But aside from our Parisian adventures, Landyachtz (skateboard) video featuring my son, Wolf, has gone live...

We are in a lovely Paris apartment in the Latin Quarter, just the two of us; he is making us lunch before we go out adventuring, and I sit here tapp tap away posting and praising his 'shred skills'.

This is his freestyle, not racing, which is his forte.

cheers from paris mamas.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cor8dT72Hgg

International Gravity Sports Association: World Cup Series...
Sounds impressive, sounds international.. guess it is. It is also a lot of waiting around and sky watching to see that it doesn't rain. It is also a lot of regulations. Luckily, I am with good company, my son, and also other parents of riders (but almost all of the riders are adults).

Downhill skateboarding, fast, and fun... apparently, but I also like the classic luge (butt-board) and luge (lay down type with wheels), but the skull board (skeleton with wheels) is terrifying to watch. then the inline downhill skaters are just out of control. (well not really, my knees twist in paint watching them.)

This is my son's first international race at 16 years of age, and is happy so far with his performance. There is stiff competition, but this makes it all the better.

The sun has just cracked through and flooded the sky with a promise of a good day of racing, and not toooo hot (like the first two days were).

This area of france is lovely (alps near Annecy). Here are links to both my photo page and to Wolf's race/ travel page.
happy summer!!!

L
http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/
http://haybalemother.blogspot.com/

My mother says that it is entirely different than being the grandmother of an adult... I beg to differ, but then again, I am not a grandmother at all.... (knock on wood) yet.

It has been three days and counting. My first son, my first baby is 'officially' a man.

To be honest my mind is whirling with this fact, replaying his birth, his first day of school, and many moments since then and now. I threw together a few photos and some more thoughts about this event.

http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/

At the moment he is on a bit of a journey, and visiting his aunt. Sigh. I do have to say that I am glad he is at this point in his life, and also that I have three others following him. My youngest is only six... many years before he becomes 18.

Sometimes people ask about my son, my fast, really very fast son, and how his racing is coming along. He's a down-hill skateboarder, aka longboarder. He is away yet again this weekend, and again next. So, here is his sport in case you are curious.
cheers
all
http://haybalemother.blogspot.com/

Friday afternoon, in a matter of a few hours, my sister lost all of her possessions. There is little left of the heritage building that recently had become her home. She is a strong woman and I know she will find a silver lining in this tragic loss, but at least no lives were lost, not even of the canine or feline variety. So lucky, so sad.

Feel free to read my thoughts and reflections on this...
kindly
L
http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/2010/06/08/fire-at-gibsons-landing/

My son cracks me up. He has a great imagination and a wicked sense of humour, and he is only six. This surely won't surprise many other mothers, but what to do to nurture their bursting creativity? To celebrate their creative literary efforts as much as we do their visual art? I've been giving this quite a bit of thought: see more here:
http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/

L

Last weekend I drove from VAncouver, BC to Goldendale WA so my son could ride Maryhill, the legendary road. It was amazing actually. If you want to see some of the photos of my very speedy son and our little adventure, please do. cheers mamas, for me soccer season is over and the race season is on... hay (from the bales that lined the road slipped into my book bag. )
http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/
http://haybalemother.blogspot.com/2010/04/more-maryhill-free-ride.html
cheers,
L

These words should have never rolled over the lips of my little girl. ( She is a healthy, very fit, very atheletic, funny lovely, bright (you get the point) nine-year old girl. She is tall for her age and is often mistaken for someone even as old as eleven or twelve, and this is quite an age spread for kids. It isn't the same as mistaking someone who is 35 for 38 (not really) both are adults--approaching middle age.

She has lived in a house where the only magazines feature architecture, home improvement, literature or skateboarding. This kind of sums up our lives. We don't own a scale, and only a month ago did we sucumb to installing 'channels' on or television (previously we only had dvd's and vhs for viewing). There is no one in her household who obsesses over weight, fat, body image, or the like. I have done my best to focus on healthy eating rather than even using the term 'diet'. But none of this seems to matter to her right now.

