Ford vs. Thomson: An International Woman’s Day Nightmare. 2 Weeks Later.

Mayoral candidates from 2010. From left to right: (front row) Rob Ford, Rocco Achampong, Sarah Thomson, John Pantalone, George Mammoliti, (back row) Keith Cole, Rocco Rossi, George Smitherman. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

International Woman’s Day (previous called International Working Woman’s Day, originating in 1909) was March 8th this year and the focus of the day ranged from general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women to celebrations for women’s economic, political and social achievements.  This day began as a Socialist political event, and in some countries it has morphed into a day for men to express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day, while in many countries, the political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations runs strong, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

In Toronto, a very odd event came to light on this day, which may or may not have occurred, the previous night at an event for CJPAC.

Sarah Thomson, the editor of the Woman’s Post and who ran for the mayor’s office in 2010, claimed on both social media and in several interviews that Mayor Rob Ford grabbed her buttocks (“Grabbed my ass” were her exact words on the radio) while taking a photo with Ford at the event.  Ms. Thomson also said in an interview that Ford suggested to her that evening that she should have been in Florida with him because his wife was not there.

Ms. Thomson also posted a very unflattering picture of the Mayor on her Facebook page –  his eyes were closed and there was either a stain on his shirt or he was sweating a lot.

In a radio interview, she continued to pile on the accusations by suggesting that Ford was high on cocaine that night.  Apparently she Googled cocaine use and concluded that “…it’s, you know, sweaty, talking quickly, out of it, arrogant. Like all these things were on there.”

While Thomson has continued to stand by her allegations, she has also thrown her own allegation into doubt because she said, “I looked up the symptoms and it looked like it was cocaine use, it could have been anything like that, I’m not sure what it is. I’ve also read that diabetes could have some odd effects. I’m not sure what was wrong with him, but there was definitely something wrong with him that night.”  Oops.  Cocaine, diabetes… Well, he was “erratic” and “arrogant” that night so it might have been one of those.

When Thomson was asked if she’d ever taken cocaine herself, she said she didn’t know, as she spent time on the street in her youth.

But it gets even more odd from here…

Two councillors from Richmond Hill, who were at the event, were part of a crowd when Thomson allegedly was devising a plot to get a photo of the mayor’s hand on her assistant’s rear end.  She planned on using this ”evidence” to corroborate her story and she told the group it would be put to good use when she ran for Mayor again in 2014.

Thomson has ruled out pressing sexual assault charges against Ford; “It’s a big waste of time to go through the legal procedures,” Thomson said. “Now, I looked at it and I realized I had no proof.”

Thomson put herself at risk of being sued by making the public allegations against Ford.

The mayor had responded to her accusations on Friday in a written statement calling them “absolutely, completely false.”

Thomson responded to the mayor’s comments by saying that HE was trying to discredit HER.  “Decades ago powerful men who sexually assaulted women would call them ‘hysterical,’ or ‘crazy’ to debase their credibility,” Thomson said. “It pushed many assaulted women into silence…. He will not push me into silence and I hope his accusations do not re-ignite the old fears that once silenced women.”

Thomson went on to say, “I did not make these accusations lightly.”  And as for her hopes of one day being Mayor, she said the approach she took may not have been the best one; “I admit I did not handle the press perfectly.”

The problem here is not about he said vs she said, or is drawn along political lines.  It’s about a very serious allegation, made on a very important day and what the implications are if one of these parties is not telling the truth.  Since Ms. Thomson has in fact announced in public that she was sexually ‘assaulted’ by the Mayor of Toronto (in front of dozens of people no less) then I would think the police are duty-bound to investigate it to see if there are sufficient grounds for charges against the Mayor.

If it turns out however that this was just a politically motivated, vexatious, stunt by the publisher of a women’s-only magazine made purposely on the eve of International Women’s Day then of course SHE should be criminally charged with public mischief and making false accusations.

Criminal sexual assault is a very serious crime. Making public, false, allegations about it are equally so.

At the end of the day, this is very sad because either Sarah Thomson was assaulted by Rob Ford on the eve of International Woman’s Day, or Sarah Thomson was playing the victim and trying to set up the Mayor in order to further ruin his reputation and ultimately for her political gain.

