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And then it was HIGH SCHOOL!

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real, Urban Suburban Mommy .
First day of school Fall 2012

It was just his first day of kindergarten. KINDERGARTEN! I’d worried and stressed about the right school. I’d checked out all of the local options and lost a lot of sleep trying to make the right decision.

I landed on an alternative school that was run by the public school board in our area. With its outdoor program and left-leaning values I was sure this was a perfect match.

And it was, for quite some time.

I put in time parenting my baby, nurturing, growing, daycare, school drop-offs, concerts, plays and field trips. I was class parent, student council member, made costumes and cakes and sent in treats for parties, bake sales and movie nights.

And now it’s over.

He graduated from Grade 8. My Little Bunny has reached the next level. He can roam free on his own without supervision. He makes mature, sometimes wildly inappropriate jokes. He might just be a bit smarter than me, I’m ready to admit it.

And I need to stop calling him Little Bunny. (Out loud, anyways, in my head I will NEVER stop!)

When I was pushing the boundaries of teenagerdom my mom realized she wasn’t done with having little bunnies around, and at 35 she had my sister. My parents were definitely considered “older” but having more children in your 30s wasn’t terribly uncommon in the ’80s.

As good girls did in the ’60s, my mother got married at 21 and had me – her first – at 24, with my brother following along 2 years later. By the time my parents got around to having #3, my brother and I were old enough to help with the new kid. We diapered, and fed, and babysat and helped with it all.

But that’s the thing with starting a family at 40-ish. By the time I realized that I wasn’t done with baby bunnies, my body was like “sorry sistah, that mall has closed.”

There would be no second act, no time to add one more. In your 20s and 30s it’s more often an active decision you make about whether to have more baby bunnies, but when you start pushing 50, it’s not terribly likely that you have any say in the matter. Even looking into adoption, while there is no upper age limit, the hoops can get harder to jump through. And as any 40-ish parent knows, the ‘grandparent’ comments do start. Babies at 50? I know people who have had surprises at 50+, and the ‘grandparent’ comments just don’t stop.

So what I’ve been wondering is, do we “late maternal age”-ers hold on tighter? Because we can’t extend the baby time, do we impose our emotions on our young adults? I feel like I’ve had to work extra hard to loosen the reigns and lengthen the leash and let them fly on their own. I even romanticize those days of extra bedtime stories and snuggles, looking back longingly – when, in actuality, I just wanted them to go the f#$% to bed most nights, and was exhausted beyond all reason by the time their nighttime routine was complete.

Last day of school Summer 2022

We went to his Grade 8 graduation and I loved every minute of it. I love that he didn’t want to fall in with the troops and get formalwear, because it’s just not him. I love that he rolled with it and went for me, even though he didn’t see the big deal about grade 8 graduation. I loved all of it.

What I didn’t love was accepting it all. He’s no Little Bunny, he’s a big kid. A teen. A high schooler. He’s making his own decisions and cooking up his own plans.

At 50 with children that are really starting to flex their independence, I have this constant feeling like I’ve got handfuls of sand. The more I try to hold onto them and keep all the moments and memories of sand wrapped up safe and tight, the faster the grains of sand slip through my fingers and into the past.

So onwards and upwards to high school, but I’ve decided that he may have to put up with me calling him Little Bunny just a little longer.

Lovie love lost

Posted on by Posted in FML Mommy, The Struggle is Real, Urban Suburban Mommy .

I don’t remember who gave me DBB (Dr. Bunny Bear), I just remember that this particular blue plush bear with long ears was a baby shower gift and that he was discovered by my eldest son at a very young age.

DBB instantly became his suffie, his lovie, his constant companion.