She wants ripped abs like her two girl cousins who are a year and two years older than her, and with whom we've just returned from vacation which included hot-tubs and skiing. My darling gal was as fit and lovely as the other two, just not 'cut'. Why should she be, she is a little girl. It is uncommon for girls to have defined abdominal muscles anyway, but these are the girls she sees in bikinis.

I explained that her aunt, the gals' mother, is also naturally slim and muscular, where as I am rather hippy and soft in the middle by nature, though I have 'nice pipes' according to my sons, when we check our bicep flexes. It is a boy thing that I refuse to be left our of. (we have three sons and one daughter, she is third in line). She too naturally compares herself to her brothers, 'but he has a six-pack, and I don't even have a four pack! It's not fair.'

So, she was busy breaking my heart yesterday with her antics, and feeling sorry for herself, when I told her that her concern is nothing to do with the reality of her body and it all has to do with her mind. It is up to her to change how she thinks and feels about herself, and maintaining an unhealthy perspective can lead to obsession about food and dieting, and feeling generally poorly about oneself. We both know women who are like this, and she agreed that this would not be a good way to live.

I have never told her about my own struggles with anorexia and bulimia when I was a teen and a young adult. When stressed, upset, or depressed I starve, not intentionally, but I can’t eat, my stomach rejects food, and this only makes matters worse. Fortunately she's never seen me like this—it has been about twenty years since the food/fat demon haunted me. I vowed to not raise self-conscious children. My kids would be fit, active, and confident and not give a second thought to the ‘f’ word—that being fat.
But in a society where so many children are inactive and obese and as a result struggle with health conditions that formerly only plagued adults, the public awareness around childhood obesity is high, it shouldn’t surprise me so much that she too would be worried about her weight. But she is not the child that has a weight issue, but she doesn’t seem to think so.

I am trying to balance between supporting her growing self-esteem, and giving too much attention to an unwarranted obsession with her ‘fat.’ Sure she has a little soft layer over her belly, as she should, she needs this to grow. This is not from junk food, nor from inactivity, but from her body’s natural arrangement. I am trying to encourage her to love herself, as I found I had to do as well—and this was not an easy thing for me to do, and I certainly wasn’t able to do it as a teen, but I grew up and left the things that were beating me down. I just want to be the best mom for her as she blossoms into a lovely gal so that she won’t end up struggling through her teens as I did.

Maybe I should switch grocery store where the check-out line has a dreadful array of glossy hate-yourself and Kristie Alley, you-could-do-better, lose-weight, eat-great magazines. I dismiss and deride them to myself every time I go through the checkout, but they do play on my insecurities; so I shouldn’t overlook the affect that these images may have on her as well. Mostly, I have asked that she try to not compare herself to other girls or women, but to focus on the positive things she has, rather than the not having what they have... easy to say....

I could go on much more on this topic, but I won’t for now... thanks for reading.

My lastest olympic thoughts... that is until the paralympics get here! we have tickets for sledge hockey, so looking forward to that!

http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/about/aspirations-of-olympic-proportio...

I have always had a thing for sparkley spandex suits and dramatic flowing skirts fluttering over the ice rink to equally dramatic tunes. And tonight when the Canadians knocked the Gold from the Russians for the first time since 1960, it was sweet. But what was even sweeter were the hugs that the Amerian Silver-winning team and the Canadian Team shared with each other, they were so genuinely thrilled for one another. (they also apparently train together). Sweeter yet, my little children whooping at the win, and then singing the national anthem when it played during the medal ceremony. I got a big fat lump in my throat. This cheering on sports is all kind of new to me. I'm the artsy mom, the egg-head mom, not the sport mom, but I'm learning. (just had a 6 page glossy article in Concrete Wave, a skateboarding mag, about parenting speedy children, so I've been learning a bit about sport)

Then I took three of my four kiddies to watch women's curling last week and whitnessed a tight race between the Russians and Americans... and the Americans won a solid victory in the 10th end.
http://wp.me/Pzj1x-8A
I was prepared for bored kids, for 'when can we go' or 'is it over yet' and then they surprised me again, 'mom, when can we go curling???'. Who knew? So, following the olympics, i have promised to take them curling. And yes, I've curled before, but its been more than a decade, possibly two, but it's never tooo late to learn. I think...

