Pumpkin Walk

I just love this time of year! Sweater weather is my favourite weather, and we get a lot of it here in Newfoundland. (Pretty soon it will be parka, hat, mitts, scarf and snow boot weather, so I am enjoying this while it lasts!)

On the morning of Halloween, Andrew and I spent some time together admiring the beauty of this season. We took a stroll through the grounds of Government House and then Bannerman Park, where the trees were actively shedding their leaves. We were like kids, carefully choosing our steps so not to trample them one minute, then running and loudly stomping through them the next.

Our lives are busy and stressful and there are times that we feel completely overwhelmed with little more to give. We know when we need a time out - a break from the daily challenges of raising three children with complex needs, and though we don't often get much of a break, we did manage to sneak a couple of hours to ourselves among the Halloween parties, trick-or-treating, medical appointments and haunted houses. It doesn't take much. I've said before that just an hour or two together, away from the demands of our busy family, makes a world of difference. We enjoyed the fresh air, the quiet, and the opportunity to focus on each other for a moment. We need days like this to remind us that no matter how challenging life gets, there is an abundance of little pleasures around us to bring us back home.

The following night, Andrew and the children and I returned to Bannerman Park, where the City was hosting its second annual Pumpkin Walk. Residents were encouraged to bring their carved pumpkins to display along the paths of the park, and glow sticks were provided to place inside each pumpkin to light the path. What a wonderful display it was! People really go all out with their pumpkin carving and decorating, and I just love that! To be honest, Halloween is not my favourite occasion, but I do appreciate the way that some people embrace it wholeheartedly and really get into the spirit of the holiday.

The Pumpkin Walk is an earth friendly event, and a great way to dispose of your pumpkin after Halloween as they will be composted for use in future landscaping projects. Our own pumpkin, which was carved a little too early this year and turned to mush on our front step, made its way into a landscaping project when we heaved it out into the woods behind our house about a week before Halloween.

Happy Haunting, everyone!

Halloween Recap

I'm a day late but I wanted to wish you all a Happy Halloween!

We have been enjoying the festivities - visiting the farm and the pumpkin patch, and doing our best to keep up with all that is going on this time of year. It's been a busy couple of weeks for us (not that we are ever not busy), but it seems like there are certain times when everything happens all at once.. and this is one of those times.

We didn't go all out for Halloween this year, as far as decorations and things. We are selling our house, and it didn't seem like spider webs and tombstones would add a lot of curb appeal. I may be wrong, but I didn't want to take any chances. And it looks like I made the right call, because our house is SOLD!  It's great, and we are happy about it, but with a weird sort of jumble of feelings as well. Andrew and I really love this house, and we have spent some of our best years here, but as I've said before, we need more space and it is time to move on. We are here until the end of November, and then will be staying with my parents until our hew home is ready (Thanks Mom and Dad!!).

It is a relief to have this part of the process over with. I have to say, it was quite challenging having to pack up three children and all of their equipment every time there was a scheduled viewing. It would take me a full day to get the house ready each time, cleaning and tidying, hiding medical equipment and filling the cars with mobility devices - wheelchairs, walkers, standing frames, you name it. On top of trying to fit in all of the daily appointments and therapies and home programs for each child, it was just too much. Honestly, I just didn't have time to deal with the house stuff, so I'm glad that part is over with!

Even though we didn't go overboard with the decorations, we did go for it with the costumes!

Considering all that Brennen has been through, and how well he recovered from his spinal surgery earlier this year, we thought this costume was appropriate! What a Champ!! We also had a Super Girl, and a tiny parrot who rocked their costumes and stole all of the attention at the parties we attended.

We went to the Halloween party at Easter Seals on Sunday, which is always such a great time! I just love seeing the little ones all dressed up, and to see how they've grown from year to year. Brennen is one of the 'older kids' now, which I still find so hard to get my head around. He was always one of the youngest in his group, but he is a big boy now! Many of the older kids have moved on and outgrown the Halloween parties, and maybe Brennen only has another year or two, but for now he is still interested and still loves to be a part of the celebrations (and my Mamma heart is going to milk it for all it's worth!)

We trick-or-treated at the Janeway yesterday. Every year the staff and volunteers go over the top with the decorations, treats and costumes, creating a positive, fun environment for patients and their families. Having to spend occasions like this one in the hospital is no fun for anyone, but the Child Life Department at the Janeway ensures that the children get to experience the joy of each holiday while being away from home. Every kid deserves to have fun on Halloween, and it was wonderful to see smiles on the faces of children who are battling some pretty serious illnesses and conditions.

