The Mom Blah Blah Blog

I have been thinking a lot about mental illness lately. Firstly because it touches my life through my mother in Law and also because I have been reading the blog of a friend who's has been discussing the topic. What I have realized is how many people out there are touched by mental illness. I am discovering more and more people every day with someone close to them that suffers from this disease. When I was 19 I attended the University of Guelph for psychology and I remember learning about some different forms of mental illness. I also remember thinking it was something that was out there in a distant place that didn't really touch my life. I am beginning to believe it was just swept under the rug before. What I wonder now is if keeping these issues quiet was in fact contributing to making the situations worse. If someone has heart disease or cancer do they feel shame and fearful of the reaction of others? I would think no. It is no ones fault that they end up sick or...

We had Christmas with Randall's mom's side on the weekend and it was a great time of visiting. Trinity and Alex really enjoyed playing with their 2 second cousins. They got spoiled with gifts and candy and even though Alex was sick they still didn't have problems with fighting and crying. All in all it was a great trip. However, as I sat in the living room and glanced at Randall's mom, just staring at the TV and not interacting, I couldn't help but be slightly saddened. She speaks very little to anyone, doesn't interact much with the children, is extremely thin to the point of looking gaunt and has a lot of trouble getting around. One of the only things she talked about was how she fell in her room last week and how her leg hurts. You see, Randall's mother has Schizophrenia. She also has had many joint problems and has had both her hips replaced. They have never quite healed well and she has a lot of trouble getting around. She lives on her own but...

Alex had a play date today and as so I was able to sit and chat with another mom. It was nice. I enjoyed the company and the interaction that 2 year olds have, or avoid. Alex has changed a lot in the last few months. He used to be very quiet and wouldn't speak when we were out. Now he's become quite energetic and enthusiastic when we are in the company of others. I both enjoy that he has come out of his shell and dislike it. It was sort of nice before to know that if we were in the company of others I would have a quiet and demure child. During the mommy chat we inevitably got around to the topic of child development. It was reassuring to hear that this mom isn't competitive and realizes that kids grow at their own pace. As long as we are doing what we think is best I believe kids will reach the potential that they have in them. It doesn't really matter how much they are talking at 18 months or it they walked at a year. I'm pretty sure that they will all...

I've been on a journey to improve my self esteem for many months now. Giving up negative self talk for Lent was the catalyst that really launched my attitudes and emotions to the forefront but truthfully this has been a problem lurking under the surface for years. As such it's been really difficult to dig down to the root and make sure it never comes back. Like the many dandelions in our yard I know I have missed a few. Though I have done well at throwing most of the major offenders in the trash I know there are some little sprouts that have been popping up again lately. I do understand that even the most well manicured lawns are never perfect. Even my my neighbours get the occasional weed. However, I feel I have some gardening to do again. I have made a number of improvements in my health and wellness lately and have even been able to sleep a little more readily and soundly (I have bouts of insomnia), but I have been starting to feel once again like it's not enough...

All of the walls in the house are now painted! We do need to paint a lot of trim still, we haven't worked on the bathrooms and we don't have any baseboards but we are getting closer. What I have now come to notice is how much wall space we have and how naked those walls are. This has inspired me to find art. I have purchased a few art photos that I love and have finally gotten them in frames. I also found a nice big canvas at Home Sense I got a great deal on. I am rather picky though and I have been having trouble finding art that A) I like B) I can afford and C) goes with the colours of our house. This means I need to think a little more creatively so I decided I was going to make a little modern art for a gift for Randall for Christmas. I was hoping to keep it a surprise but it is quite difficult to hide a painting that is 24" by 48" and still wet. Although his night shift gave me a good opportunity to work on it while the kids were both in bed and he wa...

I bought myself a poinsettia the other day. This isn't earthshaking. It is sort of silly thing for me to do though because I can't keep a plant alive... well, to save my life. I'm pretty sure it will be dead by Christmas. I couldn't help myself though, they remind me of my Grandmother. She passed away over 10 years ago now but I think of her every time I see a poinsettia. You see, her birthday was December 23rd. Somewhere along the way I bought her a poinsettia for a gift. Really, what else do you get for the woman that doesn't ask for anything? That purchase ended up being our little tradition. If it got to be her birthday and I had not arrived with poinsettia in hand I could be sure of a phone call. It would go something like this. "Rachel, do you know what today is? Where is my poinsettia?" I would then need to rush right out to her place to deliver it although that was usually where I was headed anyway. In recent years there has been a dr...