Loulou's views

No matter how much you think you know about becoming a mom—no matter how many books you’ve read on the subject, no matter how many conversations you’ve had with friends, no matter how many summers you spent babysitting as a teenager—until your baby is placed in your arms, you don’t know a thing, really. I was clueless when I became a mom for the first time. I never really spent a lot of time with babies except to ooh and aah over them. When I became a mom for the first time, I didn't have any friends who already had children (except for my best friend who had also just given birth) so it was a brand new world for me. No one really told me what to expect. By the time I had my second baby, I felt like an expert. I worried less. I slept more. And as time went by, life got a whole lot easier. Still, everyday is an adventure... Here are a few things you can expect when you become a mom: You will walk around topless the first week after bringing your baby home because your boobs are c...

I was sitting in the movie theatre a few weeks ago anxiously awaiting the start of some movie (can't remember which one—I have a terrible memory, and plus, I mostly go for the popcorn, anyway) and a preview for African Cats appeared on the big screen. Within seconds, I was crying. And almost choking on my popcorn, which we all know is like the number one killer. You know how those kernals get stuck in the weirdest place under your tongue and nothing gets them un-stuck? Anyway. As I was almost dying, I was also wiping away my tears, because the preview for the movie was so emotional! The music, (in case you're wondering, the song in the trailer is Life Is Beautiful, by Vega 4) along with the images of the African cats taking care of their babies, nearly did me in. African Cats is a true story that takes places in, you guessed it, Africa. Right away, you know it's going to be a breathtakingly beautiful movie to watch, but what's even more amazing is that the movie is a t...

Last week, after breakfast, I baked a chocolate cake. After the measuring, pouring, and mixing were finished, I put it in the oven, set the timer, and looked at the clock on my kitchen wall. "Oh, no! Kids! We have to leave RIGHT NOW for swimming lessons!" I took the cake out of the oven, threw it away, and drove off to the Athletic Club with my family for Sunday swimming lessons. Almost every time I try to bake, or cook, something will go wrong. Without fail. I'm not very domestic . I don't beat myself up over this, though—there are other things I excel at. Although I'm no Martha Stewart in the kitchen, I do very much love food . That's the first step, right? In my quest to become a better cook, I happily accepted the role of being a Life Made Delicious connector with General Mills. As soon as I heard the words 'easy recipes' I was on-board! Also, there are tons of healthy and easy-to-cook recipes for kids on their site, too. In working with General Mi...

Two days ago, I received a phone call from my mother that almost caused me to have a heart attack at work. She was laughing so hard on the phone I thought she was crying. This happens all the time, when she calls. She'll call to tell me something funny, and she'll be laughing on the phone before she can even say hello back to me, and right away, I think of the worst possible scenario . And it's not because I've been watching too many episodes of Criminal Minds; it's because I worry about everything all.the.time. Once I realised that no one I loved was in grave danger, I relaxed. "Dimitry got his first time-out!" she said to me, laughing. My reaction? "Oh, my poor baby!" Followed by: "Oh! My poor baby! Hahahahahahaha!" I couldn't stop laughing at the thought of my child in a time-out. See, we've had it really good so far—our oldest son is the most attentive, most well-behaved child ever in the classroom. Last month, he received...

You know that feeling when you heart is going to burst because you're that happy? And your happiness is a result of seeing your child so happy their heart is about to burst? That's the kind of happiness we experienced this weekend, when we took our son to the Royal Canadian Mint on a tour. Seeing your children happy is the best feeling on earth. It's a million times more amazing than the happiness that comes from a great shopping trip. (Even though a great shopping trip is pretty awesome, too.) My oldest son has four piggy banks and each one holds money for specific things: spending, sharing, saving and schooling. He most recently used some of his 'saving' money and bought his baby niece something when we were in Florida. We spent over an hour looking for the perfect 'something' to gift her with. He often counts his money, while learning about math and the value of a dollar at the same time. We took a tour of the Mint a few years ago, before my five year...