Je n'existe pas... I posted earlier today even... and now it is all gone. Funny how empty that feels. I hope the old posts, recent posts are able to be put back up... I don't keep copies;(.

At the crack of 4:40am my hubby flew away for a week of skiing with his brother in France. I'm home with the monkeys and I don't mind a bit. Took the two little ones to the beach for some sand and water play before the day's soccer games (for them) were underway.

Finn figured that if we were going to the beach, then, he'd better go for a dip. He put together his gear, and slipped on his wetsuit (shorty). Coco got a couple tennis rackets and a ball, put on some shorts and a ball cap and we piled into the car.

We could have walked, but the trek back up the hill just before an hour of intense soccer would have been too much. So, three minutes later (lame to take the car!!!) we were there.

It was a great way to spend the morning and I should do it more often seeing as we live so close. But the rains of winter don't lend themselves too this play. We have had the most uncanny fabulous weather. I kind of hope the world doesn't get the idea tha this is typical vancouver weather, it's not. This is June (but colder) weather. And I'm enjoying every bit of it.

Off to soccer!
and tomorrow, more olympic fun. Wonder what we'll do next?
L

All too often I hear... gosh (my word, not the word I actually hear) the games are too expensive for regular folks to go. All I'd like to say is, how much do 'regular' hockey tickets cost? well Olympic tickets are LESS. And on top off, that the Paralympics are less $$ than they should be. You can see the Gold medal game for $50.00 canadian, eh. And these are stellar athletes too.

We took three of our kids, and we are 'regular folks', to see Swiss thump Slovakia. Okay, that's not exactly fair, there wasn't any thumping at all, but the third period was intense. Did I mention these were the women's hockey games? Fine players... not as fine as the Canadians (or the Americans) mind you, but it was good hockey none the less. I found the men's hockey TOO expensive for regualr folks... this is true, as is the figure skating and speed skating, but part of that is that I didn't buy any tickets until four weeks ago. If I had purchased tickets before they were being resold at 'market value' I could have a chance with the figure skating (couldn't even get a training session). Everything was sold out.

We will take in some women's curling and also a victory ceremony (medals and music). But much of our time has been attending free events downtown vancouver, watching big animals (stuffed animals) skate for the kiddies, first nations drummers, singers, and dancers perform at a few places. There are also numerous pavilions with displays and activities and tonnes of cultural events to attend (If you're into that sort of thing... and I am). Da Vinci machine show at the Vancouver ARt gallery...free, Library Voices (band) at the Sask pavilion... free... more and more fun stuff for free. okay.

Mostly I have had fun feeling the energy of people on the streets of my sleepy ol' vancouver. I love the visitors, the tatooed cheeks, the flags (all kinds). We'll see how the next few weeks pan out!
here is a link to a few of my family olympic fun.
http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/

Okay, I am not one for make-up, not anymore at least. I was the plucked-brow queen, and l'artist de-eye-shadow when I was a teen and even occasionally in my early twenties. But over the years, I have relied upon my inner beauty and charm to carry me through the day.

This doesn't always work. With a bout of Rosacea (red face ailment)and a serious case of fatigue, this morning was a make-up morning. Not a lot, just a bit of foundation with a bit of mascara, and maybe a hint of pink or green on my lids, that and coffee, and I was good to go.