DBB

The attachment to stuffies and lovies is intense – and we know it because we had our own. I had Tina. She was a Rushton Co. doll with a yellow snowsuit, plastic hands and a face to match. My grandmother bought her for me and, for about a decade, I couldn’t sleep without her. My cousin had one which I secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly) named Tanya, and when my cousin gave Tanya to me my night-time routine was complete. They were twins and I couldn’t sleep without them – one safely tucked under each arm like some mini-mama with her twins.

When my son glommed onto DBB I knew the love he felt. I identified with it and was happy he’d found his guy. My younger son discovered Russ – a red tabby stuffie that my husband had bought me many years prior when we first started dating.

The lovies were part of our family. When one went missing it inspired panic. When the boys were sick, the lovies helped them feel better. When the boys were sad, the lovies were their confidantes.

Lovies and stuffies become important members of the family for years, and then one day – just like Puff The Magic Dragon lamented “Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys.”

It broke my heart when I’d come to say goodnight and DBB was on the floor. I’d go to tuck him in and my son would say thanks – as if sleeping with DBB were just an afterthought of mine.

Then DBB showed up in the stuffie bin.

Now that was cold. Heartless.

Who was this not-so-little boy and why was he relegating his bestest friend to the stuffie bin? It was morning when I discovered the banishment and thought maybe his dad did it purposely, wanting his manchild to stop sleeping with stuffies. In my mind my husband was to blame. He wanted to make a man out of my baby and he was rushing things. I was fuming.

(He’s 12, hubby isn’t rushing a thing. The kid is almost taller than me and I’m 5’9″.)

But just as quickly, I realized I was in denial. I was hurt on DBB’s behalf – indignant in fact. Why would DBB be treated this way and how could we break DBB’s little heart??!!

And then I realized whose heart was breaking. DBB is a stuffie, he will be okay, but this mom-heart – it’s much more delicate.

Trying to hold onto their littleness is like trying to hold onto a handful of dry sand – and just when you’re getting good at having a little boy, the big boy shoves him right out of the sandbox.

Poor Puff.

Poor me.

Poor DBB.

It’s not so easy to accept they’re getting big. It’s hard loosening the reigns and letting them grow up. Day by day it happens and it becomes so tricky to navigate. I know I should be happy to see the efforts I put in paying off in maturity and growth, but it’s hard not to try to hold on… and then my hubby reminds me about Norman Bates, and I dust DBB off and stand there, the internal struggle between returning DBB to the stuffie bin or back to his place of honour in my son’s bed I realize what I have to do. Yes, I put DBB right back in that bed! He will end up in the stuffie bin soon enough, but not today. Nope. One day soon, but just not yet.

The next age and stage

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real .

Just when I got good at being mom to babies, they went and became toddlers.

Just when I got the hang of two pairs of grabby hands and irrational demands, they went and became boys.

It’s the wildest thing, but somehow I don’t see it coming, and then Whamo! it hits me like a sack of LEGO, they need me less and less; they’re closer to being the people they’re becoming.

Now, at 9 and 11, my boys are kids. Tweens. Big boys. Big enough for a lot of independence, young enough to need guidance. But they’re 5’4″ and built like battle ships. They don’t exactly look like little boys – so I don’t know why I didn’t see this coming.

They just don’t need me the way they used to.

It became apparent this weekend when we went to the Santa Claus parade. One of them kept using air quotes every time he used the word “Santa” – I’m glad he didn’t ruin it for the little kids around us, but it’s that year. After more than a decade of brunch followed by 2 hours in the cold watching the same floats go by, I think we may have watched our last parade.

Toronto Santa Claus Parade 2019

The boys have made it clear that Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and all of the other childhood magic is a sham. And they’re okay with it – just so long as Mom and Dad keep on buying the Easter chocolate, the Christmas presents and pay up for the last few teeth the younger one still has to lose.

Actually, I knew it this past summer while on a road trip. I found myself asking why they no longer shouted MOOOOO! when we passed by a farm field full of cows and didn’t shriek CHOOOO CHOOOO when the train went by. Of course those are long gone – but dammit – I’m not ready to move on yet.

