Robin | Farewell Stranger

Getting Committed

July 26, 2013 by Farewell Stranger ·

Do you remember when you bought your first home? I do. I remember seeing it (or the place it would be, anyway), and I remember watching it being built. I remember the day we got our keys. I remember bringing Connor home there. Our first home was the setting for many important milestones in my life, but it was the instigator of an especially important one. The story essentially goes like this:

In 2003 we bought a house. And then we got engaged.

There’s more to it, of course, and I’m sharing that story today on Mommy Miracles as part of Laura’s Writing Home series (which she’s running while she gets ready to move into her own first home – congrats, Laura!).

So bring your coffee or your tea or whatever and visit me over there.

Filed Under: Guest posts · Tagged With: moments

Stealing Nemo

July 23, 2013 by Farewell Stranger ·

It’s tough being a younger brother. Especially when your big brother thinks your toys are cool and wants to play with them himself.

Poor Ethan. The older he gets, the cooler his toys, the more Connor steals them. We’ve taught Connor the art of distraction; originally intended to give him a tactic to use when Ethan has stolen something of Connor’s (find something else he’ll like and you can take your toy back), Connor has started using it to take Ethan’s toys so he can check them out. He’s not always terribly smooth, though, and we’re usually alerted to the heist by Ethan’s wail. Man, can that kid wail. I’ll have to try to take a picture at some point, because his facial expression [You stole that from me! How COULD you?!] is priceless.

I’ve started feeling a bit like a bodyguard for baby toys, but we had a bit of a win recently. A new toy for Ethan came in the mail, so he and I opened it while Connor wasn’t home.

I think he likes it.

Hey, there’s Nemo!

It’s the Disney Baby Finding Nemo Amazing Animals Rollin’ Round Ramp, and when Connor got home later that afternoon, he was pretty excited about this new toy too. He scooped Nemo up, rolled him down the ramp to make the starfish sing, and then tucked him behind the open-and-close door. He greeted Bloat and gave him a spin. (The magic of Disney is strong in this house, I tell you.) Ethan watched, enchanted by all the toy could do, but behind the curious eyes I could see the wail building.

Luckily I was able to use the distraction ploy on Connor: the jumbo-sized bubble wrap the toy was packed in was immediately appealing and we avoided any loud complaints from Ethan.

As long as I keep the bubble wrap handy I think Ethan will have Nemo to himself.

*****

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Disney. I received this toy and financial compensation in exchange for sharing it with you. Sharing the information, I mean. Not the toy. Because that’s Ethan’s. Oh, you know what I mean…

About the toy:

The Disney Baby Finding Nemo Amazing Animals Rollin’ Round Ramp is a fun play set for baby that features characters from Disney’s Finding Nemo, plus adorable tunes and SFX. The play set includes a brightly coloured Nemo character, complete with a fun roller-ball on his belly. The lively tunes & SFX are activated as Nemo slides down the ramp or as baby pushes the starfish button. The tote features an open/close door for put-and-take play, a roller-ball Bloat to bat at, and a seahorse slider. The richly detailed handle makes this play set perfect for play at home or on the go!

Filed Under: Stuff I like · Tagged With: family, I was paid for this but it doesn't mean I'm not genuinely interested

I’ve Been Everywhere, Man

July 18, 2013 by Farewell Stranger ·

Everywhere except here, that is.

Much to my delight, I’ve actually had a few ideas for posts lately. I just haven’t been writing them. That’s partly because Ethan isn’t sleeping very well and I’ve spent most of my time in that state where I could easily fall asleep anywhere (and have been tempted many times). Considering I usually need quite specific conditions in which to fall asleep, this is VERY unlike me. We went to Ikea yesterday and I swear I almost crawled into one of the beds to have a little nap. I figure I could get a good half hour in before anyone asked me to leave. Anyway, being tired isn’t terribly conducive to writing.

