My Family's Close Call

This post is a bit more sombre than my usual ... an excerpt from an article I wrote for a newspaper this year.  Given there are many Moms, aunts, Grandmas, Nanas and a husband (mine) that read this, I figured it may be timely as the holiday seasons approach.

Our children are precious ... give them an extra hug today and enjoy every moment (good and challenging).

Safe wishes,

LadySmith
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Last summer, while visiting Manitoulin Island, my husband and I endured the horrible experience of a cottage accident that resulted in our 22-month-old son being rushed from a family camp by ambulance to a local hospital and then air lifted by helicopter for a 2-hour flight to a children’s hospital in Ottawa.

The accident was one of those things you never dream of happening ... on the last day of our annual getaway to Tobacco Lake, a large tube television came crashing down and fell on my son’s head, sending him to the floor and knocking him semi-conscious with a literal dent in his head.  We were absolutely panicked and had no clue what to do. We ran next door where my aunt and uncle live, my husband carrying my son’s lifeless body and me, seven-months pregnant, screaming and tripping along the way.  Once there, my aunt and uncle immediately called 9-1-1 (why didn’t we think of that?).

In the minutes that followed, I was asked a series of questions by the 9-1-1 dispatcher about my location that I couldn’t answer.

I was at a camp I had visited every summer for the past 30 years, but knew nothing of the “official” name of the road or the camp-numbering system (something told me the dispatcher would not know where “The Beaver Lodge”  was located) ... hysterical and feeling the pressure of critical seconds passing by, I handed the phone to my aunt.   Thankfully, she took control and explained where we were as best she could.  As in most cottage destinations, the directions into our camp are informal at best. These types of directions, I can assure you, are not helpful in an emergency situation where accuracy and timing can mean life or death.

The minutes, hours and days that followed after our 9-1-1 call are all a blur now and involved an ambulance, multiple emergency rooms, being airlifted to Ottawa, x-rays, CAT Scans and a final diagnosis of three skull fractures.  The good news:  no brain damage or long-term effects and a HUGE wake-up call as to just how careful we, as parents (grandparents, aunts, friends and family), have to be with our precious children.

That fateful morning, we became one of the 100 Canadian families that would rush their child to an emergency room this year due to a toppling television set and one of the more than 9,000 whose child became injured because of falling furniture (www.safekidscanada.ca).

With summer on its way, many families are looking forward to vacation time. Parents and cottage owners alike need to be proactive and aware of the dangers that exist for young children when they are visiting or lending out their cottage.

Paediatrician and injury-prevention specialist, Dr. Charmaine van Schaik says the best way to prepare yourself and your family when you are in a new place is to get down on your hands and knees and see things from the perspective of your child.

Common areas to be aware of for possible hazards include:  Old Furniture that may be easily toppled; Bunk Beds – mattresses should fit properly and beds placed tight against the wall with proper side rails in place.  Children under six years old should not use the top bunk; Dated Children’s Equipment –Safety standards for cribs, play pens, high chairs, car seats and other toys are in place for a reason. Ensure the equipment being used is acceptable and has the appropriate labels and instructions; Toxic Substances and Medicine; Exterior Doors – keep locked and make sure that your children cannot open them; Water– whether in the lake or the bathroom; Televisions – need to be kept on low, sturdy furniture, never on dressers or make-shift stands. Place on the floor if appropriate furniture does not exist; Electrical Outlets and cords; Blind cords; and Emergency Information – have all appropriate phone numbers, addresses and directions available by the telephone.

I don’t know what we would have done had it not been for the health services that were available on The Island.  I was pleasantly surprised, given our isolation, at the fast arrival of the ambulance. I was so thankful that The Island had emergency centres to receive my son and diligently care for him and coordinate the proper next steps.

I shudder to think of what would have happened if it weren’t for the helicopter and paramedics team,  who flew to get us and were so well trained, and took complete control of the situation and stabilized our son for the long ride to Ottawa.

Thanks to everyone involved, my family and I are able to return to The Island we so love in good health this year.  We will, however, ensure that wherever we stay, we know all of the important emergency information, including our exact phone number and address with proper directions to our location.  We will also make sure any precariously-perched television sets are placed safely on the floor.

Kraft Dinner: A Family Staple

Kraft Dinner is a polarizing food.

You either love it ... or at least embrace it as sometimes necessary and feed it to your family occasionally.

OR you do not like it, put your nose up in disgust of it and judge others who may be feeding their precious offspring with such garbage.

Me and my husband, we love it! Well, love is a strong word. Our taste buds have come a long way since being introduced to it as kids. And to clarify, it's not like we eat it all of the time, probably not even monthly.

But, we do have a few twists we like to add to complement our cherished KD and to make it, well, more healthy, if that is at all possible.

We add a can of tuna (protein!)

and a head of brocolli (everyone needs veggies)

and use very little butter.

I guess we should just eat it as is and enjoy it for what it is ... but honestly, the enhancements are not bad and do make me feel a bit better we are eating some greens and getting a bit of bone builder.

So whether you love KD - au natural or with enhancements - or poo poo it and choose to make macaroni and cheese from scratch always ... enjoy a meal with your loved ones today!

LadySmith

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

So just a warning that this post may be a bit depressing for those readers who are pre-kids ....