But no. It wasn't that simple. You see, my rather chaotic drawer was depleted of these very items. I had my foundation and application sponges, even my favourite lipstick (okay my only lipstick), but no mascara, no eye-liner, no shadow!!! WTF. I pulled my drawer apart. then I dug into my husband's drawer, then my daughters. I found nothing nothing nothing that would do.

Then I had to think back to when I last wore make-up... any at all. It had only been about 12 or thirteen days, but I was certain as there was an evening event for some gal friends of mine. Sooo.

Then it nagged at me, who has been in my drawer? I have a cleaner than comes in every other week, a very trusted cleaner, but she hires a helper, a gal I didn't know. And yuck why was I even thinking that someone would want to lift my mascara, even my new tube of rather good quality mascara? Why would I even think of that... but then my liner and shadow too? Had I lost my mind, did I wear my makeup some where I had completely forgotten, and applied it in the car? I'll have to check, but I don't think so. My purse has nothing but receipts and bills. buts of paper and hand cream (which doesn't really qualify as makeup).

I will ask my daughter again. I am sure I wouldn't be the first mother to have her nine-year-old experiment with her pricey face-paint, but then to fib about it? sigh... I even asked my grade 10 Mohawk sportin' sixteen-year-old son, he furrowed his bushy brow and said 'you have got to be kidding?' just thought I'd check.

I would like to chalk this all up to some bout of senility, carelessness on my part and be done with it. Ahhh that's what I'll do, plead insanity to myself. this is bettern than blaming anyone else or being paranoid, besides, I don't think I could manage without my extra cleaning help, it is only two times a month (would prefer daily... but no such luck).So there you have it, the sock monster in the dryer, the one that eats only one sock from a pair, that is who took my make-up I am certain.

Now I can gather my kiddies, pick up some new goop, and go watch the torch run down the hill (Olympic that is), and cheer with my smilin' face properly painted... but if it's still raining, I'll settle for some good ol' inner glow and charm.

Last week, all four of my children came home with school report cards, and for the first time, they were all relatively pleased with what was written on them. As a parent, it is a delicate task to interpret the school report card, especially in front of my child.

I am never quite sure what to expect when I first glance down at the columns of numbers, letters, codes and comments. But, having done this for some 12 years, I have developed some strategies. First of all, I find the absolute best grade or comment and then I read it aloud after, of course, having already pre-read it. Then I praise them for their efforts, and I ask how they felt they did, what they liked best and so on. This way, the conversation starts off well, and then we go through the whole report. I always pre-read the entire thing before hand. This is especially true of my elementary/primary school children. My teens read their own reports long before I ever get a glance—they know what’s coming.

What do you do when your child doesn’t perform at the level you hoped he or she would, or rather could? This is the situation we have found ourselves in time and time again.

Having given this topic much consideration, I wrote more. It is posted on my blog in full. I'd love your thoughts and comments. It's a topic that is often over shadowed by the joyous and busy season at hand, but report cards happen more than in just June, at least the December report allows for change and improvement for the second term, if need be.

cheers.
l
http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/2009/12/21/tis-the-season-for-report-c...

Do you every get that dizzy feeling, like you can't stand up, like your head is about to burst, when you open a box of photos that you had forgotten you'd even lived through let alone documented the proof of it?

Well, I have been a mother for over 17 years and I have proof. Not only the four kids, two of whom tower over me, but the boxes and boxes of kids art, photos, slides and birthday,christmas, mother's day, father's day cards to prove it.

I am neck deep in this archival pool of personal history, and I just wanted to share... that's partly why I haven't been more than a blip on the screen for weeks... maybe it will be weeks more yet. Depends on how the sorting goes.
cheers mamas
L
http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/my-life-flashed-before-my-e...

Okay, I know it will never really stop. Not really. So, I have to breathe. Take a moment and bring the cool moist air of the rainforest into me, and slow down.

Sometimes my illness... I like to say recovery, forces me to do this whether I want to or not, but that usually entails a nap, and being flat out and sad about it.