One of the greatest joys of motherhood is watching your children develop into little people, with their very own personalities. I find it fascinating to see the differences—and similarities—between my two boys. I love watching them interact, and play with one another, too. My youngest son is active, determined, smart, funny and absolutely adorable. He always knows how to get his way with his big brown eyes and killer smile. My oldest son is my gentle bookworm. Never-ending questions about science, geography, and the history of the world, he is the inquisitive kid. His latest fascination? Money. And gold. He has started a coin collection, and has learned how to count money; he knows the value of a dollar way more than I do. He also (and this is kind of scary) knows the periodic table of elements. One look at the elements when I was in grade 11 Chemistry, and I was in the guidance office begging to taking another English class. So what does my little Alex P. Keaton five year old ask fo...

After I graduated from university, I moved to Washington D.C. and completed an internship at CBS TV. I was independent and loving life in the most powerful city in the USA. I'd take the subway to work and hang out at the coolest places with my best friend in the evenings. Living essentially alone, I'd have to cook for myself, too, which was new territory for me since this was the first time I was 'on my own'. I know, I lived a pretty sheltered life! As you know, cooking is not my forte. One night in D.C., I was baking cookies and I set off the fire alarm. Moments later, the fire trucks arrived—sirens wailing and all. In walked three cute firemen, and I admitted that I was baking cookies and somehow set off the alarm. Of course, everyone laughed along with me. Or at me? Anyway. That was my cue to exit the kitchen and eat out as much as possible until I moved back home. Lucky for me, I got married shortly after and super lucky for me, my husband is an excellent cook. No...

When I heard that the Marilyn Denis show was looking for moms who can't say 'no' to be on a parenting segment last week, I jumped at the chance. I am that mom - the mom who too easily gives in to her children and the mom who has a hard time saying no. The producer let me know that a camera crew would be at my house the next day, to shoot me and my boys 'in action'. A day after the shoot, I took the train to Toronto and was put up at the InterContinental Hotel. My hotel room was gorgeous, with ceiling to floor windows and amazing views of downtown Toronto, a city I love more and more each time I'm there. Erica and Cora met me for drinks at the hotel bar, and we had a great time chatting it up before I went to bed at 1 am. (My usual bedtime. God, I lack sleep.) Sleeping all by myself in a king-sized bed was heavenly, although I did miss my little one's toes in my face when I woke up at 6 in the morning! I enjoyed a delicious room service breakfast, (thanks ...

There are quite a few things that I'm good at. For instance, I'm good at spending money, shopping, loving my children, and I am the queen of procrastination. I'm also good at getting my way, most of the time. Of course, there are some things I'm not good at, too. I'm not good at cooking, or baking. I'm not good at not worrying. And I'm terrible at saying 'no' to my boys. I've written about this before , and many of you commented that I should start becoming more firm with my children. I appreciated all your comments, truly. However, almost one year later, I'm still not able to really say 'no' to my boys. I do try, it's just... they don't listen, and I give in to their every demand. It's not that my children are really misbehaving - they're wonderful, most of the time - it's me, not being able to say no, and letting them get away with whatever they want. For instance, if we go to Chapters, my youngest son runs st...

I'm so ready for spring and summer. I am in a perpetual state of depression in the winter. I'm actually ready for spring on January 2nd, right after the holidays. One week of swimming in the ocean in sunny Florida, as wonderful as it is, is just not enough for someone like me, someone who loves wearing summer dresses and feeling the warmth of the sun on my skin. While I'm ecstatic that March is here, just looking at the fresh pile of snow outside makes me want to cry. I'm not motivated to work out like I am once the weather starts improving, but I drag myself, knowing that warmer days are ahead. This past week I've been taking care of my children. They've had fevers that lasted almost an entire week, runny noses, and bad coughs. When my children are sick, I operate on autopilot. I worry more than I should, make frequent visits to the doctors office, and turn my bedroom into a nurse's station. I have survived on very little sleep these last few days, and had ...