So that’s the rub. As soon as you feel comfortable and confident in your ability to parent, your children go and grow older.

How is that even fair?

July – Getting Booked

Posted on by Posted in Inspiration, Urban Suburban Mommy .

Nah, if you haven’t committed a crime by now, then you’re definitely at an age where that mug shot ain’t gonna be pretty, so don’t bother to start. I want to get booked in a more literal, sit-down-and-read-a-book-without-interruption kind of way..

I used to read voraciously. I ripped through a book or two a week. If it was any good, I’d already read it.

And then I had kids.

It was like my brains melted and my free time was vacuumed out at source. If it was longer than a blog post – more truthfully an Instagram post – I didn’t have the time or brain cells to read it.

But now that the kids don’t need me *every* second of the day, I have some time to read. Only thing is, I don’t know what to read. Nobody I know reads at the moment. We’re all looking at each other, like “I know I used to like this, but where do I start?”

Solution time!

UrbanSuburbanMommy.com hooked up with Indigo to feature their book club selects! I’ve always been a fan of Heather’s Picks (Indigo CEO and Chief Booklover Heather Reisman knows her stuff!), and over the years I’ve learned which employee picks to follow. I’ve decided to forego trying to catch up on the last decade of literature and just jump in!

Here are Indigo’s July book club picks (Oh the irony of pick #3! Mom-approved)

Heather’s Book Club

Heather’s pick is Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan.
It’s a historical novel based on the improbable love story of writers Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis.
For more information on Heather’s Book Club, click here.

Cookbook Club

The July Cookbook Club pick is Vegetables First by Ricardo Larrivee, a vibrant celebration of the tastes, textures, colours and possibilities that vegetables have to offer.
Visit indigo.ca/cookbook-club each month for some free recipes.

Cookbook Club is a cool concept and fits perfectly in the social media-sphere. Indigo wants to encourage people to try out dishes from the Cookbook Club pick, and then share them at a potluck – or share them on social media – now that I CAN do!
Post pics with the hashtags #contest and #CookWithIndigo, page number for a chance to win the next month’s cookbook!

BFF Book Club

The July BFF Book Club pick is More Than Enough by Elaine Welteroth. In this part-manifesto, part-memoir, the revolutionary editor who infused social consciousness into the pages of Teen Vogue explores what it means to come into your own—on your own terms.

The coolest part? The BFF Bookclub is partnered with Bumble – a women directed social platform. Indigo offers discounts on the bookclub book if you’re registered. Bumble BFF members can access discussion starters for bookclub meetings. And in true bookclub style, there are bookclub special events which members may find themselves invited to – how’s that for a bookclub experience and the perfect Mom’s Night Out!

For more information on the Indigo x Bumble BFF Book Club, click here.

Would love to hear your picks, let us know!


When are the “too old” for…

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real, Urban Suburban Mommy .

I don’t know when it happened. They were just so small. I was buying strollers and navigating solid foods and trying to decide which schools and which daycares – and now they’re 8 and 10 9 and 11. Wow, it’s been a year since I’ve tried to put these thoughts into words.

What a difference a year makes. Every year is an entire lifetime. And now they’re not just little kids. Both boys are around 5’4″ and they’d weigh in as welterweights – they’re big little big boys!

But they’re still 11 and 9. They have nightmares and want to climb in bed for a snuggle. One is more brave while the other is still apprehensive about doing things alone and I still have a hard time letting them run free and untethering the leash and having them out of my eyesight. I’ve been eagle-eye for a decade and I just can’t stop myself!

They’re so big and tough – until they get a boo-boo, and then they want mommy.

So when is too old? Is 9 and 11 too old? I don’t want it to be too old!

My husband and I were on the same page up until now. I still love the middle-of-the-night snuggles – he thinks it’s high time we get to have a decent night’s sleep. I can’t fathom sending them back to bed alone – yet he doesn’t see it.

