Sharing my random life is what I do best
Let’s get something out of the way, being a parent to a newborn is really hard. *disclaimer: I’ll probably be saying this at each stage of my daughter’s life* The more I speak to other parents, the more I realize how common that hardship is felt. So today’s gift guide for the new parent in your life. We are tired, we are in love, and we are always looking for those extra 5 minutes of sleep…..
I don’t know about your family, but my family has a bit of a movie obsession. Well, we actually like watching a lot more than just movies. Regardless of what we are watching the main point is spending that time together. We put something on tv and cuddle up on the couch with some popping corn. The holiday season is no different, really, except that we tend to watch more Christmas movies and cartoons. Now I’m sure that as Wendy grows and we add a few more kiddies to our clan, we’ll be watching a heck of a lot more cartoons. Okay maybe not, I watch a ton of Christmas cartoons already. Here’s a list of some of our favorites.
So who else went out and preordered Harry Potter and the Cursed Child when the news was released, and then read it within hours of picking it up in July? This girl, that’s who. And probably thousands of other muggles on this planet. So I’m betting that you probably know someone who loves the Harry Potter series and you want to know what to get them for Christmas. Here are my picks for the Harry Potter fan in your life.
Today is Remembrance Day, a day to remember the sacrifices of the men and women who have served, continue to serve, or gave the ultimate sacrifice for Canada. Since meeting Chris, Remembrance Day had taken on a whole new meaning for me. In the past, the history buff in me understood and observed the day for its historical significance and the sacrifices veterans of the World Wars. What I didn’t really appreciate was the sacrifices and lives of veterans in the decades after the World Wars. During my years in university, I had friends who lost loved ones fighting in Afghanistan and yet I still didn’t really see Remembrance Day as a time to remember those veterans. It’s not that I purposely sought out to ignore their contribution to our historical fabric, I just didn’t remember to honour them on Remembrance Day. Ironic, I know.
After meeting Chris and being together for 6 years, I can honestly say I do not forget to honour these brave men and women now. Maybe I should provide a little background. Chris has served in our armed forces for over 16 years, he is a veteran of both the Bosnia conflict and Afghanistan war. Sharing my life with Chris has made me appreciate and understand the importance of Remembrance Day. To me, it’s a day that I say thank you not only to my husband but to many in uniform, for taking on the task and responsibly that so many of us are unable to do. It’s not about the morality or ethics of a particular war or ideology, it’s about the men and women who are sent to fight these battles. Remembrance Day is about remembering how devasting war can be but that sometimes it was the only option. It’s about reminding our government that these men and women matter, not just on Remembrance Day but everyday. It’s about remembering those we lost, and those who return. It’s about education and opening people’s eyes to the battles that these veterans fight here at home, whether physical or mental. But above all, it’s about taking one damn day out of our busy lives to just say ‘thank you.’
Today I will remember and I am grateful. Lest we forget.