Given the recent troubles Ford has had publicly under the attack of the left, a situation like this certainly causes people to question Ford’s ability to lead and make many people wonder if he is promoting a good image of Toronto for the rest of the world to see.  In light of the recent information revealed by Georgio Mammoliti we know the left have been targeting the reputations of right-wing politicians.

One of these two people made a horrible decision on the eve of International Woman’s Day.

Shame on him if it’s true and shame on her if it’s not.

Where was this when I was changing diapers: Dove Men + Care Ultimate Changetable

Parents, as we grow older, we see products and services for our children and wonder how cool it would have been to have had that when we were kids.  I’m not the only one who does this, right?  Massive bouncy castles, iPads, gas-controlled mini-cars, and SO much more.

So yesterday, when I saw a clever twist on an established product, I was blown away.  I saw a change table which not just contained all that a father would need to change a diaper – diapers, wipes, etc., but also with a TV.  Sweet.

I can remember having to change diapers in stores, or malls, or restaurants only to find out that the change table was in the woman’s bathroom.  Then came the change table in the family / handicapped bathrooms, and finally change tables in men’s bathrooms.  We do change diapers too!!!

But a change table at a sporting events with a TV.  Brilliant!  As Dads, we have to make sure our children are clean and we gladly miss several minutes of live action to make sure we look after our kids, but not having to miss any of the action is a luxury and a gift to father’s everywhere.

I saw the Dove Men + Care Ultimate Gameday Change Table – billed as a “souped-up baby change table” at the Toronto Raptors / Miami Heat basketball game at the Air Canada Centre.

The official press release: 

Toronto, ON (March 18, 2012)  – Dove Men+Care unveiled an interactive change table to Toronto sports-fan dads at the Air Canada Centre, yesterday. The table was designed to be a light-hearted way to call attention to the brand’s campaign to support real men and their changing role in today’s society.

The Dove Men+Care Ultimate Gameday Change Table’s was given a ‘field-test’ during one of the hottest ticket basketball games of the season. The souped-up change table provides all the tools necessary to keep dads and their babies happy during unplanned intermissions, including:

• A built-in television so dad didn’t miss any game action
• An emergency Lullaby button that played soothing music
• An interactive timer and scoreboard to determine the best diaper-changer in the game

According to a recent study, men have tripled their involvement in childcare over the last four decades. That’s why Dove Men+Care has taken steps to change societal norms by tailoring a public change table temporarily to suit the needs of men and make it more enjoyable too. The Ultimate Gameday Change Table is designed to help men maintain at least one aspect of their daily life so they can maintain everything else and never miss a moment.

About Dove® and Dove Men+Care

Thanks to Dove Men+Care all men can literally be comfortable in their own skin. Built on Unilever’s success in the men’s deodorant, personal wash and hair categories, and the Dove brand’s heritage in outstanding skincare, Dove Men+Care products are specifically designed to provide men with both the results and the care they need. The Dove product lineup, manufactured by Unilever, includes beauty bars, body washes, face care, anti-perspirant/deodorants, body mists, hair care and styling aids. Dove is available nationwide in food, drug and mass outlet stores.

I actually began using Dove Men + Care products recently when my current deodorant / anti-perspirant started giving me a rash.  It’s safe on sensitive skin, smells great and the scent is not overpowering at all.  It also helps that their products are available everywhere.

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[i] Bianchi, S.M. (2011). “Family Change and Time Allocation in American Families”. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 638:21-44. The author analyzes how recent changes have altered American family life and have produced new challenges for working caregivers. Unpaid and paid work hours are averaged over all couples with children under age 18 and over the 2003–2008 American Time Use Survey data collections.

You can and should follow Dove on Twitter @madeformen.

Here are some pictures of the table.  The music note is so you can add a lullaby if your baby is cranky.  There is a pile of diapers already stocked in the table (on the right).  The TV screen you can see is in the middle and the hand on the top right let’s you compete with other Dads to see who can complete the diaper change the quickest.  The ranking is on the left of the TV screen.

It’s smart, it’s cool, and it’s fun!