Dad thinks they can be left alone at home, I stress and have a “no eating” rule when I leave for any length of time because I’m sure they’ll choke and the house will melt and the kids will be beamed up by aliens. And the dog… oh the dog…

Double digits is a weird time of life. The 11 year old definitely shows signs of puberty. That squeaky voice is dropping, his sillies are getting silly on a more mature level, he’s starting to talk about the future in terms of his own interestst that go beyond “I want to dwive a po-lice car and a choo choo twain when I grow up” to what he likes about math and where he wants to go to university. When did this start??

The little one isn’t far behind. They’ve got chores and responsibilities, but how many chores and what kind of responsibilities are appropriate?

And now I wonder – there are 50 million baby books out there. Babies are easy. The doctor and every mom group on the planet can tell you when to starts solids and what the safest car seat is, but where is the help when you need to let your kid take the bus alone or when they start asking questions like “Why do people do sex when they don’t want to make a baby.”

I’m not sure I’m ready for this age – but I’ll let you know how it works out!

Boobies and brows

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real, Urban Suburban Mommy .

It’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. And this year it means so much more to me.

When someone I love dearly came to me recently and told me she had the big C, I lost it.

She was actually quite calm and poised and matter of fact. She understood what was wrong and understood what the next steps would be. I, however, was a full-on mess and she apologized for upsetting me.

Of all the things that were troubling her, the one she was really aggravated about was the fact that she’d probably lose her eyebrows while undergoing chemo.

Now, you’d think she’d have bigger fish to fry than worrying about her eyebrows. But when you think about it, that’s a pretty significant issue. We all hear about hair loss, but hats are in style and the wigs out there are nicer than natural hair, so that’s easy. But a face really does look odd without eyebrows, and she was really bothered by it.

So I asked her why she didn’t just go ahead and get microblading.

“Micro-whaaaaaat?” was her answer.

Apparently, not everyone is aware of micro-blading. And while it’s actually quite a cool cosmetic procedure for those that want the perfect arch and tail, for someone undergoing chemo, it’s a minor procedure that brings a modicum of normalcy back to a situation which is anything but normal. Both men and women can do microblading.

Part of cosmetic tattooing, microblading is essentially much like tattooing, giving long lasting – but not permanent – results. The shape is outlined, the colour is chosen, and fine, hair-like lines are inked in, creating the shape, fullness and brow style you desire. This is done with a pin-like instrument and not an ordinary tattoo gun, though there is a specialized machine that is used for micropigmentation, which is more of a permanent procedure.

The first thing to note is that, like a tattoo, microblading needs 7 to 14 days to heal. When you’re about to start chemotherapy, this is an important detail. It has to be done at least a week ahead of the start of chemo so that the healing can be complete by about day 7, before the body’s white blood cell count starts to drop. Otherwise it will interfere with the healing, and that is not a complication that anyone undergoing chemo needs.

Some microbladers won’t perform the work without clearance from the oncologist.

But my friend had the all-clear. She had 12 days until the start of chemo and was ready for brows.

We checked with several shops. There is a wide range when it comes to microblading. But what it comes down to is, it’s very important to go to an experienced microblader with the credentials to prove it. Plus, a referral from someone with nice brows goes a long way!

We looked through a number of them, even got some recommendations on Facebook (which was nice, because then we got to look through people’s profile pics, heavily judging their brows).

I’d interviewed the owners of The Good Geisha, a shop in Toronto, a few years ago, and I liked them. It’s not a salon, it’s got the aesthetic and swagger of a tattoo shop – it’s where the cool girls go.

I knew The Good Geisha was the only place for my friend’s brows to happen.

And so it did.

Owners of The Good Geisha: Amber Gotzmeister (l), and Anna Chow (r)

Owners Amber Gotzmeister, who holds the designation of CIDESCO in medical esthetics, and Anna Chow, a trained and expert cosmetic tattoo artist, took care of her. She left quite satisfied with the results.

