Where Do You Keep Your Family’s Important Health Information?

What’s the name of his medication again? When was she in the hospital for her surgery? What is his blood type? Where did I put that vaccination record?

Do those questions sound familiar? I’ve always struggled with how to keep my health information organized and now that I have three kids and a husband, I have even more things to keep track of. Thank goodness our family doesn’t have lots of complicated conditions or I’d be lost.

I’m always on the lookout for a easy to use record keeping place for all our health information that is also private and secure.  I find the few I have used were limited in one way or another. Either it was created in the US or UK so has different names for medications, terms or measurement units or it became out-dated because it was a program you bought for your computer so it could never be updated.

Emergency Profile in partnership with Canadian MedicAlert Foundation® created a secure online profile where you can organize all your medical information together and edit it or access it from anywhere. Best of all it’s FREE.

What Keeps My Information Private/Secure?

Emergency Profile is an exclusive feature of TELUS Health Space®, a secure online data storage place certified by Canada Health Infoway and powered by Microsoft® HealthVault®.

How Can I Use My Information?

In addition to keeping your information all in one place and being able to update it or reference it right from the doctor’s office or hospital from a smartphone or tablet, you can also share it electronically or in print with babysitters, day care workers, teachers, family members etc.

What Sort of Information Can I Keep Track Of?

Types of information you can add:

• allergies
• medical conditions
• medical devices
• measurements (blood glucose, blood pressure, height, lab test, peak flow, weight)
• Family History
• Immunizations
• Past procedures
• Demographic Info
• Emergency Contact Numbers
• Health Provider Contact Numbers
• Medications
• Even Important Documents (Continuity of Care for example)
• Blood type

What If I Only Want to Share Certain Information With Someone?

No problem! When you share, you create a passcode they can use to access your information and when you set it, you can also choose which types of information above they can view and whether they are able to change any information or just see it.

How Do I Sign Up?

Go to emergencyprofile.com and click on Get Started. Enter your basic information, health information and emergency contacts and save. Afterwards you can go in and add more details.

If you try it out, let me know what you think!

REVIEW: Aqua Notes Waterproof Notepad

Ever had a great idea while in the shower but by the time you got out and got dressed, you had forgotten what it was?

What about relaxing in the bath and you want to doodle or do puzzles but you are afraid of dropping the book in the water or every time you put your hand in the water you have to dry it off before you can write again?

If so, you will want to take note of this product. Aqua Notes is a WATERPROOF notepad that you can write on while wet, even UNDER WATER.

Check out the video, seriously:

Isn’t that the coolest? Not only do they make a notepad but they recently introduced a wordsearch or maze for tub time. I was able to try both out and had lots of fun purposely getting them wet and writing to see if it would work. It’s so cool!

I apologize for the quality of the above photo. These are the ones I am testing out in my shower. The paper feels like a piece of thin plastic but you can actually write on it with pencil. You can rip the page out when you are done, whether it’s to bring it with you to the store or to your computer desk or bulletin board. I’ve had mine up for over a week and the suction cups have not given out at all, they are still firmly stuck where I put them.

The word search has 34 puzzles on different topics and is recommended for ages 7+.

If you are thinking that aqua notes must not be environmentally friendly, you are wrong! The notepads are recyclable and non-toxic. Soy based ink and wind energy are used in the printing process.

Each notepad is only $7.00, a real bargain I think!

AquaNotes is a sponsor for my Mother’s Day Giveaway. You still have a few days left to enter, it’s open till May 18.

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Kinder Canada’s A Joy to Share & Adults Acting Like Kids #KinderMom

My kids love Kinder Eggs but we are starting to get duplicates of all the toys so I decided to share the Kinder Eggs this time around so spread the joy to other families.

I brought some Kinder Eggs to one of our Easter dinner’s this past weekend to share with my nieces and the other kids that were there. After handing out eggs to the kids, the adults were disappointed that they did not get any so I handed some out to them to!

Before I share some pictures of the adults enjoying Kinder Eggs, let me share with you that Kinder Canada is sharing the joy as well. Kinder Canada has partnered with the Children’s Miracle Network in a campaign they call “A Joy to Share”

Beyond their donation, they are also happy to bring us access to real life heroes. Mothers who have been affected by and benefited from the work of the Children’s Miracle Network will be sharing their stories through the Kinder Canada Facebook page.

Teens Like Kinder Eggs Too!

So Do Babies!

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.