St. Patrick’s Day, Dr. Seuss, Green Eggs and a Contest from the Egg Farmers of Ontario

St. Patrick’s Day is always a ton of fun even for those of us who are not Irish, or who do not drink anything green during the day and this St. Paddy’s Day was no different. Who doesn’t love things being painted / dyed green, or wearing green-clothes…

Tying it all in together, Dr. Seuss’ classic book, Green Eggs and Ham, was published more than 50 years ago and is still a favourite among Canadian families. With St. Patrick’s Day here this weekend, did you prepare any “Green Eggs and Ham” for the kids (or for yourself) for Sunday brunch?

The Egg Farmers of Ontario sent across a recipe for Green Eggs and Ham (or Green Eggs and Tofu-Ham in our home, including directions on how to make your eggs shamrock green (which would be a great family activity!)

The Egg Farmers of Ontario are also hosting “The Eggs Factor”, an online egg-decorating contest in support of Breakfast Clubs of Canada, which is happening right now! For every entry, the Egg Farmers of Ontario will donate a dozen eggs to Breakfast Clubs of Canada, and entrants have the chance to win one of 12 iPad minis.

A link to the contest can be found here.

Here is the recipe for Green Eggs and Ham from the Egg Farmers of Ontario:




The kid-friendly part:  Get the kids to dye their hard-cooked eggs green! 

In a bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) water with 1 tsp (5 mL) liquid green food colouring.  Dip each peeled, hard-cooked egg into the green water (the eggs should be completely covered with green water).  Using a spoon, turn to coat, until egg is green in colour, about 4 minutes.  Remove and let dry on paper towel. Cut in half and add to gratin dishes, (green facing up yolk facing down) with pasta, ham and green onions.  Continue with recipe.

Casserole

8 oz dried pasta, about 2 cups (500 mL)
1 head broccoli
6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved
1 cup (250 mL) cubed black forest ham, about 8 oz.
4 green onions, thinly sliced, white and light green parts

Cheese Sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) butter
2 tbsp (25 mL) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) milk
1 cup (250 mL) shredded old Cheddar cheese
½ tsp (2 mL) dried mustard powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) freshly ground black pepper

Topping
½ cup (125 mL) shredded old Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp (25 mL) minced fresh parsley (optional)

Directions:
Casserole

In large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until tender but firm, about 8 minutes.

Drain and rinse with cold water; set aside.

Remove florets from broccoli and set aside.

Using knife, remove any hard knobs from broccoli stems.

Chop stem to produce 1 cup (250 mL) of stem bits.

In boiling salted water, add stem bits and cook for 4 minutes, add broccoli florets and continue cooking 2 minutes longer, drain all broccoli and rinse with cold water.

Scatter pasta, eggs, broccoli, ham and green onions evenly into a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish.

Cheese Sauce

In saucepan, heat butter over medium-low heat, add flour and cook, stirring to make a roux or paste, about 2 minutes.

Whisk in milk and cook, continue whisking until thickened, about 6 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in cheese, mustard powder, salt and pepper.

Continue whisking until cheese is melted, about 4 minutes.

Pour cheese sauce over casserole.

Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese and parsley over casserole.

Bake in 375ºF (190ºC ) oven until heated through and cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.

(Make ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.  Increase cooking time by 10 minutes.)

Servings:  6 (2 cup servings)
Prep. Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  20 minutes

Nutrients Per Serving: Calories: 478 Fat: 22 grams Sodium: 822 grams Carbohydrates: 40 grams Fibre: 4 grams Protein: 30 grams

Sweetpea Baby Food and Organic Snacks. Have you tried their cookies?

When was the last time you ripped open a bag of Sweetpea Organic Cookies, served them for family, friends or guests, and had any leftover to be eaten later?  Probably not very often.   These cookies, if you have not tried them before, are addictive.  They are great for what they have as much as for what they do not have.  If you have not tried them before, you might want to have a quick read below, to see what makes these cookies so unique, which will probably lead you to run out and pick up a bag of any (or all) of the 3 flavours of these cookies;

Sweetpea Baby Food Organic Cookies

1) They are for ages 1-101.  Really they are.  The cookies are flavourful, but certainly not overpowering.  If you freeze them, young kids can teethe on them, and if you put them out on a plate, the pretty flower pattern makes them look appealing.