As time passed and treatment got underway, my friend lost her hair – brows included. But her eyebrows still look great.

One thing to note about microblading – it’s often done in 2 sittings: The first is pretty comprehensive, and then the second sitting is to fill in anything that may be missed. But with chemo patients, often treatment has to start quickly, and though there may be enough time for the first sitting, often the second sitting can’t be done. Going to a professional who understands this specific situation will help the outcome.

It’s also extra important to seek out someone with a great personal referral, lots of experience and a great portfolio because, as you lose brow hair, the technique and quality of microblading will be more prominent. Good technique is key to natural looking brows.

Microblading lasts anywhere from 18 to 24 months, long after treatment is complete. My friend will be going through the ringer, with many more months of chemo, treatment, poking, prodding – and major surgery. But at least we were able to fix one single, small issue on the long list.

And it’s made a difference.

 

Mom Vision

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real .

I booked the family’s annual eye exams – and when we saw our optometrist, I asked her to explain why my eyes work so differently than the rest of my family. She laughed and handed me a pamphlet on Mom Vision.

Apparently something happens to our eyes when we have children. It’s like our super power. It’s not a fun super power like flying or super speed. Now those would be useful. No, it’s more of a bummer super power, actually the top of the pile of rejected super powers in my personal opinion.

Mom vision is that uncanny ability we have to see things that are right in front of us. Not only the ability to see things that are there, but the ability to see the things your kids are doing behind you.

I’d first realized I was experiencing vision issues when I’d look at my kids’ messy rooms and tell them to clean up, only to hear “Mom, they’re clean!” How can they see a clean room when I can see dirty clothes on the floor, toys on every surface and a hoarder’s supply of gum wrappers behind one of the beds. (Seriously, I don’t recall even buying that gum.)

How, when we are looking at the same room, do they not see the mess – but I do?

Mom vision.

How can we go to the same bathroom and they don’t see the empty toilet paper roll that needs changing – but I do?

How come they have to ask where the orange juice is, and can’t see it on the middle shelf of the fridge where it always is?

Mom vision.

Mom vision enables us to see the dirt on their favourite shirt even when they put it on and think it’s fine to wear. It enables us to see their beds are not made. Mom vision is why we’re telling them to wash their hands all the time – how do they not see when their hands are covered in mud or paint or spaghetti sauce???

The pamphlet on Mom vision was very helpful. If you have any of the above-mentioned challenges, you’ve got mom vision. The pamphlet described varying degrees of mom vision.

I have a severe case.

For example, I’m able to tell one of my boys not to touch the other, just mere seconds before he does – even without watching him! I’m able to say “Put that down right now!” without turning around and actually getting a visual of my little darling trying to abscond with my iPhone. When my mom used to do that to me I’d wonder if she really did have eyes in the back of her head. And then, with the arrival of my first child, my mom vision came in.

The bad news is that there is no cure for Mom vision. The good news is, it may become less prominent over time. It seems to linger for the first 15 to 20 years of your child’s life, though it does tend to improve significantly when your child moves out on their own.

The pamphlet does warn, in the fine print, that the time period is per child, and restarts with every new member of the family. It also warns that some spouses and neighbourhood kids may cause symptoms to worsen significantly.

Temporary relief may be found by ingesting wine, utilizing the services of a babysitter or treatments at the spa. It is not recommended to use Mom vision in other people’s homes or on other people’s children, though it may be necessary to explain the findings of your Mom vision to your children several times for best results.

 

 

Back-to-School: Bliss or bittersweet?

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real, Urban Suburban Mommy .

Something happens around this time every summer. Summer camp wraps up, bathing suits are looking worse for wear, Halloween candy starts appearing in the grocery store and back-to-school shopping and lunch ideas overwhelm Pinterest and Instagram. Whether you’re a stay-at-home or a working mom, there’s no denying it, summer is coming to a close. Labour Day weekend will be the last hurrah, and then school routines will start up.

