Losing my hair...

Being a mom has a lot of blessed moments... being a mom has it's bad moments but no one ever prepares you for all the hair loss you experience either after birth or after weaning from breast feeding.

The struggle is real my friends. Every pregnancy was a hair story for me. My first was a hair nightmare. I could barely brush my hair my head was constantly sore just touching it with a brush. I ended up cutting it off into the famed bob that  every celebrity started doing.

I always seem to have good hair while I am breastfeeding... its the weaning that is so hard to ingest. Just clumps and clumps.

This pregnancy I had such impeccably lush hair even my hairdresser said no way you are having a girl your hair is so incredible it has to be a boy. Alas hair doesn't dictate sex... so my 4th girl arrived and then the lush hair just start to drop in clumps. Clumps like I was suffering some irreparable disease

It's just hair they'll tell you. And the truth it is just hair. But when you are attempting to morph back into your new self hair loss can get the best of your emotions.

Now to decide what to do with this new version of my hair.

Renovating with Love

We decided to renovate our house... we decided to take the leap to renovate while living in the house pregnant or with a newborn. 3 othe kids 7 years old or under and a million items to deal with.

The start and catalyst of our renos was our old living room which we wanted it to become our new kitchen. Meaning figuring out Gas and water even electrical.

We took on this project as a full time job. We put a lot to the side. We had to balance family and renos. We had to stay married. You make joke but Huffington post published an article stating that 12% of couples doing home renos get divorced or separate. And this isn't the only source  of such stories. Type into Google: Divorce and Renovations... and you'll get things to avoid to save your marriage to numbers and figures about divorce and house renos.

We are slowly coming to end our renos and I can attest it's not easy. I know I'm fairly one of the most laid back easy going person I know... and if home renos can set me off a few times; well a lesser patience person probably would snap.

Living in the reno means:
     •Dust everywhere humanly possible. Ohhh did you just wash that basket of clean clothing, its now covered in plaster dust, wood dust.
     •Ohhh did you want to eat on this surface, its become a makeshift bench for the rest of the day.
     • Everything is packed in boxes either in storage or not in the room in needs to be.

While I am relishing the renos and how much I currently love my home. It has taken a toll on my impeccable patience and my poor husband has way more grey hairs than he did last year. And I can happily report we are still very much in love and married.

Where you at?

I started Mommy Doings years ago as a young mom who wanted to write about what a mom is doing... that you can be a relevant person without being pigeonholed a mom. Like some how that connotation was frowned upon.

Many things have changed since I started the blog... I never appreciated the platform I had because I didn't enjoy the term Mom blogger. I didn't enjoy the label because I was more than that and wanted to describe that but couldn't find the voice I wanted to in a time where Mom blogging was actually huge.

I started my jewelry line, my passion in life and my blog took a back seat. It didn't deserve the back seat. I started the blog with the intention of being the voice of moms who are more than moms. Who push their own personal boundaries, who prevail at their job/family balance and who are out there getting it all done.

I had another emotional transformative year this last year, a huge wake up call of what I expect for myself and what kind of path I can forge for my children as a role model.

In the next upcoming weeks many things for me will change and many won't seem fathomable. I can't share my secret, my fun adventure yet... I'm excited to revisit my blog. Who knows maybe it will also get an update, a change, an uplift.

All I know is I am literally reaching for the stars and asking you to join me on my journey and share your journey with me too.

xo Angie

Decorating for your family.

Last year I endeavored to renovate my house with my whole family still living in it. It appears I figured it would be totally acceptable to lose my mind, my sanity and my better sense of judgement.

Did I mention, I envisioned myself going full tilt in my renos with baby #4 in my belly?

We had a huge burst pipe in what was our living room ceiling and that sprinted us into completely changing the whole house. In what I could only describe as a labour of serious love and style we created something that both and my husband can be proud of.

Actually mixing our personal styles to create the ultimate designer first floor was fun. Adding girly touches, adding intricate craftsmanship and infusing our everyday business into our home was important.

It truly was an adventure and many said I should have moved out, truth is I totally should have. But we live, we learn. It also taught my children to not expect things will always be perfect and while something was here yesterday it might not be here today.

So I'm pretty excited to show you every room in the house that was fixed and bring you on our journey of fun home renos.

Be the Change!!!!!

I rarely post about celebrity on here. While I like to take a position of all moms are equals, celebrity doesn't have it any different. They are solely responsible for raising their kid as they see fit... if they fail or succeed its really up to them. Just like it is for us.

Juggling parenthood is hard. Being a mom to 4 kids is hard. And I appreciate when I get help. Actually help isn't the word I like to use to describe my husband's relationship to me and parenting. We co-parent. We both are equally involved... we both take on an equal amount of responsibility.

