Christmas Presence: A Poem

4 Comments December 9, 2014 drworobec

I don’t have a blog for you, this week’s a cheesy poem.
I’m writing this one by the dim light of my phone.
It’s late in my house now, and I’ve been busy you see,
Hiding Elf on the Shelf and making Christmas cookies.

I’m finding it tricky to balance it all,
With the stress of December and the trips to the mall.
My son, almost six, wants Thor and a sword,
And I’m not big on weapons, please help me, oh Lord.

My daughter, she’s two, and she wants just one thing:
A pink kitty necklace and its bright sparkly bling.
Don’t forget about parents, and yes there’s my hubby,
Nieces and nephews and stockings to make chubby.

And there’s holiday cards I get made with our pics,
I send more than one hundred, lots of envelope licks.
And then there’s the tree and of course Christmas lights,
My decor is less homey, more cheery and bright.

I have written blogs lately, on weight belts and my run,
On concussion and movement and of course on my hun.
On school kids and snatches and on being 35,
It’s true, after that one, my email’s on overdrive.

But if I’m being honest, I’ve been quite distracted,
I’m in the business of magic and my time’s been impacted.
You see this year I’m Santa, and the magic is planned.
My kids believe fully and they truly understand.

I’m in the midst of those years that are few and are priceless,
Where if we don’t leave out cookies there could be a crisis.
They see Christmas miracles in the simplest of stuff
And of holiday carols they can’t get enough.

So I’m drinking them in and I’m soaking them up,
Their gifts are very few but our outings fill their cup.
Because it’s presence, you see, that is a gift all year through
Not presents in December that will have to make due.

So take a walk down the street and link arm in arm,
Tell your honeys you love them and they’ll keep you warm.
I wish for you family and happiness and friends,
This holiday season and right to the end.

I saw this image floating around Facebook; that’s what inspired my post.

60 More Adventures…

2 Comments September 16, 2014 drworobec

Whew! Another busy Summer is in the books, as Fall officially rolls in next week. The Summer of 2013 brought my family 60 adventures in 60 days, and while we didn’t set out to match that number in 2014, we did try to enjoy a fun experience each and every day.

If you live in the Burlington area, bookmark this list, as nearly everything we did was within a two-hour drive. We re-visited some favourites from last year and found some new hidden gems:

1. Canada Day 5k race at Spencer Smith Park.

2. Hot Spring Spas video promo shoot. You can watch it here.

3. Wild Waterworks at Confederation Park.

4. Fern Resort in Orillia.

5. Picking strawberries, raspberries, peas, and beans at Uncle Scott’s Farm.

6. Swimming in friend’s/family’s backyard pools.

7. Watching my husband play touch football.

8. Outdoor food truck picnic.

9. Playhouse delivery! Read about it here.

10. Feeding the chipmunks at LaSalle park.

11. My 5-yr-old’s T-Ball league.

12. Within Range driving range and mini-putt.

14. My son getting his first pair of glasses.

13. My son getting his first pair of glasses.

14. Alton Village splashpad/skate park.

15. Safari Niagara.

16. Hosting playdates.

17. Celebrating 8 years of marriage.

18. Eating outside, or in the playhouse, as much as possible.

19. Patio nights with my girlfriends.

20. Crossfit, running, hot yoga; staying active.

21. The Tim McGraw concert at the Molson Amphitheatre.

22. ‘Planes: Fire and Rescue’ movie.

23. Burlington Beach.

24. Golfing at Lowville.

25. Tansley Woods library trips and the BPL Children’s reading club.

26. A Bluejays game.

27. Nelson outdoor pool/splashpad.

28. Bronte Park outdoor pool.

29. Running hills at Bronte Park.

30. Family skate at Appleby Ice Centre.

31. City bus ride on the Upper Middle Road route.

32. Orchard park splashpad.

33. Millcroft Park splashpad.

35. Our neighbour's cottage on August long weekend.

34. Our neighbour’s cottage on August long weekend.

35. Helping with my in-law’s basement after Burlington’s August 4th flood.

36. Hiking at Cherry Hill Gate.

37. Mountainside pool/splashpad.

38. The Brantford Twin Valley Zoo.

39. Neighbourhood playgrounds.

40. The Jordan Harbour shipwreck.

41. Burlington Mall Farmer’s market.

42. Oakville’s Valleyridge splashpad.

43. Central Library’s showing of ‘The Lego Movie’.

44. Back-to-school shopping.

45. Lil’ Monkeys Indoor Playground.

46. The Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls.

47. ‘Camping’ in a tent in the backyard.

48. Tough Mudder.

49. Burlington Children’s festival.

50. Backyard BBQs with our awesome neighbours.

51. The odd (gasp!) sleep-in.

46. A visit to my sister-in-law's cottage.

52. A visit to my sister-in-law’s cottage.

53. Giving “Injury Prevention, “Biomechanics,” and “Movement Screening” talks at the Running Room.

54. Naturopath appointments.

55. Chalk-painting furniture.

56. Assumption High School football camp.

57. Meeting Baby Charlie in Washington, DC.

58. Fantasy Football draft.

59. Skyzone Indoor Trampoline Park.

60. Ribfest.

This was a Tough One to Write

4 Comments May 27, 2014 drworobec

This post was a tough one to write, full of raw emotion and feelings of vulnerability, like very few other posts I’ve written. But I think there’s an important message to be shared here, and that’s why I’ve decided to publish this. I hope that this is a message of trying your best, knowing your limits, and being gentle to oneself.

Let me get to the point: last month, we had to re-home our beloved puppy. This decision was a long process, full of tears and pros-and-cons and back-and-forths. But in the end, we did what we thought was best for him. And for us.

Both my husband and I are “dog people” who grew up with dogs by our side- and we had a wonderful Chocolate Lab named Tyson for the first eight years of our relationship, who sadly passed away in September 2012. However, our puppy Oz, an 80-lb Chocolate Labradoodle, is/was a gentle soul full of friendly energy. We got him only a year ago, in May 2013, when he was just eight weeks old, and he soon became a constant companion for our children. But as he grew, so did the am-I-giving-him-what-he-needs doubts. Then came my two-year-old’s amblyopia diagnosis, and the choice became clear.

When her eye was patched, we were told, she would be virtually blind. Add in an 80-lb puppy bouncing around, and I became overwhelmed. It seemed I just didn’t have enough to give….. not enough energy, not enough time, not enough love. I didn’t want to resent our dog for just being a dog. I saw this on Facebook and I think it says it all:

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He simply needed more than what we could give him. And so we diligently searched, extensively interviewed, and thoroughly screened potential families…. and we found the perfect fit.

Done and done. So what’s made this post so hard to write? The guilt part, the failure part, the I-made-a-mistake part. The I’m-sorry-I-just-couldn’t-do-it-all part. I’m a Type-A, first-born, female Virgo with high expectations and self-imposed perfectionism. To feel defeat and admit to failing is hard for me. It’s taken me more than a month to begin to see this situation in a different light, but I’m slowly getting there.

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