1st ever momstown membership survey!

My dad always told me "When you're green you're growing, when you're ripe, you rot."

Here at momstown we want to keep on growing, improving and making more moms happy and in order to do that we need to hear from you. We consider feedback a gift and we want to hear from you about what you think of the events and elements of momstown, how you use your local site, what you want to see happen and if you feel you're getting what you need from your momstown.

So - we're calling all members for help with our membership survey. It's just 24 questions, will take about 5-6 minutes to quickly answer and will help us in a big way. We take your feedback seriously and will focus on the survey results.

Click here for the survey link.

Thanks in advance momstown!!

Fall Photo Contest! Calling all FANS!

It's the FFFF Contest!

Facebook Fan Fall Foto Contest!

Are you a momstown Facebook Fan yet? If not - here's the link so you can become a fan- why not?

momstown is holding a photo contest for FB Fans starting now until Thanksgiving Day (Oct 12th) looking for great pictures of your family is fantastic fall settings, maybe a little Thanksgiving-ish or anything seasonal. The winner and her picture will be showcased in our national e-newsletter on October 15th, 2009.

Load up your pictures under the "fan pictures" on the FAN page and we'll starting looking for them now! If you have nothing on your camera yet you have 2 weeks to get snapping and Enter!

Flu Fear

To vaccinate or not? Pregnant moms first? Babies? Is the vaccine tested enough? Should we get it? What happens if we avoid it? Will we kick ourselves if the called for onslaught happens and then be ready to give anything for a vaccine?

Our momstown message boards are all filled with discussion about the H1N1 flu and it's potential vaccine. No one seems to know what to think and they are talking, learning and figuring about what to do.

One thing is certain - all moms are confused.

As moms we're all wired to protect our children the best we can. We'd jump in front of a bus to save them from anything but when given choices, new and untested choices, we're not sure what is best. Read one article and you're convinced of one choice. Read another and you're mind has flipped.

The H1N1 flu is a disaster for parents to figure out with so many potential 'maybes'. It's like a never ending game of ping pong bouncing opinions back & forth....

Maybe the flu won't be as bad as they say? Maybe it will be worse? We should be thankful for the vaccine. But it's a new vaccine - which varies depending on country or patient (Canada's has mercury, the American version does not. The vaccine for pregnant moms has different ingredients than for other adults). Does it have enough history to trust it? Will our kids be Guinea pigs? What if we chose not to vaccinate and it's our child who suffers greatly and we as parents could have protected them?

Ahhhhh - the dilemmas!

Little kids can be cute, germy little guys with constant running noses, messy sneezes, sloppy kisses and exploring germy hands. As all parents know, fall and winter is very definitely colds & flu season in most of our homes. When I think about how fast a cold catches on, it blows my mind to think about how the flu, especially the H1N1 flu, could simply take down a kindergarten classroom. Let alone the entire student body. And their parents.

One thing this is certain we're all going to have to change our parenting behaviour with regards to monitoring illness and staying home. By the time your kid has her 3rd cold of the season, mama is worn out and just wants out of the house - green snot or not.

But this year will be different. We're being asked to quarantine our families at home when ill, get prepared in advance to stock our homes with the supplies we will need (over the counter meds, tissues & canned foods) so we don't venture when sick.

momstown moms are still ping-ponging back on forth on this topic and it's a debate I'll be watching closely cuz this mama is fully fence sitting....

Why moms should pack kleenex & camera on the THIRD day of school...

My eldest started Junior Kindergarten last week, in 2 one hour trips to the classroom. The first hour was a parented visit and we brought along tissue and a fully loaded camera to capture the hesitant first day of school and the cute picture of a wee child at a giant school door.

The second day, or the second hour, was non-parented and Lauren went on into the class so bravely that it seemed big-kid school was already old-hat. So the idea to pack Kleenex and a camera for today, day three, and a longer 9:30-1pm day, never occurred to the rookie JK mom.

I don't a have picture to prove it but I will never forget the image I have of my daughter today. Inside the kindergarten gated area, last in her class line-up, Lauren stood in her school clothes with her beige sunhat and brand new backpack. She didn't look back at the kindergarten wall at us, she was focused on that line-up and on being part of something bigger.

Andrew, her younger brother, was perched on the wall while Daddy held him up to see. We stood with the other parents all gazing over the wall with thoughts of pride as we watched our kids interact.

Andrew was the most distraught of all, calling "Bye bye Nana! Byeeee Nana!" (code: nana = Lauren) to no response. Mommy & Daddy weren't calling out but both our hearts were pounding as we watched this little/big girl find her place in her new world.

"Byyyyye Nana!!" kept getting called out to no avail.