Getting My Income Taxes Done at H&R Block Canada #incometax #tax

Does the thought of doing your income taxes fill you with dread?

It does for many Canadians. Figuring out what slips you need, what information goes in what spot and if you might be missing something important are very stressful.

Why fret and sweat, trying to figure out your taxes when you can have qualified help from tax professionals at H&R Block?

I've done my taxes with them for over 8 years now and I've been satisfied each and every time. My needs have changed as I had kids and bought a house and went on disability but H&R Block is able to carry over my past information each year so that they just have to make minimal alterations to my file and it's up to date. This year I had to add my son Liam who was born in 2011. I gave them his name, birth date and SIN # and boom, he is in the system with his sisters.

Just this past week we went in to do our taxes, my husband and I . You can make an appointment but we just walked in, gave them our names and SIN numbers and sat down to wait. When it was our turn, we were led to a small cubicle (for privacy) where a very friendly tax professional asked us how we were doing. If you aren't sure what you will need to bring with, you can call one of their offices first and ask.

We signed our privacy agreements and then got right down to work. He went over what papers we had brought and our situation to figure out if we had all the papers we needed. It turns out we forgot one but he was able to calculate it out so we didn't have to go back to search for it. He also reminded us that now that our children are older and will be getting into sports and other activities, that we need to keep receipts for anything we pay for them, to be claimed next year.

One thing I really like, is that I can see the computer he is working on, and watch him input the information so I know it's going in right. If I see an error, I could point it out right away. Not that he made any errors, but I like seeing the process.

As he inputted our information, the computer changed it around to work the best for us. This year, my husband claimed the house, I claimed the kids and I claimed our boarder. It's different every year because the computer is smart and as I said, it will move things around as needed to get you the best possible return.

By going in and having them do your taxes for you, you mostly just sit there and answer questions while they do all the hard work for you.

Also, H&R Block offers:

Maximum Refund Guarantee (they will get the biggest refund possible)
Audit Assistance (they will stand by you and help if you get audited)
Second Look Service (if a past year's return was not done by H&R Block, they will look it over to ensure you got biggest possible refund.)

Click to see full size

By giving your email to them, you get newsletters will helpful tips, reminders to do your taxes and FAQS about what you can claim. You can also call H&R Block, year round with your tax questions, such as wondering: Do I have to claim blog income?

If you still prefer to do your taxes from your own home, H&R Block offers that too. They even help out US citizens living in Canada, who must do US taxes too.

Be sure to check out Tax Talk - the H&R Block blog. For example, did you know that there were changes to the Ontario credits that will affect if you get a refund?

*Disclosure: I received gift certificates to do my taxes for free in exchange for this review. All opinions are honest. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

6 Things to Remember When Hosting a Child's Birthday Party

The birthday party theme, cake, decorations, games and presents are of course an important part of planning for your child's birthday party but it's not the most important.

Those things will make the birthday boy or girl happy but you also want to keep in mind your child's guests and keeping them happy. Some things to please keep in mind:

1. Don't give out invitations less than a week before the birthday. You need to give your guests and their families time to make arrangements to go, have the money and time to purchase a gift and time to RSVP. If you do it last minute, don't expect many guests or presents.
   
   
2. If you ask for an RSVP, make sure someone will be available to answer the phone number your provide or make sure you have an answering machine. If an older sibling might be answering the phone, make sure they know information about the party to relay to the parents if they have questions.There's nothing worse then trying to RSVP and not getting an answer or call back and when you finally get a hold of someone, not having your questions answered.
   
   
3. Provide details on your invites. Time and Place are the most important. Don't forget the birthday child's name and age (to buy a gift and address cards) as well as details such as if a meal will be provided, if something needs to be brought/worn (like bathing suits or socks) or any special instructions (are adults expected to stay or leave?)
   
   
4. Remember that if your child is inviting school friends, that there will be adults there that don't really know you or your other guests. Introduce yourself by name and who's parent you are. Make a point to get to know them. Ask your child to introduce you to her friends. Show them where to put gifts, where drinks and snacks are and where the bathrooms are.
   
   
5. No one should EVER feel uncomfortable at a party you are hosting. If a bunch of you already know each other and there are some people that your child knows but are new to you, don't sit all together at one table with the family and good friends and leave the new friends to sit all by themselves somewhere else.
   
   
6. Provide Alternatives. Keep in mind that not all parents allow their children to drink pop and have alternatives such as juice or water, PLEASE. 

Keep these in mind and your party should go great!

