who mean more to me and bring out the best version of myself.

Life is short, time is seconds long... and I need to get into it before December rolls around again for 2012. What are you resolving to resolute?

My girls on New Year's Eve