Then just when we thought Lauren was totally immersed in her thoughts, she turned around, squinting into the sun at us and lifting her peak of her sunhat, smiled broadly and called "Bye Andrew! I love you!" and waved good-bye.

Then a quieter "Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy!" followed as an extra addition so we wouldn't feel left out. Bless her.

That beautiful, confident smile and then she turned away and followed Mrs S into the school just broke my heart. In a good way. Like it was a pat on the back saying "you're doing a good job Mama, she's gonna grow up fine".

Andrew put his head in his hands and cried "Oh, Nana, gone bye-bye" and if I had brought along that box of Kleenex I would have joined him. Or at least taken an everlasting picture of that confident, beautiful little girl that I'm so lucky to say is my own.

A JK first dance

New lunchbag - check!
Can you open your snack containers? - check!
New runners that you can get on yourself? - check!
JK paperwork all filled in? - check!
Extra epi-pen for school? - check!
Practised how to introduce yourself? - check!
On time? -check!! (whoo hoo!)

My daughter's 1st day of JK was yesterday and we had gone over so many things in preparation for her mini one hour in the classroom yesterday. 5 little JKers all stood in their classroom very patiently, a couple a little tentative, my child bouncing in her toes and waving her picture she drew for her teacher Mrs S (really much too close to Mrs S's face, reminder, work on that).

Parents were invited to learn more about JK and while parents were occupied on one side of the classroom the morning announcements started on the loudspeaker along with the national anthem.

Only one of the 4 year olds knew what this meant as he stood, so Mrs S calmly asked the others to stand up with their hands by their sides. Which they all did.

Except for mine.

Now, she wasn't running around or being disruptive but Lauren was creating her own moment out of Oh Canada. Her graceful ballet arms started to move up and out, a toe pointed and her body swaying and moving to the beautiful music she heard. My ballerina was putting on a little show, quietly, during the solemn instrumental of our nation's respectful song.

oops, maybe I should have prepped her for this?

Just another reminder of how different our children all are and how they interpret things in their own manner. Soon enough, Lauren will be filing in line with all the other kids, well trained and doing all the things she's taught to do. She likes to follow suit and I know she will be a good little student wanting so badly to please Mrs S.

But I'm just going to try to remember how special that little moment was and how individually minded she is, and I'll try to keep that little spark alive in her as she grows up. I don't think I'll ever forget her first day of school and how my ballerina made that day her very own. Or how proud she made me, even as she did exactly what she wasn't supposed to do.

SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award

SavvyMom Mom Entrepreneur of the Year Award

LAST few days!!!!!

Let's make momstown.ca this year's MOM ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR!!!! We are super, super close (check out that voto-meter!) and need your help.

Read below for our other blog describing what grateful moms we'd be if you voted! ;)

is putting yourself last a bad example?

I not only feel like myself but today I actually LOOK like myself. Know why? I got a haircut!!

Who thought a simple haircut could make such a difference but somehow I have overlooked myself for the last... 6 months! Yes - it's taken me six months to get into the salon and yes, you sure can tell. My hair had grown way longer than it's been in over 15 years. Overgrown? yes. Way too long? YES!

I'm not sure how much is gone but anywhere from 3-8 inches in various spots and I look like the 30-something working mom that I am, not the old 1993 version of myself...

Now I'm physically lighter and actually feel mentally & spiritually lighter.

I mentioned to the stylist I need a simple, wash & wear style. Like most moms with young kids, morning prep time is just too valuable and I'm generally pleased if I fit in a shower at night and extra pleased if I manage to use the straight iron in the morning (but lots of mornings that does not happen). So it needs to be a style that's easy-peasy for mama to maintain.

She told me it's important to take the time for myself and maintain my look as a good example to my children.

Hmmm.... not sure what to think about that comment. Especially from a woman who has no children yet. But, it's a thinkable one for sure.

By putting myself (my own grooming not to mention exercise, general health) last am I setting a poor example? Or by putting others first am I setting a compassionate good example? If I put myself last am I letting myself go? Isn't 'letting oneself go' not so totally common with mothers?

I personally think setting a a good example goes beyond finding the straight iron and my lipstick in the morning. With the time I give up on my own personal prep, I find time to help my kids get dressed & ready, tidy up the house, toss in some laundry, find a teachable moment etc... I know all you moms know exactly what I mean.

I may not look fab every day but maybe my example is set in the fact that my kids DO look fab? Or is that the point the stylist is making??

But I also teach my kids that their worth is not about how tidy their hair is. Your worth is inside, not outside.

Although I do feel much better now that my hair is all trimmed, I feel better because it now matches my inside perception of myself. Which is way more important to me than outside then in.