About Sweetmama Editor
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
My first baby went off to Kindergarten last week. And like many moms, I cried about it and reminisced about my journey as a mother.
From the beginning, Nate was a surprise to me in so many ways. For one thing, he wasn't planned. For another, I was convinced he was a girl. What would I do with a son?
In the beginning I somehow was foolish enough to believe that my son would like whatever I exposed him too. I always thought that boys liking cars and trucks was somehow due to parents buying boys, well, cars and trucks. But I can clearly recall the first time he noticed a fire truck, how his body shook with excitement. "Caaa!" and "Truuuuh!" were two of his earliest words.
Clearly my Sunday morning Coronation Street marathons were having no effect. My boy was a boy biologically and no amount of nursing him in the restroom at Holt's was going to change his character. (Though it may have given him the amazing fashion sense he has today. He picked out this outfit entirely by himself!*)
I never thought I'd have a PHD in Thomas and Friends trains (my daughter surprisingly has an attraction to Thomas too). I never thought I'd have my own favourite Hot Wheels® (I'm partial to the vintage muscle cars). I certainly never imagined myself careening down the highway to catch up to a red Ferrari. But being the mother of a son has made me appreciate a lot of things that I would not ordinarily have taken a second look at.
In celebrating all things boy, we're giving away a Hot Wheels® Battle Force 5™ prize pack! All you have to do to be entered is leave me a comment below (sign up for a profile if you haven't already) telling me your favourite toy (your own or your child's). Click HERE for full contest rules.
The prize pack includes ($60 value):
- Hot Wheels® Battle Force 5™ Big Battle Vehicle with Figure Assortment
- Hot Wheels® Battle Force 5™ Vehicle Assortment
- Hot Wheels® Battle Force 5™ Battle Key Track set
- Large sized poster showcasing the coolest cars from Hot Wheels® for 2009
And if you have a vehicle obsessed child like me, you might want to check out the brand new Hot Wheels® Battle Force 5™ show on Teletoon. The bad guys were a bit too bad for my sensitive 4.5 year-old, but overall we both thought it was a fun show for anyone who's outgrown Turbo Dogs and is looking for a bit more action than a preschool show provides. You can preview and decide see for yourself via the trailer on YouTube.
*First Day of School photo taken with the KODAK EASYSHARE 7980 Digital Camera (on loan to me). It was easy to pick up and use without reading the manual. Great for outdoor shots. It's a bit cumbersome to allow for the amazing lens, making it somewhere between a point-and-shoot and an SLR.