Combating holes in my teeth with fudge!

by Lara on May 16, 2012

It’s a good thing I really liked milk as a kid so theoretically had a good store of calcium because MAN, the last few years have NOT been good for my calcium intake.

I finally plucked up the courage to go to the dentist a few months ago after over three years away. Turns out, growing twins in my body and then nursing them for two years afterwards, especially in combination with my year off dairy for their intolerances… not so good for my teeth. She found six cavities.  Admittedly some were old fillings that were failing, and some were between teeth so more like one cavity in a bad spot, but still. That’s a lot of cavities… my teeth are not strong enough, those twins literally sucked the calcium right out of me!

FACT: Pregnant and lactating women need 1000 mg calcium/day. (the kicker? I knew this because my mom told me, I just never got around to taking the horse pills she kept bringing me)

They look cute - but they are CALCIUM VAMPIRES

As usual, my Swiss Naturals partnership has been timely so as I get the news about all these cavities a package arrives in the mail with fudgey calcium chews. Genius! I can leave them at my desk and eat them, they’re yummy, and I don’t even have to get up to get a glass of water or swallow some ginormous ucky pill. (fact: I just ate one of the fudge calcium chews now. Candy in the morning people, candy in the morning)

The good news – one root canal and about 6 dentist appointments down, only 2 to go.  I think I’m going to get another fudge, I clearly can use two a day, right?

What do you do to ensure you get enough calcium?

This post is sponsored by Swiss Naturals and they provided the product. The opinions are (clearly) my own. Gnom gnom gnom.

{ 3 comments }

My 7 super shots!

by Lara on April 24, 2012

Pam challenged me to take part in this meme by Hostel Bookers (and btw – the social media consultant in me says “way to go Hostel Bookers for getting people to your site and linking to you with this pull at your heart strings meme  - clever! :)  I’m so glad I started to do it because it had me looking at photos I haven’t looked at in a really long time, and it was a pleasure walking down memory lane.

 

Takes my breath away

My husband and the love he has for our children. I captured one of many of these moments and every time I see it makes me smile. I had it blown up and turned into a canvas print for our living room even!
365:11 E & Q

Makes me laugh/smile

This girl makes me laugh and smile every day – how could she not with so much personality?
365: 30 Juliette's reading glasses

Makes me dream

Sitting in a field of grass at the family farm… brings to mind hope and dreams of the carefree days of childhood.
89 : 365
Makes me think

I am not religious but this church near Almonte spoke to me. For its beauty, its serenity and its history.
61:365 Auld Kirk
Makes my mouth water 

Eric and I spent our 5th wedding anniversary at Atelier Restaurant.  Best meal I ever ate. drool.
103 : 365

Tells a story 

I was once a history major – did you know that? I love all stories, your stories, my friends’ stories, and stories of the past. There is lots of history and stories in our city – the ByWard Market has little gems to discover as you wander through it.
Tin house

My National Geographics shot

This photo is what inspired me to take on my first 365. I didn’t complete it, but I got to almost 200 which was pretty impressive.  Looking at it almost makes me want to try again :)

1:365 Angry Cardinal

So now I challenge my 5 to dig through old photos and to share some snippets of who you are through photos!  If I didn’t tag you – do it anyways and leave a comment – ok? :)

Amy 

Vicky

Karen

Ali

Jordan

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School

by Lara on April 23, 2012

This morning Kiernan didn’t want to go to school.  He admittedly had a bit of a cough but I think he just didn’t feel like going to school.  I told him he could stay home, but he’d have to go back to bed – and no Wii.  This was very upsetting to him, indicating to me that he would have just liked to have stayed home and played Mario all day (or watched Eric play).

Me and school

This had me thinking about my academic career, and how often I was absent throughout it. I think I was known for being the absent kid as far back as early elementary school.  My parents had to try to come up with criteria for what qualified as sick – fevers, throwing up, etc.  I would try to fake them regularly or just refuse to get up and go.

I hated school. I never felt like I fit in. I felt lonely. I was teased/bullied in elementary school and managed to be mostly invisible in high school.