Mirror mirror on the wall,

Where did my flat stomach go?

Before I had kids, I had a reasonably flat stomach. My stomach was the one body part that I could somewhat count on. As I've mentioned in previous posts, the boobs are lacking, and I am of the pear shape variety.

I am happy to say that I am relatively, give or take five pounds, back to my pre-kids weight. Fitting in normal clothes, buying similar sizes to years gone by .... it's nice to be back.

But my stomach .... it just doesn't look the same.  If it's covered, under a dress, hiding behind jeans, it's fine, but straight out in the open, nope, a sad version of what existed before.  I should be thankful, no bright red stretch marks or huge challenges losing weight, oh and of course two healthy and beautiful children ... but the way the skin sits .... wrinkles ... kind of hangs out over anything elastic put up against it (a girl has to wear underwear!).

I know everyone doesn't experience this because I have seen Moms wear bikinis and there ain't nothing happening on their stomachs like what is happening on mine!

Don't get me wrong (my friends are probably totally grossed out reading this and thinking, WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION!), it's not THAT bad, it's just when you compare it to before, it is definitely different. We're not talking Kate Gosselin gone wrong here, just some strategic stretch marks exactly down the midline that tend to buckle because that is wear the skin naturally pushes.

Oh well. I guess it's the granny pants section for me at Victoria Secret. I always wondered why in the hell they even made underwear that came up that high ... now I know :) Great!

If you see someone with their underwear sticking out of their jeans today, and it is NOT a thong, think of me!

LadySmith

P.S. All joking aside ... a very small price to pay to be a Mom.

"Mommy, Me Feel Me Pee Pees Coming"

For a Mom of a just toilet-trained three-year-old, the words, "Mommy, me feel me pee pees coming!" indicate the beginning of a 30-second window in which I must locate a toilet, get to it, get my son's pants and underwear down to his ankles (tougher than it sounds if you're holding a 25 lb toddler in your arms as well) and then pray that his aim is good that day.


If at home, no big deal - my son can navigate himself to the bathroom with ease.

But, and this is a huge but, if you're in a public place (or in the car!), the difficulty of this challenge drastically goes up and the consequences of not achieving your mission of finding a toilet within the allotted time becomes more disastrous.

Today, it was at the grocery store. Thankfully, approximately 30 feet from the washroom. BUT before you go thinking I had this one in the bag, let me also share that I was in the self checkout line, midway through scanning my order, lineup behind me, double stroller in tow (might as well have been pushing a bus) ... hmmmm, what to do?

I frantically looked around and met eyes with the checkout supervisor, blurted that "I would be right back, my son had to go to the washroom", grabbed both kids and darted for la toilette. She seemed to understand and even volunteered to scan through some of my items (bonus!).  It's so nice when people respond this way, as the truth is, there's not much a parent can do in these situations. Unfortunately, as we all know, there are plenty of people out there that respond in other, less understanding ways.

Anyhoo, I/we survived. We made it. Turns out it was a false alarm, after all that. Ahhh, the things I'd love to add to my ever-expanding resume.


The lengths parents go to when toilet training!


Here's hoping you rise to all of your challenges today!

LadySmith

P.S. Be thankful I did not share my "Mommy, me feel me poo poos coming" story which happened while on a forest walk with my friend Rebecca and her kids!

We Love You Jamie!

My husband and I love Jamie Oliver.

I think my husband received his first Jamie cookbook from his Mum for Christmas approximately seven years ago ... and we've pretty much become obsessed with his entire repertoire ever since and collected all of his remaining installations.

I'm not certain which recipe we tried first, but man, do his meals ever taste delish.  I don't know exactly what it is. They're not that complicated, especially when you compare to some out there.  It must be his flavour combinations - taking two or three items you would normally never think of putting together and presto! Mouth watering, oozing with flavour and for the most part, pretty healthy. He uses a lot of fresh herbs which makes a huge difference and results in food tasting really fresh and alive with flavour.

We are so confident in Jamie's ability to impress that we often try out his recipes for the first time while entertaining (usually a risky move when you haven't attempted the meal with all of its steps prior to the big event). We trust Jamie ... and he hasn't let us down yet.

The following recipes are just a quick list of some of our favorites.  We have tried, tested and give three thumbs up (I have linked them to online versions and provided pictures where possible):

Pot-roasted Pork in White Wine with Garlic, Fennel and Rosemary

Superb Marinated Pork Fillet Roasted on Rhubarb

Working Girl's Pasta  

Working Girl's Pasta by Jamie Oliver

Spaghetti with Sweet Cherry Tomatoes, Marjoram and Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

Spaghetti With Sweet Cherry Tomatoes ... By Jamie Oliver

 

Parsnip and Pancetta Tagliatelle with Parmesan and Butter

Parsnip and Pancetta Tagliatelle By Jamie Oliver

Scrummy Warm Arugula Salad

Scrummy Warm Arugula Salad By Jamie Oliver

Easy Peasy Ginger Beer

Easy Peasy Ginger Beer By Jamie Oliver

 Lovely Lemon Curdy Pud

Lemon Curdy Pud By Jamie Oliver

 ... And any of his risotto recipes

I hope that gives you a bit of inspiration for this weekend's meal preparations.

Happy eating!

LadySmith