But now I am updating my photos and wrote a tribute to my favorite short story writer, Alice Munro who is fighting cancer

and then to work on another article and finish this bloody reno stuff. yikes.
thinking of posting for a while, but busy busy, and just reading a few of your own. love knowing all you mamas are there

http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/photos/still-life-collected-things-or-...
and
http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/

I wrote already that my son participated in this event, but now I have an aricle live on an e-zine about the event. I love it when communities and causes blend to make great things happen!

L.
a link to the article and photos is here:
http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/

Ok, so I tease him, but I love him mullet and all. My son, Wolf is in a longboard event (that is a big skateboard) where they are pushing, not downhill, for three days covering the territory from Hope, BC. right into Vancouver, BC. to Stanley Park. This is a long a grueling event totalling 156km, or 97 miles. But it gets better, it actually is an event mostly done by young folks and with the majority being young men, who are raising awareness and money for The CAnadian Breast Cancer Foundation. The push is actually all across Canada, this weekend, but he is riding in the BC, Vancouver to Hope leg. He has raised, $400.00 today alone.(in total too), but the push is still a few days away yet, we'll see what the final tally is after.

When he was about 12, he shaved his very long hair for cancer, raised 800 plus donated all the hair to a company that makes human hair wigs for kids with cancer.

I am just so proud of him I could cry, and I wanted to share this with all you mamas.

My son, my dear sweet fifteen, almost sweet sixteen year old son, came home Sunday with a Mullet and wearing a pair of ACID WASH jeans. Now, if you are anywhere near as old as I am, this is beyond outrageous, it is sacrilege. But I feel torn. It is funny--funny that both my hubby and I hugged our dear boy and told him just how retro, how 80s he looked, how we couldn't believe that they sold jeans like that!

He likes his look, it's clean, he's a bit alternative, no surprise there, and well he's our boy. His look is inoffensive. His white and blue striped Mohawk, now has grown in, and he's trimmed away all the coloured bits so now it is his regular dark brown.

To be honest his mullet has been trimmed up enough that it is less mullety now than post Mohawk. It's now more new-wavy.

Guess, part of being torn is that his 'look' is just so darn close to what we all were like when we were in high school, that it is somewhat startling, but they do it with a sense of selfless humour. The farmer hat is somehow 'cool'. That was never cool when I was a teen, only grandpa's and farm boys wore those. But now seems it can be a part of everyone's look... except mine. I'll never do it, nor will I don a pair of jeans that look like one spilled bleach all over them...

Here he is! My lovely lad:

a twisted mama, perhaps. but if you can't laugh, what the hell can ya do?

If you want to see the second installment of Ranting parent's late-onset, post partum... and my weary tale of woe and dark humour. (honest it is satire...)

L
http://rantingparent.com/page8/files/b5790ab88b4065840e9ee9ddaf0874bb-81...

Okay, I couldn't resist reading this site. I have them on my twitter, and the topic kind of just jumped out. Maybe all you hipsters have opinions you want to share on this topic too, seeing as there are a lot of strong opinions about the soul-sucking factor of FB.

ciao.
L
http://www.rookiemoms.com/tip-17-how-not-to-bore-your-friends-on-social-...

I imagine my ad; fantasize about the first meeting and what I might say... this is the story that unfolds in my fantasy...

http://lorriemiller.wordpress.com/satirical-musings/not-so-evil-twin/

Sadly, it is not far from the truth, sadly, there is no nanny to rescue me.
Happily, I have a sense of humour--hope you do too.
L

Today.
Bigger better, shinier fridge--with ice maker.
five burner gas stove--be hooked up tomorrow
silent, dishwasher
front loading washer and drier.
stonger garborator

i am mind-boglinglingly happy,shallow I know, but I wanted to share.

L

If anyone has any doubt about their parenting abilities... be rest assured. Check out these ever so helpful tips!!

Luna

http://www.rantingparent.com/Tips%20For%20New%20Parents/tipsfornewparent...