2) The cookies are organic.

3) They are made from 100% whole grain organic ingredients.

4) They are dairy-free.

5) They were made without salt.

6) They do not contain eggs, preservatives or additives.

7) They are certified Kosher.

8) They are made in a peanut-free facility.

9) They come in resealable bags – so you might not want to “rip” open the bag unless you know there are not going to be any cookies left over.

Whew.

And the three flavours they currently come in are; Banana Pear, Pumpkin Spice and Sweet Apple.

As a parent, you can be comfortable having your nanny leave out cookies for your children and for their playdates because they do not have much of what children are allergic to – nuts, eggs, dairy and they also cover off dietary restrictions by being certified Kosher.  The fact they taste great is secondary to their appeal across the masses, but is also what keeps people from buying them over and over again.

Did I mention that the packaging rocks!

Have a look;

What parent wouldn’t want these in their house?

If all the information I provided above has not convinced you to try these cookies, I dropped by the Sweetpea website, and pulled off some nutritional information which you certainly will find interesting as it relates to the flavours and ingredients chosen to go into the cookies.

Sweet Apple:

• When added to food, cinnamon inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage.
• Whole grain spelt flour has a higher protein content than normal wheat grown under similar conditions
• Eating organic snacks ensures your child’s diet is free from harmful herbicides, pesticides and fungicides.

Banana Pear:

• Bananas are rich in vitamin B6 and are a good source of fiber, vitamin C and magnesium
• Pears are an excellent source of water-soluble fiber
• Canada’s new Food Guide recommends that at least half of your grain consumption daily is whole grains – which contain phytonutrients (plant chemicals that fight disease).

Pumpkin Spice:

• Pumpkins are a rich source of potassium
• Spelt is a nutritious source of B2, manganese, niacin, thiamin and copper.

You can follow Sweetpea Baby Food and Organic Snacks on Facebook here.

I’m ready for some cookies right about now, but cannot choose between the flavours, so I think I’m going to have to open a bag of each flavour, mix them all together and just enjoy what comes next, one cookie at a time.

Hey! Could I get a little bit of help, please! The 2013 Bloggies are about to close!

logotype of The Weblog Awards (Bloggies) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I’m not exactly sure how this happened, or how I missed this but a couple of weeks ago I noticed a massive spike in readership here at The Urban Daddy and after a very quick check of my statistics I came to realize that I had a whole bunch of new readers coming to see me from The 2013 Weblog Awards aka The Bloggies.

The specific reason for the increased traffic was because many folks were dropping by to learn more about this blog which was nominated, and made it to the finals of the 2013 Weblog Awards in the following two categories.

Best Parenting or Family Weblog
Best Canadian Weblog

I’ve always been a big fan of the Bloggies because of their global coverage and I looked through many of the other blogs who made the finals in their respective categories and there are some pretty awesome blogs out there being written by some pretty amazing writers. Being nominated is really great, as I’ve said before after being nominated for the Canadian Weblog Awards, it’s great just to be nominated.  That someone other than myself has taken the time to put forward my URL is quite humbling. (thanks Mom!).

But now I need your help, and I need it quickly! I don’t normally beg or ask for favours but I’m going to do both today. I need your vote! Please.

Voting for the 2013 Bloggies closes on March 17th, and all you need to do in order to vote for me (or someone else if you like them better) is follow the link to their website, here, then vote for at least 3 blogs, enter the security code and your email and you are almost done. You will receive an email from The Bloggies to ensure you are legitimate, and once you confirm that, your vote goes through. Nice and easy!

But remember to only vote once, please. If you vote more than once, the awards use your most recent vote.  We don’t want to waste your time now, do we?

Then, after that has been completed, you can sit back until the 24th of March, at which time you can Watch the Ceremony from 8:00-10:30 PM EST (UTC-5) on the Bloggies’ Twitter feed and Facebook page. One winner will be announced approximately every five minutes, culminating with the Weblog of the Year at 10:30, at which point the winners will be posted to the site. Follow the feed to keep up to date on the Bloggies!

