by Kirsten Doyle (Canada) | Aug 4, 2011 | Canada, Childhood, Motherhood, Natural Disaster, Tragedy, World Events
It is a Saturday morning in January, 2010. The weather is surprisingly mild for the middle of winter, but despite the bright sunshine, I am aware of the horrors that prevail elsewhere in the world. It is about a week since Haiti was ravaged by a devastating earthquake, and I cannot sleep because my mind is filled with the terrible images that I am seeing on the news.
I am sipping coffee and sitting at my laptop checking emails. Nearby, my younger son James, who has just turned four, is playing with a giant pile of Lego and some little plastic people and animals. He appears to be making some kind of village.
I tune out of James’ play, open my Internet browser, and within moments I am in a Facebook-induced trance. It doesn’t last for long: something about the way James is playing makes me snap back to reality and pay closer attention to what he’s doing. What I see makes my heart stand still. (more…)
Kirsten Doyle was born in South Africa. After completing university, she drifted for a while and finally washed up in Canada in 2000. She is Mom to two boys who have reached the stage of eating everything in sight (but still remaining skinny).
Kirsten was a computer programmer for a while before migrating into I.T. project management. Eventually she tossed in the corporate life entirely in order to be a self-employed writer and editor. She is now living her best life writing about mental health and addictions, and posting videos to two YouTube channels.
When Kirsten is not wrestling with her kids or writing up a storm, she can be seen on Toronto's streets putting many miles onto her running shoes. Every year, she runs a half-marathon to benefit children with autism, inspired by her older son who lives life on the autism spectrum.
Final piece of information: Kirsten is lucky enough to be married to the funniest guy in the world.
Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Be sure to check out her YouTube channels at My Gen X Life and Word Salad With Coffee!
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by Courtney Cappallo (USA) | Aug 2, 2011 | Communication, Education, Family, Food, Kids, Language, Motherhood, Preschool, USA, World Interviews, World Moms Blog Writer Interview
Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?
I live on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. I am from Oxford, Pennsylvania (USA).
What language(s) do you speak?
I speak English and am currently learning Spanish as a second language. In college I minored in Japanese but I can barely speak a lick of it anymore.
When did you first become a mother?
I had my first child in June of 2005. I had my second child in September of 2008.
Are you a stay-at-home mom or do you work? (more…)
Courtney Cappallo is a mom of two girls, ages 7 and 4-years-old. She is living her dream life by residing on Cape Cod and being able to stay at home with her two little beauties. Courtney is currently homeschooling both of her daughters for 2nd grade and preschool, respectively.
Courtney uses a mix of Classical Education and Montessori. She is a strong believer in teaching to the five senses. Courtney’s homeschooling efforts are unique, as she uses the latest technology of the Smartboard. She is also taking on the task of learning Spanish as a second language, as well as, teaching her two children and husband Spanish.
Prior to becoming a homeschooling teacher, Courtney was the Director of Marketing for Simon Property Group, which is the largest U.S. real estate company. Courtney was Simon’s Director of Marketing for the Burlington Mall, Arsenal Mall and Cape Cod Mall. Courtney is a graduate of Villanova University and is proud of her small town roots from growing up in Oxford, Pennsylvania, which only has two traffic lights! She can be found making homeschooling lessons and more at Table of Four !
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by Maggie Ellison | Aug 2, 2011 | Life Lesson, Motherhood, USA
I truly believe that we all have different paths in life because we all have different things to learn. This belief has had a strong impact on me, especially during the last few months.
I am generally patient to a fault and give everyone the benefit of the doubt. I reflect on myself and my actions all the time, sort of like being in a constant state of therapy. I am also a very sensitive person, and I take most things personally.
I do not like to let people down at all and that feeling of someone being dissapointed in me, really is hard for me. (more…)
Maggie is so grateful to be raising her 2 children with her husband in the low country of South Carolina. Life at the beach is what she’s always known, although living in SC is new to this NJ native! The beauty of the live oaks and the palmettos takes her breath away on a daily basis and being able to go to the beach all year is a dream for her. Art and music have also always been a part of Maggie’s life, and she is happy that her family has the same love and appreciation for it that she does.
Maggie and her family are also very active. Her husband coaches both kids in soccer, and they like to spend their time outdoors kayaking, biking, swimming, camping, etc. They try to seize every moment they can together, and they feel that it’s not just the family time that is important. They want their kids to know a life of activity and respect for the outdoors, expose them to new things and teach them about the world! Maggie and her family are no strangers to overcoming life's challenges. They've had to uproot their family several times when jobs have been lost in the economic crisis.
