Loulou's views

I am getting so excited for Christmas, and all the fun that comes with it—especially getting the chance to spend some quality time with my children, who will be home from school for two weeks. Actually, this year, the break goes until January 9th, meaning that although we'll be busy right up until Christmas Day, we'll definitely need to find some things to do to occupy ourselves during the long break from school, without going stir-crazy. From getting together with friends and family, to lots of play time in the great (and freezing!) outdoors, we'll be happily entertained—but I know eventually I'll hear the dreaded:  "Mom... I'm bored!" Thankfully, we're set up with Netflix, and that means countless hours of entertainment, from the warmth of our home. My boys love selecting shows and movies to watch on Netflix, and I love the great variety of programming that Netflix has for all its viewers, young and... not so young. On December 23rd, Netflix and ...

Parenthood. We're in it together. When I was a new mom, I was thankful for my support group: my family, my friends, and my online community. It was comforting knowing that no matter the time of day or night, there was always someone there who would listen to me. It's important that we're not only equipped with a great support system, but also, with the tools and resources we need to help us get through whatever issue we're dealing with on the journey of parenthood. With most things in life, this is something you should keep in mind: This, too, shall pass. Here's an issue that my family experienced a few years ago, and when I reached out to friends, I was surprised to hear that they, too, had experienced this with their children: bedwetting. Yup. It's a common, yet unpleasant, part of life. The truth is, you're not alone if you're going through a bedwetting phase with your child once they are over four years old—it's actually way more common...

Although I have school-aged children, I remember my days of being a student vividly. I remember the friends I had, what subjects I loved best, and the special teachers who helped me become the person I am today. It seems like yesterday I was a student in school, and now, my children are students themselves—in grade two and grade five. The years go by quicker than I ever imagined possible, and from the moment my oldest went to kindergarten I wanted my kids' experience in school to be a positive one, despite the occasional first-day-of-school-tears. As a mom, it's important for me to know that at the end of a long school day, it was a good one for my boys. The first day my oldest son started school was rough for me and for him. He cried, and didn't want to leave me. And I cried because I felt the same way! It was because of his loving, patient, and caring teacher that I was able to let go—and it was because of her that he thrived from the first day of school...

The shift from summer to fall happened quickly, and now it's already October. (What?) Summer was, of course, beautiful. Many new memories were made for our family, from tennis camp to a month-long vacation to Greece. I almost didn't want summer to end, but, of course, all good things must come to an end—and all endings lead to new beginnings. My children started school—grade five and grade two—(what!) last month, and we have quickly settling into new routines, after-school activities like swimming and tennis, and weekend getaways, for fun. It's scary how quickly time goes by—and how quickly kids grow up. I've got to say, time has been moving way faster than I ever thought possible. That's why I think it's important to really, really cherish every moment. Quality time with the family is the most important thing in the world to me, and I love celebrating the little things. Fall is a great time take in the beauty that surrounds us, and to celebrate those litt...

Parenting is always an adventure, no matter how old the children are, and even every day activities—like a visit to the grocery store—can lead to unexpected adventures. (Like the time I walked out of the grocery store with my children only to notice my car was being driven away by a stranger!) No matter what, though, we make the best of any crazy situation. Whether we're on vacation or spending a quiet night at home watching shows on Netflix, we're having fun together making new memories. Now that my boys are older, there are more movies and television shows we can enjoy watching together, including movies that I remember loving when I was a child, like Annie and The Gooni es. I was excited to see that The Goonies is playing on Netflix right now—and so were my boys, because of course, they love this movie as much as you'd expect they would. It's a classic, after all. My boys also love How to Train Your Dragon, and they are looking forward to watching the all-new...

We're over the excitement and craziness of the holidays, and we've settled back into our daily routine quite nicely. Despite the freezing cold temperatures we've been dealt, I'm thankful for our daily routine. After school, although we're busy with activities and tennis lessons and Cubs, I always find time to spend quality time with my boys, so we can talk about our day, and truly connect. I cherish every moment—truly. I miss my boys when they were toddlers and young children; but now, it's an entirely new world of fun. I love seeing and learning about the things they are interested in; reading, writing, building LEGO, playing Mario Kart and Minecraft and spending time on their iPads actually playing educational games and learning while they're online. My oldest son is devoted to science and math; my youngest son loves to use his imagination with play, writing, and creating. They are very different, and yet similar in many ways; for example, they both love...