If you are able to take the time to vote, I appreciate it. Heck, I’m happy that you even come by, subscribe and “like” my blog.

Related articles

• Bloggie, Bloggie, Blogger (marriageconfessions.com)
• The 13th Annual Weblog Awards (youlookfab.com)
• The Post Where I Beg for Your Votes (pocketfulofjoules.com)

Conceivable Dreams: Times Have Changed. #OHIP4IVF

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• IVF: All it takes is one … (karmasdogma.wordpress.com)

Toronto City Council’s Secret Left-Wing Agenda Revealed!

Giorgio Mammoliti speaks to reporters (Photo credit: hyfen)

When Toronto City Councillor Giorgio Mammoliti alleged he, Mayor Rob Ford and other “right-wing” councillors at Toronto City Hall have been victims of a “left-wing conspiracy”, everybody laughed.  When Mammoliti said that a preliminary investigation he has conducted has pointed to a group of people “out to do some damage, personal damage” to the right-wing councillors on City Council, people again laughed and thought Mammoliti was going crazy.

A former member of Mayor Rob Ford’s executive committee, Mammoliti claimed that he has been followed by private citizens here in Toronto and that his home and office phones have been tapped.  He raised the question about just how badly do the left-wing councillors really want him, Ford and the other right-of-centre councillors out of office, replaced with the free-spending, union-loving, tax-the-rich, left-leaning council which almost brought Toronto into bankruptcy.  (Insert Olivia Chow here).

Mammoliti revealed that an investigation has pointed to a number of key suspects; city councillors, private citizens, lawyers in this city, who have united together to ruin the reputation of the right-wing candidates, force the public to sour on them and run them right out of office and we need to look no closer than the legal actions brought against Mayor Rob Ford by a private citizen – a very pro-NDP citizen, no less – which was handled pro-bono by another pro-left-wing lawyer in Toronto, Clayton Ruby.  This legal action resulted in the temporary removal of the Mayor from office and tarnished his reputation.  The citizen who was the front-man of this lawsuit and his lawyer were eagerly expecting the Mayor to cover the court costs, around $150,000.00, however, upon winning the appeal Ford had gone to the court to ask his costs be covered by this duo.  They in turn have asked Ford to cover the costs by taking the money from the taxpayers of Toronto, stating the individual who brought the case against Ford does not have those kinds of funds.

Oops.

We’re also waiting to see if lawyer Clayton Ruby is going to follow through on his pledge to waste more taxpayers money and take the appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.  This case is that important but it’s not going to challenge the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, is it??

So what do you make of this conspiracy?

Following this failed attempt to remove Ford from office, came an audit of his 2010 election funding in which Ford over-spent by $40,000.00.  Yes, he kept very detailed books and records and the auditor was impressed by that, and yes there was no further action against him, but I’m sure every single Councillor would be in contravention of the Elections Act if scrutinized by audit.  Where are the other audits of team lefty?  Oh, yeah.  Not in Toronto.

Did you know Mammoliti is also up against the same audit?

What about the audit of George Smitherman when he ran for Mayor?  He promised to reveal who donated to him campaign but never did.  Something to hide, maybe?

So let’s move on to the conspiracy…

When Mayor Ford announced (for probably the 50th time) that he was seeking right-leaning (fiscally Conservative) citizens to run in the next election, in order to get better traction on some of his ideas to reel in spending, cut costs and reduce duplication of services, the cries from the left were deafening.  I think the most critical of them all, Adam Vaughan, wanted to haul Ford before some panel or committee or something, yet again, to be slapped on the wrist.  Apparently it’s in bad taste to say it, but it’s okay to skulk around with your left-wing colleagues to find ways to overthrow the Mayor.

Mammoliti mentioned specific knowledge of secret meetings of left-wing councillors and their “inner circle” with their plans to run the “righties” out of City Hall and that… Well, that is okay.

So as the crack researcher that I pretend to be, I have uncovered their plans and compiled a list of the top thirteen items on the secret agenda of these left-wing councillors.

13. Hire unionized workers at $85.00/hour to remove all the doors at City Hall which open to the right and re-hang them so they open on the left.