But is the start of school bliss? Or is it bittersweet?

Ah yes, the fond/painful memories of drop-offs and pick-ups, the struggle of coming up with lunch ideas the kids will eat – and the expensive lunchware to send it in. The school supplies, the long pants, the battle-cry of homework challengs and the indoor/outdoor shoes – is it all rushing back in one shot?

This is the first time in 16 years that I’ve spent a summer not working (aside from mat leave, which really doesn’t count – it’s a haze of new motherhood that I can barely remember). Most years I didn’t feel the summer/back-to-school shift as significantly as I do this year. My boys were always in daycare through the summer, so the routine didn’t change much and the hours didn’t change at all.

But this year is different. There are two types of moms in this world: The ones who are grateful for the return to school and the ones who are sad to see September come. I can’t decide which team I’m on.

It’s a serious “You know I love my children, but…” moment. So many moms feeling they survived another summer, glad to have made it to the first-day-of-school finish line. Truth is, it’s not easy to look after your own kids 24/7, having to decide the programming, the meals, the outings, the playdates, the structure and unstructure of two hot months of summer.

It really isn’t easy.

Kids like routine, and the freedom that summer brings is a bit overwhelming. Some weekends are more than I can handle, so doing it for weeks and months at a time?

Exhausting is a word that comes to mind.

And then there are the other mothers – those sad to see it end. Maybe their kids are easy, or maybe it’s that the dynamic works for those moms. They genuinely look forward to the two intense months of summer fundom. Maybe they’re better planners? Maybe they just groove more smoothly, roll with the punches more elegantly or are able to tune out the whine of a kid who has too many toys yet still can’t find anything to do.

Maybe it’s magic. Who knows.

I don’t mention this as yet another form of mom-shaming. Quite the opposite, actually. I mention it because the mom I aspire to be and the mom I am are not quite the same thing, and I’m okay with it. There’s nothing wrong with having survived a summer and happily sending your child off to school, and there’s nothing wrong with lamenting the end of family fundays either.

In this, my one summer of stay-at-home-momness, I enrolled my boys into 6 weeks of summer camp, however, I let them stay home two or three days a week. I let them sleep in and go late. I picked them up early. Some days we had fun and some days they had fun without me. It took the pressure off of having to plan and program, and added balance to my time with them – and their time with me!

Apparently it’s not easy on the kids to be with their parents 24/7 either.

So I lament a little. I have put off buying that second pair of “indoor” shoes, and won’t pull the backpacks and lunch boxes out of summer storage until Labour Day weekend. I’m hearing the rumblings of back-to-school, and as it approaches, I’m trying to figure out which team I’m on.

Coping

Posted on by Posted in The Struggle is Real .

Tragedy happens.

It happens every day. There are some cities, some towns, some countries that live with tragedy as a daily occurrence.

How do they cope?

As a mom, I’ve started to realize that I have been living in two worlds. In one, I’m this strong woman who won’t let haters, terrorists, villains, criminals and “The Man” get me down. In the other one I’m a mom. I want to run away and live in bubblewrap, where my kids are safe from violence, guns, drugs, peer pressure and The Man.

Where they’re safe.

Sometimes I feel like I live with my head in the sand, straddling the line and trying to believe everything will be ok. But the latest neighbourhood violence has left me a bit damaged.

Did it hit too close to home?

Yes.

Did it make me have to take my head out of the sand a little and realize there’s only one ‘me’ and I am both strong and afraid?

Yes.

How do you cope? I don’t know how – I just know I have to keep them safe and loved.

It’s for them.

Things like being exhausted, struggles with the laundry and parenting fails seem to be inconsequential today, when I think how, after an incident of violence, there’s another mom out there that won’t get to fuss over these struggles any more. How she’d give anything to still have these *first world* problems instead of her new reality.

