First of all, the baby sign language and songs, 3-week workshop, started last week with introduction and a few words to use during meal time. We sat in a circle and learned some new songs to practice the words we learned. Some interesting ideas came up during the workshop that are worth mentioning here.

• Baby sign language benefits the auditory learners more than the visual learners. It opens up the visual aspect of learning & languages to the auditory learners.
• Baby sign language serves as a lingua franca in a family, where 2 languages are spoken and parents do not understand their partner’s language.
• the rumour that says Baby sign language causes speech delay is unfounded.

My daughter enjoyed the songs a lot, I believe particularly because we were using our hands to express what these songs were about. It was delightful to see how she was fascinated with my hand movement. The downside is I find that it is a bit of work to incorporate it to meal time, because we are busy enough just to get our meals ready.  You will really have to force yourself to get into the habit of doing this. See the following document.

2013_05_13_eyk sign language

Someone asked me about the link to Mothercraft workshops.

Related articles

• Baby Sign Language – Learn to Sign (parentingzoo.com)
• 5 Tips For Teaching Baby Sign Language (return2writing.com)
• Baby Sign Language Saskatoon (mysmarthandssaskatoon.com)
• Tips for Signing Parents- Baby Sign Language Saskatoon (mysmarthandssaskatoon.com)
• I Love Teaching Baby and Toddler Sign Language (mysmarthandssaskatoon.com)
• Baby Sign Language Promotes Parent-Child Interaction (mysmarthandssaskatoon.com)
• Baby Sign: Top 10 Reasons to Sign with your young child (mommymanders.com)

Salsa Workshop was taught by our lovely Esther America, founder of Ottawa Salsa Babies. Like all the other workshops, this is an introduction to mommy-baby version of salsa, where moms learn the basic steps of salsa, Merengue, Cha Cha and Samba.

Unlike Zumba workshop, Salsa Babies workshop teaches officially recognized version of salsa for moms. All the routines are fairly gentle, perfectly geared towards moms carrying their babies in slings.  I personally find that moms don’t have to watch their little ones as much as they do in Zumba workshop. Time to reflex and get immersed in dancing. Routines ranging from classical flavour of salsa, Merengue, Cha Cha to adapted version of samba and flamenco. Some routines feature moms dancing in a big circle and thus help them have fun together.

What makes this workshop enjoyable is selection of music, which helps you get into the mode and move like gentle waves. Krista, my friend who was also at the workshop, thought she would rather do zumba by herself and salsa with her baby. I tend to agree with her. She is a woman of wisdom. I have a lot of respect for her.

The only complaint I have about workshops at Mothercraft is the space. I wish they had reserved a bigger room for this workshop so that more moms can participate in.  The room where the workshop was held was a bit small even for 10 moms, diaper bags and baby carriers, I came very close to bumping into other moms a number of times.

Ottawa Salsa Babies do not have classes in summer, but there is one session starting in May in Glebe. For those interested, check out Ottawa Salsa Babies site for schedule. There is a gallery of showing regular classes as well. The one shown below is from a regular class held in JSquared Dance Company.

I am very tempted to sign up, but schedule conflict keeps this mom from doing it. In summer, we will probably chill out in our yard or hit the bikepath more often. No more dancing mama! I was the only baby-less mom at the workshop. My daughter fell asleep in a car after her Monday swimming class and a good helping of lunch. It was good that she had a long, restful nap, but I definitely missed her company.

Crystal asked me about Kirija, so I will take this opportunity to give you guys update on her. She had a beautiful baby girl on April 30th. She is doing well. I will see if i can get her permission to post a picture on this blog.

Mothercraft provides a workshop that is as close you can get as zumba babies. It is a gentle introduction to zumba to moms and babies are of course welcome to the class. Babies are not officially a part of the class, although they are par for the course (you know what I mean!). Moms can put their babies in buckets, mats or wear them in slings. If you don’t have a baby on you, you can jump up and down as much as you like. If you carry your baby, you need to use your discretion to moderate the movement to keep the little ones from bouncing too much.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures of Sarah, because I didn’t want to miss dancing. I had a much better one that this, which came out blurry.

