I'll be doing a 2-day catch up with this project. It seems I've been busy doing things rather than sharing them! Today, my new-to-me activities: 17-20, which was supposed to be posted at the end of January, is below. My 21-24 will be up tomorrow!
This is my sixth straight year having a child in our Middle School with this year being unique with both Chloé and Caden in Middle One and Middle Two. I have always found it to be an uncomfortable situation where the parents are treated like some necessary evil and not really engaged in the happenings of the school as a larger community. Most of the parents are nervous and unsure with little effort made to assure them, as a group, that the school is a good fit for their child, and for them. I kept waiting to see if something would happen, there was some talk about a lunch - or even a morning coffee, but nothing transpired. In November, I gathered as many email addresses as I could and with the help of many I was able to organize a lunch in mid-January at Alice Fazooli's for 50+ parents. It was a lovely time and I for one am happy to have met a number of new people.
WEEK 18 | BETTER THAN TAKE OUT
I love Chinese Take Out but know it is filled with all kinds of things not good for me - unnecessary fats and MSG. I found some really fabulous recipes via Iowa Girl Eats and a new family favourite is the Easy Chicken Lo Mein (pictured above) which includes noodles - a favourite of my kids as they are not fans of sticky rice. I've been doing my best to make a lot of recipes at home when we are not pressed for time in the evenings.
WEEK 19 | PRE-PAID CAR WASH CARD
It might sound ridiculous, but I am so happy to get this card. It took me a while to find a car wash I like, the one closest and most convenient is really awful and way too expensive for the poor job it did. After driving around town, I found the one at the Petro Canada at Iroquois Shore Road and Trafalgar had the best car wash. Now with a quick tap of the card I can just go for a wash and not have to have a fill at the same time. I loathe driving around in a dirty car (inside or out) and the winter weather has been so sloppy, this really has made me feel fabulous! I know, it sounds silly, but it's true :)
There is going to come a time when my my life is my own again and my kids will have lives of their own and won't need daily interference from their mama. I'm not looking forward to it, at all, but it is inevitable! I've embarked on a few ventures over the years and know that my biggest failing was in the preparation and anticipation of issues - and my poor choice of business partner. I believe that in our biggest mistakes are our greatest lessons so I'm taking those lessons and I've hired a Life Coach to help me figure out what I want to be when I grow up. By the time Caden is old enough to head off to University, I should have a plan together. Clearly there is no rush, but I have to do something.
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ABOUT THIS PROJECT | I followed New52 with awe and a bit of envy. My plate was so full I just couldn't join in but it was something that piqued my interest. Not that my plate is any less full, but it is more manageable and I hope to fill the wrong side of my 40s with a positive challenge. Let's see where it leads. Thank you to Peppermint and Christine for your weekly big and small inspiration! I love the idea that "it isn’t about making a life-altering change every week, it’s about keeping an open mind and embracing little changes in your life." Life is good.
