I have a great job because I earned it. I have a wonderful husband because we chose each other. My marriage is good because we work at it.

What I can say, is that I am lucky to have a fantastic mother. Some may argue that before I decided to be born to this earth I chose that too. Either way, I appreciate her very much.

My mom, the birthday girl!

 
My sister and I like to joke that she’s a martyr. But it’s true. I can always count on her. Since I’ve had kids, she has been my rock. She loves babies and children and she is always willing to help in any way she can. Whether it’s as a last minute babysitter, advice on breastfeeding or an extra set of hands to help with laundry, she is always willing and ready to help.

My mother leads by example. She is a great daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, aunt and friend. She is always thinking about how people will be affected by her actions and always sacrificing herself for the happiness of others – mostly her grandkids, my sister and I.

She hasn’t had an easy life. She became a widow at the young age of 37 – the age that I’m at now. She worked at a job that she hated for over 30 years so she could keep our house. She doesn’t always think of herself as a strong person, but she is the strongest person I know. I’m not sure that I could have done what she did. She lost her husband and her mother in the span of one year.

She never remarried — out of choice. I remember her being asked out on dates but she always said no. She was firm in the belief that she didn’t want to bring another man into our home. She wanted to raise her girls on her terms, and she didn’t need a man telling her how to do it. She did a great job raising my sister and I.

My mother is admirable and wise. She has strong family values and she is kind and loves whole-heartedly. She is patient and she is giving. I hope that I can be the mother and grandmother that she is.

I am lucky to have my mother.

Mommy and Me circa 1977.

I booked an appointment for her at a local kiddie salon. They let her sit in a pink car and gave her a lollipop as well as a pic of her new haircut, a certificate and a little baggy with some of her curls in it. It was a $26 haircut and we have memories, cheesy ones, but memories nonetheless.

I had been building up this haircut and she was really excited because I guess in her mind this is something that big girls do. She was happy to sit in the pink car and put on a little smock. What surprised me was that she wanted to cut her hair short.

I explained to her that she needed to understand that if she cut her hair short that it would take some time to grow back. She couldn’t wake up the next day and decide that she wanted it to be long again. But I also explained that that was the beauty of hair. That we can cut it short, then wait for it to grow back again and then cut it short again. It’s only hair and it grows!

She seemed to understand and she insisted on short hair. So I told the hairdresser to cut it to her shoulders.

The hairdresser cut it about shoulder length — it was originally at her shoulder blades. She looked in the mirror and said, “I want it shorter.” The hairdresser obliged, so technically, I got two haircuts for the price of one. WIN!

She was finally happy with her hair.

My baby girl looking so grown up.

Everybody was happy. She was happy, I was happy. This meant less tangles for me, and she felt like a big girl after her first salon experience.

What followed was annoying to me.

“Wow. You cut off all of her curls.” Said with a pout… This was a comment that I received from an adult who works in childcare. This was said in front of my daughter. How ridiculous is this?

“She looks so cute, but her hair was so long and beautiful!” Seriously? What year are we in?

I received quite a few of these comments, sadly from adult women, and I always tried to hold back my anger in front of my daughter and responded respectfully with:

“Yes, Alexandra wanted to get a hair cut and she is beautiful no matter what. She made a fantastic decision. Maybe she will decide to grow it long again one day. Maybe not. Either way is fine with us.”

Who cares if her curls are gone? It’s only hair. It will grow back — if she wants it to.

My daughter’s worth or beauty is not related to the length of her hair or how straight or curly it is. Women need to get over this.

We wonder why women are so quick to base their self worth on their appearance. How could they not, when all people do is tell little girls how pretty their hair is and how beautiful they look in dresses?

I’m trying my best to praise my daughter’s personality and her actions. I don’t want to focus on the length of her hair, how pretty she is or how pink her shoes are.

Thanks to everyone who gave her positive feedback and didn’t ridiculously mourn the loss of her hair.

Sheesh.

While walking from one store to another, she decided to have a tantrum. I tried to quietly talk to her and pick her up, but she wasn’t having it. So I sat down on a bench that was right beside where she decided to have her meltdown (luckily for me). I sat and waited. I sat as she cried really loudly and freaked out. I don’t even remember what triggered it.

An older woman was sitting next to me and boy was she giving us stink eye. I smiled at her and kept waiting. I used all of my Supermommy powers to sit patiently while she let it out. I successfully ignored the people staring at us.

That same woman said to me disapprovingly, “Are you just going to leave her there?” I just smiled and said, “Yes.”

It was only a minute but it felt like a lifetime.

Sometimes Mommy needs to step away from the situation. If I had picked her up it would have been a struggle all the way to the car and we would have ended up at home. I would have been angry, frustrated and I may have yelled at her.

I gave her space and time to express herself. It was far from pleasant, but she finished her tantrum, walked over to me and if you can believe it we stayed at the mall quite happily for about an hour.

