featured parent

Oh boy. It's only Day 4 and I'm already out of ideas. So I'm going to post something now that I was waiting until next month to post. It's an interview I did with a new publication in these parts called Okanagan Child. This time, I was the subject. It's a fun, question and answer format for their "Featured Parent" section. It won't appear online until some time in December and I'll probably plug it again then because it will have the pictures that were taken of me and Ammers and Ols during a photoshoot in the downtown library. So much fun!

A bit about myself...
I’m a mother, a daughter, a sister, a wife, an auntie and a friend. I’m a second-generation Kelowna girl who loves to travel whenever and wherever the opportunity arises. I’m a musician, but not a very good one, and a lover of old books with a good story. Sometimes I’m as immature as a two-year-old and sometimes I’m wise beyond my years – but not as often as I wish. I’m also a freelance writer and photographer-cum-budding entrepreneur with a new website. Oh, and I love a good adventure.

How I've grown as a person through motherhood...
I think my eyes have been re-opened to a lot of living that I had discarded in my journey through adulthood – simple pleasures, such as puddle jumping or the taste of a fresh peach or the wisdom of Winnie-the-Pooh. Looking at the world as my son must see it has brought back some of the excitement and adventure that I – and I dare say the majority of adults – lost to the pressures of work, bills and expectations to “act your age.”

My favorite part about being a mom...
I know it probably sounds selfish, but it’s an amazing thing to be at the centre of somebody’s world. When Oliver gets hurt, he wants me. When he learns a new skill, he looks for my praise. Right now, Amélie is completely dependant on me for everything from warmth and comfort to nourishment and a clean bottom. I know it won’t always be this way – the older they get, the less dependant they’ll be, and someday a spouse and kids of their own will take my place of honour, so I’m trying to enjoy it while I can – and hopefully it will be the foundation for a strong connection later.

The greatest challenges in my role as a mom...
I tend to do things quickly and practically, and have for a very long time. So it’s a real challenge to loosen up and meander a bit – to stop and let my two-year-old make friends with a caterpillar or take a long-cut somewhere or struggle to put his shoes on himself when I could do it three times as fast. I have to keep reminding myself that he’s not just a doll to drag around with me but a little person who needs to experience and enjoy things, too.

The difference between life with one child and two...
The first time I became a mother I didn’t have the confidence to trust my instincts. All the conflicting advice I got from everyone I came into contact with – friends, family and even perfect strangers – was confusing and stress inducing. When the second one comes along you realize, hey, I can do this! So, strangely, life with two is, in many ways, less stressful than life with one child was. I guess you learn to let things go because you realize you can get through it.

All new parents should know...
Someone who can share the load. If not a spouse than a friend, sister, mother or other support person. I can’t imagine how difficult it would be to raise a child or family all by myself.

Favorite ways to unwind...
My needs are simple: an evening in a coffee shop with a chai latte and a good book or magazine, an independent movie on DVD, cuddled up on the couch with my husband, or (blushing now) on my computer, surfing Facebook and my favourite blogs.

I never leave home without...
My clothes on. Everything else – cell phone, wallet, lipstick, pen and paper, even nappies – I can survive without (if needed), at least on short trips. I have come to learn this by going through life as a rather forgetful person.

New holiday traditions I'm creating for my children...
Some of the most cherished family traditions just evolve – you can’t plan them. That said, I want to fill our holidays with together time – not just present opening around a tree and Christmas specials on TV. Think cookie bakes, tobogganing, musical get-togethers where everyone plays something, and story telling by the fireplace.

Pet peeves...
When people count to get kids to comply (“I’m counting to three!”). I have yet to see it work in the long term, probably because there’s usually no consequence when they finish counting, so what’s the point. My son, Oliver, has been known to count along with my husband when he does it, but still not do what he’s supposed to!

What I want most for my children...
Like most parents, I want all good things for my children. But if I had to pick just one, it would be for them to appreciate that they are a child of God, that their life has a purpose and there is something amazing waiting for them.