Wordless Wednesday - Walking on Water!

Nature's Sleep Memory Foam Slippers - Review and Giveaway

I was so excited when I went to check the mail after a parcel had been delivered, and I found these Closed Toed Terry Slippers inside!  (available in open toed too)

I have had many pairs of slippers, and I really do like them, but this pair, from Nature's Sleep, has become a favourite for me!

They are so comfortable to put on and I believe my first comment after putting them on was

"I feel like I am walking on a cloud!!"

And I wasn't joking...They are wonderful slippers.

And, in my house, with my "flight risk" daughter, it is great that I can be wearing these and if or when she takes off, I can chase her down the street, and not hurt my feet, because they are hard soled slippers!!

Some info about the slippers from the Nature's Sleep website:

Plush comfort and luxury with every step. Indoors or out, these closed-toe slippers offer the perfect balance of softness and support in thanks to the visco-elastic memory foam inner sole, which cradles and contours to your feet while absorbing pressure and impact.

• S, M, L, XL
• Upper/inner sole 80% cotton/20% polyester; lining 100% polyester; thermoplastic rubber bottom
• Designed in the USA, Made in Chin
• High quality Genuine Nature’s Sleep Next Generation Memory Foam
• Provides pressure relieving comfort all day long
• Naturally conforms to your foot in cool comfort
• Distributes weight to reduce pressure points and improve circulation
• Ideal for Indoor and Outdoor use on multiple surfaces
• Attractive style and look

Nature's Sleep has many other products available, from Pet Beds to Pillows to Memory Foam Mattresses (which is what I would LOVE to get...then I could maybe get off the couch;-).  I have not been able to find a mattress that works for me.  I almost always end up waking up with a really sore lower back.  For some reason, sleeping on the couch?  I have no problem at all.  I have had numerous people tell me that I should try memory foam...so who knows, one day I may get myself one of these, and if it feels anything like the slippers?  I should be sleeping on a cloud;-)

And some great news is I AM HOSTING A GIVEAWAY for a pair of slippers!!

The giveaway is open to US/CAN 18+ and will run from today until June 30 at 11:59PM.
The winner will have 48 hours to reply to my email or another winner will be chosen.

Mandatory entry:

Sign up for the monthly drawing to win any one product from Nature's Sleep (Big Purple button) and leave a comment what you would like to win...

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If you see anything on the Nature's Sleep website that you would like to purchase, feel free to use this code to get 50% off!  BEARS50

Madagascar 3 and Kinder Surprise!!

So, I really haven't fallen off the face of the internet...I have just had so much going on lately, that I haven't had the motivation to sit down and blog much (reviews and giveaways...)...

And, because of that, I missed out on telling all my awesome readers about an amazing contest that was going on at the Kinder Facebook Page...

BUT...Kinder ALWAYS has amazing contests over there, so you need (yes NEED) to go and "LIKE" the KINDER CANADA page so you can keep up to date on what's going on!!

Anyhow, enough of all that...This arrived at my house a few weeks back, and I was lucky enough to grab a shot of what was in the box...

Because, seriously, they were gone very. VERY quickly...

AND even though I told my kids NOT to eat the special Madagascar 3 ones, so I could get a special picture of the toys, they did...Cause my kids LOVE Kinder SOOOOO much!!

I have loved watching my kids put these toys together, when they haven't snuck them, and even Faith, who has a developmental delay, was able to find some toys in there that she could put together or play with!  I love that!!

I am hoping to take the kids to see Madagascar 3 soon.  They are a favourite in this house, both for the kids AND the adults!!  I would have to say that my favourite character is Melman:-)

Who is your favourite character?

Have you seen the movie yet?  If so, what did you think of it?

Have you checked out the Madagascar 3 Kinder Eggs?

AND

Who in your house loves Kinder Surprise the most?

 “Disclosure: I’m part of the Kinder® Mom program and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.”

Why Can't You Just Be A Normal Kid?

This was uttered in my house this morning.

The reality is, this is what we all think, at one point or another.

Sometimes it has been hard to see the light through all the situations.  And I feel like people just don't fully understand the place we are in.  Faith can be an amazing child, she IS an amazing child.  She is our miracle, and she always will be.  She is full of life, cuddles, love and curiosity.  She really does fill our home with so much more...of everything.

The last few weeks have become very difficult for her.  She has become defiant, aggressive, angry and most days, intolerable.

I have heard it could be due to the changing routine, the fact that she knows things are changing, she knows she will be going to a new school...that transition...

I also know that our family situation has changed, and that is playing a role in the behaviour changes as well.

And, she does have a brain injury.  We have always been told that as she grows, and her brain grows, we are going to see a lot of new behaviours and signs of the actual injury. 