12. Re-name any streets in the Greater Toronto Area which bear the name “Ford” to “Fraud”.

11. Create their own newspaper aimed at reporting items supported by the left and trashing any thoughts or suggestions by the right. Oops, that one was done already in triplicate; Toronto Star, NOW magazine and the Grid.

10.  Move to teach children left-wing socialist views at schools and institutions of higher-learning.  Oops.  That already happens too…

9.   Remove the term “Right of Way” from the Highway Traffic Act and replace it with “Wrong Way”.

8.   Pressure Ford Canada to rename its Canadian operations and to give its unionized workforce the credit they deserve, so all cars coming from their factories will cost $350,000.00 each, but a wealth tax on the rich will bring the price down to $45,000.00.

7.   Bringing in a fat tax aimed to penalize fat people, especially ones who take office and do not lose weight like David Miller did.

6.   Ban football in Toronto.

5.   After sending that CBC “comic” Marg whatever her name is to harass Ford on his driveway, the lefties are lining up more characters to disrupt Ford’s personal life including; Doink the Clown, David Suziki, ummm, other famous left-wing Canadiens like Brandon Prust, Max Pacioretty and Travis Moen, and the gravy train and a few others…  If they’re smart, however, they will stay out of Ford’s backyard.

4.    Toronto will implement a new wealth tax on all citizens making more than $65,000.00 a year (politicians exempted) and the new tax will be call the “Open your Wallet” tax whereby those rich bastards – damn them for getting educated and working hard to earn money and pay taxes – will pay to ensure that Toronto’s lowest class are able to move into Forest Hill or the Bridle Path like everyone else.

3.   Shows like AM640, SunTV and the like will come with disclaimers warning the risks associated with their dangerous, fiscally conservative views.

2.   Left-wing media will post unflattering pictures of Ford everywhere, including putting his head on top of a naked body in order to… Well, I don’t know why they did that actually…

1.   The number one thing that the secret left-wing group will do is to continue to pester and harass all the right-wing candidates in Toronto, in Ontario and in Canada and turn all the moderates into fiscally Conservatives resulting in right-wing political leaders at all three levels of government for a long time.  This secret operative will forever be known as Operation backfire.

In addition, there will be many new jokes as a result of this secret plan, such as; “How many socialist, left-wing people does it to take down Mayor Rob Ford?”  Answer:  We’re not sure yet.

Related articles

• Did Toronto Star reporter Royson James just call me a Simpleton?!? (urbandaddy.wordpress.com)
• Councillor calls for investigation into Rob Ford’s football charity, again (macleans.ca)
• Councillor Mammoliti probing secret plot (thestar.com)

Wordless Wednesday

Can I Please Get Some Sleep!

sleep (Photo credit: Sean MacEntee)

I feel like I am preaching to the choir when I start a post on a blog aimed primarily at parents which has the title; “Can I Please Get Some Sleep!” As mommies and daddies you know that when you decide to have children one of the most important things you have to come to grips with is the fact that sleeping in, and 8-9 hours of solid sleep are a thing of the past. It’s just no longer a part of your life, much in the same way combing my hair became a thing of the past when it all started to fall out. You have to accept it, give it up and then move on, otherwise you will find yourself a constant ball of angst and stress.

Even though we have long since accepted the fact that sleeping a full-night’s is no longer an option for you, the past couple of weeks at The Urban Daddy household have been like no other…

Let me explain what is happening here.

First off, our kids have always had a very structured day, so their evening begins with dinner, followed by kitchen clean up, bath/shower time, a snack, book (us or them reading) and then lights out by their set bedtime.  Boo, at just over 3-years-old is the first off to bed. Her bed time is 7pm. Ever since our summer vacation she has decided that bed-time routine begins with her falling to sleep in our bed, laying on mummy, in ”Mummies bed” as she likes to call it.  She also needs to have pee’d, brushed her teeth, and have at least her favourite stuffed animal of the day snuggled against her before she dozes off.

Once Boo is asleep, I carry her to her room and hope that she stays asleep during the walk.  It’s a temporary move, however.

Boo is now at that age where we need to teach her to tell time so she will not get out of her bed before 7am (like her brothers), so right now she  meanders over to our room at all hours of the night, blankies tucked under he arms and she climbs into our bed and snuggles up on top of my wife / her mummy.