Since the workshop is designed to be a gentle intro, our instructor Sarah Zahab breaks down steps of the routines and lets us practice before dancing. According to Sarah, traditional zumba class is more like a party, and thus has no structured instruction. She is very good at reminding moms to watch for little ones where we get to more vigorous parts of the routines. She also comes up with gentler alternatives for the sling-carrying moms.

A few minutes into the workshop, the small room became very warm and you heard moms catching breath for our dear lives. We are out of shape in varying degrees and have baby bumps of different sizes. We opened windows to let fresh air in, but strong April sun and still air didn’t help much. It was when you wish for winter weather for this workshop. Sarah continued to encourage us to keep up and feel good about ourselves.

We had a great group of people, a few of whom I’ve met in a number of different places. It goes to show you how small Ottawa is in many ways.

To check out Sarah’s program, go to Continuum Fitness.

To sign up for mothercraft’s workshop, go to Workshop.

I was happy to meet a Japanese lady in the class. We chatted a bit in Japanese. I haven’t spoken Japanese for more than a year, and my Japanese is getting rusty. Nonetheless, I was able to carry on somewhat of conversation. I will talk about my huge crush on Japan in other post. This guy motivated me to learn Japanese.

Over the edge: The Ottawa Fringe Festival, a theatre and performing arts festival where artists, patrons and volunteers get to interact in a fun, exploratory environment, runs June 14-24, 2012. It is looking for volunteers to work at least 3 shifts each throughout the festival. Positions include: box office assistant, usher, venue manager, courtyard captain, security, raffle sales, and survey squad. Many activities take place outside, some are wheelchair accessible. Contact Louisa Haché at (613) 232-6162, or at volunteer@ottawafringe.com.

Fascinated by big trucks: Mothercraft Ottawa, which offers innovative programs to meet the needs of families and providers in the community, is hosting a Touch a Truck Event to bring Ottawa families together for a fun time to explore the big trucks in our community. They are seeking volunteers for set up and tear down, truck attendants, arts and crafts crew members, stage crew members, gate staff, etc. Lunch is provided to all volunteers who begin their shift by 9 am. Contact Shannon MacFarlane at (613) 728-1839, ext 227, or at smacfarlane@mothercraft.com.

Go beyond just thinking green: Ecology Ottawa, a not-for-profit organization working to make Ottawa the green capital of Canada, is planning several activities this summer and is looking for volunteers to help in different capacities. Volunteers who wish to help before and during the Great Glebe Green Garage Sale on Saturday May 26th can contact Jennie Videto at (613) 234-6348, or at jennie_videto@hotmail.com. People willing to assist in organizing the Ottawa Solar Fair on June 9th at City Hall can contact Janice Ashworth at (613) 860-5353, or at janice.ashworth@ecologyottawa.ca. If you would prefer to help organize the Ecology Ottawa Annual Dinner, you can also contact Janice Ashworth at the preceding number or e-mail address. The organization is also looking for volunteers to staff the Ecology Ottawa booth at various events in May across Ottawa. If this interests you, contact Jenelle Orchard at (613) 860-5353, or at jenelle.orchard@ecologyottawa.ca.

It’s a whole ‘nother ballgame matey: The Ottawa Swans Australian Football Club is seeking a volunteer coordinator to recruit and assign volunteers for a vibrant amateur not-for-profit sporting organization. They are also looking for reliable, enthusiastic people to help with their 9 home games, at the welcoming booth, and as boundary umpires, goal umpires, timekeepers/score keepers during the summer months at the Rideau Carleton Raceway, from May to August. Contact Alp Oran at (613) 236-1704, or preferably by e-mail at aoran@uottawa.ca.

Looking good, feeling good:  Imagine how you feel when you’ve just had your hair done! The residents of the Garry J. Armstrong Long Term Care Facility feel the same! Needed are volunteers to help escort and porter residents to and from their hair appointments, a great socialization opportunity and good experience for those considering working with seniors. The hairdressing service is located in-house and  open 5 days a week during the daytime—flexible times available. Do you play music, play cards, like reading to others—all skills/talents welcome!  Orientation/training will be provided and a Police Check is required. The Residence is located on Porter’s Island. Contact Julien Roberge 613-580-2424 ext. 22950  or  julien.roberge@ottawa.ca.

