End of an Era (In a Manner of Speaking)

I can't believe that another school year has come and gone.  They have grown and matured and now, as of September, my three oldest babies will all be in school all day.  I am a little sad about this only because I remember giving birth to all three of them, how little they all once were, how attached they were to me and now they will all be spreading their wings and flying.

My oldest will be off to middle school next year.  Walking to school on her own for the first time, it scares the absolute crap out of me but alas I have to breathe and trust her, it's the whole spreading her wings thing again. She is nervous and excited as this is a whole new chapter for her. She is growing and changing so much, I am not even sure how I am going to keep up.  New school, new concepts, PMS, hormones, emotional roller coaster called puberty.  But I know that she will make it through all of these challenges just as she has so many others.  She is my baby (always will be) and my only little girl. I am forever thankful that I was able to have a girl.  I look forward to late night ice cream eating sessions talking about stuff, being there when she needs a shoulder to cry on and building her back up when someone decides to try and break her down.  She is beautiful, unique and I am so proud of her and of all the things that she stands for.  I know that she will be amazing next year and that the nerves will be gone after the first week. I believe she is a born leader, she is strong and smart and beautiful and the world will be hers for the taking.

My oldest son, who will be 8 in September, is amazing in his own right. He is my quiet silent type, he is amazingly brilliant without knowing it. I swear he could build entire countries out of lego from memory.  He is a thinker and an engineer.  He can build things out of nothing.  He loves his DS and his nintendo.  I love him for all the sweet hugs and kisses he bestows upon me but love it even more when he wipes off the ones I give him.  He really doesn't like school but does extremely well. He will be the one who will always be there for his family no matter what.  He will be a gentleman and a scholar (what he really wants to do is make video games for a living) and a well rounded guy who will do anything for you.  He has an old soul and has so much love to give the world.  He will be behind so many great things but won't take the credit for it but will make sure that everyone else does.  He is such a loving and wonderfully easy going kid.  He will go places in this world as long as I keep him engaged and help him tackle the stuff about school he doesn't like.  I can't wait to watch him grow and mature and become the amazing man I know he will be.

My 5 year old son has so many special qualities about him. He will one day make a woman very happy.  If you are doing something he will be the one offering to help.  He loves to help with laundry, unloading the dishwasher, getting dinner ready and vacuuming. He always want to be there with you.  He is very loving and just needs a few minutes alone with you everyday.  He is usually always happy and loves to ride his bike and play outside. He loves his brothers and sister and loves spending time with them.  He is curious about everything and wants to know how everything works. His favourite word most days is "why".  I try not to leave him on his own without knowing where he is as he tends to "experiment" to see how things work, like the time he put the toilet paper end in the toilet to see if he could flush the whole roll.  He will be off to grade one next year and will be at school all day next year.  This will be a huge change for him as he has only been half-day for the last 2 school years. I expect that he will be up to the challenge and I am sure he will do amazingly.

Last but most definitely not least, is my littlest and newest edition.  He will be reaching a huge milestone over the summer as well.  My little guy will be 1.  I can't believe how fast the time has gone.  I remember his birth like it was yesterday, although that can be said of all of my kidlets.  He has grown so much these last few months.  He is almost ready to take his first steps as he scoots around the furniture.  He has become a wonderful addition to our family and I can't wait to see his personality come out to see just who this little man will be.  He is funny and his laugh is infectious.  His smile can light up the whole room and he smiles at you with his eyes. They are beautiful and big and of course he has the longest eye lashes I have ever seen.  He is a happy little guy and he loves his siblings so much. He looks so much like his daddy did when he was a baby.  He's my last little baby and I want time to slow down so he can stay a baby just a little while longer.

I hope that they grow up to all be wonderfully happy and successful adults.  I know that I may not always do the right thing but I will always do what I think is best and will be the most beneficial to them.  I know that eventually as they get older we will disagree but I hope that all the love and support I show them will let them know how much they were loved and that all of the things I did when they were younger really was in their best interests.  At the end of the day I am their mom and I love them with everything I have and I will be there for them through every stage of their lives and that to me is the best thing I can do for them as a parent. So as we head into this new stage of their childhood, I can't wait for what's to come and hope that they all have fun doing it.

Living For The future: Why We Must Let Go of The Past

I think that one of the best things anyone can do after the end of their marriage is making the choice to let go of the past and focus on the future. 

Read the rest of my article here at divorcedmoms.com.

Balancing Life With 4 Kids And The Things I Can't Live Without

I have a few things that I can't live without and things that make my life just a little easier. Check out my new blog post and the 5 things that top my list at PTPA.com.

Kidoodle.TV Review

I was recently given the chance to try out Kidoodle.TV, the newest award winner of the PTPA seal.  You can read the rest of my review here.

The Stayfree Challenge - Giveaway

So girls, I know I posted about the Stayfree challenge but I must once again ask, "Have you switched yet?"

I told you before that I was an Always girl, I can safely say that I am no longer.  I have switched to the brand that after the challenge, I can totally trust.

If you don't know about the stayfree challenge that I took a few weeks ago, you can find out the results here.  I can tell you that I was so impressed and totally confident with the product but I even threw away all my granny panties and bought some new sexy ones because I know that I will never, ever ruin another pair of undies again!