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5 Ideas for a Fun and Memorable March Break #KinderMom

We don't go anywhere for March Break and my kids aren't old enough to go away to camp on their own yet so for us, March Break is just a laid back week where we don't have to be anywhere at any specific time.  However the kids can get bored just sitting around the house so you have to come up with things to do to make it fun. Here are some ideas to try, no matter the age of your kids:

1. Redo the kid's rooms

(c) Flickr User EvelynGiggles

Stick with me here. Enlist the kids help to go through all their stuff, find a box worth per kid to donate, get rid of all the junk (McDonalds toys they no longer play with, toys with broken or missing pieces, garbage that is hiding under the bed.) Go through the clothes and make sure only clothes that fit, that they will wear and that are for the right season are in their dressers/closets. So where does the fun come in? If the kids help you with all that without too much complaining, let them pick a colour to repaint their room, or rearrange the furniture the way they want, or buy something new for their room, or build a large fort that can stay up for a while.

2. Play a giant board game.

(c) Kathleen Garber

Take at least 50 index cards and put them aside. Write miss a turn on 2 of them, go ahead three spaces on 8, go back two spaces on 5 and if you want to be creative, put something fun on a few more (like eat a cookie or spin around 5 times or sing a song.) Lay them out in a line around the whole house so that there is a start and an end. Use stuffed animals as playing pieces or yourselves and use oversized dice. If you are using yourselves as players, you may just want to each have your own dice so you can roll right where you are. Or you can use a deck of cards with only the cards from A to 6. Mix them up and draw a card to determine how many spots you move.

3. Play With Your Food.

(c) Flickr User WordRidden

If your kids are 8 or under, then take them to the grocery store and let them pick out any 5 healthy foods they want that they have NEVER had before. The whole family has to try them and rate them on a scale of 1-5 on taste. Maybe they'll find a new food they like. Remember healthy foods are on the outside perimeter of a grocery store, not on the inner shelves. If your kids are older, play Chopped. Have you ever seen it on the Food Network? Pick 4 or so ingredients and put them together in a basket. You need one basket for each kid participating. If you only have one kid old enough, do it with one of his or her friends. On start, they open their basket and have to come up with a meal with all the ingredients and make it. If they aren't old enough to use stove or do certain things, they may ask for help but must do as much themselves as possible and helper must do only what kid instructs. Have blind taste testers to determine the winner.

4. Try something new

(c) Flickr User woodleywonderworks

Take you kids somewhere they've never been before to do something they've never done before. Perhaps there is a free music lesson available? Or take them to a zoo, or the science center, art museum, take a trip to city hall and look around, perhaps somewhere is giving tours. Ask around, check out local websites and bulletin boards in your library and grocery store for where to go. Many of us have never checked out all the local attractions that are in our own city.

5. Have a scavenger hunt

(c) Flickr User hoyasmeg

This requires pre-planning. Depending on the age of your children, they can follow written clues or picture clues. It can be only around your house or around your whole neighbourhood. One clue should lead them to the hiding spot of the next clued. For example you hand them this clue: "Where the Canine Slumbers" and they run to the dog's bed to find the next clue. Make it as hard or easy as you need to depending on the skills and age of your children. If you have more than one child, have them work together. Don't make it a competition. Most importantly of all, include a surprise at the end. Something chocolatey is always great, something like perhaps a Kinder Egg?

Okay so I had to include that in there because Kinder Eggs make great treats. A food treat and a toy treat in one, how can you beat that? As a #KinderMom again this year, I get to share the latest from Kinder Canada with you. Last year I shared their new toy line, ways to make time for play everyday and how to use their My Kinder Moments facebook app to make great frames for your photos and enter to win prizes.

Share your love of Kinder Eggs at the Kinder Canada Facebook page. It's a fun community and also check out the My Kinder Moments app.This month's prize is $500 towards a family staycation!

*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. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Do You Give Out Christmas Cards?

I have handed out Christmas Cards only ONCE in the past and I've never mailed out Christmas Cards. I like receiving them but it just seemed like a lot of work and it seems silly to hand out the same impersonal cards to everyone (Santa, Christmas Tree, Snowman etc.)

Now that I've discovered Tiny Prints' christmas cards however, I will be make sending out cards a yearly tradition. I love the designs and I can add photos of my children to make them personal!

There are so many different designs and with customization, you never have to give out boring cards again!

When viewing their available cards, you can filter the choices by how many photos can be added, theme, colour, price, card format and more.