Problem is, one awaken, my wife cannot get back to sleep.  I’m not so unlucky, and all I need is 10 seconds and I am back out cold.  So of course, Boo comes in, wakes up my wife, who 1 minute to see if I wake up too (which I do not), then kicks me to take our daughter back to her room, which I’m happy to do.

But parents, you know that once a child arrives in your room, they do not want to go back to sleep in their bed, so Boo then goes through her routine of stall tactics; “I have to pee”, “I want you to sleep with me”, I’m thirsty”, “I’m hungry”… Once all that is taken care of, I convince her that I am going to lay with her until she’s asleep, and once she’s back asleep I slide back to my bed, or sometimes I just fall back to sleep there beside her and hope that she hasn’t jumped back out of bed and into our room.

The problem continues because I’m trying to not fall asleep in her room – I want to break her of the habit of coming it and waking us up because she knows she either sleeps in our bed or she gets me to stay with her.  It’s tiring.

So it figures then that once we start to break the pattern we get a night like the one I’m about to describe, which happened last week.

Early last week, Boo arrived in our room – an hour and a half after her bedtime – and hoped into bed.  We were watching TV together so I got up to tidy up the house and let Boo and her mummy lay down to sleep.  Before I left, however, Boo asked me for water.  “I’m thirsty”, she said.

I gave her water and she guzzled some back, then she started to cough / choke, so we both turned to look at her.

“I almost threw up!” she said.

Third child, I’m thinking in my head, “No, you were just choking on the water.  You’re okay now, go to sleep, I reassured her.”

“No, I’m going to vomit!” she follows with, now opening her mouth to show me that she threw up in her mouth and did not appreciate the acidic taste.

“It’s okay, just got to sleep, please” I replied.

“No, I’m going to vomit” she repeated to me.  “I’m going to the toilet.”

Up she popped out of the bed, and then she tore off into our bathroom.

“Turn on the light!” she blurted as she zoomed into the bathroom.  I looked at my wife and we nodded in agreement that I should at least go turn on the lights for her.

So of course, upon turning on the lights, she proceeds to vomit into the toilet… Twice.

Oops, I thought.

“I vomited in the toilet”, she pointed out to her previously unconvinced father.

“Yes you did.  How do you feel now?” I asked her.

And this episode was just the beginning, which saw us change our bed twice, including the duvet and it’s cover off to the laundry room with her blankies, her bed sheet, her under-pad and about 10 towels.

Yawn.

Now, Six-year-old Stewie is a completely different story…  This kid looks like he is going to pass out exhausted by 7pm, and he gets right into bed and reads or draws, but he sleeps SO soundly.  He gets up at the creak of the floor or the sound of thunder and races into our room and snuggles in to bed with us.  He’s getting so big that he can’t sneak in any more, we have to make room for him.

We now tell him when it may rain at night and he always asks if he can come sleep with us if there is thunder.  We always say yes.

Then there is Linus.

He’s a great sleeper.  We had Stewie at home and Linus slept through the birth.

Nuff said.

So what would be the perfect gift for my wife???  A night at a hotel.  Imagine… Food, WiFi, TV and a soft, comfy bed without distraction… I’m shuddering just thinking about it…  For me.  :)

How do your kids sleep?

Thursday Thirteen: 13 Things I Need My Children to Remember as they Grow up.

English: Pink colour (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Often, I see lists, like the one I am posting today, about things we want our children to know, learn, remember and respect, and these lists are often quite to the point if not a little on the comedic side.  My Thursday Thirteen, however, is a little different from the norm as I have provided thirteen things that I need my children – Linus, Stewie and Boo – to remember as they grow up.  On the bright side, if they ever forget (and I have not completely embarrassed them by the time I cease blogging), they can always find it here.

As parents it is our job to teach and shape our children so that one day when they begin to develop their own opinions they will be able to use what they learned from us to shape their thoughts on things they didn’t know – so they won’t hurt anyone (especially themselves) along the way.   To do otherwise by your children, would – in my opinion – be considered failure as a parent.

