Petit Mail

With so much of our time focused on technology these days, I love getting good old-fashioned paper mail. And when the majority of our mail is comprised of bills, bank statements and medical appointment reminders, it is exciting to find a brightly coloured, fun looking envelope sticking out of the pile!

We recently discovered Petit Mail - a kids story postcard subscription created and written right here in Newfoundland by local mom and entrepreneur, Alison Butler. Alison created Petit Mail with her own kids in mind, after noticing how her young daughter loved going with her to their community mailbox. She wanted to give her the excitement of finding a piece of mail with her own name written on it. Learn more about Alison and the story behind Petit Mail story postcards here.

Petit Mail is a fun way to introduce a new generation to the joy of snail mail. Every month, your Petit Mail story postcard arrives in your mailbox in a bright, colourful envelope, addressed by hand with your child’s first name. Brennen was pretty excited to receive his!

Each Petit Mail story postcard has a different theme, such as: art, writing, science, engineering, nature, reading, and imaginative play, all at an age-appropriate level. We were excited to receive several themes to try this month!

Brennen and I enjoy making art, so I was thrilled to find 'Oliver Explores Art' in his envelope. We read the postcard, then used the tips on the back to dive right in and make some art together!

All kids love to use their imaginations and create something new with their own hands. Some kids, like Brennen, need extra help to do so but it is just as important for him to be creative as it is for anyone else. Art fosters sensory perception, offers children a chance to experiment, create and build. It strengthens their ability to think and make decisions, and helps children make sense of the world around them. And art is fun! Children have a natural tendency to create, and as always, with children’s art activities (certainly at our house) it is more about the process than the final product.

I love that Petit Mail encourages a parent and child to spend quality time together, and offers you suggestions of new and unique ways to spend that time with your child. As a Mom, I always harbor a bit of guilt, thinking I could be doing more. There is always too much to do and not enough time to do it, and the reality of life with jobs and families and infinite responsibilities is that we must prioritize and make time for what is most important. For me, that is my children. Spending precious time with Brennen is at the top of my list. It can be tough at times to connect and engage with him, but I will continue to make efforts to find ways to nurture our relationship, because it is the most valuable part of my life.

Thanks to Alison at Petit Mail for creating such a high quality subscription service that offers so much in one little envelope.

Our next story postcard is 'Milo Loves Reading'. We love reading together, and we love to visit our local library, so this one should be fun!!

Alison has also recently created a Preschool Kids Reading Club on Facebook where parents can share book ideas and recommendations specifically for preschoolers and early readers. Learn more about that HERE!

Diversity of Living Things - We Met a Sloth!

So often on this blog, and in my life, I find myself talking about diversity and the variety of differences that exist among us. I write about diversity in our community, and with the children in our lives, I talk about diversity regularly. With regards to my son, Brennen, I explain that he has something called cerebral palsy - it is part of who he is, and part of what makes him unique. As a family, we celebrate differences, and we appreciate the many things that make us all special.

This weekend, we were talking about a different kind of diversity - the diversity of living things!

Little Ray's Reptile Zoo was in town with their team from Animal Ambassadors to showcase their most comprehensive exhibit to date. This amazing interactive and educational exhibit featured over 30 live animal exhibits for people to enjoy at their leisure, two highly interactive 30-minute educational programs, and boat loads of staff with animals out for people to interact with in a family-friendly, hands-on environment.

I was thrilled to learn that there would be a special time on Saturday morning for special needs families! The staff and organizers of Little Ray's Reptile Zoo recognize that many families have children with special needs who could benefit greatly from events like these, however, may not be able to attend as they may not do well in crowds. They opened an hour early for us on Saturday, and we were happy to be able to enjoy the exhibits before the crowds arrived.

Brennen had no fear and liked touching the soft scales of the snakes. The bearded dragon was a favourite as well!

The staff were super friendly and helpful, bringing the animals right to us for a closer look. 

They answered our questions and had lots of information about the animals that they were eager to share.

OMG, the tarantula. I wouldn't dare touch it, but Brennen was brave and let it climb onto his hand.

The staff explained where many of the animals in the exhibit came from, noting that this dwarf caiman alligator was rescued from a pet store, where it was discovered that he was being kept in a small container in the back room. His growth was stunted as a result, but he is now healthy and happy to be part of the show. (The tape around his mouth was for precaution only, as he is very friendly and doesn't bite. They use electrical tape because it doesn't stick to skin and doesn't hurt him in any way).

They talked to the children about how to safely care for animals as pets. All too often, people don't think about the serious commitment that is required when they bring an animal home. Little Ray's sees a large number of turtles surrendered because people don't realize how long they will live or how big they will get. Many species of turtle can live to be over 80 years old!

The feature attraction was a young, two-toed sloth named Linus. He was very sweet. He even bent over backwards to see Brennen!

We had a great time with the animals at Little Ray's Reptile Zoo and Nature Centre. There were so many wonderful learning opportunities, and we were happy to see some of our friends there as well. Thanks to the staff for sharing your love of animals with us, and for helping us learn about some of the exotic creatures we share this world with.