Don't take my word for it and try it for yourself! One lucky winner can try before you buy thanks to Stayfree! They are giving one winner 2 packages of their product and a really cute makeup bag! Enter below for your chance to win!

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My Uterus Says Goodbye...

I know I am sure I could have come up with a different title for this post but I was at a complete loss of how to express how I am feeling.

I have come to the sad realization that this body with every pound and every stretch mark will never again hold and nurture a life.  I am very saddened by this thought and although I am completely certain that my family is exactly as it should be, I am still sad. My uterus will never be stretched or pushed to its limits again, I will never get another stretch mark caused by carrying a baby for 40 weeks, nor will I ever again feel the movement of tiny little hands and feet.  I am having a hard time with this realization.  I am so thankful and happy for the wonderful bundles of joy my body did bring into this world and I can't imagine my life without them in it but I can't help but feel that a part of me, part of the journey I call life, is over.

A friend came by the other day with her 9 day old baby and I was right back in it.  I could so carry another one, love another one, but I know that the other part of me is done.  I feel like I have two personalities.  The one that feels like having another baby would be great, one more wouldn't be so bad, we could try one more time for a girl, and the other, the practical me, says you have enough, you have one daughter and that is enough (practical me remembers the meltdown the other day and the hormones that will eventually rear their ugly head soon enough) and you can't guarantee that if you get pregnant again, that it would even be a girl.

I can tell myself all of these things and yet a small part of me is dying inside.  A part that really has defined me in the last 10 years.  I will always be a mother to my 4 wonderful little beings and that will have to be enough.

I don't want to sound ungrateful or make anyone struggling to have just one baby upset with me.  I am all too familiar with those struggles myself. It took me 15 months, 2 rounds of fertility drugs and countless trips to a specialist, not to mention the myriad of tests I had to endure as well to have my very first little person, so I understand the struggle of others to just have one baby. I just am having a hard time closing this door.

I know that another door will open.  All the things that are still left to accomplish.  I will be okay about it soon.  But for now, I will be sad about never being pregnant again.  But I will forever be happy about being mommy to the best 4 kids on the planet.

Dove Advanced Hair Series: Pure Care Dry Oil

I was so thrilled and excited when Dove Canada sent me these free samples of their new hair care line to try.  I was given the choice between the Pure Care Dry Oil or Oxygen Moisture.  My hair is naturally curly but is often frizzy and unmanageable especially with the humidity of summer.  I chose to try the dry oil as my hair really doesn't need any added volume but could definitely use some damage control and shine boosting.  The wonderful people at Dove sent my full size bottles of the product which was so nice and much better than some of the samples I have gotten in the past.

The first thing I noticed when I opened the box was the smell.  Oh my god it is absolutely wonderful.  The product is infused with African macadamia oil and is supposed to improve the look of dry, dull hair.  My hair honestly could not be more dull or dry.  Pregnancy and product have taken a toll on my already frizzy locks so I was willing to try anything.

The shampoo has an almost oily texture.  Like putting really thick oil on your hands but it is not greasy at all.  It was so silky and smooth to touch and well like I said earlier smells great.  It lathered really well and rinsed off easily.  The conditioner was thick and covered my hair easily and also rinsed clean, leaving my head feeling quite refreshed.  The final product was the nourishing hair treatment.  I used this on my damp hair after I was out of the shower and I think this is what made the difference with my frizz.  You use 3-4 pumps of product on your damp hair after showering.  It is supposed to add shine, restore lipids and smooth.

I have been using the product for 2 weeks now and I have noticed a huge difference in my hair. My biggest issue with my hair is the fact that it is naturally curly and gets frizzy fast.  As my hair dries the worse the frizz gets.  I have to say since using the dry oil products my hair is way less frizzy and so much shinier.

My hair in the picture has no product in it but the hair treatment that I put in after I washed it.  It may not look like it but its feels silky and shiny and the frizz, while still there, is not as bad.

I was curious how it would work on my daughters hair.  She has thick hair like mine but with no curl at all.  We have used the Dove on her hair as well and it is shinier and healthier looking too.

Overall, I am uber impressed with this product.  I can't think of any reason to not absolutely love this product.  My hair is shinier than it has ever been and looks much less over-styled with product now.  It has been amazing for my hair and I will continue using it.

Dove really did make a great product with this.  I think I may buy the Oxygen Moisture to try on my daughter's hair as she could use some volume added to her hair.

Thanks again Dove for such a great product and the chance to try it!


Disclosure:  I was not obligated or paid to write this post in any way.  I only received the free products to try.  Everything I have written are my own opinions.

Finding Time...

I once again feel like I have lost time somewhere.  I totally gave myself a goal of posting on my blog 3-4 times a week.  It's not like I don't have tons of ideas or things to write about (hell I have 4 kids and the news happens every day, there is always something) but I am finding time is just getting away from me.

I have somehow lost at least a month in the last 6 and I still feel like I haven't accomplished anything. I can't believe that my maternity leave is coming to an end in only 6 weeks. My baby is going to be one, it's insane how time flies and babies grow.  Anyway, this was kind of just a rant post and also a promise post.  I will be better.  I will post more.  This is the beginning.

On another note, our journey towards Permanent Residency for my hubby is finally complete. It is an exciting new chapter in our life together.  So there is another topic to write about and I hope you all stick around and follow along even if time gets away from me and I don't post as often as I should.