Canadian Moms & Moms to be!

[Maggs]

Hi Luna!

Melissa...I'm like that all the time now. Usually jeans and a ponytail. My poor husband.

I was sleeping while you all were chatting last night

 

[BrandiCanucks]

Wow, you ladies are sure making up for lost time, lol.

Congratulations on all the new babies I've missed coming along.

Crappy weather out today. Kids' bus comes in half an hour and I'm debating on a snow day for them or not, cuz our school board sucks and doesn't care about student and staff safety. They cancelled one Zone, but not another that is country roads, and the snow's coming down fast and furiously now. They didn't cancel in the -45 degree weather, cancelled on a beautiful day, and then didn't cancel in the middle of a snow storm where the bus drivers were half an hour late, slipping, sliding, and trying to reach the board that they needed to cancel afternoon busses because the roads were pure ice and not safe. They still didn't cancel.

 

[Tiff]

Ugh. Sleep is the bane of my existence We finally ended up caving and put Claire on melatonin as she was only getting around 3-4 hours straight sleep a night. I suppose its common with kids on the spectrum but I reeeeeally wanted to avoid any type of supplement. Its working though, instead of her screaming and crying for 2 hours, sleeping for 3-4 then up for the rest of the time she's falling asleep right away. Her mood has really improved as well, we started it about a week ago and only had one meltdown (last night) since then. Huzzah!

Now I'm curious about your birthstory Luna! Will have to check it out! My cousins used to live in Surrey!

Glad you're back to posting Wendy!

We've had so many snow days here Brandi. Our board did cancel when it was the super cold day, and its fairly snowing right now but didn't cancel. Thank god, Claire neeeeeeded to go to school today.

 

[sun]

Melissa - Glad to hear that being a mum of 3 isn't too much so far. And since I'm already that frumpy mama who never wears makeup or non-comfy clothes, I'm already prepared! A bit worried about those first 6 months though - we just started our own business in the fall and with both kids sleeping pretty well, we're not looking forward to getting woken up every few hours again!

Brandi - We've had some weird closures too. One day last week it was really bad but the buses were running, then a few weeks before they weren't and the roads were easily driveable in the am then plowed by the pm. Here they have 2 school starting times so they don't need as many buses, so I think they have to guess a little. Last week it wasn't bad until about 8:00am - then it got crazy!

 

[BrandiCanucks]

That's what happened with us. The really cold day, they stayed open, despite every school board around us closing, even the colleges about an hour from us were closing! We were pretty much LITERALLY the only board open. The Board was HOUNDED with angry phone calls and emails from parents, NOT ONE of which they even addressed or responded to. But it was in the paper the next day about how much flack they received for it. The next week or week and a half, I woke up at 6:30am and checked Facebook and was SURPRISED to see a status from the board that school was cancelled. There had been no snow, it wasn't too cold, the roads weren't that bad, and we were apparently the only board who closed that day, lol.

So imagine our surprise when Environment Canada issued a warning last week or the week before about a massive storm coming through with up to 30cm of snow and issued a warning to stay off the roads, and indoors if you could. I wake up expecting to have a snow day issued only to see the school board make a status about how ALL schools are open and busses are running. A fair bit of snow had fallen overnight, and that morning Environment Canada said it was going to get worse. School Board didn't care. Schools were open and busses were running. The kids' bus was 20 minutes late that day, and even the bus drivers were commenting under the status that it was too dangerous to be out there. One bus ended up in the ditch in one of the outskirt areas. Thankfully, he hadn't picked up the kids yet. The drivers were responding to the status saying they were calling in begging the board to cancel afternoon busses and have parents pick their kids up because the conditions were just getting too bad and that the board ignored them.

Another parent was asking what it was going to take for the board to start caring about student and staff safety, and unfortunately at that rate, it looked like it was going to be a death. It's crazy. I picked them up early that day. They weren't going on a bus without seat belts that day.

Today, their bus was 30 minutes late, and I almost just turned them around and let them have a snow day today, but just as I was turning around, the bus finally arrived. I'm so over this snow. Summer can come at any time now!

 

[Maggs]

I would have just kept them home in cases like that Brandi! Nova Scotia is far too quick on the ball to cancel schools for the littlest amount of snow. Or sending kids home as soon as it starts. Of course, I never complained when I was still in school

 

[BrandiCanucks]

The -45 day, I drove them to school because of my daughter's medical condition. She can't regulate her body temperature and it drops too quickly after -15. If it weren't for the lawyer appointment and midwife appointments I had that day, where I couldn't bring all three to the lawyer appointment, I'd have kept them home for sure or rescheduled. I had to get my briefing in that day, or risk losing custody so couldn't miss it. The midwife appointment ended up rescheduled for the third time in two days because of babies being born. Apparently snow storms bring babies out too.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Apparently we never have snow days. I asked the school and they looked at me like I had two heads. I was happy that we lived within walking distance....until I realized I have to walk her every single day, and pick her up at lunch because its just half days...and I have to do it with Elliot. I just live a street over so it's not a long walk, but Elliot is such a weird age for walking. He is too old for a stroller, but then its hard for him to walk through the snow with a million layers on and hes too big to carry. I cannot wait for winter to be over. However, it is BEAUTIFUL here in Alberta this week. So I cannot complain anymore.