If there is one thing we know for sure, it's that our communities thrive on diversity - both in it's animals and in it's people. We celebrate that diversity every day, practicing openness and appreciating each other's differences. Raising children in a way that focuses their attention on what is similar between themselves and others over what is different, helps to get them in the habit of treating all living things with respect and kindness.

"Little Ray's Reptiles Zoo is the largest exotic animal rescue in Canada and provides sanctuary for 100's of seized and unwanted pets until the best long term solutions can be found. About 80% of the animals in our care are unwanted pets or seized animals and we do not take animals from the wild to utilize in these programs. We do have some animals that were born at our facility or other facilities in Canada but 100% of the animals we receive calls about that are eligible to be released are released 100% of the time. Other animals in our care that are appropriate for programs such as these are utilized for fun, thought provoking, educational programs promoting responsible pet ownership and conservation."

For more info on Little Ray's Reptile Zoo please visit: www.raysreptiles.com

Hiking the Sugarloaf Path

A little life update -

I feel like I haven't been posting here as often as I used to, and it's not for lack of things to write about, but because I have been super busy with all of life's adventures! We are finally (somewhat) settled in our new home, and it is lovely! We are thrilled to have our own space again, and to be able to make this beautiful new house our home. I will share pictures here as soon as I can - once we get a little more organized and finish unpacking the last of the boxes. There are still a few projects to be completed and personal touches to add, but things are coming together nicely!

We have had some major transitions in our family over the last couple of months. Our journey as foster carers is ever evolving, and we are learning to roll with what comes our way. Andrew and I have been through what was possibly the most emotionally draining period in our lives since we've been together, and it tested our strength as foster parents (and as people in general!), but we came through it stronger than ever. After 14 months of being his parents, our littlest babe has found his forever family. Our hearts were broken, but we are so happy for him, and we take comfort in knowing that we gave him the best possible life while he was with us. For Andrew and I, getting to spend that precious time with him was one of the greatest joys of our lives.

Since then (just a couple of weeks ago), we have welcomed another young person into our home. It's been a wild ride, and we are all still in the adjustment phase, getting to know each other, and learning how we can best support each other. We are being tested, as we knew we would be, but we are confident in our abilities to love and support this child in all the ways that he needs us most.

Andrew and I had a rare few hours to ourselves today, and the sun was shining, so we were excited to head out on the trails!

The Sugarloaf Path is part of the East Coast Trail that links St. John's to Logy Bay. We picked up the trail just minutes from our house, at Memorial University's Ocean Science Centre. It was a super nice day, but the wind was something fierce! There were several points on the trail that we thought we were actually going to blow off the cliff and into the ocean. (Not cool).

Here are some photos from our hike today!

We are so thankful for days like these. We NEED them. As often as people tell us that we should take time for ourselves, it rarely happens. It's nearly impossible. There are three children who depend on us, and that's ok. It's more than ok. But getting to spend the day outdoors together, alone, doing something that we love, in the peace and beauty of nature is exactly the recharge that we needed to keep going.

Thank you all for following along in our journey. Here's hoping for more sunshiny days ahead!

Janeway Imagine Squad

Anyone who knows my family knows that we spend a great deal of time at the Janeway. With Brennen's surgeries (see HERE and HERE), regular therapy sessions and specialist appointments (in addition to caring for other children who have significant medical needs), we have become frequent fliers of our local children's hospital.

I have written many times about our connection to the Janeway (ie. HERE and HERE), and am always happy to share our experiences and to give thanks to the wonderful medical staff who have cared so well for my family. 

A couple of months ago, I received a lovely phone call from our dear friends at the Janeway Children's Hospital Foundation, asking if Brennen would be interested in being part of the Janeway Imagine Squad.

Of course, we said YES! 

The Imagine Squad aims to highlight the power of imagination, and features several Janeway kids pretending to interact with their imagination, represented through illustrations that were added to the photos afterwards. I was so excited when we got the call! I know how creative young minds can be, and how their curiosity drives them to explore their world and learn about everything around them. This creativity can be dampened when children are sick, or must spend endless days in a hospital bed. Every child's imagination needs to be stimulated, and when children are unwell or are going through a tough time, the bad stuff needs to be balanced with good experiences and positive images so that they can escape in their minds into a fascinating alternative world. The ability to move from reality to fantasy and back again comes easy to children, and this ability to lose yourself into another world is an asset when the real world can be difficult or depressing.

Sara Rostotski was the official photographer for this campaign and the creative team at The Idea Factory brought the images to life!

Many of the photos taken during this shoot will assist in building awareness of how important the Janeway Children's Health and Rehabilitation Hospital is to all of our province's children.

Here is Brennen, imagining himself floating through outer space - weightless and free from the constraints of his wheelchair. There is no pressure on his body or pain in his joints from continuous sitting. He is ready for all sorts of fun space adventures!

Adorable Asha and Kaleb are also part of the Imagine Squad. Each child has their own Janeway story and we are excited for you to see them in the coming weeks leading up to the Telethon.

Keep an eye out for these images on billboards and in print media around town, and make sure you tune in to the Telethon on June 2nd and 3rd to witness the real impact the Janeway has on the lives of so many children in our province. Just imagine what your donations can do!