The other reason is that I’ve been doing some other stuff. We’ve been doing summery, family stuff, which has been great. We went back to Victoria for a few days to visit some friends and we took Ethan to the beach for the first time. (I may have had a weepy moment. I love the mountains but the beach has a special place in my heart.) And I’m volunteering with two organizations working on flood relief in Southern Alberta. I used to volunteer a lot but haven’t done it nearly as much since having kids. I’m providing communications and social media support, which is something I can easily do from home. And it’s important to me to do SOMETHING. I’m feeling blessed to have these opportunities.

I have been writing some stuff though. Since it’s 9:24 pm as I write this and I really need to get myself in bed, I’m just going to give you a quick and dirty list and ask you to please come and visit me elsewhere. Pretty please?

Today I’m guest posting on my friend Leanne’s blog, Ironic Mom, with a story about superheroes and how their mothers restrict when and how they can wear their underwear. (What? Leanne wrote a book called Don’t Lick the Minivan: And Other Things I Never Thought I’d Say to My Kids. She gets it.)

I’ve also shared a few posts on my Yummy Mummy Club blog since I last directed you there:

I learned the hard way how to stay sane during your child’s birthday party and have shared those tips.

And speaking of fun, summery things, I posted my summer bucket list based on my one word for the year. (We’ve crossed off a couple more since I posted that, too.)

I found a way to keep Ethan from stealing my iPhone. (Modern moms’ problems, you know?)

I shared my postpartum depression story.

And I whined (again) about not having a daughter.

I even got to have a date with my husband!

So that’s what I’ve been doing. What about you?

Filed Under: Randomness ·

The Wishing Tree

July 14, 2013 by Farewell Stranger ·

He wanted to go to the Science Centre, he said. So we went.

He played with light and did experiments with air and built things with colourful pieces made from all kinds of things.

I read wishes.

The papers were green that time. They hang from string all over the wishing tree, and if you stand here and duck there and peer through you can immerse yourself in wishes.

Some are simple, yet wise beyond the years of those who wrote them.

Some are fanciful.

Some made me wonder. (Why can’t you?)

Some are grandiose. All-encompassing. World-changing.

Some aren’t.

For some I’d wave my wand and grant them right now. If only I had one.

Sometimes the things we wish for are simple.

Sometimes they’re simply beautiful.

Some wishes seem to be connected to each other.

And some connect us to everyone.

What would you wish for?

Filed Under: Happy things · Tagged With: hope, my wish for you

A Subscription to Beauty

July 9, 2013 by Farewell Stranger ·

I’ve seen a lot of beauty in my city in the couple of weeks since the floods in Calgary. Lots of giving, lots of helping, lots of love. It has reminded me that there is good in the world and that doing something for someone else—no matter what it is—is a beautiful thing.

I’ve been doing more of that with people I know lately. Whether answering a call for help or simply taking an opportunity to make someone’s day easier or nicer or more fun, it feels good to do it. And I’ve had some of that same Just Because stuff come my way too – a bunch of flowers from a friend, being treated to dinner, being taken out for coffee. It’s just nice.

I got something nice in the mail recently too.

“Can I send you something?” she asked. “I run a surprise-based company…”

I love surprises. Especially the pretty kind.

Image credit: Fair Ivy

“My goal is to create beautiful things that will make someone smile a little bigger every time they touch it,” said the artist’s note inside.

I love that sentiment, and the concept of gifting surprises.

This week, these earrings are one thing that’s making me smile.

And they go nicely with my cowboy hat, don’t you think?

A big thank you to Lucy from Fair Ivy for sending me this gift and introducing me to her service.

Fair Ivy is a surprise-based company that has just started shipping to Canada (hooray!). Their approach: To encourage people to see the value in buying “local” (as in not en masse from China). They send handmade jewelry items out monthly, each of which is a surprise made by an artist from the US or Canada.

I love giving gifts but I hate picking things out. It’s too much pressure. But setting someone up to get a monthly surprise in the mail is something that totally appeals to me. I can see doing this for a mom friend who might need a little beauty in her life.

Fair Ivy gift subscription options include jewelry (which I would totally consider buying for myself) and “original.” Think about this if you want to give someone a gift. Or a smile. Or a Just Because. The world needs more beauty.

Filed Under: Stuff I like ·