They also lovingly face the challenges of having a child diagnosed with special needs. Through all this, Maggie has learned to celebrate the good times and never take them for granted. Her family is everything to her, and she is incredibly grateful for every day she has with them and for every moment she has shared with them. Not a day goes by that she doesn’t tell them she loves them and how lucky she is to be her kids’ mommy. How sweet!
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by Polish Mama on the Prairie (USA) | Aug 1, 2011 | Family Travel, Motherhood, USA
A death occurred in the family on my husband’s side a few weeks past. Suddenly, the house was filled with children walking around in confused excitement, while adults were cleaning frantically and packing bags. Plans were cancelled, and a few hours later, 3 a.m. to be exact, we were in the car sleepy-eyed and nervous.
A handful of drunk drivers zipped by as we drove from the countryside down into Chicago and out again. A couple of relatively narrow misses had me thankful that my husband is very alert early in the morning.
And, thinking about our friend who was killed by a drunk driver at the age of 19. And, wishing that the drunk drivers we saw would be pulled over by the police and arrested to protect others like him. Nobody should have to bury a friend as young as he was, as young as we were. (more…)
by World Moms Blog | Jul 31, 2011 | Canada, International, Norway, USA, World Moms Blog Itinerary
On Monday, we will be in Illinois with Polish Mama On The Prairie. This Mama describes a trip across the country with her family, and talks about what it’s like to really feel like you’re at home.
On Tuesday, we head to South Carolina, where Maggie Ellison talks about how she was able to free herself from the negativity generated by other people, leading to a more positive existence for herself and her family.
On Wednesday, we fly across the Atlantic to read a bittersweet post by Asta Burrows. Asta talks about the joy of first discovering a pregnancy, followed by the heartbreak that happens when the pregnancy does not work out.
And on Thursday, we head back across the pond to Toronto, Canada, to hear from Kirsten Doyle of Running for Autism. Kirsten talks about an issue that faces all parents at some stage or another: when bad things happen in the world, how do we explain it to our kids?
On Friday Eva Fannon leads us in the Friday Question. Be sure to check it out and chime in with your answers!
In writer interviews this week, we will hear from Courtney Cappallo of Massachusetts on Tuesday, and on Thursday we will get to know Jill Barth from Illinois.
In news, Jennifer Burden is headed to the Blogher ’11 conference later this week. We cannot wait to hear all about it!
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World Moms Blog is an award winning website which writes from over 30 countries on the topics of motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. Over 70 international contributors share their stories from around the globe, bonded by the common thread of motherhood and wanting a better world for their children.
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by Kyla P'an (Portugal) | Jul 27, 2011 | Exercise, Friendship, Health, Hobby, Husband, Inspirational, Kids, Life Lesson, Motherhood, Parenting, Travel, USA, World Moms Blog, Writing
Inspired by Dr. Lanham’s post last week about preparing for a child to leave the nest, I got thinking about what my own identities are beyond just being a mom. Aware that we all go through metamorphoses, we grow, evolve and change identities many times in life, I wanted to make sure I was in touch with who I am because I know it’s more than “MOM!”
Before having kids, I spent most of my life trying to grow up. In my twenties, I got bitten by the bug and started traveling internationally, specifically, backpacking. One of the things I found most thrilling about traveling was the ability to “reinvent myself” at every new destination. I keenly remember trying hard to avoid labels; especially the label of being American. I even went so far, while traveling in the Middle East, as to sew a patch of the Canadian flag on my pack. I discovered a lot about myself that decade. (more…)
Kyla was born in suburban Philadelphia but spent most of her time growing up in New England. She took her first big, solo-trip at age 14, when she traveled to visit a friend on a small Greek island. Since then, travels have included: three months on the European rails, three years studying and working in Japan, and nine months taking the slow route back from Japan to the US when she was done. In addition to her work as Managing Editor of World Moms Network, Kyla is a freelance writer, copy editor, recovering triathlete and occasional blogger. Until recently, she and her husband resided outside of Boston, Massachusetts, where they were raising two spunky kids, two frisky cats, a snail, a fish and a snake. They now live outside of Lisbon, Portugal with two spunky teens and three frisky cats. You can read more about Kyla’s outlook on the world and parenting on her personal blogs, Growing Muses And Muses Where We Go
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It is a Saturday morning in January, 2010. The weather is surprisingly mild for the middle of winter, but despite the bright sunshine, I am aware of the horrors that prevail elsewhere in the world. It is about a week since Haiti was ravaged by a devastating earthquake, and I cannot sleep because my mind is filled with the terrible images that I am seeing on the news.