I have three kids and a good photo of each of them separately so I'm planning on using one of these designs with three photos. I haven't decided yet though!


*Disclosure: I will be receiving cards from Tiny Prints in exchange for this post. Opinions are honest. No other compensation was provided. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Article: Saving Money with Everyday Purchases

If you want to focus on saving money, it has to start with everyday purchases. It is always good to revisit your insurance and other monthly bills to try and save on them, but you need to make sure to get the best price on household products, clothing, appliances and other regular items you need for your home. The best way to go is by shopping online. Avoid the hassle of driving to the store and searching for what you need. Then if you don’t find the item you want, or the price seems too high, you continue going from store to store.

Online shopping simplifies the process with search bars, categories and sale sections. If you are looking for top products, look no farther than Sears. They have top name brands like Craftsman, Lands End, Die Hard, Kenmore and many more. There site has deals of the day and sale items. All these products can be combined with Sears Coupons to enhance your savings and make shopping online the best option. In addition, Sears also owns Kmart, so they have similar items on their site along with a clearance section. Combine the discounts with Kmart Coupons and you will have money to spend on more fun and exciting endeavors like travel and leisure. Save yourself time and money, check online deals at all the major retailers before driving out to the store. Even better is that you can get free shipping coupons to have it delivered at no cost? Hope this helps in your savings effort.

Monique Rowe is a guest writer for My Coupons.com and also writes about thrifty living on her own blog: The One Income Dollar.


Disclosure: This post brought to you by Monique Rowe.

My Experiences With Elder Care

(c) 2007 Kathleen Garber. Do Not Reproduce.

I had never thought that I'd be doing elder care until I was much older myself. My parents are only just recently in their 50s and are doing fine. My father-in-law however was much older than my mother-in-law (by 30 years) and his health was not good. In 2005 my in-laws moved into our house and by end the end of 2006, his health kept getting worse. My mother-in-law passed away January 2006 and my father-in-law was dealing with multiple heart attacks (he had a pacemaker and defribillator in his chest), diabetes and by 2007 a stroke.

In 2007 my father-in-law was 71. He was at the hospital a lot, sometimes for weeks at a time. When he was home, I took care of him. My husband worked and since he was living with us, it fell to me to take care of him. I didn't mind though. As he got more and more sick, he was often confused. So I dolled out his medication, administered his insulin, made him the occasional meal or tea (he liked to do some things himself) and I even had to help him bathe once or twice. I'm the one who recognized that something was wrong when he had a stroke and I called 911 many, many times.

Taking care of my father-in-law was stressful. I constantly worried when he'd have another heart attack, stroke or extremely low blood sugar. We had a nurse visit him weekly. He was having more and more trouble walking because of what the diabetes had done to his legs. Our house now had a walker and one of those special seats for the shower in it. Sometime later we acquired an oxygen machine because he was often out of breath. Then we got a hospital bed. At one point he was even on an IV. Our house was looking more and more like a nursing home. I had a child at home and felt I was too young to be this responsible for someone's life but I did it anyways because I loved him. 

In April 2007, I gave birth to my second child. I couldn't possibly care for a new baby and my father-in-law so he moved in with one of his daughters. I felt relieved that someone else was taking over his care but also guilty that I wasn't taking care of him anymore when we had established a routine and I knew what to look for and such. I felt like I had decided my new daughter was more important than him and just threw him out. I visited him as much as possible and did what I could. In October 2007 his body had finally had it. He had been in hospital for weeks when it became apparent that he wasn't going to be coming home this time. His body was failing, one organ at a time and it was tired. October 12 was the day we said goodbye.

I still feel a little guilty for not taking care of him right till the end. I keep thinking I could have taken care of the baby and him. I now know that wouldn't have been possible as I was dealing with postpartum depression as well and I needed to take care of myself too. But I still feel bad.

*This is a sponsored post from Bucks2Blog and I was compensated, but everything in it is true and from the heart. I'm feeling quite sad from stirring up these memories.

Review/Giveaway: Make 5 Dinners in One Hour!

Michelle at 5 Dinners in One Hour has made a plan to prepare and cook 5 different family friendly meals that will feed 4-6 people. You don't freeze them, but keep them fresh in your fridge until you are ready to heat and serve them. At least one meal for each week can be freezable so if you want to create something for later, you can.

When you subscribe you will receive an email at the beginning of each month with menu, grocery list, cooking directions and heating directions. The meal plans contain suggestions for side dishes which you can swap out as you like.