Onstage and Off:  The Shenkman Arts Centre is accepting applications for volunteers on their House Crew and their Stage Crew. In this position you will work as an usher, ticket taker and greeter. If you enjoy working with the public, if you would like to be involved in performance arts then the House Crew is for you.  You must be 16 years of age or over and training is provided.  If you are more of a behind the scene person, consider the Stage Crew.  After your training you will work as a stagehand and help with lighting and sound, stage set and take down.  You must be 18 years of age and over.  For information please contact Connie Cole at 613-580-2424 (16071) or connie.cole@ottawa.ca.   You may also attend a Volunteer Information Session on Thursday May 17th, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Boulevard in Orleans.

The Children’s Press, Undated, Hardback in dust wrapper.

From the cover: Were not accustomed to having relations of the staff planted upon us. So runs the feeling among the girls of IV A. in St. Oswyths School for Girls when Judy Bethune, niece of the Latin master, arrives in the middle of the Spring Term. But Judy, although a little bewildered, is not daunted by this cool reception; with her natural friendliness, enthusiasm and love of adventure she breaks down the barrier of resentment. Herself a keen Guide, Judy tries hard to interest her school-mates in Guiding, but it is not until she has proved herself a good sport by showing resourcefulness and pluck that her dream of a Guide Company at St. Oswyths comes true.

Judys adventures make exciting and amusing reading and will be much enjoyed by all schoolgirls.

Very Good in Very Good Dust Wrapper. Unlaminated dust wrapper a little edgeworn and faded with light creasing to both panels and the price clipped. Pages deeply tanned by age.

Green boards with Silver titling to the Spine.
188 pages. 7½” x 5″.

More Books Like This Available!

Below you will find the most common New Year’s resolutions and we have discovered a great way that you can achieve them all – AT THE SAME TIME!

• Learn something new
• Be more active and fit
• Spend more time with family
• Enjoy life more
• Help others

How do you achieve all the above?

It’s simple, VOLUNTEER with Mothercraft Ottawa as a 50/50 Draw Seller at Sens home games!

Learn something new:
Mothercraft Ottawa  is a leader in early learning and care, and an innovator in parent support, Mothercraft Ottawa is there to help your family grow and thrive. Established in 1944, Mothercraft™ Ottawa is a charitable, non-profit organization that provides programs and services for parents with infants and young children.

Be more active and fit:
As a 50/50 ticket seller, you will be required to stand and sell tickets at Sens games! You can jump around, dance, anything you think will help sell hundreds of tickets.  You may also be able to take part in the chicken dance and the wave if the opportunity arises.

Spend more time with family:
Why not ask your mother, father, brothers, sisters, cousins to join you? Family volunteering is a great way to enjoy time with those you love.

Enjoy life more:
It’s a proven fact that people, who volunteer, live longer and enjoy life more. Don’t believe us? Just ask John Tesh! Volunteering is proven to lower stress and improve your health!

Help others:
Like many charities in Ottawa, volunteers are the driving force of fundraising activities and events. Right now Mothercraft Ottawa needs your help. You can make a difference in the life of families all across Ottawa.

There you have it! What are you waiting for? Volunteer your time today.

Mothercraft Ottawa urgently needs volunteers to help sell 50/50 tickets at the following Ottawa Senators home games:

Monday, January 2, 2012 vs. Devils (7:30 pm)
Thursday, January 5, 2012 vs. Lightning (7:30 pm)
Friday, February 3, 2012 vs. NY Islanders(7:30 pm)
Saturday, February 11, 2012 vs. Edmonton (2:00 pm)
Saturday, March 10, 2012 vs. Sabres (7:00 pm)
Tuesday, April 3, 2012 vs. Hurricanes (7:30 pm)

To apply please contact: Carol-Ann Finlan
Phone Number : 613-728-1839 X230
Email : carol-ann@mothercraft.com

Last weekend we attended the wedding of one of my University friends, L. She had a lovely 50s themed wedding in Cantley, Quebec. The scenery was incredible, as were the fashions.