Tiff - my 7 year old sister, who is not on the spectrum, but has other things going on (shes adopted, has brain damage from her mom doing drugs while pregnant, and has mood disorders, etc) takes melatonin, and really, nothing worked before it. I know I have taken it, and I did give it to Helena one night. I know I felt guilty like I was drugging my child, but really, its natural, and I can see it working for you guys and Claire. Sleep is necessary and really effects how the day is going to go.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Speaking of dumb school things, Helena's school called me today to inform me that Helena was late for school.

Like 2 minutes late, which I knew and I had B bring her in and everything.

I can see them calling if she wasn't at school or something, but why call me when I am out having coffee to inform me that she was late today? Like I needed to give her hell or something?

 

[Tiff]

I hear ya Wendy! We live pretty close to the school too but Claire's preschool RT pushed for us to get the van to pick her up (they'll do for kids with delays and issues). When I looked at her like she had 3 heads she explained that when Claire is having a meltdown I do NOT want to be trying to walk her to school with 6 foot high snowbanks.

Fair enough. And she takes the van which picks her up at our doorstep and am eternally grateful ha ha.

I actually started talking the Melatonin when we started giving it to Claire. I wanted to know how it feels etc. It didn't make me feel drugged or sleepy (like NyQuil does) just made me tired and if I woke up in the night I fell back asleep easier. It really has been a godsend. I got worried because I had heard that prolonged use can lead to nightmares but Vickie was awesome and asked her niece who's daughter takes it for info and that made me feel TONNES better.

Its one of the sucky things with having a kiddo who has issues when not many other people you know have the same. Its far harder to get that "I did it, its okay" vote, which I apparently want/need.

 

[BlackBerry25]

I want to find a neighborhood kid to walk with Helena. She only has one street to cross right in front of the school, and it is a monitored crosswalk (unless its super cold but there is a button and everything.) We have to move this year though, because my landlord wants his house back, so who knows what will happen next year. What age can kids walk themselves?

 

[luna_19]

Brr it's so cold where you all live! It is pouring rain here and I need to take my dog for a walk sometime, boo

 

[Tiff]

No idea! I think I did it on my own when I was in grade 3 or grade 4. Claire's nowhere near that level yet so it'll be awhile for us.

 

[BlackBerry25]

I feel like I always walked without a parent to school.....................
But I lived in an extremely small town, and I am sure I walked with other kids.

 

[Vickie]

Luna and welcome.

My first was a difficult baby but awesome sleeper after 6.5 months. Second was an awesome baby but crap-tastic sleeper and still isn't always the greatest sleeper at 21 months Guess I can't have it all!!!

I'd not have had another if Hannah had had Rhys's sleep and her personality As it is we are done with two

Tiff I know it was hard for you to go that route but you are already seeing the improvements in Claire's moods and behaviors that has to tell you something! Sleep is *so* important and she clearly wasn't getting enough

Hannah is bused luckily. I doubt I'd let her walk but we live next to a *very* busy street. She's had tons of snow days this year because of bus cancellations!

Crazy to call you because she was late Wendy Hannah was 10-15 minutes late today but Stan didn't even take her into the office as they have outdoor play first thing in the morning so he just dropped her at the gate

 

[luna_19]

I started walking on my own in grade 2 but I know things are different now. Some schools around here won' t let kids leave at the end of the day unless a parent is there to pick them up

 

[Vickie]

Stan always walked to school with his cousins and it was quite far!

My mom didn't let me walk until 5th grade! And I grew up in a small town and lived a block from the school When I did get to walk she stood at the corner and watched me......

 

[BlackBerry25]

Helena isn't even allowed to meet me at the door. I have to go inside with Elliot, I am not allowed to enter with a stroller or wagon or anything. Take our boots off, have Elliot run like a madman all over, and go to her classroom. There is a door that they go in for the beginning of the day, but I have to use the front door to pick her up, and I have requested that she meet me at that door by her room but that has not happened. They even have a door where the bus kids and the teacher go, where I would willingly pick her up so I don't have to take off Elliots boots and wrestle him back into them, but no dice.

 

[BlackBerry25]

Vickie, Brian grew up in Mississauga and was allowed to ride his bike around and play with kids and go wherever! That shocks me. I grew up in Elliot Lake, which I only remember having to watch out for bears on the school walk and then yeah the smallest town which doesn't even have a traffic light, but I also had my sister to walk with.

 

[Vickie]

Stan was in London until high school so a bit smaller but still! My mom woulda never gone for it

the going in and taking boots off would really annoy me!

I've taken Rhys's stroller into Hannah's class room on the odd occasion and they luckily don't care!