I'll huff and bluff and huff...

If you've ever seen the movie Life is Beautiful/La vita e Bella, you'll know that the main character basically bluffs his way through a Nazi Concentration Camp. Back in high school when the movie came out (yes, that was a while ago!) I found myself relating to the movie on so many levels.

Photo Credit: www.rogerebert.com

First, it showed me that while the world seems big, bad and scary, we too can make our own sunshine amidst the darkness. Even if it means bluffing your way through tough times.

My Lipreading Toddler

When I see my daughter looking at me when I speak, I see myself. No, I'm not talking about her physical appearance. I'm talking about her looking at me. Confusing? Read on.

Lookalikes!

They say that the eyes speak into the soul of a person. In this case, I caught her lipreading me. Lipreading. Oh my. Is that what I look like when I'm lipreading others? If so - I had no idea I looked like I was in deep thought! Then again, I am using up an enormous amount of energy just to understand what's being said.

The Sisterhood of Mommyhood

My little girl, Rachel, already has two boyfriends.

Haha. Yup. I'm not kidding! (I'll get to that in a minute...)

As a hard of hearing mommy, there are certain struggles that not every mommy can understand - however, I've been exceedingly fortunate to have met two other mothers in Victoria who are not only understanding, but have been a source of support from time to time.

The funny thing is, we wouldn't have met if it weren't for our prenatal class at Mothering Touch! Being newcomers to Victoria meant that I didn't know many people here, and at the time, becoming a new mom felt like I was about to hit a big block of isolation - my social life wouldn't be the same, my time would be occupied with all things baby, and it would be harder to go out to meet new people.

The Spider Meltdown - How HOHs have an intense conversation without making sound

For those that don't personally know me, I am an arachnophobic. While losing more hearing or my baby girl are listed among my fears, the S thing really gives me the heebie jeebies.

Yes. 

The S word scares me. Even the thought of seeing one (dead or alive) or the sensation of one crawling on my skin leaves me absolutely petrified. I shall refer to it as "the thing".

My face as I imagine it probably looks like when it sees "the thing"!

Well, a few nights ago I had meltdown that occurred at 10:15pm. Just as my husband and I were retiring to bed, I discovered a HUGE thing (according to Curtis, the thing was medium sized). Nevertheless, it was bigger than I'd like it to be. Fortunately Curtis killed the thing for me, and unfortunately for me, he disposed the remains of the thing in the garbage bin. The garbage bin is RIGHT beside the toilet and I just CANNOT go to bed knowing that there's a thing in my house that hasn't been flushed. 

Anchors Aweigh! Our Cruise...

Happy New Year! (A little bit late, I admit. We have been stricken with coughs, colds and fevers in this household...)

Over our Christmas break, we took a 2-week Exotic Southern Caribbean cruise aboard Celebrity's Eclipse ship. What fun we had, though there were some interesting moments. First, we ate far too much for our own good, eating more than the recommended three meals a day; dinnertime was always a three course meal, and that didn't even stop me from going up to the 24 hr buffet to get a late night snack! Suffice to say, my body isn't quite so medium sized anymore (hello New Year's resolution! LOSE SOME WEIGHT).

Celebrity Eclipse! (From Celebrity's Website)

A tribute to Hilda Gregory

Hilda Gregory, the former principal for the Vancouver Oral Centre for Deaf Children (now known as Children's Hearing and Speech Centre of BC), recently passed away. Hilda is a 1998 Order of BC recipient, as well as a 1999 Order of Canada recipient. She also volunteered countless hours at Christ Church Cathedral and at Jubilee House. Not only is she a tireless advocate for those that require extra assistance, she is a remarkable lady who has been a part of my childhood and adult life.


Below is an open letter of thanks that I hope will inspire others to reflect on those that have had a meaningful impact on their lives. After all, we cannot get through life all by ourselves.

When squeaks and creaks actually matter to a HOH

The creaks and squeaks of my floor actually don't annoy me. They are a constant reminder that I can actually hear these seemingly trivial sounds.

My girl loves our squeaky hardwood floors!

From my perspective, trivial sounds are God's way of letting you know that your hearing is just fine - and that you've been blessed with a wonderful gift. So, to those who have perfectly normal hearing, and those who use assistive devices:

The next time you hear the creaking or a squeaking of the floor, be thankful.