I have to add here that I don't have all happy memories of Halloween at the Janeway. Brennen's First Assessment Clinic day actually fell on Halloween (twelve years ago), and I spent one of the hardest days of my life in an examination room with doctors and therapists who were dressed as pirates - complete with tea leaves on their faces and hooks for hands, telling me for the first time that my child has cerebral palsy. It was bizarre, and uncomfortable, and not entirely appropriate. I have since learned that they no longer hold First Assessment Clinic on Halloween, so I am happy about that!

While trick-or-treating through the hospital yesterday, Andrew and I decided to visit the NICU with our littlest baby boy. He spent several weeks there after he was born, before he was able to come home with us, and we haven't been back there since. The nurses and neonatologist were so excited to see him again! It was an emotional moment for me to see how much love they have for our boy, and how proud they are of how far he has come. I cannot say enough about the incredible staff in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. They provide such high quality care to these precious little babies who fight so hard to be there. I was so happy to be able to go back and show them just how well our boy is doing! It was also a sentimental journey for me, thinking back to how this baby came into our lives. Those early days spent visiting him in the NICU changed me forever, and my memories of that time are the ones I go back to when things are rough and when life feels overwhelming. This was not ever how I imagined that our family would grow, but am I ever glad that we opened our hearts to the possibility of providing a loving home to children who need us the most. We have been through a lot, but adversity has shaped me and made me strong. It’s given me the family and life I have today, and I wouldn't trade this path for any other.

I hope you all had a Happy Halloween!!

-Julie xo

Happy Halloween!

Just a quick post today to wish you all a super safe and happy Halloween!!

Brennen is rocking his Ninja Turtle costume, our teal pumpkin is sitting on our doorstep, and we have our non-food treats ready for tonight! I always love seeing the little ones from the neighbourhood dressed up in their costumes. I never know how many trick-or-treaters to expect, and I am second guessing myself right now thinking I don't have enough stuff, but I'm sure we will be fine!

Andrew and Brennen and I had a great time yesterday at the Halloween party at Easter Seals. There was such a crowd of families, and many new little ones we hadn't met before. So many awesome costumes and even more awesome kiddos. You guys are amazing.

Though this is a fun time of year for most, holidays like Halloween can be challenging for families who have children with special needs.

I want to share with you a wonderful resource created by CanChild. If things such as loud noises, bright lights, crowds, stairs, cold weather, allergies, or food sensitivities are an issue for your child, here is a list of things you can do as a family to make Halloween extra fun! See HERE.

We learned long ago that things don't always go as planned, so I promise you will be doing yourself a favour if you don't put too much pressure on yourself, or on your child this Halloween. Remember to have fun! Things don't have to be perfect to be amazing.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Teal is the New Orange

In 2014, my family participated in the first ever Teal Pumpkin Project. Last year, there was an overwhelming response to the initiative, and this year, we are helping to make the project even bigger and better! We are working to reach families across the country and around the world with the Teal Pumpkin Project’s message of awareness, inclusion and community.

The Teal Pumpkin Project is a worldwide movement to create a safer, happier Halloween for all trick-or-treaters. Though the project was initially intended to benefit those with food allergies, I feel that it also applies to individuals and children dealing with intolerances, sensitivities and disorders that limit what they can consume. Children who may be tube-fed and do not eat by mouth, or who (like Brennen) do eat by mouth but don't chew well. Brennen does not eat candy or chips or any of the other common Halloween treats. He wouldn't know what to do with a lollipop and would probably choke on candy corn.

Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) suggests giving out inexpensive items such as glow sticks, bracelets, pencils, crayons, erasers, bubbles, stickers, bouncy balls, spider rings, etc.. The goal is not to eliminate candy. I will have a selection of the usual Halloween treats available for children who want them (and some for myself!). The aim is to provide an option for non-food treats to ensure that ALL kids have a happy Halloween.

We always enjoy painting a real pumpkin, but it is great to see that you can now find teal pumpkins (like the one Brennen has above) in the Halloween section at Michael's Craft Stores, as well as lots of non-food items that are perfect for little trick-or-treaters!

1 in 13 children are diagnosed with a food allergy. Chances are, in your child's classroom or in your neighbourhood there is more than one family dealing with food allergies or other special dietary restrictions. Please consider participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project! It is a wonderful opportunity to teach children about the importance of inclusion, disability awareness, and food safety. It is not a matter of changing the tradition, it is a matter of making activities like Halloween more inclusive for all children.

To all of you who will be placing a teal pumpkin on your doorstep this year, please know that you are contributing to something that is very important to parents and children with food allergies and other eating restrictions. I am so very grateful for homes like yours that help allow our kids to just be kids and to enjoy the magic of Halloween!