You can get a whole month's worth of plans for only $5 a month, paid via paypal. You can also get a free trial week to see if you like the plan by emailing Michelle from her blog.

Check out her FAQ for more information.

Her blog also has tips and hints, recipes and more.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Thanks to Michelle I have TWO October plans to give away. The menu isn't date specific so you can use them whenever you want or whenever you receive the plan, even though October is almost half way through. It's basically just one month of menu plans.

Since the plan is emailed to you, this is open internationally.

Mandatory Entry:
1. To enter, leave a comment. Make sure to include an email address or make sure it's visible in your blogger profile if you have one.

Extra Entries: (leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each entry or it won't count.)
2. Give me a recipe to try. Type it out or copy and paste it into the comments. If it's not your own, please leave credit to where it's from.
3. Check out Michelle's blog and come back and tell me about a post you found interesting and why. 
4. Tweet, blog or post on facebook about the giveaway. If tweeting, include @callista83 in the tweet. If posting, leave the link to the post or to your blog. If posting on facebook, include link to your page if it's a fan page. If it's your personal page, please just be honest and tell me you linked to this post.

Open till October 20th, at 11:59 PM EST

Flu Season is Upon Us... Are You Ready?

My Family and the Flu Season

I'd like to start off by saying that I usually don't get the flu shot every year because I hate needles and always felt the needle was worse than the flu. I got it when I was pregnant both times but other than that, I risked it. My kids and I usually get the "stomach flu" which isn't really the flu at all anyways. However, this year is different.

With H1N1 spreading around along with regular Flu, people are getting worried and becoming extra cautious. I don't think we need to panic but I do think we need to take this seriously. H1N1 is new and we aren't fully sure how it can affect us.

In our family and community we are using hand sanitizer whenever washing hands isn't plausible or in areas where there are lots of people. For example when we enter playgroup or our Girl Guide meeting (I'm a leader) we use hand sanitizer. It's also good for after coughing or sneezing if getting to a sink is hard.

My kids and I have received the H1N1 flu shot and my husband will be getting it this month. My youngest actually has to go back for her second shot too. We'll probably get the regular flu shot too. None of us are high risk but I plan on getting pregnant again very soon and I wouldn't want to risk a baby or my kids.

Are You in the know?

Ontarians, you can find updated flu clinic information, general flu information and an influenza assessment tool at the Ministry of Health website.

What to Do When Your Child is Sick with Influenza

1. Treat your child’s fever

• Take off heavy clothing and blankets.
• Dress the child in lightweight clothing and keep the room temperature at 20°C (68°F).
• Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for fever and muscle pain in the dose recommended on the package (unless your doctor says otherwise).

Note : Do NOT give acetylsalicylic acid (ASA or Aspirin®), or any cold medicine that has ASA, to children or teenagers under the age of 18.

2. Treat your child’s other flu symptoms

• Encourage your child to get plenty of rest.
• Use salt-water nose drops to treat a stuffy nose.
• Ask your pharmacist about any over-the-counter medicines for cough.

3. Protect others from flu

• Keep your child at home until his/her fever has been absent for at least 24 hours and he or she is feeling well enough to resume normal activities. It’s important for your child to stay home if there’s fever so that the virus doesn’t spread to other children.
• Your child can return to school 24 hours after the fever has resolved and he/she is feeling well enough to get back to normal activities.

Call Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 or your health care provider if your child is under age 5 and develops flu symptoms. The risk of complications from flu is higher for children under age 2.

Mom Central's Father's Day Gift Guide

Father's Day is coming up fast (June 21), have you thought about what to get your father? No father in the picture? A friend of mine said, think of it as FUGE (pron. fudge) day. (Fathers, Uncles, Grandfathers, Everyone Else). I'm sure their is some father-like figure you can recognize this year!

Mom Central has a great gift guide complete with giveaways that you shouldn't miss! From DVDs and custom steak brands to a seven-person domed tent, there is something here for every Dad. Plus, we have organized our gift ideas by price, so there's no reason to break the bank (unless you want to!).

Did I say giveaways? Yes I did! Everyday Mom Central will post giveaways for Dads. Upcoming giveaways include barbeque accessories, a Jeep tent built for 7 people, CDs, DVDs, books, razors, and so much more. You have to check back everyday though as the giveaways will only be open till midnight on that day! There are a couple of giveaways posted now and more will come Monday!

What are you getting your father for father's day?

Blogtations 500th Party!