Here are the thirteen things I need my kids to remember as they grow up;

13. To my boys: Pink is a colour, much as red, blue, black and green. Liking pink doesn’t mean anything except that you like the colour. If someone tells you otherwise you have to remember that it’s their problem, not yours. At some point in their life, someone tied to colour pink to a negative stereotype which simply does not exist. It’s okay to buy pink items, pink clothes and paint a room pink.

12. All (My 2 boys and my girl): Your nose is NOT an appropriate place to stick your finger – and this rule always stands, whether you are 3, 7, 8 or 38. If you do visit there, in the solitude of your own room, or home, it is NOT okay to them put that finger in your mouth, on your bed, or on your clothes. If, however, you choose to pick your nose, then you must have either a kleenex or square of toilet paper for when you are finished and wash your hands after. Remember that if your hands are dirty and you place a finger in your nose (or mouth) you are putting germs in your body. You will get sick. In addition, people think it’s yucky. Don’t be that yucky kid that turns into the yucky teen, then the creepy booger-eating adult. Please.

11. All: Respect others’ personal space and belongings. There are written rules which need to obeyed when you are in a home and there are some unwritten rules which you must follow so that you will . You need to respect others and their possessions. I know children will be children, but taking, breaking, hiding or damaging something that does not belong to you is not at all what I have in mind when it comes to creating art or playful fun. Neither is it fun to touch, push, trip or get in the face of someone for any reason. In fact, this is a lesson in doing it all WRONG! If you did this to my belongings or got in my face, I would not be happy.

10. Accept others for who they really are.  In an age where bullying has taken centre stage among our youth, I hope I have taught you to see the value in differences. Race, religion, colour, accents, or dress, interests, hair style or colour, ability or disability… It doesn’t matter.  See past it all and realize that we are all humans on this planet.

9. It is okay to cry. Crying is a natural emotional response to feelings. We all do it. Men cry. Women cry. Children cry. If you begin to cry and someone calls you a baby just remember that they learned this at home and they are being taught to hold in their emotions. Feel sorry for them but don’t allow them to change how you act or how you feel.

8. Always be proud of who YOU are. You may not be the tallest kid, or the fastest, or have the best hair, but really now, who cares? As long as you stay true to who you are, everything else will fall into place.

7. Find your passion. Keep looking and searching. Never ever stop.

6. Love this planet we live on called “Earth”. Recycle, reduce, reuse.  Go as “green” as you can by being aware of how you live, shop, and of what you consume (and where that comes from).  Now go join your mother and I hug a tree.

5. Be a brother / sister. Be a friend. Be a protector. Always be good to your family, even when there is conflict. Always remember that you are all that you have. Spouses and friends are great but at the end of the day you should know and have the support of your brother/sister when you need it.  Just don’t take advantage.

4. Smart is cool. Never be ashamed of being smart or nerdy, having freckles or glasses, or loving science and math (or tax). Smart never goes out of style, it stays with you as you grow, and it will lead you down the most successful paths you can imagine.

3. All: Your body is just that, it’s your body. You can keep your hair any way or colour that you want and you can dress any way that you want, but you must remember that others will judge you and it will impact how others treat you. So long as you understand that, you may continue. Don’t let pop culture define you. I don’t know why, but today we let pop culture manipulate our youth and it’s killing them emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. From the early on fascination with princesses, to the ‘need’ for a boyfriend and big boobs, popularity, teen moms, and all the other garbage being thrown in their face – be confident going against the grain or you’ll risk selling yourself out.

2. Maintain your health. It’s life’s greatest asset.  Without good health you have nothing.  A positive approach to health encompasses physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual well-being.  Healthy lifestyle choices we taught you in your youth have already helped to lay a strong foundation for continued wellness throughout your adult life.  In addition, a healthy diet, plenty of exercise, stress management, self-motivation, and remaining positive will have a huge impact on your quality of life, health, and happiness.  Honourable mention: Never be afraid to laugh at yourself. Laughter is humbling. It inspires and motivates.  It keeps you real.

1. Wherever you are in life, you can come home. I will be here – always. ♥ Daddy. Remember children that you will all be my favourite children forever (and equally for your own strengths and inspirations). If you don’t believe me, ask Mummy. She will tell you the same thing.