This wasn’t her only tantrum and I find that giving her space is what works. What bothers me is why complete strangers feel like they need to interfere. My daughter was not in danger and in my opinion unless you need to call 911 for me or offer up a lovely compliment you should stay out of it.

What ever happened to “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”?

Has this happened to you? How did you deal with it?

This was my son’s letter to us after we returned from our Smuggler’s Notch vacation:

 
Translation

Dear Cool Mom and Dad,

I hope you had a good day at work. What are you doing at work? I love both of you. I am happy that we went to Vermont.

Sincerely,
Andreas

That little drawing at the bottom? That’s a drawing of what our condo key looked like.

I’m glad that he enjoyed our trip and it’s nice to know that he still thinks that his mom and dad are cool.

The scenic drive to Smuggler’s Notch.

My non-skiing family was excited to arrive at the resort early and we were able to check in, and get our equipment easily and quickly. The staff was friendly and I was impressed that helmets were included with our skis and poles, for both the adults and the kids.

Our kids put their snow pants on right away and just went to town in the snow. It was lovely to see snow. It has been a very mild winter in Toronto this year. We have been deprived of snow and I missed it! They were giggling, their cheeks were red and they were so happy to play in the snow.

After a snack and some beer for Nick and I (YUM!) our condo was ready and I was happy to settle in for the next few days. What I didn’t expect was to be staying in such premium accommodations!

Locally brewed beer sampler!

Our condo was gorgeous! It was definitely too big for the four of us, especially since both kids usually end up in my bed. It had a television in each of the three bedrooms (a HUGE treat for us), two bathrooms (a soaker tub in mine!), a washer and dryer, a ski closet, a large foyer which was great for getting the kids ready and out the door, two fireplaces and a fully stocked kitchen — perfect for cooking our own meals. We also had an outdoor hot tub for the six units in our building. It was clean, very well taken care of and I really couldn’t have asked for a better set up.

Both of my kids (ages four & six) were enrolled in Ski Camp. We really wanted them to learn how to ski. This was fantastically organized. The kids were assigned to their groups, there was shuttle pick up at 8:45am everyday just outside our door (strictly for the kids in the camp), supervised lunch back at the lodge, lessons, and entertainment in the afternoon.  By 4pm our kids were happy and excited to share their adventures with us. In the short time we were there my kids went from being non-skiers to being level three skiers. Success!

My happy six year old ready to ski. Click here for a pic of my four year old on the slopes.

We thought that full days in ski camp would tire our kids out for early bedtimes. WRONG. Lucky for us after dinner, we could take our super active kids to a swimming pool and play area just a short walk from our condo or we could take them to the fun zone, an indoor area where the kids played mini golf, arcade games, hoops, and had a choice of playing in a number of bouncy castles and slides.

One of these things is not like the other. The kids loved this fun, after dinner activity!

Smuggler’s Notch has mastered the art of getting their visitors around the village safely and quickly. They have shuttles that will take you anywhere that you need to go onsite. Whether it’s to the top of a mountain, the fun zone, one of the many swimming pools, a restaurant, or just back to your condo to relax, all you have to do is call the designated number from one of many phones around the village, tell them where you are and where you want to go and within minutes you have a safe ride with a smiling driver!

Nick and I with our instructor.

I’m so pleased that the trip was a success. Nick and I both learned to ski, even though my experience was a little more nerve wracking than his. The kids both loved skiing, my daughter was a little hesitant at first but I suspect it was because she couldn’t wear her snow pants comfortably with a dress on! (She actually wore pants all week!) What was fantastic was that each child had a GPS put on them with an individual code. This allows parents to go online at the end of the day or at the end of their stay and have a look at where their little ones actually skied. This is truly a wonderful and innovative idea.

During our stay I really felt that my kids were safe and welcomed everywhere in the resort. I never felt that they were out of place — even in the bar/lounge. There was even a magician to keep the kids entertained while they waited for their food at one of the restaurants. I would definitely recommend this resort to a family who is looking for a great vacation spot.  The only thing that surprised me was that there weren’t many healthy food options in the café and restaurants. I would have loved to see a juice bar, a salad bar or a fresh fruit and veggie station. Lucky for us there was a grocery store onsite where we were able to stock our kitchen! Lucky for the kids there was a Ben & Jerry’s.

Ice cream after a full day at ski camp.

Everyone was friendly, the views were spectacular, the accommodations were amazing, the ski instructors were patient and above and beyond qualified and the ski camps for my kids were top notch.

We enjoyed our ski lessons and quality family time, but there were plenty of activities to take part in either with or without the kids. For some adult time, Smuggler’s Notch has affordable babysitting available for kids and babies as young as six weeks old!

It’s not called America’s Family Resort for nothing. I can’t wait to visit in the summer!

Our drive was pleasant. My daughter vomited about an hour into our journey, but I’m a pro now and I caught it all in a designated ‘puke bowl’. There wasn’t a drop of it anywhere outside the bowl, these are serious mommy skills people. Thankfully we didn’t need a wardrobe change, we only had to stop to empty and wash the bowl. I apologize to the town of Bond Head for doing this on the side of the road. It had to be done.