But the world we live in doesn't foster co-parenting. I have girls and the older they get it solely becomes my responsibility to take them to public washrooms. I never realised I was solely responsible for changing table duties until Ashton Kutcher pointed it out on his Facebook.

Men are equal partners in the parenting relationships... they deserve ease in this. Now before you get all why should it be easy for men... because we as women deserve a break and its easier to get a break when men don't feel defeated being out with their babies.

Children and parents are the catalyst of the future. Stick by me here I am not going to get preachy. When parents of kids feel like integral parts of the big picture, they are welcomed with open arms and not seen as the breeders of snotty, germy noise makers. "Why do they allow kids on planes, trains or elevators?"--- are you one of these douches? These kids you might not want to share air space with could be your future employee, student, or even your doctor.

Isn't it best that the parent raising them feel ease with taking their kids out so they can go home and stay confidently in good spirits so they can foster good kids who eventually become good people. So I commend Ashton Kutcher and encourage all public male washrooms come fully equipped with change tables.

The great adventure of 4

I don't post much lately... which is quite sad. Honestly sad.

I do miss blogging, I miss sharing... but who knew 4 babies would alter your train of thought.

Each child uniquely easy... one likes colouring, the other to play outside, one reading or Dora episodes on TV and the other just breastfeeding... but put them together and somehow more than one is begging for your attention.

There is a ton of learning patience that wouldn't be taught if there was one or even just 2. Someone daily feels they got the shaft... but what they don't realize its been 2 hours since I started making something for myself to eat and then I get asked to make a snack for someone, change a diaper, read this note from the teacher, put on this movie, help my jacket is stuck, mom she called me the S word... ohhh and my warm bagel is no longer warm, my coffee is frozen and I still haven't fed myself.

Then the emails come through; Girl Guides telling me about the week's activities, dancing, the principal's emails, text messages come through, read them but someone is calling your name or someone just spilt something on the brand new hardwood floors.

Nothing gets a response... I get an Instagram picture in, I see a quick article on Facebook (I am entrenched in this measles outbreak and what I think is encroaching on people's Human Rights by forcing vaccines but that's for another post) and I share it. The news is playing in the background but I can't hear what its saying... I catch tidbits here and there.

By the time dinner comes around there is a mountain of laundry sitting on the couch to be folded and then headed to bed its silly chaos. Something about the words "ok, everyone upstairs let's get ready for bed" means lets go upstairs jump on the beds, be extra silly, take forever to put on pjs. Eldest reads to the baby, putting on a diaper of my toddler (wishing and praying she'd go pee in a potty) the slowest to get ready is doing God knows what instead of brushing her teeth. And then they are all ready.

and all I want to do...

is take pictures of them because at this very moment they never looked more beautiful, more sweet, more loving and just perfect.

Being a mom of 4 isn't easy but being a mom to these 4 is a blessing. And while I miss blogging I understand that it needs to come when it can because right now I am busy being mom.

Christmas Cheer!

It's been an exhausting year and I haven't posted or even shared we were expecting #4 on here. But I wanted to come on and share it's been too long.

With the holidays we are just so excited to have 4 beautiful girls growing in our family. We are in such awe of how uniquely different each of them are from each other but also how sweet and jovial they also can be.

We took them down to the Eaton Center right after we picked up our oldest 2 and headed downtown Toronto as I needed to to City Hall. Funny how it turned into a teachable moment, my older 3 now know what city hall is and funnily enough think I am important enough to think I had to meet the mayor (I was there on much lesser and mundane things to do.)

But then I figured a nice visit to the Eaton Center would be great I use to love seeing all the decor and the festive cheer in the mall. I spent way too long in the Indigo as my daughters ran around in the children section. They were so distracted I got away with buying books and having them wrapped too.

It's real fun and important to make lasting memories for your kids. It's fun to see their faces light up too. I'm just happy I get to share these moments with them this holiday season and every day as well.

Easter... Favorite holiday?!?!?

Most people relish Christmas. I love Christmas, I love it even more since having kids. But it still doesn't compare to Easter for me.

Christmas to me is one day. All this planning and organizing for one day and its done. People seem to get tired of all the Holiday parties... I never get tired of Easter.

Easter is over a week of family getting together, doing stuff. Its always been that way. My grandma and mom would gather to bake for days on end, going to a full week of church services and culminate with a festivity of feast on Easter Sunday.
I love church at Easter, let's be honest we don't all go religiously every Sunday, but at Easter we all gather by something bigger than faith but faith mixed with humanity. Being Greek Orthodox means we get to see our other fellow Greek Orthodox community join and rejoice.