Cantley, QC

Me, in my 50s cocktail dress (hurr hurr, yes, those are cocktails all over the dress)

My dress can be found here. It was a super comfortable and perfect for the day. I will admit it’s not the most slimming, so curvy girls be aware of the extra poof on already poofy bits. The wedding was lovely. I was a reader during the ceremony (I didn’t swear! Or cry! or throw up! Victory!) We had an incredible time. Afterwards, our good friends S and K stayed at out place for a sleepover (their home is an hour away in the boonies, so they decided to stay in town until morning).

Since then, I’ve enjoyed a busy and eventful week at work. We have a conference going on right now for all staff, allowing us to take free professional development courses and seminars this week. I’ve now done a couple and really enjoy the two I did today.

The first was about accepting change and being more pro-active in your own life. This is something I’ve been struggling with. I understand that it’s common knowledge that you can change your path and life by having a positive mindset and taking responsibility for your situation. My problem is that I have an issue with negativity = playing the victim, not healthy, unsuccessful. Not that I’m all for being negative all the time, but I think there is a time and a place for it and that venting is healthy if kept in balance. Hell, part of the reason I identify with being a Green witch and why I just couldn’t deal with Wicca is because I really believe in the balance between light and dark. I know in this scenerio, the key is accepting that negative situations happen but that the important thing is to rise above it and move through it. The speaker also rubbed me the wrong way when he asked the audience “What is your passion? Your reason d’etre?” and when a woman responded with “being a mother to my children” he replied that that “wasn’t enough” and that she needs to realize that there is more to life than our families. Ok, yes. There is. That said, don’t ask us what our passion is and then shoot it down because it isn’t employment or career related.

Personally, I work so that I can live. I don’t enjoy working. I don’t enjoy being out of my home and serving strangers. I feel accomplished when I have a good day, but I don’t feel fulfilled. I don’t think I’m a lesser person for that, nor do I think that the person who loves their career and can’t wait to get to the office/store/workshop is less than me either. I think it’s different for all of us.

The second seminar I attended was called “Ayurvedic Approach to Total Health: Ancient Wisdom for Modern Times” and was run by a local Ayurvedic doctor. It was really interesting! I definitely want to integrate some aspects into my life, like trying to do Sun Salutations in the morning when I get up. I can definitely see myself looking into this some more.

After my courses today, I came across a campaign online that I feel very strongly about: Bringing a Birth Center to Ontario. I haven’t really talked about birth options and rights much since starting this blog, but it’s something I feel very passionately about. I was/am a volunteer doula/birth companion with a local organization called Mothercraft, which provides information, advocacy and support to women and families in need in the Ottawa area. Through my training with Mothercraft and my own personal interest in the subject, I found myself researching birth options within the city and surrounding areas. I was very disappointed that there are only a handful of birth centres in the entire country.

Birth Centres offer an alternative to hospital or home births. They are community supported, midwife-led centers that focus on supporting families in non-critical birth care. Personally, I know that I am not comfortable with the idea of a home birth for me. I am too uptight about my space and I don’t think I’d be comfortable at home. (This may change, I’m trying to talk myself into it) That said, I am equally as uncomfortable with the idea of having a hospital birth. Birth Centers give you the comforts of home, with the safety and support of a well trained staff and facility. I’m seriously trying to figure out a way to become involved in this campaign and hopefully bringing a birth centre to this Nation’s capital as a milestone and an example to the rest of the country.

If you’re looking to get involved, there is a ton of information on the Ontario Midwives website. They also have a great pamphlet on the campaign.

Overall, it’s been a great week. Lots of things to get me thinking and to keep me busy. I love learning about new things!

Helen Webb, “Talks to Nurses“

Silent and deadly:
Every year 1,700 Canadian women die of ovarian cancer because symptoms went unrecognized. Ovarian Cancer Canada is dedicated to closing this information gap, raising awareness and providing outreach to women with a program called Listen to the Whispers. Hour-long spoken presentations are brought to groups of women in the community by trained volunteers. Good English is necessary. They ask a commitment of four engagements a year. The next training session will be on or about Nov. 20. Call Angela Holzer at 1-877-413-7970.