I’m tired of “thoughts and prayers” and if I hug my babies any tighter tonight I might squish them irreparably.

So, as the two sides of me have been forced to become one, and my new identity includes a painful dose of reality, I want to know – how do others cope?

From Globetrotting back to Urban Mommy

Posted on by Posted in Bon Voyage .

Yes, you guessed right – and on your first try! It’s Elisa “Urban” Keay here, and I’m back in my blogging seat.

I honestly love blogging. I took a little hiatus after two years because… life. Too much going on. Too many things at play. Too much fun to be had. Too many places to see. Too many things to do…

The Nutella crepes in Amsterdammmmmmm!!!!

We went on an incredible adventure as a family. We took our boys and headed to Europe for 5 months. It was less of a family with a plan and more of a spontaneous opportunity where the stars aligned and our lives needed a shift. The adventure was a good deviation from the hum and pace of real life.

It was, in fact, quite life changing.

While we were away I just couldn’t wrap my mind around mommyblogging. Isn’t that weird? We were still having the normal family dynamic, still the same parenting craziness, but the adventure pulled our focus. There is a blog – ShaneandSullivan.com – that materialized. The boys blogged about their travels (with my help) but even that fell to the wayside as the adventure grew.

Driving through the Pyrenees, stop for a photo op. Not an easy drive in February!

If you ever want to know about family travel, just ask. I’m sure I could have been better prepared had I spent six months pouring over travel blogs, parenting travel blogs, travel mags, books, maps… anything! But I didn’t.

Having been to Europe a few times, I felt that the seat of my pants was all we really needed. (Well, that and a car.) And off we went.

The market in Palermo was the most delicious place we ever strolled

I learned 5 mommyblogging-related things while traveling around Europe that I’d love to share with anyone thinking of taking on this kind of adventure:

  1. Your kids will always pick up your vibe
    Seriously – if you’re nervous, they’re nervous. If you’re excited, they’re excited. If you play it cool and make your expectations too high, nothing will ever be enough. You need to travel in a way that makes you feel thrilled and engaged so that they will be, too. Is it food, shopping, nature, history or seeing museums and monuments? Indulge. And make sure you share your insights and your enthusiasm with the kids. Otherwise they just feel like they’re being dragged around.

    Down Time. Geek Castle in Seurre, France. The castle is completely decked out in video and arcade games. The Star Wars Room was the thing my children dream of! They stayed up all night and played all day. That was some serious down time. They still miss the resident cat, Mikey. (Our favourite Airbnb)

  2. Down time.
    You may want to do 12 cities in 10 days, but your littles won’t be able to keep up. We found the perfect cadence for our kids was 2 days on, one day off. And travel days didn’t count as a day off. So 5 months meant we could cover a lot of ground (11 countries and 33 stops), but there was a lot of time where we would be at “home” (our airbnb or homestay) and watching movies or playing games. We’d grocery shop and cook at home. We could do a max of 6-8 hours out of the house on our adventure days, but morning to night was way too much for them to handle.
    Kids get overwhelmed. The food, culture, language, architecture – it’s all so unfamiliar. It’s over-stimulating. It’s exciting. It’s got to be kept to a kid-friendly pace.
  3. Their palate
    The struggle is real. Kids will eat what they will eat, and they’ll refuse new foods for no good reason. This isn’t helpful when you’re traveling and want to try exotic foods. We had to make deals like: If you don’t like raclette then we’ll go straight to McD’s for a burger. It wasn’t hard to get them to eat pasta in Italy or pork hock in Poland, but tapas in Spain – that was no easy feat. They were real troupers and found things they loved everywhere we went, but there was a whole other level of adventure created by dining out. The luxury of staying at airbnbs is that we had a home kitchen most of the time and cooked their favourites – from hearty beef stew to simple grilled cheese to roasted chicken. But we also found meatballs at IKEA and hotdogs at HEMA gave them a little taste of home that they needed – and though it sounds stupid to hit IKEA for lunch, it made them so happy to stop there on long drives between cities, and made them feel at home.