We had a comfortable drive in a Ford Explorer and now I’m obsessed with Sirius Satellite Radio. I need this in my car. It was a lovely drive through some small towns that I had never heard of. I saw people ice fishing on the way and I was amazed. My kids, however, where not that impressed with my squeals and picture taking. This was huge for me. I’d only ever seen ice fishing in the movies!

I love that people do this!

We took a ferry from New York State to Vermont and that was another first! I’ve never been on a ferry in my car! (I know… it really doesn’t take much to make me happy.) The scenery was just beautiful, a perfect winter wonderland.

We’re on the ferry! I’m excited!

 
 
We arrived in Burlington late afternoon and didn’t spend any time in the hotel. It was time to explore! The city is absolutely gorgeous. It has a small town feel with everything you could ask for in a city.

They climb.

 
 
We ate at some pretty fantastic restaurants. Best part? The food was all organic and locally grown. That’s right. That’s the norm there and that was impressive. We ate in cozy restaurants that source their ingredients from local farms and we weren’t charged extortionate prices like we would have been if we ate in similar restaurants in Toronto.

That’s the way it should be.

I had some wonderful locally brewed beer. A Winter Gruit Ale brewed by Zero Gravity Craft Brewery. My only regret is that I didn’t bring any of this beer home with me. It was brewed with Sweet Gale, Yarrow, Mugwort, Labrador Tea and Woodruff instead of hops, and it was delicious! The kids drank sweet and refreshing home made juices.

Burlington has a wonderful vibe and it is definitely my kind of city. It is a city that I’d love to spend hours walking in. The lake was so close by and my kids loved walking through the pedestrian only Church Street.

Happy kids!

 
 
We had a really relaxing time. It was only one night and one day, but we loved it and can’t wait to go back. I loved spending quality time with my kids, being close to nature and enjoying good food and drink in a beautiful city. I can’t wait to go back!

The view from our hotel room.

I was stressed out the last time we planned a family road trip. Mostly because my daughter is not a fan of

1)   Being told what to do

2)   Being stuck in a car seat for more than 10 minutes

3)   Being told what to do

Our trip to NYC was a success. I can honestly say it went well, puke and all. Yes, my little one is a puker, but she let it out (twice) and then we were able to get on with our journey. We experienced minimal crying and I think that might have been because my in-laws were with us.

Today I am getting ready to travel to Smugglers’ Notch in Vermont. This is really exciting for me because even though I’m not a skier and neither is my husband, we both agree on the decision to teach our kids how to enjoy winter sports.

At six and four, we think that this is a prime time for them to learn. We’ve been successful with skating, so now it’s time for them to hit the slopes and for us to hit the lounge.

I’m looking forward to a winter holiday in the snow with my little ones. I think it will be great bonding time for all of us and we’ll all learn something new while we’re there.

I’m planning to blog while we’re there so I can share the experience. If you’d like to see how we’re doing, I’ll be tweeting the entire time I’m sure — ahem, I have been known to do that once in a while.

I’m looking forward to leaving our mini van behind — God I still hate that thing.

We’re driving a fab new Ford Explorer and I’m so looking forward to it. I should say that Nick is driving and I’ll be driving from the passenger seat, iPhone in hand, dispensing snacks, opening water bottles, and making sad attempts at keeping my kids occupied. I will suffer this, all in the name of family fun (I’m really not a fan of the road trip).

Stay tuned, I’m sure something exciting or at least mildly entertaining will happen. It always does!

Do you road trip with your family? Most importantly, do you enjoy it?

My 4yo has very long hair, it’s a little curly and it’s pretty fine, so it tangles quite easily. Up until now, I’ve been using a detangling spray on her hair and I’ve been brushing it twice a day one section at a time.

A few weeks ago I received a sample of this “miracle” brush called the Knot Genie. I was skeptical. To be completely honest it looked like a brush you would use to groom a pet. I tried it though and I was pleasantly surprised.

It goes right through her hair, easily and without pain. She doesn’t cry when I use it, and she doesn’t try to move away. I don’t know how or why, but it works for us.

One time she had quite a few knots in her hair and I was skeptical once again. All I did was keep going over the knots with the brush and it worked them out of her hair, once again without pain or complaining.

I loved my experience with this brush so much that I contacted them so they could sponsor one of our questions in our Facebook party and we started selling it on our website.

I rarely, if ever, do any review blog posts. BUT I do get excited about products that I love. This is one of them and I want to share it with you.

If there is a way to help another mother out, I’m all for it. I’ve told you about this great product, if you’d like to try one out join our Facebook party and if you don’t win one of five that we’re giving away, I’d like to offer you a discount code to buy one. Use KnotGenie10 to receive 10% off the Knot Genie when you buy it on Oh Baby! Magazine’s Shopping Cart.

But hey, even if you don’t win it or buy it from me, please go out and buy one if brushing your child’s hair is torture, it might just change your hair brushing experience.