September went by in the blink of an eye and now we're settled into a routine with school, work, extra-curricular activities, play dates, volunteering and more. As busy as our lives are, we always try to eat dinner together as a family—either at home, or at my parents or in-laws' homes. Coming from Greek families, we're thankful that we're always well-fed with good home-cooked meals. (I'm especially thankful for the help we get because I don't love to cook and I like avoiding kitchen disasters!) We like to take the kids out for dinner, too, because it's a nice treat. We take our boys everywhere—no restaurant is off-limits, and we like to mix things up. However, we do love eating at Boston Pizza because it's close to home, the food is good, and it's a great place to bring the kids. I also love how much Boston Pizza does to give back to the community and schools. Boston Pizza has, for as long as I can remember, partnered with area schools (including...

Summer is my favourite time of the year, and I can't believe it's almost over! I know it's July, but still—once August hits, it's really going to feel like back-to-school time, which is crazy. I don't know about you, but we're making the most of summer. We just returned from a three week vacation to beautiful Greece, and it was a wonderful vacation. Now we're home, they boys are adjusting to camp (bike and science camp coming up!) and we're visiting our favourite museums, taking day trips to Montreal, and swimming almost every single day. Of course, if your children are anything like mine, they have endless amounts of energy, so no matter how packed our days are, we come home and they still have energy to burn! Although I encourage my boys to be as active as possible, especially when it's nice out, I love when they play with their toys, and use their imagination, indoors. My boys are huge fans of KRE-O and LEGO, and when their new KRE-O Transformer: ...

As a mom of two boys, I do my best every day to make sure my children are eating well and staying active. Their health and well-being is my number one priority. On occasion, I take my boys to McDonald's for a treat, because every once in a while, a Happy Meal is totally okay with me. (Especially since there are healthier options like apple slices and yogurt.) Here is some good news I'm happy to share with you about McDonald's: right now, Happy Meals will be coming with a new softcover book, until November 14th. After this, a new digital book will be released every month, available using the McPlay App. The books can also be found on HappyMeal.com. I love seeing my boys read, and love stocking up on new books for them and filling their home library. The four books that can be found in Happy Meals right now are: The Goat Who Ate Everything: This softcover book is about a goat who has a big appetite and struggles to eat smart. But when he does, he feels great and bec...

Thanks to The Bully Project for sponsoring my writing. Visit their website to join the movement and learn more. As a mom, I worry a lot about my children. It seems the worrying doesn't go away, ever. I remember when I was a new mom I thought sleepness nights and constant diaper changes were going to be the hardest part of motherhood. As my children grow, I realize that each stage brings new challenges. My oldest son is in grade one, and he loves school. He has great friends, wonderful teachers, and happily looks forward to school every day. I literally have to drag him home after school, after he's played with friends on the school yard for almost an hour every day. It is wonderful to see his innocence and happiness, and I hope it will always be this good for him, and for my youngest son. I'm sure they'll have rough patches like all children do throughout their childhood and teenage years, but I pray that they never experience being bullied. When I was in midd...

As a mom, I find reasons to celebrate every single day. I'm a v ery enthusiastic person, to say the least. I started doing a happy dance complete with jazz hands the first time my oldest son wrote his name by himself. I'm the loudest cheerleader at my children's swimming lessons, or when I'm watching my son play soccer. "YOU KICKED THE BALL! IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION! GOOOOOO CHRISTOS!" Yeah, you could say I'm overly enthusiastic and always in the mood to celebrate my children's little—and big—victories. I am always proud of my children. Well, except when they say bad words in public, really loudly, or throw epic temper-tantrums in the grocery store. At times like those, I don't feel much like celebrating. At times like those , I want to to disappear into a black hole. But I digress... We're talking about celebrating, right? Here's a reason to celebrate: I've been selected to work with Mom Central Canada as part of t...

Motherhood is a million different emotions exposed every single day. Motherhood is letting your toddler use your dress as a Kleenex, and being okay with the fact that you're walking around in public very stained. Motherhood is reading 10 books at 10:30 p.m. to a three year old who will not fall asleep, no matter what. Motherhood is saving the last bite for your child. Motherhood is trading your awesome French Vanilla ice cream (sigh) for the Superkid flavour. Motherhood is sliding down a metal slide in a too short dress and feeling the burn, just because it makes your child laugh. Motherhood is sleeping only five hours a night for over five years, and not even caring anymore. Motherhood is waking up in a panicked state, remembering the school bake sale the next day. Motherhood, in turn, is baking cupcakes at midnight. Motherhood is sharing a knowing look with your child, and receiving smiles that melt your heart over and over again. Motherhood is grinning and ...