Been there, done that:
Mothercraft Ottawa serves the needs of parents and child-caregivers through a variety of programs with the assistance of volunteers. One of these programs is Companion, where an experienced parent mentors a family, identifying and developing parenting skills and needs. There will be a two-evening training opportunity Nov. 16 and 18 for volunteers, and another in April 2011. Communication and caring are the prime requisites for volunteers. The annual Gingerbread event takes place on Sunday Dec. 12. Call Lili Kondo at 613-728-1839 ext. 289.

Ready for a closeup:
The Rideau Valley Wildlife Sanctuary rehabilitates injured, sick or orphaned wildlife and returns them to their natural habitat. They also raise awareness on peaceful coexistence with our wild neighbours. And to this end, they’re looking for a volunteer video editor to turn raw footage into a top audio-visual production. Call Linda Laurus at 613-258-9480.

Selling points:
Carefor Health and Community Services provides quality home health care and community support services and has done so for over 100 years. They accomplish this with the assistance of volunteers and public support of their fund-raising efforts. Some computer know-how is required. Call Vanessa Sobie at 613-749-7557 ext. 2180.

It won’t take long:
You can make a difference in the efforts of the Canadian AIDS Society‘s participation in World AIDS Day events, and it’ll only take a few hours between Nov. 14 and Nov. 19. Pick your time, and then help prepare kits, enter data, make phone calls, prepare labels and name tags, and share refreshment breaks. Other volunteer opportunities will also be available in preparation for World Aids Day and throughout the year. Call the Coordinator of Volunteer Programs at 613-230-3580 ext. 110.

Backup team:
IC Africa is a new agency based in Ottawa, and concerned with organizing resources for economic development projects in Ottawa. They’re looking for a volunteer for office help. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and you can work as many or as few shifts as you prefer. Call Eugene Nzeribe at 613-683-8008.

Special thanks to the Ottawa Citizen for publishing Volunteer Ottawa’s Volunteer Roundup! weekly in the City Section! Great community organizations and people are benefiting from this great column! www.ottawacitizen.com

Join the fight:
The Canadian Cancer Society Ottawa Unit is looking for dedicated and dynamic individuals to join our steering committee(s) to assist with the planning and organization of the 2011 Relay For Life events in Ottawa East, Ottawa West and Ottawa Centre. Event planning experience is an asset. Contact Laura Lafantaisie at 613-723-1744, ext. 3623, or llafantaisie@ontario.cancer.ca.

Good sports:
For the next six months, there will be Senators home games, and at each game Mothercraft will be selling 50/50 draw tickets. (After the second period begins, you can take in the game!) For dates and times, e-mail Rachel@mothercraft.com and pick yourself a shift — feel free to bring a helper. Sorry, you must be 19 or older to participate.

Share some Christmas Cheer:
Do you have a little time to spare this Christmas season? Are you good with the public? It’s that time of year again for the traditional Salvation Army Christmas Kettle Campaign. There are various major locations across the city and you can choose the time/date when you can help. For more information, contact Chris Penton at 613-241-1573, ext. 320, or chris_penton@ottawaboothcentre.org.

Checking it twice:
The Christmas Exchange has a referral database with addresses and they like to keep it up to date. If you have experience with Microsoft Excel and spreadsheets, you could help with the task. And if you have access to a computer and the Internet you can do the data entry and verification at home. Attention students: this is a great way to earn some community service hours. Call Sui-Ling Leung at 613-226-6434, ext. 226.

Making it better:
Sharepoint is a set of server capabilities designed to improve and maximize the effectiveness of business through sharing and distributing data. It’s a complex and specialized program, and Vista Centre is looking for an individual who can use his/her experience with Sharepoint to assist in the optimum design and setup for the organization. Call Tammy Kuchynski at 613-234-4747, ext. 25.

And the winner is … :
The winner is every volunteer who ever helped anyone anywhere. Volunteer Ottawa is holding its first annual VOSCARS fundraiser at the Hilton Garden Inn Ottawa Airport on March 3 and they’re looking for volunteers with talents to share. You’ll get five minutes stage time — longer if you perform before the show or during dinner — before an appreciative audience. Just let the hosts know what your talent is. Call Paula Cowan at 613-736-5266, ext. 153.

Special thanks to the Ottawa Citizen for publishing Volunteer Ottawa’s Volunteer Roundup! weekly in the City Section! Great community organizations and people are benefiting from this great column! www.ottawacitizen.com