I contemplated whether I should post this pic on here or not, but for those who don't believe what goes on in my house, here it is.

Last night, Faith had been playing nicely in her sisters room.  She started to cause problems and the screaming and crying started, from more then just her.  So, we removed her from the room.

This is what ensued after that "transition"...

She started to fling herself off the couch, and I would catch her with my legs, to save her from falling head first on the floor and potentially causing herself another seizure.  This was all happening while I was being kicked, bit, punched, scratched and pinched.  I have the marks to prove it...

After she started doing this, I used my NVCI training and put her in a safe hold.  Her arms wrapped around her chest, in a non-threatening way, my legs wrapped around hers, while she was standing and leaning into my lap.

I held her there for 3 minutes, while talking to her the whole time: "Faith, are you done?" "Faith are you going to lay down nicely?"

Her response each time was: "Oh no, no, no".

So, I let her out of the restraint and she very calmly came up on the couch with me and snuggled up on my shoulder, neck, side...

...and fell asleep promptly.  This is what we do, almost every night.  It is endless. 

Last night, I felt the same way that her sibling felt this morning when she screamed "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE A NORMAL KID?"

And you know what?  I didn't discipline her for saying that.  Because, how can I discipline someone for the same thing I was feeling?

And then the question of "What is normal?" comes up.  And we can be so cliche about it all and say, no one is normal, but the reality is, a 4 year old can dress themselves, a 4 year old doesn't paint nail polish on their whole body...just before school, a 4 year old can talk to you and tell you how they are feeling and what they are thinking. 

Faith is not 4.  I know that developmentally she is 2, but even a 2 year old can do many of these things. 

Faith has no control over her emotions, and her outbursts.  She just doesn't.  Faith is stronger then any child I know, even up to the 10 year old...

I can barely hold her when she is raging, I can hardly handle the fighting back that she does...and she is only 4.

Last night my thoughts went to: "How young can a child be to be put into a home?" 

And that makes me sad, but how much longer can I sit in this house and watch the other 4 kids go through the pain and suffering that they should not have to go through. 

How much longer do I sit here and let her hurt me and others?

How much longer do I live this life that people just don't get? 

Because of Faiths needs, I have very small windows of opportunity to get things done...so, most of the time, nothing gets done. 

I feel like I am just at the end of my rope.  I really do.  And I don't know what I am going to do with the summer coming up.  Faith will be here 24/7.

I don't get the respite I need.  The government thinks it is ok for respite and SSAH funding to be frozen for so long. 

Where does that leave us?  The families that are in a constant struggle to deal with this in their lives?

Suffering, Questioning, Fighting, Crying....

This is where I am at.

And that is the end...

Best Friends

I have a best friend.  Through my life I have had very few "best friends".  One passed away in a car accident, and the others, well, we just kind of grew up and ended up in different places.

As an adult, I found another amazing friend.  We had met when I was pregnant with Angel, then again after we lost her and I was pregnant with Grace.  She had her oldest a few months after Grace and we made a connection right away...

We have been nearly inseperable since.  We used to live really close to each other and would spend days at the park with the kids, we would hang out on Friday and Saturday nights with the whole family, spouses and all, and play cards and cook/bbq extravagant meals.  We would stay up late preparing for special Sunday school activities.  We were always together.

It has been 10 years.  A decade.  And I think that some people just don't understand what we have.  And really, I find that kind of sad, because every woman needs another woman to talk to, honestly, openly and without any worry of offense being taken.

We have that.

We have both been through the loss of a child.  We have both been through surgeries.  We have both been through supporting our spouses during surgeries.  We both have kids with special needs.  We have a lot in common.  She left a bad marriage 2 years ago, and pleaded with me to really think about my decision to separate.  She knew that the road was not going to be easy, and warned me ahead of time. 

I supported her, I listened to her, I questioned her, I was there for her when she needed me through her struggles, and now, with my situation, she is there for me.  She is supporting me, listening to me, questioning me and I know that she is there for me.  We have no judgement towards each other. We accept each other as we are...

There are times when it gets tiring though, when people who don't understand the kind of relationship we have, take it too far.  They think that if Cheryl is doing something then I must be too.  Or vice versa, if I am doing something then Cheryl must be too.  They expect us to always go out together...and not with anyone else. 

We have been lumped together as one person.  The reality is, we are two very VERY different people.  She enjoys some things that are EXTREMELY different then I would enjoy.  She is outgoing and loves going out, where I am more introverted and would rather hang out at home. 

We are both grown women.  We have our own minds.  We have our own decision makers.  We may talk to each other about things, and consult with each other.  We may not like what the other person is saying, or calling us out on...but we can accept that from each other.  We have been honest, transparent and real with each other.

I wouldn't change that for the world.  I am so glad that I have Cheryl in my life:-)