    A winter swim in a 40 degree sulphur spring in Bain de St. Thomas

  4. Kid tourism is a big deal
    We didn’t realize it at the outset, but kid tourism is a big deal. There are major parks, museums and destinations all over the world and in every big city that are designed specifically for kids. In fact, I honestly think that the mentality in Europe – the inclusiveness of children’s interests and family needs – is better served than in North America. So many places were interactive and had a ‘family first’ mentality. The creation of places that removed the need for lines, that added in as much hands-on activity as possible and that actually created these activities that families could enjoy on a budget blew our minds. Places like NEMO in Amsterdam, Irlander Park near Bonn, and our absolute favourite – Mirakulum just outside of Prague, were real highlights of our travel as far as fun family play time.

    A gondola ride we’ll never forget in Venice

  5. The journey is the destination
    This is a family motto, I’ve lived it going on 30 years. You start out thinking the trip is about seeing Europe, but end up realizing the trip is about spending time together. The adventure of seeing and experiencing castles and lakes and hot springs and cities and food and culture and art – it’s all wonderful! – but it’s the icing on that four-layer family cake.

We’re back in the city that we call home. We miss the nomadic way of life we’d become so good at, but it’s nice seeing friends and family – and the kids are enjoying sharing the stories with friends. While we did Facetime, Instagram, Facebook and phone friends and family back home, there’s no replacement for that intimate one-on-one contact. That’s the one thing we couldn’t give the kids while we traveled.

Learning the art of decanting the perfect glass of vino for mommy in Rome

And now that we’ve settled back in and I’m no longer “Globetrotting Mommy”, I’m happy to be “Urban” again and connect with you as we continue the highs, lows and laughs of parenting together. Hope you’re happy to have me back.

PS – We’re already planning our next adventure.

Relaxing while mommy shops in Florence

More like “Globetrotting Mommy”

Posted on by Posted in Bon Voyage .

When Urban Suburban Mommy was started, I was working in Toronto – a job I’d had in magazines and online content creation for over 15 years. My husband and I owned a home. In our urban setting, one of our sons attended a local alternative school, the other a neighbourhood public school. They were enrolled in football and we drove them to practice and games up to 6 days a week.

And then it all changed.

Life happened.

And now, the boys are being “homeschooled” or “unschooled” and we are no longer in Toronto – and no longer employed. It’s amazing what can happen if you take advantage of life as it happens.

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My husband and I decided to take the opportunity to travel through Europe with our boys. It wasn’t a hard decision – once we wrapped our heads around it and started making it all real.

So instead of the sub-arctic temperatures of Toronto, we’re globetrotting. We spent New Year’s Eve on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The boys have raced through the maze of aisles in Pouces de Saint-Ouen, said hello to the Mona Lisa – La Joconde –  at the louve, and paid homage to The Lizard King at Père Lachaise Cemetery.

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We’re driving around and sightseeing, Airbnb-ing and just going where the wind blows us.

We’ve taken many great recommendations from friends and are always happy to have suggestions.

Traveling with children is interesting – it’s fun watching them take it all in. It’s also pretty cool to return to places I’ve been, but not seen in over 20 years. It’s also exciting to see new places I’ve never been and experience them all with my family!

So while I may not be bringing you the typical Urban and Suburban for some time, now that the jet lag has faded and I have my bearings, I’m hoping to share some homeschooling, traveling, food, fashion and fun from abroad!

But as boys will be boys, there will still be the typical rantings of motherhood – as only this mommy does! Hope you’ll enjoy the ride along with me and my family welcomes any suggestions and ideas you may have to offer for our travels through Europe!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdMTSAFlEar/?taken-by=shaneandsullivan