I had wonderful friends, but not enough to make school anything more than barely tolerable. I was smart enough to pass without making much effort and while missing a lot of school, but not enough to get particularly good grades doing it.

My dreams for the future

I wish I knew how to make sure my own kids have a better school experience than I did. I know I need to let them lead their own lives and figure out their own paths but here is what I wish for them:

- That they feel self confident enough to stand tall and proud and let everyone see how amazing they are;

- That they feel they can tell me/us when things aren’t going well so I can do my best to help improve the situation;

- That bullying really is taken more seriously now so that if other kids are mean to them and they report it to the teachers or monitors, they are taken seriously and not told to buck up;

- That they are lucky enough to find as amazing friends as I had – ones that last a lifetime.

I plan to let them stay home when they’re sick, and sometimes when they just need a day off. I plan to help them learn and prosper. And man do I hope I can make sure that the reasons they don’t want to go to school are no more serious than they would rather be playing Super Mario Galaxy 2! :)

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Worst parents in the world

by Lara on April 16, 2012

Eric and I try, we do, but we are told loud and clear on a daily basis many of our parenting tactics are AWFUL.  ATROCIOUS! DEFINITELY worth total meltdowns about.

Example #1

Juliette wanted a banana.

Mommy mistakenly thinks Juliette couldn’t start peeling the banana so opened the top, making certain not to peel the entire thing because she would likely want to peel it herself.

Juliette freaks out because she wanted to peel the banana. Throws the banana to the ground. Insists a new banana be procured immediately. This banana is ruined.

Mommy eats the banana.

Juliette LOSES HER MIND because Mommy ate HER banana.

Mommy gives in and gets Juliette a new banana and hands it to her.

Juliette hands the banana back two minutes later and asks Mommy to help – she can’t get the banana started on her own.

Example #2

We have ridiculous rules about furniture.

Quinn, please don’t lie sideways across your chair and Juliette’s chair during dinner, you have to sit.

Quinn, please don’t stand on one foot on the top of your footboard leaning into your dresser to get PJs from the top drawer.

Quinn, don’t lean over the edge of that head first… remember when you fell in the lake in April!?

Response: screech, flail, howl and bemoan terrible parents he was shackled with.

Example 3:

Kiernan has become of fan of the Wii – specifically Super Mario Galaxy.

Some days, he’s only allowed to play one level. It took him 50 attempts to get one level, but then we made him stop when it was past his bedtime and he only got to play that and a little bit of iPad and watch tv for a bit that day.

WE SUCK!!

Have I mentioned it’s a good thing they’re so cute? :)

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Probioticking myself through a tooth infection

April 15, 2012

I’ve been really thrilled with the partnership I’ve built with Swiss Naturals this last year – it was perfect timing as I was seeking the push to really understand and start being proactive with supplements I could take to make me feel healthier. The problem Two months ago I visited the dentist for the first [...]

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Easter in pictures

April 10, 2012
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Ears, noses and throats – oh my

April 7, 2012

I’ve been having a hard time hearing lately – especially in crowds. Although some of this can be blamed on getting older, apparently going hard of hearing at 35 is a BIT young. I talked to my doctor about it and also explained that my ears always feel wet. You know – that feeling where [...]

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March Madness

April 2, 2012

March was not a fun month.  The stomach flu hit everyone but Eric, and all of the kids twice. If we set aside the fact that I was VIOLENTLY ill (it’s like this virus inserted a devil spawn soundtrack into my body to play during the worst parts) and just look at what the parents [...]

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Write Lara, write!

March 27, 2012

As I lay in bed this morning trying to ignore the ache in my jaw from yesterday’s root canal I started about ten different blog posts in my head.  These got added to the list of the 3-5 posts I start daily in my head that never make it to the light of my screen. [...]

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Seeking Charming Young Female

March 8, 2012

I’ve been very fortunate in my life.  I have a mother who is strong and loving and has always been there 100% for me. I have made relationships with women, significantly older than me women, who became my friends. The combination of having strong and supportive adults in my life throughout the years has made [...]

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