Jooay: Connecting Children and Youth with Disabilities to Leisure

This past September, I attended a Brainstorming Event: "Working Together to Promote Participation", held in Montreal (see HERE). Our discussion focused on the best ways to promote leisure participation of children with disabilities and to engage families in the community.

The meeting was hosted by the Jooay Team, lead by Dr. Keiko Shikako-Thomas, Canada Research Chair and Assistant Professor at the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy of McGill.

"Participating in sports and other leisure activities is an important part of childhood development; however, accessing appropriate activities and information is a challenge for children with disabilities. We created "Jooay", a mobile and web-based app, to provide families with information about appropriate leisure activities available in communities across Canada."

The Jooay App was launched in Spring 2015 to overcome the lack of access to information about inclusive leisure activities, and to create an online community of support through a mobile-health solution. Jooay is an App where parents, youth and other users can exchange information, rate and comment on activities, creating a community and building networks around adapted and inclusive leisure opportunities.

Participation in sports and other leisure activities is critical to the physical and mental health of all children, and essential to their social development. However, it has been found that engagement in leisure activities is low for children with disabilities compared to peers of the same age, both in terms of frequency of participation and diversity of recreational activities in which they partake. Families, healthcare professionals and educators have indicated that the lack of information about existing resources is a significant barrier to children’s participation and that a peer mentorship program could help facilitate this process. To address this issue, the Jooay App was created by Dr. Keiko Shikako-Thomas and Dr. Annette Majnemer, faculty members at the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy at McGill University.

I believe that participating in recreation and leisure activities is important to all individuals, regardless of ability. It is not only important in maintaining fitness, but it is also a means through which people have fun, meet new friends, and develop skills and competencies. As a parent of two children with disabilities, I also know how challenging it can be to find activities that allow my children to get involved and have fun. My son, Brennen has been involved in a number of adapted recreational programs over the years, and while our goal, always, is to provide him with meaningful life experiences and encourage social interaction, having him involved in sport and other extracurricular activities has increased the quality of life for our whole family.

I am now the Jooay Ambassador for Newfoundland and Labrador, and will be working collaboratively with the Jooay Team to help identify adapted leisure activities, to provide information about Jooay and adapted activities to children and families in our region, and to actively help promote participation for children and youth with disabilities across Canada.

Please contact me if you would like more information on the Jooay App, or if you know of an inclusive or adapted activity that can be added to our database. I would love to hear from you!

This project is part of the Child-Bright Network: A Canada-wide, patient-centered research initiative, including 12 research projects to improve the life conditions of children and youth with brain-based disabilities and their families.

Jooay is part of the Childhood Disability LINK community.

The Great Accessible Egg Hunt

It seems like everyone in the world is talking about Spring, excited about it's warm temperatures and pastel colours, bright sun, blue skies, t-shirts and tennis shoes. Here in Newfoundland, Spring is not really a season that we have. It's still freezing cold outside, and we'll be wearing winter coats and boots for another few weeks yet. We typically have snow storms well into Spring, and while the past few days have been pretty decent, we are not out of the woods yet. Seeing the stores full of gardening supplies, sun hats and open-toed shoes is just a tease, but it makes me hopeful that warmer temperatures might eventually come our way.

I do love all things Easter, however - the chocolate bunnies and Whopper eggs, crisp white dresses, fresh tulips and lilies, and cheap plastic eggs with tiny toys inside. I love that crap.

When Brennen was younger, I never really made a big deal about Easter. I mean, I would put together a basket for him, filled with peeps and kinder eggs, but I knew that he couldn't open them, couldn't eat them, and couldn't play with the toys inside. Brennen wouldn't look for his Easter basket, or hunt for eggs. He wasn't able to, and there was a sting to that, like I was being robbed of one of the joys of parenting that everyone else was taking pleasure in. It was an expectation of mine - just one of the many ideals that were woven throughout everything I thought I would get to enjoy with my child when I became a mother, and it was hard to accept that some things were just not going to go as planned for us.  

It took me a while (..years) to understand that having a child who experienced the world differently would also cause me to experience things differently, to expect differently, to process and perceive the world differently, but once I came to that realization, everything seemed to make sense. I settled into my role as a "Special Needs Mom", and began to flourish right along with my child.

This weekend, we took our kiddos to an Accessible Easter Egg Hunt at the Manuels River Interpretation Centre. This very special egg hunt was designed specifically for children with mobility challenges, and of course, was open to their families and siblings. Easter eggs were hidden along the trail at various heights and levels, some with balloons tied to them so they were easy to find!

This was our second year doing the Accessible Egg Hunt, and we had such a great time! The trails are hard packed and well groomed, making it easy to push a stroller or wheelchair, and the staff of the Interpretation Centre were super enthusiastic and excited to make this the best day ever. We especially appreciate the time and effort that went into ensuring that this was an enjoyable day for all families! 

Here are some photos of our Easter Egg Hunt!

Happy Easter from our family to yours! However you celebrate, I hope everyone has a beautiful weekend with the ones you love!