Blogtations is a great blog that features quotes from all different people on all different topics. Blogtations is having a party for it's 500th quote. They are at 449 so it should be pretty soon!

In honour of the party, they are having a giveaway! You can find the details here but basically you post your favourite quote on your blog and link back.

Since I just came upon this blog, I am not familiar with them and unfortunately I don't have time to read all 449 but I perused a few favourite topics and came up with some ones I really enjoyed. Here are a couple for your enjoyment:

In regards to S*X:

Here is the thing, son. I need to find a way to explain this so you will understand why it's important to knock. So, I'll be blunt. A lot of the time that Mom and Dad are in their bedroom, they are NAKED. Not only NAKED, but Mom and Dad also like to KISS while NAKED. We like to KISS NAKED A LOT. If you are going to keep barging into our room without knocking, I need to let you know that there is a very good possibility that you are going to see a lot of NAKED KISSING. Unless you knock. Then we have time to not be NAKED and stop KISSING.
~Loralee's Looney Tunes

On Housework:

You and I may have different ideas about what exactly “bite the bullet” means in the context of house cleaning. To you, it might mean setting aside an entire day to clean the hell out of your house: scraping dried pancake batter from the ceiling, vacuuming up cat toys, and shoveling out the dust from behind the sofa. To me, “bite the bullet” means finally just bending down and picking up that piece of green pepper on the floor instead of kicking it out of my way 100 times a day.
~I Do Things So You Don't Have To

My husband cleaned the bathrooms, God bless him, but broke the toilet seat off one of the toilets. How is this possible? Broke an entire toilet seat off its hinges? Men, if you're going to help clean the house, don't do it in the manner you would, say, play football. Cleaning a toilet needn't be a race nor a destructive act. It just needs to be wiped down — gently.
~The Junk Drawer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay so there are tons of great ones. Those two housecleaning ones are so funny. The first housework one is so like me. As for the second one, my hubby doesn't break things while cleaning (the odd time he does anything) but he does seem to break things a lot while just using them. He's broken 4 things in the bathroom!

Anyways, make sure you check out Blogtations!

Family Blog I Stumbled Upon

Just4Families is a blog written by a 50 year old father of four from Australia. The information, however, is great for families all over the world.

Be sure to check it out!

Why I Haven't Been Around

RIP Gordon B

Papa to my children

May 23, 1936 - October 12, 2007

My Father-in-Law passed away friday at 3:15pm in the hospital. He had been sick for a long time but everytime the doctor's called saying he was't doing well, he came back from the brink.

We love him and miss him dearly.

The Family Unit

The newest issue of Reader's Digest just came in the mail today. The article under "That's Outrageous" got me thinking and I wanted to share my thoughts on the subject.

The title is The Family Unit: An Endangered Species?
Let me quote a little so you know what it's about:

"Earlier this year the Ontario Court of Appeal rules to recognize a
three-parent family: a mom, a dad... and another mom. "

"A.A. and C.C. were in a lifelong committed partnership and wanted to have a baby. A nice idea, but also biologically impossible: A.A. and C.C. are both women. ...the women called on their long-time male friend B.B. to provide the missing biological pieces. ...in February 2001 C.C. gave birth to a bouncing baby boy to whom the courts now fondly refer to as D.D."

Basically they all agreed that A.A and C.C. were to be the "primary custodial parents" and B.B. wouldn't have to pay any money but would be active in his kid's life. Later on down the road, A.A. asked the court to grant her full parenting rights and privileges. The request was denied but was approved after appeal.

"Interestingly, the Ontario Court of Appeal is the same court that, in 2003, declared the legal definition of marriage - the union of a man and a woman - invalid, changing it to include same-sex couples."

"We now live in a country where gender doesn't matter to marriage, and numbers don't matter to parenting, which leads to the question "How much longer before numbers don't matter to marriage?""

My response? What does it matter? I don't think the government should have any say in what constitutes a family. If two men want to get married, fine. If three adults want to co-parent a child, fine. If a woman wants three husbands, fine. Why should it be any body's decision but those involved?

Polygamy works for other cultures so I don't see it causing much problem here. As long as all those involved agree on how things work, why is it the government's business?

What's outrageous about that article is not that a three parent family was approved, but that the government still feels it necessary to put limits and rules on every aspect of our lives.

Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my father, father-in-law and my husband!





Seeing my husband hold my newly born babes was the best moment ever for me!


Let me share!

The Cuteness and Daddy

OMG I can't find the picture of Daddy and The Precious!