The Changing of the Seasons

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall."  - F. Scott Fitzgerald
 

I think it is safe to say that Fall has officially.. fallen here on the East Coast, and I couldn't be more excited! I love this time of year! The mornings are darker, the afternoons are crisp and the leaves are changing on a daily basis. The temperature is dropping steadily and sweaters are making their way to the front of my closet. It's the season for tights and boots, plaid scarves and wool blankets, and all things brown and orange and cozy and warm.

The turning of leaves is one of the most magical things about living in this part of the world. Life gets so busy, and it can be easy to take it for granted, but I really do enjoy a scenic drive this time of year to marvel at how many different beautiful colours there are in nature. And the smells, and the sounds - there is nothing quite like a crisp Autumn day and that satisfying crunch when you walk through a field of Maples and Oaks, or the way the leaves dance in the air as you kick through piles of them.

We have been enjoying the changing of the seasons. We've been to the farm (a couple of farms, actually). We have selected our pumpkins and they are ready for carving. October seems to be a really busy month for us, with jam-packed schedules and activities, and while the shops seem to have skipped ahead to Christmas already, I am wishing things would slow down just a little. I love this time of year, and I want to be able to enjoy it! It won't be long before there is snow covering the island, and we will be wishing it was 12 degrees again!

This year, we have a brightly painted teal pumpkin on our doorstep, just like we did last year.
It's part of the Teal Pumpkin Project. You can read about it here - http://www.throughthetulips.ca/2014/10/the-teal-pumpkin-project.html

Offering a selection of non-candy treats is a wonderful way to make sure that ALL children have a Happy Halloween!

The Teal Pumpkin Project

We are ready for Halloween over here! We've visited the pumpkin patch at Lester's Farm. We've made our way through the corn maze, and we've selected the biggest, roundest pumpkin to call our own.

I love Halloween - the frenzy of festivities, planning parties, dressing up.. I'm all over it!  Brennen has had some awesome costumes over the years. Let's see if I can get all nine: a zebra, a frog prince, an astronaut, a ninja, a pirate, a silly monster, a mummy, a firefighter, and Superman!

We celebrate this holiday (as we do most holidays), a little differently than most families. I don't take Brennen trick-or-treating around our neighbourhood. We will dress up and visit some family and a few close friends, but the truth is that most houses are not accessible, having more than a few steps to the front door. It is just not possible for Brennen to get to the doors to knock for treats. Then, of course, is the fact that even if he got the treats, he wouldn't be able to enjoy them.

Kids with special needs can feel very left out on the holidays.

As a parent of a child with a disability, I have an underlying pain in my heart seeing other children Brennen's age so easily having fun. Events like these have a way of forcing you to see how different your own child is in comparison to everyone else, and how hard they have to fight to be included.

This year, we are trying something new! We have a beautifully painted teal pumpkin sitting on our front step! Not because it's a cool Pinterest fad - though if I had to choose a favourite colour, it would probably be this one. We are participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project!

Just this year, FARE (Food Allergies Research and Education) launched the Teal Pumpkin Project in hopes of starting a new Halloween tradition, and I absolutely love the idea!

"This Halloween, FARE is encouraging communities to start a new tradition that will help make this holiday season less scary for children with food allergies: the Teal Pumpkin Project. This campaign encourages people to raise awareness of food allergies by providing non-food treats for trick-or-treaters and painting a pumpkin teal - the color of food allergy awareness - to place in front of their house along with a free printable sign from FARE to indicate they have non-food treats available."

Though the project was initially intended to benefit those with food allergies, I feel that it also applies to individuals and children dealing with intolerances, sensitivities and disorders that limit what they can consume. Children who may be tube-fed and do not eat by mouth, or who (like Brennen) do eat by mouth but don't chew well. Brennen does not eat candy or chips or any of the other common Halloween treats. He wouldn't know what to do with a lollipop and would probably choke on candy corn.

The organization suggests giving out inexpensive items such as glow sticks, bracelets, pencils, crayons, erasers, bubbles, stickers, bouncy balls, spider rings, etc.. all of which can be found in a Halloween theme at dollar stores. Actually, I found a whole bunch of cool things at Target! (I love Target!)

The goal is not to eliminate candy. I will have a selection of the usual Halloween treats available for children who want them (and some for myself!). The aim is to provide an option for non-food treats to ensure that ALL kids have a happy Halloween.

1 in 13 children are diagnosed with a food allergy. Chances are, in your child's classroom or in your neighbourhood there is more than one family dealing with food allergies or other special dietary restrictions. Please consider participating in the Teal Pumpkin Project! It is a wonderful opportunity to teach children about the importance of inclusion, disability awareness, and food safety. It is not a matter of changing the tradition, it is a matter of making activities like Halloween more inclusive for all children. 

Now, if we could do something about those stairs..

Have a Safe and Happy Halloween! 

 

 #TealPumpkinProject