Easter could be seen as such an ugly holiday if we discuss the events but here we are in joy, candles lit, street lined cheering Hristos Anesti (Christ is Risen)... Yes just like in my Big Fat Greek Wedding. Midnight with our peplum dressed girls, suit adorned little boys all dressed in Sunday best all week.

I am so happy its Holy Week/Easter Week... My girls are old enough to help and I'm in the mood to bake, even pregnant. And my girls seem to be excited for Easter and this makes my heart smile.

We started baking yesterday... Koulourakia. It was awesome.Wishing you all a beautiful Easter.

The happy kid!

At the beginning of the year I posted about Mom shaming... I discussed at large how social media oddly makes you feel like you aren't good enough.

 

As of the last week, I've read 2 separate articles about stop playing with your kid or your kids life shouldn't be magical.

 

Now I'm not going to tell you what to do because I value the other moms I call my friends and what works for me doesn't work for you or maybe them. But shaming a mom for making a party Pinterest worthy is no better than shaming her for not.

 

I am a firm believer of letting your kid outside, in the backyard or on the park play area without you standing beside them. Why because they and you need space. My girls when inside want to hug me and kiss me, have me read books, to tell them something interesting. Do my girls have the best decorated room on the block, probably not, why because whatever free time I have with them they are getting love and affection from me.

 

I don't play dolls with my girls, I don't make forts with them... I will bake with them, I will teach them to cook, fix their hair or have a dance party. But I let them have play time with themselves. I also afford that luxury because I have 2 of the same sex that are a year apart. So there is a constant friend in the house. Also means my house looks like your house does when the playdate is over, but that's my everyday.

 

I don't think we need to be on everyday for our kids, that being vulnerable, and funny, and happy and angry are healthy for our kids to know having similar emotions are acceptable for them to be healthy. I also think whatever we do for our kids, it's what we do for our kids. I work my ass off for my kids, I sacrifice family vacations to work harder for my kids... because when I sit down with myself I think if I can push myself a bit harder this year in a few years I will have more money or more time for my kids. But I know others who sacrifice other matters, sacrifice their jobs to be at home for their kids, to bake for them, to be at the front door when they arrive from school. Are lives aren't any different if anything they are similar, we are balancing in ways we see fit.

 

I know some awesome stay at home moms, and they rock beyond rock. They have good relationships with their husbands, they sew costumes for their kids, they balance where they can and they do it because it's what they want and need for their family. I could never be them and I envy what they have inside them to be able to be happy at home... and then they might turn to me and think I am so cool for balancing my lifestyle. But my life isn't cooler than theirs, I can't sew for crap and well I hate house cleaning like it's an illness. What we do doesn't make our kids happier or unhappy... it raises them with differences and appreciations.

 

I had an aunt who worked crazy hours because she owned a restaurant, her daughter never saw her and had whatever toy she wanted, her daughter also was never allowed to eat bread. I found bread overrated and I loved all the toys she had. When she would come to my house she would eat us out of fresh bread and really just wanted to play. I won't judge her life in comparison to mine, they just were different, I might have loved the idea of having her playroom but I don't think I grew up any less happy.

 

Are our children safe, healthy, fed and warm... are these not luxuries? What we do for them other than that are extras. I don't coddle my kids and enjoy bantering with my friends who also don't coddle about the mom at the park who still has to go down the slide with her 5 year old. But I know on the other side of the park is the mom who thinks I should be following my 2 year old up the stairs on the jungle gym... but they can think what they want, they can believe I am nuts, but I am doing the best version of me as a mom. And at the end of the day I know they are doing the best version of them.

 

We are raising kids, human beings, your girlfriend posted immaculate picture of her kids in completely posed wonderfulness... I am not compelled to call up my local photographer to take shots of my kids. My other girl friend throws the most impeccable birthday parties for her kids, I throw a fun family oriented gig, nothing crazy but if I wanted it that way I'd fork over the money to pay for it to be that way with a party planner. Our kids remember certain things, who knows what might make a permanent memory... but we do things for ourselves. To feel good about ourselves, to feel good about our contributions to our families lives... we go above and beyond because it fills a joy within ourselves. Now don't get me wrong don't spoil your kids... don't let them be rotten, don't let them be ungrateful, but figure that out without having to change all the fun things you want to do for them.

 

Remember you are human, let them see you be human, because if you are always the superhero who comes to their rescue and they never have a sucky lunch, they never go without one of the many items they ask from Santa Claus don't be surprised when they can't handle their despair when they don't get the girlfriend or boyfriend they want, when they don't get the job they want... remember your kid is today a kid, let them have fun but sooner than you know they'll be an adult and let them be prepared for what truths and realities come from that.  That is honestly your happiest kid!

Evictions happen!

Sometimes evictions just happen and they change the course of things to come.